he woods we heard far away the
jabbering cry of the ape-men. The Indians once more set up a feeble
wail of fear.

"We must move, and move quick!" said Lord John. "You help Summerlee,
young fellah. These Indians will carry stores. Now, then, come along
before they can see us."

In less than half-an-hour we had reached our brushwood retreat and
concealed ourselves. All day we heard the excited calling of the
ape-men in the direction of our old camp, but none of them came our
way, and the tired fugitives, red and white, had a long, deep sleep. I
was dozing myself in the evening when someone plucked my sleeve, and I
found Challenger kneeling beside me.

"You keep a diary of these events, and you expect eventually to publish
it, Mr. Malone," said he, with solemnity.

"I am only here as a Press reporter," I answered.

"Exactly. You may have heard some rather fatuous remarks of Lord John
Roxton's which seemed to imply that there was some--some
resemblance----"

"Yes, I heard them."

"I need not say that any publicity given to such an idea--any levity in
your narrative of what occurred--would be exceedingly offensive to me."

"I will keep well within the truth."

"Lord John's observations are frequently exceedingly fanciful, and he
is capable of attributing the most absurd reasons to the respect which
is always shown by the most undeveloped races to dignity and character.
You follow my meaning?"

"Entirely."

"I leave the matter to your discretion." Then, after a long pause, he
added: "The king of the ape-men was really a creature of great
distinction--a most remarkably handsome and intelligent personality.
Did it not strike you?"

"A most remarkable creature," said I.

And the Professor, much eased in his mind, settled down to his slumber
once more.

CHAPTER XIV

"Those Were the Real Conquests"

We had imagined that our pursuers, the ape-men, knew nothing of our
brush-wood hiding-place, but we were soon to find out our mistake.
There was no sound in the woods--not a leaf moved upon the trees, and
all was peace around us--but we should have been warned by our first
experience how cunningly and how patiently these creatures can watch
and wait until their chance comes. Whatever fate may be mine through
life, I am very sure that I shall never be nearer death than I was that
morning. But I will tell you the thing in its due order.

We all awoke exha