Chapter 14
With wide eyes fixed upon him, like a trapped creature horrifiedbeneath the mesmeric gaze of a great serpent, the girl watched theapproach of the man. Her hands were free, the Swedes having securedher with a length of ancient slave chain fastened at one end to an ironcollar padlocked about her neck and at the other to a long stake drivendeep into the ground.
Slowly Meriem shrank inch by inch toward the opposite end of the tent.Malbihn followed her. His hands were extended and his fingershalf-opened--claw-like--to seize her. His lips were parted, and hisbreath came quickly, pantingly.
The girl recalled Jenssen's instructions to call him should Malbihnmolest her; but Jenssen had gone into the jungle to hunt. Malbihn hadchosen his time well. Yet she screamed, loud and shrill, once, twice,a third time, before Malbihn could leap across the tent and throttleher alarming cries with his brute fingers. Then she fought him, as anyjungle she might fight, with tooth and nail. The man found her no easyprey. In that slender, young body, beneath the rounded curves and thefine, soft skin, lay the muscles of a young lioness. But Malbihn wasno weakling. His character and appearance were brutal, nor did theybelie his brawn. He was of giant stature and of giant strength.Slowly he forced the girl back upon the ground, striking her in theface when she hurt him badly either with teeth or nails. Meriem struckback, but she was growing weaker from the choking fingers at her throat.
Out in the jungle Jenssen had brought down two bucks. His hunting hadnot carried him far afield, nor was he prone to permit it to do so. Hewas suspicious of Malbihn. The very fact that his companion hadrefused to accompany him and elected instead to hunt alone in anotherdirection would not, under ordinary circumstances, have seemed fraughtwith sinister suggestion; but Jenssen knew Malbihn well, and so, havingsecured meat, he turned immediately back toward camp, while his boysbrought in his kill.
He had covered about half the return journey when a scream came faintlyto his ears from the direction of camp. He halted to listen. It wasrepeated twice. Then silence. With a muttered curse Jenssen brokeinto a rapid run. He wondered if he would be too late. What a foolMalbihn was indeed to thus chance jeopardizing a fortune!
Further away from camp than Jenssen and upon the opposite side anotherheard Meriem's screams--a stranger who was not even aware of theproximity of white men other than himself--a hunter with a handful ofsleek, black warriors. He, too, listened intently for a moment. Thatthe voice was that of a woman in distress he could not doubt, and so healso hastened at a run in the direction of the affrighted voice; but hewas much further away than Jenssen so that the latter reached the tentfirst. What the Swede found there roused no pity within his callousedheart, only anger against his fellow scoundrel. Meriem was stillfighting off her attacker. Malbihn still was showering blows upon her.Jenssen, streaming foul curses upon his erstwhile friend, burst intothe tent. Malbihn, interrupted, dropped his victim and turned to meetJenssen's infuriated charge. He whipped a revolver from his hip.Jenssen, anticipating the lightning move of the other's hand, drewalmost simultaneously, and both men fired at once. Jenssen was stillmoving toward Malbihn at the time, but at the flash of the explosion hestopped. His revolver dropped from nerveless fingers. For a moment hestaggered drunkenly. Deliberately Malbihn put two more bullets intohis friend's body at close range. Even in the midst of the excitementand her terror Meriem found herself wondering at the tenacity of lifewhich the hit man displayed. His eyes were closed, his head droppedforward upon his breast, his hands hung limply before him. Yet stillhe stood there upon his feet, though he reeled horribly. It was notuntil the third bullet had found its mark within his body that helunged forward upon his face. Then Malbihn approached him, and with anoath kicked him viciously. Then he returned once more to Meriem.Again he seized her, and at the same instant the flaps of the tentopened silently and a tall white man stood in the aperture. NeitherMeriem or Malbihn saw the newcomer. The latter's back was toward himwhile his body hid the stranger from Meriem's eyes.
