tooth and nail. The man found her no easy
prey. In that slender, young body, beneath the rounded curves and the
fine, soft skin, lay the muscles of a young lioness. But Malbihn was
no weakling. His character and appearance were brutal, nor did they
belie his brawn. He was of giant stature and of giant strength.
Slowly he forced the girl back upon the ground, striking her in the
face when she hurt him badly either with teeth or nails. Meriem struck
back, but she was growing weaker from the choking fingers at her throat.

Out in the jungle Jenssen had brought down two bucks. His hunting had
not carried him far afield, nor was he prone to permit it to do so. He
was suspicious of Malbihn. The very fact that his companion had
refused to accompany him and elected instead to hunt alone in another
direction would not, under ordinary circumstances, have seemed fraught
with sinister suggestion; but Jenssen knew Malbihn well, and so, having
secured meat, he turned immediately back toward camp, while his boys
brought in his kill.

He had covered about half the return journey when a scream came faintly
to his ears from the direction of camp. He halted to listen. It was
repeated twice. Then silence. With a muttered curse Jenssen broke
into a rapid run. He wondered if he would be too late. What a fool
Malbihn was indeed to thus chance jeopardizing a fortune!

Further away from camp than Jenssen and upon the opposite side another
heard Meriem's screams--a stranger who was not even aware of the
proximity of white men other than himself--a hunter with a handful of
sleek, black warriors. He, too, listened intently for a moment. That
the voice was that of a woman in distress he could not doubt, and so he
also hastened at a run in the direction of the affrighted voice; but he
was much further away than Jenssen so that the latter reached the tent
first. What the Swede found there roused no pity within his calloused
heart, only anger against his fellow scoundrel. Meriem was still
fighting off her attacker. Malbihn still was showering blows upon her.
Jenssen, streaming foul curses upon his erstwhile friend, burst into
the tent. Malbihn, interrupted, dropped his victim and turned to meet
Jenssen's infuriated charge. He whipped a revolver from his hip.
Jenssen, anticipating the lightning move of the other's hand, drew
almost simultaneously, and both men fired at once. Jenssen was still
moving toward Malbihn at the time,