It was still dark when the Hon. Morison Baynes set forth forthe trysting place. He insisted upon having a guide, sayingthat he was not sure that he could find his way back to thelittle clearing. As a matter of fact the thought of that lonelyride through the darkness before the sun rose had been too muchfor his courage, and he craved company. A black, therefore,preceded him on foot. Behind and above him came Korak, whomthe noise in the camp had awakened.

It was nine o'clock before Baynes drew rein in the clearing.Meriem had not yet arrived. The black lay down to rest. Baynes lolled in his saddle. Korak stretched himself comfortablyupon a lofty limb, where he could watch those beneath him withoutbeing seen.

An hour passed. Baynes gave evidence of nervousness. Korak hadalready guessed that the young Englishman had come here to meetanother, nor was he at all in doubt as to the identity ofthat other. The Killer was perfectly satisfied that he was soonagain to see the nimble she who had so forcefully reminded himof Meriem.

Presently the sound of an approaching horse came to Korak's ears. She was coming! She had almost reached the clearing beforeBaynes became aware of her presence, and then as he looked up,the foliage parted to the head and shoulders of her mount andMeriem rode into view. Baynes spurred to meet her. Korak lookedsearchingly down upon her, mentally anathematizing the broad-brimmedhat that hid her features from his eyes. She was abreast theEnglishman now. Korak saw the man take both her hands and drawher close to his breast. He saw the man's face concealed for amoment beneath the same broad brim that hid the girl's. He couldimagine their lips meeting, and a twinge of sorrow and sweetrecollection combined to close his eyes for an instant in thatinvoluntary muscular act with which we attempt to shut out fromthe mind's eye harrowing reflections.

When he looked again they had drawn apart and wereconversing earnestly. Korak could see the man urging something.It was equally evident that the girl was holding back. There weremany of her gestures, and the way in which she tossed her headup and to the right, tip-tilting her chin, that reminded Korakstill more strongly of Meriem. And then the conversation wasover and the man took the girl in his arms again to kiss hergood-bye. She turned and rode toward the point from which shehad come. The man sat on his horse watching her. At the edge ofthe jungle she turned to wave him a final farewell.

"Tonight!" she cried, throwing back her head as she calledthe words to him across the little distance which separatedthem--throwing back her head and revealing her face for thefirst time to the eyes of The Killer in the tree above. Korak started as though pierced through the heart with an arrow. He trembled and shook like a leaf. He closed his eyes, pressinghis palms across them, and then he opened them again and lookedbut the girl was gone--only the waving foliage of the jungle'srim marked where she had disappeared. It was impossible! It couldnot be true! And yet, with his own eyes he had seen his Meriem--older a little, with figure more rounded by nearer maturity, andsubtly changed in other ways; more beautiful than ever, yet stillhis little Meriem. Yes, he had seen the dead alive again;he had seen his Meriem in the flesh. She lived! She had not died! He had seen her--he had seen his Meriem--IN THE ARMS OF ANOTHER MAN!And that man sat below him now, within easy reach. Korak, The Killer,fondled his heavy spear. He played with the grass rope danglingfrom his gee-string. He stroked the hunting knife at his hip.And the man beneath him called to his drowsy guide,bent the rein to his pony's neck and moved off toward the north.Still sat Korak, The Killer, alone among the trees.Now his hands hung idly at his sides. His weaponsand what he had intended were forgotten for the moment. Korak was thinking. He had noted that subtle change in Meriem. When last he had seen her she had been his little, half-nakedMangani--wild, savage, and uncouth. She had not seemed uncouthto him then; but now, in the change that had come over her,he knew that such she had been; yet no more uncouth than he,and he was still uncouth.

In her had taken place the change. In her he had just seen asweet and lovely flower of refinement and civilization, and heshuddered as he recalled the fate that he himself had planned forher--to be the mate of an ape-man, his mate, in the savage jungle. Then he had seen no wrong in it, for he had loved her, and theway he had planned had been the way of the jungle which they twohad chosen as their home; but now, after having seen the Meriemof civilized attire, he realized the hideousness of his oncecherished plan, and he thanked God that chance and the blacks ofKovudoo had thwarted him.

Yet he still loved her, and jealousy seared his soul ashe recalled the sight of her in the arms of the dapperyoung Englishman. What were his intentions toward her? Did he really love her? How could one not love her? And sheloved him, of that Korak had had ample proof. Had she notloved him she would not have accepted his kisses. His Meriemloved another! For a long time he let that awful truth sink deep,and from it he tried to reason out his future plan of action. In his heart was a great desire to follow the man and slay him;but ever there rose in his consciousness the thought: She loves him. Could he slay the creature Meriem loved? Sadly he shook his head. No, he could not. Then came a partial decision to follow Meriemand speak with her. He half started, and then glanced down at hisnakedness and was ashamed. He, the son of a British peer, had thusthrown away his life, had thus degraded himself to the level ofa beast that he was ashamed to go to the woman he loved andlay his love at her feet. He was ashamed to go to the little Arabmaid who had been his jungle playmate, for what had he to offer her?

For years circumstances had prevented a return to his fatherand mother, and at last pride had stepped in and expunged fromhis mind the last vestige of any intention to return. In aspirit of boyish adventure he had cast his lot with the jungle ape. The killing of the crook in the coast inn had filled his childishmind with terror of the law, and driven him deeper into the wilds. The rebuffs that he had met at the hands of men, both black andwhite, had had their effect upon his mind while yet it was in aformative state, and easily influenced.

He had come to believe that the hand of man was against him,and then he had found in Meriem the only human associationhe required or craved. When sh