ust about to
plunge a knife into Wapoota's breast.

Zeppa gave vent to a tremendous roar, which terminated in a wild laugh.
Then he wrenched a mass of rock from the cliffs and hurled it down.

The height was greater than any sane man would have ventured to leap
even to save his life; but the maniac gave no time to thought.

He followed the mass of rock with another wild laugh, and next moment
stood in the midst of the savage group.

These men were no cowards. They were Ongoloo's picked warriors, and
would have scorned to fly before a single foe, however large or fierce.

But when they saw plainly that Zeppa was a white man and a maniac, they
turned, with one consent, and fled as if a visitant from the nether
realms had assailed them.

Zeppa did not follow. All his sudden wrath vanished with the enemy. He
turned calmly to the prostrate man, cut his bonds, and set him free.
Then, without saying a word, he patted him on the shoulder, and wandered
listlessly away with his head dropped as of old.

You may be sure that Wapoota did not hesitate to make good use of his
freedom. He fled on the wings--or legs--of fear to the most
inaccessible recesses of the mountains, from which he did not emerge
till night had enshrouded land and sea. Then he crept stealthily back
to Zeppa's cave, and laid himself quietly down beside his friend.

The inherent tendency of Zeppa's nature was towards peace and goodwill.
Even in his madness and misery his spirit trickled, if it did not run,
in the customary direction. His dethroned reason began, occasionally,
to make fitful efforts after some plan which it sought to evolve. But
before the plan could be arranged, much less carried out, the dull sense
of a leaden grief overwhelmed it again, and he relapsed into the old
condition of quiet apathy.

Chance, however, brought about that which the enfeebled intellect could
not compass.

One day--whether inadvertently or not we cannot tell--Zeppa wandered
down in the direction of the native settlement. That same day Ongoloo
wandered towards the mountain, and the two men suddenly met so close to
each other that there was no possibility of escape to either.

But, sooth to say, there was no thought of escape in the breast of
either. Ongoloo, being a brave savage, was ashamed of having given way
to panic at his first meeting with the madman. Besides, he carried his
huge war-club, while his opponent was absolutely unarmed--having
forgotten