He crossed the tent quickly, stepping over Jenssen's body. The firstintimation Malbihn had that he was not to carry out his design withoutfurther interruption was a heavy hand upon his shoulder. He wheeled toface an utter stranger--a tall, black-haired, gray-eyed stranger cladin khaki and pith helmet. Malbihn reached for his gun again, butanother hand had been quicker than his and he saw the weapon tossed tothe ground at the side of the tent--out of reach.
"What is the meaning of this?" the stranger addressed his question toMeriem in a tongue she did not understand. She shook her head andspoke in Arabic. Instantly the man changed his question to thatlanguage.
"These men are taking me away from Korak," explained the girl. "Thisone would have harmed me. The other, whom he had just killed, tried tostop him. They were both very bad men; but this one is the worse. Ifmy Korak were here he would kill him. I suppose you are like them, soyou will not kill him."
The stranger smiled. "He deserves killing," he said. "There is nodoubt of that. Once I should have killed him; but not now. I willsee, though, that he does not bother you any more."
He was holding Malbihn in a grasp the giant Swede could not break,though he struggled to do so, and he was holding him as easily asMalbihn might have held a little child, yet Malbihn was a huge man,mightily thewed. The Swede began to rage and curse. He struck at hiscaptor, only to be twisted about and held at arm's length. Then heshouted to his boys to come and kill the stranger. In response a dozenstrange blacks entered the tent. They, too, were powerful,clean-limbed men, not at all like the mangy crew that followed theSwedes.
"We have had enough foolishness," said the stranger to Malbihn. "Youdeserve death, but I am not the law. I know now who you are. I haveheard of you before. You and your friend here bear a most unsavoryreputation. We do not want you in our country. I shall let you gothis time; but should you ever return I shall take the law into my ownhands. You understand?"
Malbihn blustered and threatened, finishing by applying a mostuncomplimentary name to his captor. For this he received a shakingthat rattled his teeth. Those who know say that the most painfulpunishment that can be inflicted upon an adult male, short of injuringhim, is a good, old fashioned shaking. Malbihn received such a shaking.
"Now get out," said the stranger, "and next time you see me rememberwho I am," and he spoke a name in the Swede's ear--a name that moreeffectually subdued the scoundrel than many beatings--then he gave hima push that carried him bodily through the tent doorway to sprawl uponthe turf beyond.
"Now," he said, turning toward Meriem, "who has the key to this thingabout your neck?"
The girl pointed to Jenssen's body. "He carried it always," she said.
The stranger searched the clothing on the corpse until he came upon thekey. A moment more Meriem was free.
"Will you let me go back to my Korak?" she asked.
"I will see that you are returned to your people," he replied. "Whoare they and where is their village?"
He had been eyeing her strange, barbaric garmenture wonderingly. Fromher speech she was evidently an Arab girl; but he had never before seenone thus clothed.
"Who are your people? Who is Korak?" he asked again.
"Korak! Why Korak is an ape. I have no other people. Korak and Ilive in the jungle alone since A'ht went to be king of the apes." Shehad always thus pronounced Akut's name, for so it had sounded to herwhen first she came with Korak and the ape. "Korak could have beenkind, but he would not."
A questioning expression entered the stranger's eyes. He looked at thegirl closely.
"So Korak is an ape?" he said. "And what, pray, are you?"
"I am Meriem. I, also, am an ape."
"M-m," was the stranger's only oral comment upon this startlingannouncement; but what he thought might have been partially interpretedthrough the pitying light that entered his eyes. He approached thegirl and started to lay his hand upon her forehead. She drew back witha savage little growl. A
smile touched his lips.
"You need not fear me," he said. "I shall not harm you. I only wishto discover if you have fever--if you are entirely well. If you are wewill set forth in search of Korak."
Meriem looked straight into the keen gray eyes. She must have foundthere an unquestionable assurance of the honorableness of their owner,for she permitted him to lay his palm upon her forehead and feel herpulse. Apparently she had no fever.
"How long have you been an ape?" asked the man.
"Since I was a little girl, many, many years ago, and Korak came andtook me from my father who was beating me. Since then I have lived inthe trees with Korak and A'ht."
