A year had passed since the two Swedes had been driven in terrorfrom the savage country where The Sheik held sway. Little Meriemstill played with Geeka, lavishing all her childish love upon thenow almost hopeless ruin of what had never, even in its palmiestdays, possessed even a slight degree of loveliness. But to Meriem,Geeka was all that was sweet and adorable. She carried to the deafears of the battered ivory head all her sorrows all her hopes andall her ambitions, for even in the face of hopelessness, in theclutches of the dread authority from which there was no escape,little Meriem yet cherished hopes and ambitions. It is true thather ambitions were rather nebulous in form, consisting chiefly ofa desire to escape with Geeka to some remote and unknown spot wherethere were no Sheiks, no Mabunus--where El Adrea could find noentrance, and where she might play all day surrounded only by flowersand birds and the harmless little monkeys playing in the tree tops.

The Sheik had been away for a long time, conducting a caravanof ivory, skins, and rubber far into the north. The interimhad been one of great peace for Meriem. It is true that Mabunuhad still been with her, to pinch or beat her as the mood seizedthe villainous old hag; but Mabunu was only one. When TheSheik was there also there were two of them, and The Sheik wasstronger and more brutal even than Mabunu. Little Meriem oftenwondered why the grim old man hated her so. It is true that he wascruel and unjust to all with whom he came in contact, but to Meriemhe reserved his greatest cruelties, his most studied injustices.

Today Meriem was squatting at the foot of a large tree which grewinside the palisade close to the edge of the village. She wasfashioning a tent of leaves for Geeka. Before the tent weresome pieces of wood and small leaves and a few stones. These werethe household utensils. Geeka was cooking dinner. As thelittle girl played she prattled continuously to her companion,propped in a sitting position with a couple of twigs. She wastotally absorbed in the domestic duties of Geeka--so much sothat she did not note the gentle swaying of the branches of thetree above her as they bent to the body of the creature that hadentered them stealthily from the jungle.

In happy ignorance the little girl played on, while from abovetwo steady eyes looked down upon her--unblinking, unwavering. There was none other than the little girl in this part of thevillage, which had been almost deserted since The Sheik hadleft long months before upon his journey toward the north.

And out in the jungle, an hour's march from the village, TheSheik was leading his returning caravan homeward.

A year had passed since the white men had fired upon the lad anddriven him back into the jungle to take up his search for the onlyremaining creatures to whom he might look for companionship--thegreat apes. For months the two had wandered eastward, deeper anddeeper into the jungle. The year had done much for the boy--turninghis already mighty muscles to thews of steel, developing hiswoodcraft to a point where it verged upon the uncanny, perfectinghis arboreal instincts, and training him in the use of both naturaland artificial weapons.

He had become at last a creature of marvelous physical powersand mental cunning. He was still but a boy, yet so great washis strength that the powerful anthropoid with which he oftenengaged in mimic battle was no match for him. Akut had taughthim to fight as the bull ape fights, nor ever was there a teacherbetter fitted to instruct in the savage warfare of primordial man,or a pupil better equipped to profit by the lessons of a master.

As the two searched for a band of the almost extinct speciesof ape to which Akut belonged they lived upon the best thejungle afforded. Antelope and zebra fell to the boy's spear,or were dragged down by the two powerful beasts of prey wholeaped upon them from some overhanging limb or from the ambushof the undergrowth beside the trail to the water hole or the ford.

The pelt of a leopard covered the nakedness of the youth; but thewearing of it had not been dictated by any prompting of modesty. With the rifle shots of the white men showering about him he hadreverted to the savagery of the beast that is inherent in each ofus, but that flamed more strongly in this boy whose father had beenraised a beast of prey. He wore his leopard skin at first inresponse to a desire to parade a trophy of his prowess, for hehad slain the leopard with his knife in a hand-to-hand combat. He saw that the skin was beautiful, which appealed to his barbaricsense of ornamentation, and when it stiffened and later commencedto decompose because of his having no knowledge of how to cure ortan it was with sorrow and regret that he discarded it. Later, whenhe chanced upon a lone, black warrior wearing the counterpart of it,soft and clinging and beautiful from proper curing, it required butan instant to leap from above upon the shoulders of the unsuspectingblack, sink a keen blade into his heart and possess the rightlypreserved hide.

