s means?"

A draught of hot night air carried up a stench of drunkenness, and the
goaty odor of massed animal bodies.

"No," Kirby whispered. "I suppose, from Gori's having brought us here,
that Naida is going to appear somehow. We've simply got to trust that
Gori knows what she is about."

"But listen--" Ivana suppressed a shudder. "Suppose they should bring
Naida here presently to force her to take part in some ceremony at which
we can only guess. Gori, who thinks we can work miracles, supposes we
can rescue Naida. But I--I'm not so certain. Is there _anything_ we can
do?"

* * * * *

It was exactly that question which had made Kirby fight to keep himself
from thinking. His face turned gray before he answered. But answer he
did, finally.

"Yes, there is one thing we can do, Ivana. We've got to be frank with
each other, and so far, this is the _only_ thing I've been able to
figure out. If Naida is brought here, and they make any move to harm her
or torture her, we can, and we will, shoot her quickly, before harm or
pain comes."

A grim silence settled once more. During the last miles of march in the
jungle, there had persisted in Kirby's heart the hope that there would
be at least _something_ favorable in whatever situation they might
encounter. His spirits were so low now that he dared not speak again.

Amongst the noiseless sea of ape-men below them came, every now and
again, a little ripple of motion as some anthropoid shadow fell out of
his place, approached the liquor vats, and swilled down the black brew,
a quart at a gulp. But mostly there was little commotion. Ivana drew a
sibilant breath and said that she wished something would happen.

"I wish," Kirby answered tensely, "that we knew _what_ is going to
happen."

But the nightmare waiting was not to go on forever. Kirby leaned forward
and pointed.

It was only instinct that had made him know action must come. For a
second, no change in the expression of the ape-men, no movement in their
crammed ranks, was visible. Then, however, a queer, subdued grunting
rumbled deep down in many throats, and those who had faced the
hundred-foot space in the center of the clearing squatted down on their
hams.

In the back of the crowd necks were craned. The stronger shoved the
weaker in an effort to get a better view of the cleared stage, and a few
ape-men who had been drinking hurried on unsteady legs to their places.

"The drum