essayed to scramble to his feet. Again The
Killer struck him a terrific blow. Again he put the question,
kagoda--have you had enough?

For a moment the bull lay motionless. Then from between battered lips
came the single word: "Kagoda!"

"Then rise and go back among your people," said Korak. "I do not wish
to be king among people who once drove me from them. Keep your own
ways, and we will keep ours. When we meet we may be friends, but we
shall not live together."

An old bull came slowly toward The Killer.

"You have killed our king," he said. "You have defeated him who would
have been king. You could have killed him had you wished. What shall
we do for a king?"

Korak turned toward Akut.

"There is your king," he said. But Akut did not want to be separated
from Korak, although he was anxious enough to remain with his own kind.
He wanted Korak to remain, too. He said as much.

The youth was thinking of Meriem--of what would be best and safest for
her. If Akut went away with the apes there would be but one to watch
over and protect her. On the other hand were they to join the tribe he
would never feel safe to leave Meriem behind when he went out to hunt,
for the passions of the ape-folk are not ever well controlled. Even a
female might develop an insane hatred for the slender white girl and
kill her during Korak's absence.

"We will live near you," he said, at last. "When you change your
hunting ground we will change ours, Meriem and I, and so remain near
you; but we shall not dwell among you."

Akut raised objections to this plan. He did not wish to be separated
from Korak. At first he refused to leave his human friend for the
companionship of his own kind; but when he saw the last of the tribe
wandering off into the jungle again and his glance rested upon the
lithe figure of the dead king's young mate as she cast admiring glances
at her lord's successor the call of blood would not be denied. With a
farewell glance toward his beloved Korak he turned and followed the she
ape into the labyrinthine mazes of the wood.

After Korak had left the village of the blacks following his last
thieving expedition, the screams of his victim and those of the other
women and children had brought the warriors in from the forest and the
river. Great was the excitement and hot was the rage of the men when
they learned that the white devil had again entered their homes,
frightened their women and stolen ar