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There¡¡came¡¡too£»¡¡the¡¡realization¡¡that¡¡Meriem¡¡was¡¡infinitely¡¡more¡¡precious¡¡to¡¡him¡¡than¡¡he¡¡had¡¡imagined¡£¡¡¡¡For¡¡the¡¡first¡¡time¡¡he¡¡commenced¡¡to¡¡compare¡¡her¡¡with¡¡other¡¡women¡¡of¡¡his¡¡acquaintance¡¡women¡¡of¡¡birth¡¡and¡¡positionand¡¡almost¡¡to¡¡his¡¡surprisehe¡¡discovered¡¡that¡¡the¡¡young¡¡Arab¡¡girl¡¡suffered¡¡less¡¡than¡¡they¡¡by¡¡the¡¡comparison¡£¡¡¡¡And¡¡then¡¡from¡¡hating¡¡¡¨Hanson¡¨¡¡he¡¡came¡¡to¡¡look¡¡upon¡¡himself¡¡with¡¡hate¡¡and¡¡loathingto¡¡see¡¡himself¡¡and¡¡his¡¡perfidious¡¡act¡¡in¡¡all¡¡their¡¡contemptible¡¡hideousness¡£
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That¡¡the¡¡Hon¡£¡¡Morison¡¡could¡¡sleep¡¡at¡¡all¡¡in¡¡the¡¡midst¡¡of¡¡the¡¡savage¡¡jungle¡¡was¡¡sufficient¡¡indication¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡changed¡¡considerably¡¡in¡¡the¡¡past¡¡twenty¡four¡¡hours£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡he¡¡could¡¡lie¡¡close¡¡beside¡¡a¡¡none¡too¡fragrant¡¡black¡¡man¡¡spoke¡¡of¡¡possibilities¡¡for¡¡democracy¡¡within¡¡him¡¡yet¡¡all¡¡undreamed¡¡of¡£
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And¡¡in¡¡the¡¡meantime¡¡Korak¡¡wandered¡¡slowly¡¡westward£»¡¡coming¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡trail¡¡of¡¡Tantor£»¡¡the¡¡elephant£»¡¡whom¡¡he¡¡overtook¡¡browsing¡¡in¡¡the¡¡deep¡¡shade¡¡of¡¡the¡¡jungle¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡ape¡man£»¡¡lonely¡¡and¡¡sorrowing£»¡¡was¡¡glad¡¡of¡¡the¡¡companionship¡¡of¡¡his¡¡huge¡¡friend¡£¡¡¡¡Affectionately¡¡the¡¡sinuous¡¡trunk¡¡encircled¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡was¡¡swung¡¡to¡¡the¡¡mighty¡¡back¡¡where¡¡so¡¡often¡¡before¡¡he¡¡had¡¡lolled¡¡and¡¡dreamed¡¡the¡¡long¡¡afternoon¡¡away¡£
Far¡¡to¡¡the¡¡north¡¡the¡¡Big¡¡Bwana¡¡and¡¡his¡¡black¡¡warriors¡¡clung¡¡tenaciously¡¡to¡¡the¡¡trail¡¡of¡¡the¡¡fleeing¡¡safari¡¡that¡¡was¡¡luring¡¡them¡¡further¡¡and¡¡further¡¡from¡¡the¡¡girl¡¡they¡¡sought¡¡to¡¡save£»¡¡while¡¡back¡¡at¡¡the¡¡bungalow¡¡the¡¡woman¡¡who¡¡had¡¡loved¡¡Meriem¡¡as¡¡though¡¡she¡¡had¡¡been¡¡her¡¡own¡¡waited¡¡impatiently¡¡and¡¡in¡¡sorrow¡¡for¡¡the¡¡return¡¡of¡¡the¡¡rescuing¡¡party¡¡and¡¡the¡¡girl¡¡she¡¡was¡¡positive¡¡her¡¡invincible¡¡lord¡¡and¡¡master¡¡would¡¡bring¡¡back¡¡with¡¡him¡£
Chapter¡¡22
