a sudden," growled Malbihn.
"Perhaps you think I have forgotten about the inn keeper's daughter,
and little Celella, and that nigger at--"

"Shut up!" snapped Jenssen. "It's not a matter of virtue and you are
as well aware of that as I. I don't want to quarrel with you, but so
help me God, Sven, you're not going to harm this girl if I have to kill
you to prevent it. I've suffered and slaved and been nearly killed
forty times in the last nine or ten years trying to accomplish what
luck has thrown at our feet at last, and now I'm not going to be robbed
of the fruits of success because you happen to be more of a beast than
a man. Again I warn you, Sven--" and he tapped the revolver that swung
in its holster at his hip.

Malbihn gave his friend an ugly look, shrugged his shoulders, and left
the tent. Jenssen turned to Meriem.

"If he bothers you again, call me," he said. "I shall always be near."

The girl had not understood the conversation that had been carried on
by her two owners, for it had been in Swedish; but what Jenssen had
just said to her in Arabic she understood and from it grasped an
excellent idea of what had passed between the two. The expressions
upon their faces, their gestures, and Jenssen's final tapping of his
revolver before Malbihn had left the tent had all been eloquent of the
seriousness of their altercation. Now, toward Jenssen she looked for
friendship, and with the innocence of youth she threw herself upon his
mercy, begging him to set her free, that she might return to Korak and
her jungle life; but she was doomed to another disappointment, for the
man only laughed at her roughly and told her that if she tried to
escape she would be punished by the very thing that he had just saved
her from.

All that night she lay listening for a signal from Korak. All about
the jungle life moved through the darkness. To her sensitive ears came
sounds that the others in the camp could not hear--sounds that she
interpreted as we might interpret the speech of a friend, but not once
came a single note that reflected the presence of Korak. But she knew
that he would come. Nothing short of death itself could prevent her
Korak from returning for her. What delayed him though?

When morning came again and the night had brought no succoring Korak,
Meriem's faith and loyalty were still unshaken though misgivings began
to assail her as to the safety of her friend. It seemed unbelievable
that serious m