rk
corridor.

As the door gave and the warriors rushed into the apartment followed
by the prince, the latter became immediately filled with baffled
rage, for the rooms were deserted except for the dead body of the
owner of the palace, and the still form of the black slave, Otobu,
where they lay stretched upon the floor of the alcove.

The prince rushed to the windows and looked out, but as the suite
overlooked the barred den of lions from which, the prince thought,
there could be no escape, his puzzlement was only increased. Though
he searched about the room for some clue to the whereabouts of its
former occupants he did not discover the niche behind the hangings.
With the fickleness of insanity he quickly tired of the search,
and, turning to the soldiers who had accompanied him from the floor
below, dismissed them.

After setting up the broken door as best they could, the men left
the apartment and when they were again alone Metak turned toward
the girl. As he approached her, his face distorted by a hideous
leer, his features worked rapidly in spasmodic twitches. The girl,
who was standing at the entrance of the alcove, shrank back, her
horror reflected in her face. Step by step she backed across the
room, while the crouching maniac crept stealthily after her with
claw-like fingers poised in anticipation of the moment they should
leap forth and seize her.

As she passed the body of the Negro, her foot touched some obstacle
at her side, and glancing down she saw the spear with which Otobu
had been supposed to hold the prisoners. Instantly she leaned forward
and snatched it from the floor with its sharp point directed at
the body of the madman. The effect upon Metak was electrical. From
stealthy silence he broke into harsh peals of laughter, and drawing
his saber danced to and fro before the girl, but whichever way he
went the point of the spear still threatened him.

Gradually the girl noticed a change in the tone of the creature's
screams that was also reflected in the changing expression upon his
hideous countenance. His hysterical laughter was slowly changing
into cries of rage while the silly leer upon his face was supplanted
by a ferocious scowl and up-curled lips, which revealed the sharpened
fangs beneath.

He now ran rapidly in almost to the spear's point, only to jump
away, run a few steps to one side and again attempt to make an
entrance, the while he slashed and hewed at the spear with such
violence