There were no after-qualms of conscience. In the jungle mightis right, nor does it take long to inculcate this axiom in the mindof a jungle dweller, regardless of what his past training mayhave been. That the black would have killed him had he had thechance the boy knew full well. Neither he nor the black wereany more sacred than the lion, or the buffalo, the zebra or thedeer, or any other of the countless creatures who roamed, orslunk, or flew, or wriggled through the dark mazes of the forest.Each had but a single life, which was sought by many. The greaternumber of enemies slain the better chance to prolong that life. So the boy smiled and donned the finery of the vanquished, andwent his way with Akut, searching, always searching for theelusive anthropoids who were to welcome them with open arms. And at last they found them. Deep in the jungle, buried far fromsight of man, they came upon such another little natural arenaas had witnessed the wild ceremony of the Dum-Dum in which theboy's father had taken part long years before.

First, at a great distance, they heard the beating of the drumof the great apes. They were sleeping in the safety of a hugetree when the booming sound smote upon their ears. Both awokeat once. Akut was the first to interpret the strange cadence.

"The great apes!" he growled. "They dance the Dum-Dum.Come, Korak, son of Tarzan, let us go to our people."

Months before Akut had given the boy a name of his own choosing,since he could not master the man given name of Jack. Korak isas near as it may be interpreted into human speech. In thelanguage of the apes it means Killer. Now the Killer roseupon the branch of the great tree where he had been sleepingwith his back braced against the stem. He stretched his litheyoung muscles, the moonlight filtering through the foliage fromabove dappling his brown skin with little patches of light.

The ape, too, stood up, half squatting after the manner ofhis kind. Low growls rumbled from the bottom of his deep chest--growls of excited anticipation. The boy growled in harmonywith the ape. Then the anthropoid slid softly to the ground.Close by, in the direction of the booming drum, lay a clearingwhich they must cross. The moon flooded it with silvery light.Half-erect, the great ape shuffled into the full glare of the moon.At his side, swinging gracefully along in marked contrast to theawkwardness of his companion, strode the boy, the dark, shaggycoat of the one brushing against the smooth, clear hide ofthe other. The lad was humming now, a music hall air that hadfound its way to the forms of the great English public schoolthat was to see him no more. He was happy and expectant. The moment he had looked forward to for so long was about tobe realized. He was coming into his own. He was coming home. As the months had dragged or flown along, retarded or spurredon as privation or adventure predominated, thoughts of his ownhome, while oft recurring, had become less vivid. The old lifehad grown to seem more like a dream than a reality, and thebalking of his determination to reach the coast and return toLondon had finally thrown the hope of realization so remotelyinto the future that it too now seemed little more than apleasant but hopeless dream.

Now all thoughts of London and civilization were crowded so farinto the background of his brain that they might as well havebeen non-existent. Except for form and mental development hewas as much an ape as the great, fierce creature at his side.

In the exuberance of his joy he slapped his companion roughly onthe side of the head. Half in anger, half in play the anthropoidturned upon him, his fangs bared and glistening. Long, hairyarms reached out to seize him, and, as they had done a thousandtimes before, the two clinched in mimic battle, rolling upon thesward, striking, growling and biting, though never closing theirteeth in more than a rough pinch. It was wondrous practice forthem both. The boy brought into play wrestling tricks that hehad learned at school, and many of these Akut learned to useand to foil. And from the ape the boy learned the methods thathad been handed down to Akut from some common ancestor ofthem both, who had roamed the teeming earth when ferns weretrees and crocodiles were birds.

But there was one art the boy possessed which Akut could notmaster, though he did achieve fair proficiency in it for anape--boxing. To have his bull-like charges stopped and crumpledwith a suddenly planted fist upon the end of his snout, or apainful jolt in the short ribs, always surprised Akut. It angeredhim too, and at such times his mighty jaws came nearer to closingin the soft flesh of his friend than at any other, for he was stillan ape, with an ape's short temper and brutal instincts; but thedifficulty was in catching his tormentor while his rage lasted, forwhen he lost his head and rushed madly into close quarters withthe boy he discovered that the stinging hail of blows releasedupon him always found their mark and effectually stoppedhim--effectually and painfully. Then he would withdraw growlingviciously, backing away with grinning jaws distended, to sulk foran hour or so.

