He urged Tantor forward. He raised his heavy spear and hurled it at the flying target of the lion’s body. The girl’s pony had reached the trees upon the opposite side of the clearing. Here he would become easy prey to the swiftly moving lion; but Numa, infuriated, preferred the woman upon his back. It was for her he leaped.
Korak gave an exclamation of astonishment and approval as Numa landed upon the pony’s rump and at the same instant the girl swung free of her mount to the branches of a tree above her.
Korak’s spear struck Numa in the shoulder, knocking him from his precarious hold upon the frantically plunging horse. Freed of the weight of both girl and lion the pony raced ahead toward safety. Numa tore and struck at the missile in his shoulder but could not dislodge it. Then he resumed the chase.
Korak guided Tantor into the seclusion of the jungle. He did not wish to be seen, nor had he.
Hanson had almost reached the wood when he heard the lion’s terrific roars, and knew that the charge had come. An instant later the Hon. Morison broke upon his vision, racing like mad for safety. The man lay flat upon his pony’s back hugging the animal’s neck tightly with both arms and digging the spurs into his sides. An instant later the second pony appeared—riderless.
Hanson groaned as he guessed what had happened out of sight in the jungle. With an oath he spurred on in the hope of driving the lion from his prey—his rifle was ready in his hand. And then the lion came into view behind the girl’s pony. Hanson could not understand. He knew that if Numa had succeeded in seizing the girl he would not have continued in pursuit of the others.
He drew in his own mount, took quick aim and fired. The lion stopped in his tracks, turned and bit at his side, then rolled over dead. Hanson rode on into the forest, calling aloud to the girl.
“Here I am,” came a quick response from the foliage of the trees just ahead. “Did you hit him?”
“Yes,” replied Hanson. “Where are you? You had a mighty narrow escape. It will teach you to keep out of the jungle at night.”
Together they returned to the plain where they found the Hon. Morison riding slowly back toward them. He explained that his pony had bolted and that he had had hard work stopping him at all. Hanson grinned, for he recalled the pounding heels that he had seen driving sharp spurs into the flanks of Baynes’ mount; but he said nothing of what he had seen. He took Meriem up behind him and the three rode in silence toward the bungalow.
XIX
Behind them Korak emerged from the jungle and recovered his spear from Numa’s side. He still was smiling. He had enjoyed the spectacle exceedingly. There was one thing that troubled him—the agility with which the she had clambered from her pony’s back into the safety of the tree above her. That was more like mangani—more like his lost Meriem. He sighed. His lost Meriem! His little, dead Meriem! He wondered if this she stranger resembled his Meriem in other ways. A great longing to see her overwhelmed him. He looked after the three figures moving steadily across the plain. He wondered where might lie their destination. A desire to follow them came over him, but he only stood there watching until they had disappeared in the distance. The sight of the civilized girl and the dapper, khaki clad Englishman had aroused in Korak memories long dormant.
Once he had dreamed of returning to the world of such as these; but with the death of Meriem hope and ambition seemed to have deserted him. He cared now only to pass the remainder of his life in solitude, as far from man as possible. With a sigh he turned slowly back into the jungle.
Tantor, nervous by nature, had been far from reassured by close proximity to the three strange whites, and with the report of Hanson’s rifle had turned and ambled away at his long, swinging shuffle. He was nowhere in sight when Korak returned to look for him. The ape-man, however, was little concerned by the absence of his friend. Tantor had a habit of wandering off unexpectedly. For a month they might not see one another, for Korak seldom took the trouble to follow the great pachyderm, nor did he upon this occasion. Instead he found a comfortable perch in a large tree and was soon asleep.
At the bungalow Bwana had met the returning adventurers on the verandah. In a moment of wakefulness he had heard the report of Hanson’s rifle far out across the plain, and wondered what it might mean. Presently it had occurred to him that the man whom he considered in the light of a guest might have met with an accident on his way back to camp, so he had arisen and gone to his foreman’s quarters where he had learned that Hanson had been there earlier in the evening but had departed several hours before. Returning from the foreman’s quarters Bwana had noticed that the corral gate was open and further investigation revealed the fact that Meriem’s pony was gone and also the one most often used by Baynes. Instantly Bwana assumed that the shot had been fired by Hon. Morison, and had again aroused his foreman and was making preparations to set forth in investigation when he had seen the party approaching across the plain.
Explanation on the part of the Englishman met a rather chilly reception from his host. Meriem was silent. She saw that Bwana was angry with her. It was the first time and she was heart broken.
“Go to your room, Meriem,” he said; “and Baynes, if you will step into my
