d. But it was well to be
prepared.

Toward noon the other treasure seekers drew up within a quarter of a
mile behind the village. The men-folk thought it advisable to
reconnoiter before entering the village. One never could tell. Winnie
declared her intention of snoozing while they waited, and curled up in
her rugs. Kathlyn, however, could not resist the longing to look upon
the sea again. She could see the lovely blue water through the spaces
between the trees. Soon she would be flying over that water, flying
for home, home!

She went farther from the camp than she really intended, and came
unexpectedly upon the leopard which stood guarding its cubs while they
growled and tore at the dead kid. Kathlyn realized that she was
unarmed, and that the leopard was between her and the camp. She could
see the roofs of the village below her; so toward the huts she ran.
The leopard stood still for a while, eying her doubtfully, then made up
its mind to give chase. She had tasted blood, but had not eaten.

Meantime the little child had forgot her loss in her interest in the
bullock cart with its grotesque lure; and she climbed into the cart
just as Kathlyn appeared, followed by the excited leopard. She saw the
child and snatched her instinctively from the cart. The leopard leaped
into the cart at the rear, while Kathlyn ran toward the chief's hut,
into which she staggered without the formality of announcing her advent.

The father of the child had no need to question, though he marveled at
the white skin and dress of this visitor, who had doubtless saved his
child from death. He flung the door shut and dropped the bar. Next he
sought his gun and fired through a crack in the door. He missed; but
the noise and smoke frightened the leopard away.

And later, Bruce, wild with the anxiety over the disappearance of
Kathlyn, came across the chief battling for his life. He had gone
forth to hunt the leopard, and the leopard had hunted him. Bruce dared
not fire, for fear of killing the man; so without hesitance or fear he
caught the leopard by the back of the neck and by a hind leg and swung
her into the sea.

The chief was severely mauled, but he was able to get to his feet and
walk. The white woman had saved his child and the white man had saved
him. He would remember.

Thus the leopard quite innocently served a purpose, for all her deadly
intentions; the chief was filled with gratitude.

When the colonel and t