Tonight they did not box. Just for a moment or two they wrestledplayfully, until the scent of Sheeta, the panther, brought themto their feet, alert and wary. The great cat was passing throughthe jungle in front of them. For a moment it paused, listening. The boy and the ape growled menacingly in chorus and the carnivoremoved on.

Then the two took up their journey toward the sound of the Dum-Dum. Louder and louder came the beating of the drum. Now, at last,they could hear the growling of the dancing apes, and strong totheir nostrils came the scent of their kind. The lad trembledwith excitement. The hair down Akut's spine stiffened--thesymptoms of happiness and anger are often similar.

Silently they crept through the jungle as they neared the meetingplace of the apes. Now they were in the trees, worming their wayforward, alert for sentinels. Presently through a break in thefoliage the scene burst upon the eager eyes of the boy. To Akutit was a familiar one; but to Korak it was all new. His nervestingled at the savage sight. The great bulls were dancing in themoonlight, leaping in an irregular circle about the flat-toppedearthen drum about which three old females sat beating itsresounding top with sticks worn smooth by long years of use.

Akut, knowing the temper and customs of his kind, was too wiseto make their presence known until the frenzy of the dancehad passed. After the drum was quiet and the bellies of the tribewell-filled he would hail them. Then would come a parley, afterwhich he and Korak would be accepted into membership by the community. There might be those who would object; but such could be overcome bybrute force, of which he and the lad had an ample surplus. For weeks,possibly months, their presence might cause ever decreasing suspicionamong others of the tribe; but eventually they would become as bornbrothers to these strange apes.

He hoped that they had been among those who had known Tarzan,for that would help in the introduction of the lad and in theconsummation of Akut's dearest wish, that Korak should becomeking of the apes. It was with difficulty, however, that Akutkept the boy from rushing into the midst of the dancinganthropoids--an act that would have meant the instant exterminationof them both, since the hysterical frenzy into which the greatapes work themselves during the performance of their strangerites is of such a nature that even the most ferocious of thecarnivora give them a wide berth at such times.

As the moon declined slowly toward the lofty, foliaged horizonof the amphitheater the booming of the drum decreased andlessened were the exertions of the dancers, until, at last, thefinal note was struck and the huge beasts turned to fall upon thefeast they had dragged hither for the orgy.

From what he had seen and heard Akut was able to explainto Korak that the rites proclaimed the choosing of a new king,and he pointed out to the boy the massive figure of the shaggymonarch, come into his kingship, no doubt, as many humanrulers have come into theirs--by the murder of his predecessor.

When the apes had filled their bellies and many of them hadsought the bases of the trees to curl up in sleep Akut pluckedKorak by the arm.

"Come," he whispered. "Come slowly. Follow me. Do as Akut does."

Then he advanced slowly through the trees until he stood upona bough overhanging one side of the amphitheater. Here hestood in silence for a moment. Then he uttered a low growl.Instantly a score of apes leaped to their feet. There savagelittle eyes sped quickly around the periphery of the clearing. The king ape was the first to see the two figures upon the branch. He gave voice to an ominous growl. Then he took a few lumberingsteps in the direction of the intruders. His hair was bristling. His legs were stiff, imparting a halting, jerky motion to his gait. Behind him pressed a number of bulls.

He stopped just a little before he came beneath the two--justfar enough to be beyond their spring. Wary king! Here he stoodrocking himself to and fro upon his short legs, baring his fangsin hideous grinnings, rumbling out an ever increasing volume ofgrowls, which were slowly but steadily increasing to the proportionsof roars. Akut knew that he was planning an attack upon them.The old ape did not wish to fight. He had come with the boy tocast his lot with the tribe.