"Where in the jungle lives Korak?" asked the stranger.
Meriem pointed with a sweep of her hand that took in, generously, halfthe continent of Africa.
"Could you find your way back to him?"
"I do not know," she replied; "but he will find his way to me."
"Then I have a plan," said the stranger. "I live but a few marchesfrom here. I shall take you home where my wife will look after you andcare for you until we can find Korak or Korak finds us. If he couldfind you here he can find you at my village. Is it not so?"
Meriem thought that it was so; but she did not like the idea of notstarting immediately back to meet Korak. On the other hand the man hadno intention of permitting this poor, insane child to wander furtheramidst the dangers of the jungle. From whence she had come, or whatshe had undergone he could not guess, but that her Korak and their lifeamong the apes was but a figment of a disordered mind he could notdoubt. He knew the jungle well, and he knew that men have lived aloneand naked among the savage beasts for years; but a frail and slendergirl! No, it was not possible.
Together they went outside. Malbihn's boys were striking camp inpreparation for a hasty departure. The stranger's blacks wereconversing with them. Malbihn stood at a distance, angry andglowering. The stranger approached one of his own men.
"Find out where they got this girl," he commanded.
The Negro thus addressed questioned one of Malbihn's followers.Presently he returned to his master.
"They bought her from old Kovudoo," he said. "That is all that thisfellow will tell me. He pretends that he knows nothing more, and Iguess that he does not. These two white men were very bad men. Theydid many things that their boys knew not the meanings of. It would bewell, Bwana, to kill the other."
"I wish that I might; but a new law is come into this part of thejungle. It is not as it was in the old days, Muviri," replied themaster.
The stranger remained until Malbihn and his safari had disappeared intothe jungle toward the north. Meriem, trustful now, stood at his side,Geeka clutched in one slim, brown hand. They talked together, the manwondering at the faltering Arabic of the girl, but attributing itfinally to her defective mentality. Could he have known that years hadelapsed since she had used it until she was taken by the Swedes hewould not have wondered that she had half forgotten it. There was yetanother reason why the language of The Sheik had thus readily eludedher; but of that reason she herself could not have guessed the truthany better than could the man.
He tried to persuade her to return with him to his "village" as hecalled it, or douar, in Arabic; but she was insistent upon searchingimmediately for Korak. As a last resort he determined to take her withhim by force rather than sacrifice her life to the insane hallucinationwhich haunted her; but, being a wise man, he determined to humor herfirst and then attempt to lead her as he would have her go. So whenthey took up their march it was in the direction of the south, thoughhis own ranch lay almost due east.
By degrees he turned the direction of their way more and more eastward,and greatly was he pleased to note that the girl failed to discoverthat any change was being made. Little by little she became moretrusting. At first she had had but her intuition to guide her beliefthat this big Tarmangani meant her no harm, but as the days passed andshe saw that his kindness and consideration never faltered she came tocompare him with Korak, and to be very fond of him; but never did herloyalty to her apeman flag.
On the fifth day they came suddenly upon a great plain and from theedge of the forest the girl saw in the distance fenced fields and manybuildings. At the sight she drew back in astonishment.
"Where are we?" she asked, pointing.
"We could not find Korak," replied the man, "and as our way led near mydouar I have brought you here to wait and rest with my wife until mymen can find your ape, or he finds you. It is better thus, little one.You will be safer with us, and you will be happier."
"I am afraid, Bwana," said the girl. "In thy douar they will beat meas did The Sheik, my father. Let me go back into the jungle. ThereKorak will find me. He would not think to look for me in the douar ofa white man."
"No one will beat you, child," replied the man. "I have not done so,have I? Well, here all belong to me. They will treat you well. Hereno one is beaten. My wife will be very good to you, and at last Korakwill come, for I shall send men to search for him."
The girl shook her head. "They could not bring him, for he would killthem, as all men have tried to kill him. I am afraid. Let me go,Bwana."