As¡¡Meriem¡¡struggled¡¡with¡¡Malbihn£»¡¡her¡¡hands¡¡pinioned¡¡to¡¡her¡¡sides¡¡by¡¡his¡¡brawny¡¡grip£»¡¡hope¡¡died¡¡within¡¡her¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡did¡¡not¡¡utter¡¡a¡¡sound¡¡for¡¡she¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡none¡¡to¡¡come¡¡to¡¡her¡¡assistance£»¡¡and£»¡¡too£»¡¡the¡¡jungle¡¡training¡¡of¡¡her¡¡earlier¡¡life¡¡had¡¡taught¡¡her¡¡the¡¡futility¡¡of¡¡appeals¡¡for¡¡succor¡¡in¡¡the¡¡savage¡¡world¡¡of¡¡her¡¡up¡bringing¡£
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Then£»¡¡as¡¡Malbihn¡¡stood¡¡at¡¡the¡¡edge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡disordered¡¡pile¡¡of¡¡blankets£»¡¡Meriem¡¡suddenly¡¡ceased¡¡to¡¡draw¡¡away¡¡from¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡quickly¡¡hurled¡¡her¡¡weight¡¡against¡¡him¡¡with¡¡the¡¡result¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡thrown¡¡backward£»¡¡his¡¡feet¡¡stumbled¡¡against¡¡the¡¡bedding¡¡and¡¡he¡¡was¡¡hurled¡¡to¡¡his¡¡back¡£¡¡¡¡Instinctively¡¡his¡¡hands¡¡flew¡¡out¡¡to¡¡save¡¡himself¡¡and¡¡at¡¡the¡¡same¡¡instant¡¡Meriem¡¡leveled¡¡the¡¡revolver¡¡at¡¡his¡¡breast¡¡and¡¡pulled¡¡the¡¡trigger¡£
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She¡¡thought¡¡Malbihn¡¡dead£»¡¡so¡¡terrific¡¡a¡¡blow¡¡had¡¡she¡¡dealt¡¡him£»¡¡and¡¡she¡¡hoped¡¡to¡¡find¡¡an¡¡opportunity¡¡after¡¡dark¡¡to¡¡enter¡¡the¡¡camp¡¡and¡¡search¡¡his¡¡tent¡¡for¡¡the¡¡cartridge¡¡belt£»¡¡but¡¡scarcely¡¡had¡¡she¡¡found¡¡a¡¡hiding¡¡place¡¡in¡¡a¡¡great¡¡tree¡¡at¡¡the¡¡edge¡¡of¡¡the¡¡boma¡¡where¡¡she¡¡could¡¡watch¡¡without¡¡danger¡¡of¡¡being¡¡discovered£»¡¡when¡¡she¡¡saw¡¡the¡¡Swede¡¡emerge¡¡from¡¡his¡¡tent£»¡¡wiping¡¡blood¡¡from¡¡his¡¡face£»¡¡and¡¡hurling¡¡a¡¡volley¡¡of¡¡oaths¡¡and¡¡questions¡¡at¡¡his¡¡terrified¡¡followers¡£
Shortly¡¡after¡¡the¡¡entire¡¡camp¡¡set¡¡forth¡¡in¡¡search¡¡of¡¡her¡¡and¡¡when¡¡Meriem¡¡was¡¡positive¡¡that¡¡all¡¡were¡¡gone¡¡she¡¡descended¡¡from¡¡her¡¡hiding¡¡place¡¡and¡¡ran¡¡quickly¡¡across¡¡the¡¡clearing¡¡to¡¡Malbihn's¡¡tent¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡hasty¡¡survey¡¡of¡¡the¡¡interior¡¡revealed¡¡no¡¡ammunition£»¡¡but¡¡in¡¡one¡¡corner¡¡was¡¡a¡¡box¡¡in¡¡which¡¡were¡¡packed¡¡the¡¡Swede's¡¡personal¡¡belongings¡¡that¡¡he¡¡had¡¡sent¡¡along¡¡by¡¡his¡¡headman¡¡to¡¡this¡¡westerly¡¡camp¡£
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