ifting the girl to his shoulder waddled off
through the jungle. In his wake followed the angry mob.

Chapter 11

Korak, returning from the hunt, heard the jabbering of the excited
monkeys. He knew that something was seriously amiss. Histah, the
snake, had doubtless coiled his slimy folds about some careless Manu.
The youth hastened ahead. The monkeys were Meriem's friends. He would
help them if he could. He traveled rapidly along the middle terrace.
In the tree by Meriem's shelter he deposited his trophies of the hunt
and called aloud to her. There was no answer. He dropped quickly to a
lower level. She might be hiding from him.

Upon a great branch where Meriem often swung at indolent ease he saw
Geeka propped against the tree's great bole. What could it mean?
Meriem had never left Geeka thus alone before. Korak picked up the
doll and tucked it in his belt. He called again, more loudly; but no
Meriem answered his summons. In the distance the jabbering of the
excited Manus was growing less distinct.

Could their excitement be in any way connected with Meriem's
disappearance? The bare thought was enough. Without waiting for Akut
who was coming slowly along some distance in his rear, Korak swung
rapidly in the direction of the chattering mob. But a few minutes
sufficed to overtake the rearmost. At sight of him they fell to
screaming and pointing downward ahead of them, and a moment later Korak
came within sight of the cause of their rage.

The youth's heart stood still in terror as he saw the limp body of the
girl across the hairy shoulders of a great ape. That she was dead he
did not doubt, and in that instant there arose within him a something
which he did not try to interpret nor could have hade he tried; but all
at once the whole world seemed centered in that tender, graceful body,
that frail little body, hanging so pitifully limp and helpless across
the bulging shoulders of the brute.

He knew then that little Meriem was his world--his sun, his moon, his
stars--with her going had gone all light and warmth and happiness. A
groan escaped his lips, and after that a series of hideous roars, more
bestial than the beasts', as he dropped plummet-like in mad descent
toward the perpetrator of this hideous crime.

The bull ape turned at the first note of this new and menacing voice,
and as he turned a new flame was added to the rage and hatred of The
Killer, for he saw that the creature befor