"I am Akut," he said. "This is Korak. Korak is the son ofTarzan who was king of the apes. I, too, was king of the apeswho dwelt in the midst of the great waters. We have come tohunt with you, to fight with you. We are great hunters. We aremighty fighters. Let us come in peace."

The king ceased his rocking. He eyed the pair from beneathhis beetling brows. His bloodshot eyes were savage and crafty.His kingship was very new and he was jealous of it. He fearedthe encroachments of two strange apes. The sleek, brown, hairlessbody of the lad spelled "man," and man he feared and hated.

"Go away!" he growled. "Go away, or I will kill you."

The eager lad, standing behind the great Akut, had been pulsingwith anticipation and happiness. He wanted to leap downamong these hairy monsters and show them that he was theirfriend, that he was one of them. He had expected that they wouldreceive him with open arms, and now the words of the king apefilled him with indignation and sorrow. The blacks had set uponhim and driven him away. Then he had turned to the whitemen--to those of his own kind--only to hear the ping of bulletswhere he had expected words of cordial welcome. The greatapes had remained his final hope. To them he looked for thecompanionship man had denied him. Suddenly rage overwhelmed him.

The king ape was almost directly beneath him. The others wereformed in a half circle several yards behind the king. They werewatching events interestedly. Before Akut could guess hisintention, or prevent, the boy leaped to the ground directly inthe path of the king, who had now succeeded in stimulatinghimself to a frenzy of fury.

"I am Korak!" shouted the boy. "I am the Killer. I cameto live among you as a friend. You want to drive me away. Very well, then, I shall go; but before I go I shall showyou that the son of Tarzan is your master, as his father wasbefore him--that he is not afraid of your king or you."

For an instant the king ape had stood motionless with surprise. He had expected no such rash action upon the part of either ofthe intruders. Akut was equally surprised. Now he shoutedexcitedly for Korak to come back, for he knew that in thesacred arena the other bulls might be expected to come to theassistance of their king against an outsider, though there wassmall likelihood that the king would need assistance. Once thosemighty jaws closed upon the boy's soft neck the end would come quickly. To leap to his rescue would mean death for Akut, too; but the braveold ape never hesitated. Bristling and growling, he dropped tothe sward just as the king ape charged.

The beast's hands clutched for their hold as the animal sprangupon the lad. The fierce jaws were wide distended to bury theyellow fangs deeply in the brown hide. Korak, too, leapedforward to meet the attack; but leaped crouching, beneath theoutstretched arms. At the instant of contact the lad pivoted onone foot, and with all the weight of his body and the strength ofhis trained muscles drove a clenched fist into the bull's stomach. With a gasping shriek the king ape collapsed, clutching futilelyfor the agile, naked creature nimbly sidestepping from his grasp.

Howls of rage and dismay broke from the bull apes behind thefallen king, as with murder in their savage little hearts theyrushed forward upon Korak and Akut; but the old ape was toowise to court any such unequal encounter. To have counseledthe boy to retreat now would have been futile, and Akut knew it. To delay even a second in argument would have sealed thedeath warrants of them both. There was but a single hope andAkut seized it. Grasping the lad around the waist he lifted himbodily from the ground, and turning ran swiftly toward anothertree which swung low branches above the arena. Close upontheir heels swarmed the hideous mob; but Akut, old though hewas and burdened by the weight of the struggling Korak, wasstill fleeter than his pursuers.

With a bound he grasped a low limb, and with the agility ofa little monkey swung himself and the boy to temporary safety.Nor did he hesitate even here; but raced on through the junglenight, bearing his burden to safety. For a time the bulls pursued;but presently, as the swifter outdistanced the slower and foundthemselves separated from their fellows they abandoned the chase,standing roaring and screaming until the jungle reverberated totheir hideous noises. Then they turned and retraced their wayto the amphitheater.

When Akut felt assured that they were no longer pursued hestopped and released Korak. The boy was furious.

"Why did you drag me away?" he cried. "I would have taught them! I would have taught them all! Now they will think that I amafraid of them."

"What they think cannot harm you," said Akut. "You are alive. If I had not brought you away you would be dead now and sowould I. Do you not know that even Numa slinks from the pathof the great apes when there are many of them and they are mad?"