Chapter 19

Behind them Korak emerged from the jungle and recovered his spear from Numa’s side. He still was smiling. He had enjoyed the spectacle exceedingly. There was one thing that troubled him--the agility with which the she had clambered from her pony’s back into the safety of the tree ABOVE her. That was more like mangani--more like his lost Meriem. He sighed. His lost Meriem! His little, dead Meriem! He wondered if this she stranger resembled his Meriem in other ways. A great longing to see her overwhelmed him. He looked after the three figures moving steadily across the plain. He wondered where might lie their destination. A desire to follow them came over him, but he only stood there watching until they had disappeared in the distance. The sight of the civilized girl and the dapper, khaki clad Englishman had aroused in Korak memories long dormant.

Once he had dreamed of returning to the world of such as these; but with the death of Meriem hope and ambition seemed to have deserted him. He cared now only to pass the remainder of his life in solitude, as far from man as possible. With a sigh he turned slowly back into the jungle.

Tantor, nervous by nature, had been far from reassured by close proximity to the three strange whites, and with the report of Hanson’s rifle had turned and ambled away at his long, swinging shuffle. He was nowhere in sight when Korak returned to look for him. The ape-man, however, was little concerned by the absence of his friend. Tantor had a habit of wandering off unexpectedly. For a month they might not see one another, for Korak seldom took the trouble to follow the great pachyderm, nor did he upon this occasion. Instead he found a comfortable perch in a large tree and was soon asleep.

At the bungalow Bwana had met the returning adventurers on the verandah. In a moment of wakefulness he had heard the report of Hanson’s rifle far out across the plain, and wondered what it might mean. Presently it had occurred to him that the man whom he considered in the light of a guest might have met with an accident on his way back to camp, so he had arisen and gone to his foreman’s quarters where he had learned that Hanson had been there earlier in the evening but had departed several hours before. Returning from the foreman’s quarters Bwana had noticed that the corral gate was open and further investigation revealed the fact that Meriem’s pony was gone and also the one most often used by Baynes. Instantly Bwana assumed that the shot had been fired by Hon. Morison, and had again aroused his foreman and was making preparations to set forth in investigation when he had seen the party approaching across the plain.

Explanation on the part of the Englishman met a rather chilly reception from his host. Meriem was silent. She saw that Bwana was angry with her. It was the first time and she was heart broken.

“Go to your room, Meriem,” he said; “and Baynes, if you will step into my study, I’d like to have a word with you in a moment.”

He stepped toward Hanson as the others turned to obey him. There was something about Bwana even in his gentlest moods that commanded instant obedience.

“How did you happen to be with them, Hanson?” he asked.

“I’d been sitting in the garden,” replied the trader, “after leaving Jervis’ quarters. I have a habit of doing that as your lady probably knows. Tonight I fell asleep behind a bush, and was awakened by them two spooning. I couldn’t hear what they said, but presently Baynes brings two ponies and they ride off. I didn’t like to interfere for it wasn’t any of my business, but I knew they hadn’t ought to be ridin’ about that time of night, leastways not the girl--it wasn’t right and it wasn’t safe. So I follows them and it’s just as well I did. Baynes was gettin’ away from the lion as fast as he could, leavin’ the girl to take care of herself, when I got a lucky shot into the beast’s shoulder that fixed him.”

Hanson paused. Both men were silent for a time. Presently the trader coughed in an embarrassed manner as though there was something on his mind he felt in duty bound to say, but hated to.

“What is it, Hanson?” asked Bwana. “You were about to say something weren’t you?”

“Well, you see it’s like this,” ventured Hanson. “Bein’ around here evenings a good deal I’ve seen them two together a lot, and, beggin’ your pardon, sir, but I don’t think Mr. Baynes means the girl any good. I’ve overheard enough to make me think he’s tryin’ to get her to run off with him.” Hanson, to fit his own ends, hit nearer the truth than he knew. He was afraid that Baynes would interfere with his own plans, and he had hit upon a scheme to both utilize the young Englishman and get rid of him at the same time.

“And I thought,” continued the trader, “that inasmuch as I’m about due to move you might like to suggest to Mr. Baynes that he go with me. I’d be willin’ to take him north to the caravan trails as a favor to you, sir.”

Bwana stood in deep thought for a moment. Presently he looked up.

“Of course, Hanson, Mr. Baynes is my guest,” he said, a grim twinkle in his eye. “Really I cannot accuse him of planning to run away with Meriem on the evidence that we have, and as he is my guest I should hate to be so discourteous as to ask him to leave; but, if I recall his words correctly, it seems to me that he has spoken of returning home, and I am sure that nothing would delight him more than going north with you--you say you start tomorrow? I think Mr. Baynes will accompany you. Drop over in the morning, if you please, and now good night, and thank you for keeping a watchful eye on Meriem.”

Hanson hid a grin as he turned and sought his saddle. Bwana stepped from the verandah to his study, where he found the Hon. Morison pacing back and forth, evidently very ill at ease.

“Baynes,” said Bwana, coming directly to the point, “Hanson is leaving for the north tomorrow. He has taken a great fancy to you, and just asked me to say to you that he’d be glad to have you accompany him. Good night, Baynes.”

At Bwana’s suggestion Meriem kept to her room the following morning until after the Hon. Morison Baynes had departed. Hanson had come for him early--in fact he had remained all night with the foreman, Jervis, that they might get an early start.

The farewell exchanges between the Hon. Morison and his host were of the most formal type, and when at last the guest rode away Bwana breathed a sigh of relief. It had been an unpleasant duty and he was glad that it was over; but he did not regret his action. He had not been blind to Baynes’ infatuation for Meriem, and knowing the young man’s pride in caste he had never for a moment believed that his guest would offer his name to this nameless Arab girl, for, extremely light in color though she was for a full blood Arab, Bwana believed her to be such.

He did not mention the subject again to Meriem, and in this he made a mistake, for the young girl, while realizing the debt of gratitude she owed Bwana and My Dear, was both proud and sensitive, so that Bwana’s action in sending Baynes away and giving her no opportunity to explain or defend hurt and mortified her. Also it did much toward making a martyr of Baynes in her eyes and arousing in her breast a keen feeling of loyalty toward him.

What she had half-mistaken for love before, she now wholly mistook for love. Bwana and My Dear might have told her much of the social barriers that they only too well knew Baynes must feel existed between Meriem and himself, but they hesitated to wound her. It would have been better had they inflicted this lesser sorrow, and saved the child the misery that was to follow because of her ignorance.

As Hanson and Baynes rode toward the former’s camp the Englishman maintained a morose silence. The other was attempting to formulate an opening that would lead naturally to the proposition he had in mind. He rode a neck behind his companion, grinning as he noted the sullen scowl upon the other’s patrician face.

“Rather rough on you, wasn’t he?” he ventured at last, jerking his head back in the direction of the bungalow as Baynes turned his eyes upon him at the remark. “He thinks a lot of the girl,” continued Hanson, “and don’t want nobody to marry her and take her away; but it looks to me as though he was doin’ her more harm than good in sendin’ you away. She ought to marry some time, and she couldn’t do better than a fine young gentleman like you.”