ake accessible
the flesh within.

Those nights on the sandflats flanking the great silent river were full
of alluring enchantments. Never had the moon shed such velvety, silvery
light; never had the stars flashed with such supernatural brightness;
nor had meteorites drawn such lines of fiery brilliance across the
heavens.

The days were hot. In fact, the sun seemed to dart out tongues of fire
that threatened to lap up all the water in the mighty river. But,
throughout the night a gentle breeze stirred near the border of the
stream reviving the life that gathered at the haven of refuge and
plenty.

Warruk was now master of all. He strode across the sandy wastes with
majestic steps and swaying head. None questioned his position or
disputed his way. And when, as sometimes happened, a challenging cry
rang out across the water from some distant inlet and his own hoarse
voice was raised in answer to the roar, it was never repeated. News
travels fast in the wilderness, and in a mysterious way. And his
presence was known far and wide and he was avoided accordingly. So he
went his way, feasting on the turtles and their eggs which he soon
learned to dig out of their hiding places, and on the fish that came up
into the shallow water to spawn and which were so easy to catch.

Then, one night the great thrill of his life came. Far, far down the
river Warruk saw a light. Was it possible that one of the stars had
fallen from overhead to take up its abode on the earth? Had one of the
streamers of fire that criss-crossed the sky landed on the sand to
flicker out its life?

No! The stars above flashed as insolently as ever and their piercing
shafts of light were of a steel-blue color; the meteorites still
streaked their orange-red trails across the curtain of black. But this
light in the distance, growing constantly brighter, was a deep red. It
was different from anything he had ever seen. It seemed to beckon to him
and for many minutes he stood gazing at it, trying to fathom its
meaning.

If Warruk had only known! The bright light might be said to represent
his own star at its zenith. He had reached the parting of the ways. In
the height of his development and powers he could either maintain his
supremacy of the wilderness for years to come or risk everything in
battle with creatures of superior intelligence who possessed a high
degree of cunning, who fought unfairly and of whom he knew nothing. What
hope of survival had he, or