natives in the
direction of the tree beneath which the little girl played. This was
doubtless her father, thought Korak. He had been away and his first
thought upon returning was of his little daughter. How glad she would
be to see him! How she would run and throw herself into his arms, to
be crushed to his breast and covered with his kisses. Korak sighed.
He thought of his own father and mother far away in London.

He returned to his place in the tree above the girl. If he couldn't
have happiness of this sort himself he wanted to enjoy the happiness of
others. Possibly if he made himself known to the old man he might be
permitted to come to the village occasionally as a friend. It would be
worth trying. He would wait until the old Arab had greeted his
daughter, then he would make his presence known with signs of peace.

The Arab was striding softly toward the girl. In a moment he would be
beside her, and then how surprised and delighted she would be! Korak's
eyes sparkled in anticipation--and now the old man stood behind the
little girl. His stern old face was still unrelaxed. The child was
yet unconscious of his presence. She prattled on to the unresponsive
Geeka. Then the old man coughed. With a start the child glanced
quickly up over her shoulder. Korak could see her full face now. It
was very beautiful in its sweet and innocent childishness--all soft and
lovely curves. He could see her great, dark eyes. He looked for the
happy love light that would follow recognition; but it did not come.
Instead, terror, stark, paralyzing terror, was mirrored in her eyes, in
the expression of her mouth, in the tense, cowering attitude of her
body. A grim smile curved the thin, cruel lip of the Arab. The child
essayed to crawl away; but before she could get out of his reach the
old man kicked her brutally, sending her sprawling upon the grass.
Then he followed her up to seize and strike her as was his custom.

Above them, in the tree, a beast crouched where a moment before had
been a boy--a beast with dilating nostrils and bared fangs--a beast
that trembled with rage.

The Sheik was stooping to reach for the girl when The Killer dropped to
the ground at his side. His spear was still in his left hand but he
had forgotten it. Instead his right fist was clenched and as The Sheik
took a backward step, astonished by the sudden materialization of this
strange apparition apparently out of clear air, the heavy fi