or the weapon she had thrust inside the band of her
riding breeches, and slipping them into her pocket she turned once more
for an examination of the baffling likeness of herself that she held in
her hand.

As she stood thus in vain endeavor to fathom this inexplicable mystery
the sound of voices broke upon her ears. Instantly she was all alert.
They were coming closer! A second later she recognized the lurid
profanity of the Swede. Malbihn, her persecutor, was returning!
Meriem ran quickly to the opening of the tent and looked out. It was
too late! She was fairly cornered! The white man and three of his
black henchmen were coming straight across the clearing toward the
tent. What was she to do? She slipped the photograph into her waist.
Quickly she slipped a cartridge into each of the chambers of the
revolver. Then she backed toward the end of the tent, keeping the
entrance covered by her weapon. The man stopped outside, and Meriem
could hear Malbihn profanely issuing instructions. He was a long time
about it, and while he talked in his bellowing, brutish voice, the girl
sought some avenue of escape. Stooping, she raised the bottom of the
canvas and looked beneath and beyond. There was no one in sight upon
that side. Throwing herself upon her stomach she wormed beneath the
tent wall just as Malbihn, with a final word to his men, entered the
tent.

Meriem heard him cross the floor, and then she rose and, stooping low,
ran to a native hut directly behind. Once inside this she turned and
glanced back. There was no one in sight. She had not been seen. And
now from Malbihn's tent she heard a great cursing. The Swede had
discovered the rifling of his box. He was shouting to his men, and as
she heard them reply Meriem darted from the hut and ran toward the edge
of the boma furthest from Malbihn's tent. Overhanging the boma at this
point was a tree that had been too large, in the eyes of the
rest-loving blacks, to cut down. So they had terminated the boma just
short of it. Meriem was thankful for whatever circumstance had
resulted in the leaving of that particular tree where it was, since it
gave her the much-needed avenue of escape which she might not otherwise
have had.

From her hiding place she saw Malbihn again enter the jungle, this time
leaving a guard of three of his boys in the camp. He went toward the
south, and after he had disappeared, Meriem skirted the outside of the
enclosure and made