at her long and steadily, appraising her carefully, then he scratched
his head, rose and shook himself.

His movement gave the girl a little start--she had forgotten Akut for
the moment. Again she shrank from him. The beast saw that she feared
him, and being a brute enjoyed the evidence of the terror his
brutishness inspired. Crouching, he extended his huge hand stealthily
toward her, as though to seize her. She shrank still further away.
Akut's eyes were busy drinking in the humor of the situation--he did
not see the narrowing eyes of the boy upon him, nor the shortening neck
as the broad shoulders rose in a characteristic attitude of preparation
for attack. As the ape's fingers were about to close upon the girl's
arm the youth rose suddenly with a short, vicious growl. A clenched
fist flew before Meriem's eyes to land full upon the snout of the
astonished Akut. With an explosive bellow the anthropoid reeled
backward and tumbled from the tree.

Korak stood glaring down upon him when a sudden swish in the bushes
close by attracted his attention. The girl too was looking down; but
she saw nothing but the angry ape scrambling to his feet. Then, like a
bolt from a cross bow, a mass of spotted, yellow fur shot into view
straight for Akut's back. It was Sheeta, the leopard.

Chapter 10

As the leopard leaped for the great ape Meriem gasped in surprise and
horror--not for the impending fate of the anthropoid, but at the act of
the youth who but for an instant before had angrily struck his strange
companion; for scarce had the carnivore burst into view than with drawn
knife the youth had leaped far out above him, so that as Sheeta was
almost in the act of sinking fangs and talons in Akut's broad back The
Killer landed full upon the leopard's shoulders.

The cat halted in mid air, missed the ape by but a hair's breadth, and
with horrid snarlings rolled over upon its back, clutching and clawing
in an effort to reach and dislodge the antagonist biting at its neck
and knifing it in the side.

Akut, startled by the sudden rush from his rear, and following hoary
instinct, was in the tree beside the girl with an agility little short
of marvelous in so heavy a beast. But the moment that he turned to see
what was going on below him brought him as quickly to the ground again.
Personal differences were quickly forgotten in the danger which menaced
his human companion, nor was he a whit less eager to jeopardize