ng knife in her hand, and then he broke forth from the
jungle, bellowing horribly, and charged down upon the frail girl.

Chapter 27

Korak screamed commands to his huge protector, in an effort to halt
him; but all to no avail. Meriem raced toward the bordering trees with
all the speed that lay in her swift, little feet; but Tantor, for all
his huge bulk, drove down upon her with the rapidity of an express
train.

Korak lay where he could see the whole frightful tragedy. The cold
sweat broke out upon his body. His heart seemed to have stopped its
beating. Meriem might reach the trees before Tantor overtook her, but
even her agility would not carry her beyond the reach of that
relentless trunk--she would be dragged down and tossed. Korak could
picture the whole frightful scene. Then Tantor would follow her up,
goring the frail, little body with his relentless tusks, or trampling
it into an unrecognizable mass beneath his ponderous feet.

He was almost upon her now. Korak wanted to close his eyes, but could
not. His throat was dry and parched. Never in all his savage
existence had he suffered such blighting terror--never before had he
known what terror meant. A dozen more strides and the brute would
seize her. What was that? Korak's eyes started from their sockets. A
strange figure had leaped from the tree the shade of which Meriem
already had reached--leaped beyond the girl straight into the path of
the charging elephant. It was a naked white giant. Across his
shoulder a coil of rope was looped. In the band of his gee string was
a hunting knife. Otherwise he was unarmed. With naked hands he faced
the maddening Tantor. A sharp command broke from the stranger's
lips--the great beast halted in his tracks--and Meriem swung herself
upward into the tree to safety. Korak breathed a sigh of relief not
unmixed with wonder. He fastened his eyes upon the face of Meriem's
deliverer and as recognition slowly filtered into his understanding
they went wide in incredulity and surprise.

Tantor, still rumbling angrily, stood swaying to and fro close before
the giant white man. Then the latter stepped straight beneath the
upraised trunk and spoke a low word of command. The great beast ceased
his muttering. The savage light died from his eyes, and as the
stranger stepped forward toward Korak, Tantor trailed docilely at his
heels.

Meriem was watching, too, and wondering. Suddenly the man turned
towa