ward the tent of Ali ben
Kadin. There was no time to be lost.

"Quick!" cried Korak, turning toward Baynes, who had scarce yet
realized whether he was facing a friend or foe. "Take her to the
palisade, following the rear of the tents. Here is my rope. With it
you can scale the wall and make your escape."

"But you, Korak?" cried Meriem.

"I will remain," replied the ape-man. "I have business with The Sheik."

Meriem would have demurred, but The Killer seized them both by the
shoulders and hustled them through the slit wall and out into the
shadows beyond.

"Now run for it," he admonished, and turned to meet and hold those who
were pouring into the tent from the front.

The ape-man fought well--fought as he had never fought before; but the
odds were too great for victory, though he won that which he most
craved--time for the Englishman to escape with Meriem. Then he was
overwhelmed by numbers, and a few minutes later, bound and guarded, he
was carried to The Sheik's tent.

The old men eyed him in silence for a long time. He was trying to fix
in his own mind some form of torture that would gratify his rage and
hatred toward this creature who twice had been the means of his losing
possession of Meriem. The killing of Ali ben Kadin caused him little
anger--always had he hated the hideous son of his father's hideous
slave. The blow that this naked white warrior had once struck him
added fuel to his rage. He could think of nothing adequate to the
creature's offense.

And as he sat there looking upon Korak the silence was broken by the
trumpeting of an elephant in the jungle beyond the palisade. A half
smile touched Korak's lips. He turned his head a trifle in the
direction from which the sound had come and then there broke from his
lips, a low, weird call. One of the blacks guarding him struck him
across the mouth with the haft of his spear; but none there knew the
significance of his cry.

In the jungle Tantor cocked his ears as the sound of Korak's voice fell
upon them. He approached the palisade and lifting his trunk above it,
sniffed. Then he placed his head against the wooden logs and pushed;
but the palisade was strong and only gave a little to the pressure.

In The Sheik's tent The Sheik rose at last, and, pointing toward the
bound captive, turned to one of his lieutenants.

"Burn him," he commanded. "At once. The stake is set."

The guard pushed Korak from The Sheik's presence. They dr