"You do not know the way to your own country. You would be lost. Theleopards or the lions would get you the first night, and after all youwould not find your Korak. It is better that you stay with us. Did Inot save you from the bad man? Do you not owe me something for that?Well, then remain with us for a few weeks at least until we candetermine what is best for you. You are only a little girl--it wouldbe wicked to permit you to go alone into the jungle."
Meriem laughed. "The jungle," she said, "is my father and my mother.It has been kinder to me than have men. I am not afraid of the jungle.Nor am I afraid of the leopard or the lion. When my time comes I shalldie. It may be that a leopard or a lion shall kill me, or it may be atiny bug no bigger than the end of my littlest finger. When the lionleaps upon me, or the little bug stings me I shall be afraid--oh, thenI shall be terribly afraid, I know; but life would be very miserableindeed were I to spend it in terror of the thing that has not yethappened. If it be the lion my terror shall be short of life; but ifit be the little bug I may suffer for days before I die. And so I fearthe lion least of all. He is great and noisy. I can hear him, or seehim, or smell him in time to escape; but any moment I may place a handor foot on the little bug, and never know that he is there until I feelhis deadly sting. No, I do not fear the jungle. I love it. I shouldrather die than leave it forever; but your douar is close beside thejungle. You have been good to me. I will do as you wish, and remainhere for a while to wait the coming of my Korak."
"Good!" said the man, and he led the way down toward the flower-coveredbungalow behind which lay the barns and out-houses of a well-orderedAfrican farm.
As they came nearer a dozen dogs ran barking toward them--gaunt wolfhounds, a huge great Dane, a nimble-footed collie and a number ofyapping, quarrelsome fox terriers. At first their appearance wassavage and unfriendly in the extreme; but once they recognized theforemost black warriors, and the white man behind them their attitudeunderwent a remarkable change. The collie and the fox terriers becamefrantic with delirious joy, and while the wolf hounds and the greatDane were not a whit less delighted at the return of their master theirgreetings were of a more dignified nature. Each in turn sniffed atMeriem who displayed not the slightest fear of any of them.
The wolf hounds bristled and growled at the scent of wild beasts thatclung to her garment; but when she laid her hand upon their heads andher soft voice murmured caressingly they half-closed their eyes,lifting their upper lips in contented canine smiles. The man waswatching them and he too smiled, for it was seldom that these savagebrutes took thus kindly to strangers. It was as though in some subtileway the girl had breathed a message of kindred savagery to their savagehearts.
With her slim fingers grasping the collar of a wolf hound upon eitherside of her Meriem walked on to
ward the bungalow upon the porch ofwhich a woman dressed in white waved a welcome to her returning lord.There was more fear in the girl's eyes now than there had been in thepresence of strange men or savage beasts. She hesitated, turning anappealing glance toward the man.
"This is my wife," he said. "She will be glad to welcome you."
The woman came down the path to meet them. The man kissed her, andturning toward Meriem introduced them, speaking in the Arab tongue thegirl understood.
"This is Meriem, my dear," he said, and he told the story of the junglewaif in so far as he knew it.
Meriem saw that the woman was beautiful. She saw that sweetness andgoodness were stamped indelibly upon her countenance. She no longerfeared her, and when her brief story had been narrated and the womancame and put her arms about her and kissed her and called her "poorlittle darling" something snapped in Meriem's little heart. She buriedher face on the bosom of this new friend in whose voice was the mothertone that Meriem had not heard for so many years that she had forgottenits very existence. She buried her face on the kindly bosom and weptas she had not wept before in all her life--tears of relief and joythat she could not fathom.
And so came Meriem, the savage little Mangani, out of her belovedjungle into the midst of a home of culture and refinement. Already"Bwana" and "My Dear," as she first heard them called and continued tocall them, were as father and mother to her. Once her savage fearsallayed, she went to the opposite extreme of trustfulness and love.Now she was willing to wait here until they found Korak, or Korak foundher. She did not give up that thought--Korak, her Korak always wasfirst.