Bride of the Serpent God

KI-GOR placed a plump, scarlet berry in his mouth, and munched slowly,
with much satisfaction. He lay in the cool shade of a flowering shrub,
completely relaxed, obviously at peace with the world and pleased with
life in general. The only sounds were the soft hum of insects drawn by
the heavy scent of flowers and the lulling murmur of the broad river
which flowed a scant twenty paces from where Ki-Gor rested.

Helene, his mate, vibrantly young and alive, stood beside Ki-Gor. She
looked down at her lounging husband and feigning disapproval, she
placed hands on hips and sighed with disgust.

"You lazy thing, Ki-Gor. Are you going to lie there all day eating
berries?" she asked, pouting lips as red and much more inviting than
the fruit which had occupied her Jungle Lord the past half hour.

The bronzed giant stirred only slightly, and without opening his eyes,
he plumped another luscious berry in his mouth, and began chewing
contentedly. But a little boy's smile of guilt slowly edged his lips,
as he opened one cautious eye to peer at the accusing figure of his
wife.

"For two days, Mister Ki-Gor, you've been rushing me along like mad,
saying you had an important meeting here with Tembu George," she said,
pointing a meaning finger at the Jungle Lord. "Now that we are here, I
find no Tembu George, no important meeting, nothing but a lot of fruit
you persist in stuffing yourself with because it is the nearest and
easiest thing at hand!"

Ki-Gor's gray eyes opened wide in a great show of innocence. He made a
valiant, though completely unsuccessful, effort to show hurt dismay
that Helene would doubt his motives for a moment.

"Why, Helene, you know how healthful fruit is, and the fact it happens
to be hanging right at arm's reach from me has nothing to do with my
eating it," he righteously pointed out. "And you know also how very
good rest is to build a person up. That's the only reason I am lying
down."

The red-haired girl looked at the superbly proportioned body of her
mate, and burst out laughing. "You certainly look like you need to be
built up, you frail little mountain of a man!"

"Well, anyway," he grinned, "it is only proper to show adequate
appreciation of gifts so conveniently and lavishly provided for us by
nature." Stretching out his hand he urged, "Here, try some of these
berries you'll find them delicious."

Helene tossed her red hair in a definite negative reply, and nudged
Ki-Gor's ribs with one small foot.

"I will not let you fill me up on those things," she declared. "You
promised to catch me some fish for lunch if I would hurry, and I want
my fish!"

Ki-Gor shook his head apologetically. "Wrong time of day. Never catch
fish this time of day. Better wait until morning."

He watched the slim, briefly clad girl turn with a switch of her hips
and walk to where his spear rested on the ground. She bent, picked it
up, and returned to place it across his chest.

"I want fish!" she said.

The white man glanced from spear to river, and reflected sadly, "Too
muddy. I could never get anything in that muddy water. Besides, Tembu
George is due to arrive any minute, and there wouldn't be time to cook
fish even if we caught any."

"Fish, Ki-Gor!" Helene stated, catching the arm of the feebly
protesting Jungle Lord, tugging mightily. With much groaning he got to
his feet, and then abruptly he swept Helene up under one arm, and
grasping the spear with the other, strode toward the river, humming
loudly and tunelessly.

"Put me down, Ki-Gor! Don't you dare throw me in that river!" Helene
cried, wriggling and kicking as she tried to escape. On he strode,
unperturbed by the rising din of her cries. At the very edge of the
bank, he halted, carefully putting his spear down. He appeared to
debate as to where to throw the laughing, struggling girl, and then
his solemn face breaking into a smile, he carefully set her down on
the bank.

"Now sit there, and don't go puddling around the river bank," he told
her, "because there are some very discerning crocodiles hereabouts who
would like nothing better than a red-haired, long-legged young lady
for dessert today."

"Yes, sir," she replied. "Now you go to work."

Helene watched the agile grace with which the big man crouched and
picked up the spear. He straightened, threw back his massive
shoulders, and walked several steps away to where the bank overhung a
quiet, deep pool. He studied the spot, and then satisfied, he bent to
one knee, holding the spear ready.