summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/81-h/81-h.htm
blob: 0377f260c7c32ee1ac1771d1d6f02e10c514eef5 (plain) 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913
914
915
916
917
918
919
920
921
922
923
924
925
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991
992
993
994
995
996
997
998
999
1000
1001
1002
1003
1004
1005
1006
1007
1008
1009
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015
1016
1017
1018
1019
1020
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048
1049
1050
1051
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
1060
1061
1062
1063
1064
1065
1066
1067
1068
1069
1070
1071
1072
1073
1074
1075
1076
1077
1078
1079
1080
1081
1082
1083
1084
1085
1086
1087
1088
1089
1090
1091
1092
1093
1094
1095
1096
1097
1098
1099
1100
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
1106
1107
1108
1109
1110
1111
1112
1113
1114
1115
1116
1117
1118
1119
1120
1121
1122
1123
1124
1125
1126
1127
1128
1129
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134
1135
1136
1137
1138
1139
1140
1141
1142
1143
1144
1145
1146
1147
1148
1149
1150
1151
1152
1153
1154
1155
1156
1157
1158
1159
1160
1161
1162
1163
1164
1165
1166
1167
1168
1169
1170
1171
1172
1173
1174
1175
1176
1177
1178
1179
1180
1181
1182
1183
1184
1185
1186
1187
1188
1189
1190
1191
1192
1193
1194
1195
1196
1197
1198
1199
1200
1201
1202
1203
1204
1205
1206
1207
1208
1209
1210
1211
1212
1213
1214
1215
1216
1217
1218
1219
1220
1221
1222
1223
1224
1225
1226
1227
1228
1229
1230
1231
1232
1233
1234
1235
1236
1237
1238
1239
1240
1241
1242
1243
1244
1245
1246
1247
1248
1249
1250
1251
1252
1253
1254
1255
1256
1257
1258
1259
1260
1261
1262
1263
1264
1265
1266
1267
1268
1269
1270
1271
1272
1273
1274
1275
1276
1277
1278
1279
1280
1281
1282
1283
1284
1285
1286
1287
1288
1289
1290
1291
1292
1293
1294
1295
1296
1297
1298
1299
1300
1301
1302
1303
1304
1305
1306
1307
1308
1309
1310
1311
1312
1313
1314
1315
1316
1317
1318
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1328
1329
1330
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337
1338
1339
1340
1341
1342
1343
1344
1345
1346
1347
1348
1349
1350
1351
1352
1353
1354
1355
1356
1357
1358
1359
1360
1361
1362
1363
1364
1365
1366
1367
1368
1369
1370
1371
1372
1373
1374
1375
1376
1377
1378
1379
1380
1381
1382
1383
1384
1385
1386
1387
1388
1389
1390
1391
1392
1393
1394
1395
1396
1397
1398
1399
1400
1401
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411
1412
1413
1414
1415
1416
1417
1418
1419
1420
1421
1422
1423
1424
1425
1426
1427
1428
1429
1430
1431
1432
1433
1434
1435
1436
1437
1438
1439
1440
1441
1442
1443
1444
1445
1446
1447
1448
1449
1450
1451
1452
1453
1454
1455
1456
1457
1458
1459
1460
1461
1462
1463
1464
1465
1466
1467
1468
1469
1470
1471
1472
1473
1474
1475
1476
1477
1478
1479
1480
1481
1482
1483
1484
1485
1486
1487
1488
1489
1490
1491
1492
1493
1494
1495
1496
1497
1498
1499
1500
1501
1502
1503
1504
1505
1506
1507
1508
1509
1510
1511
1512
1513
1514
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522
1523
1524
1525
1526
1527
1528
1529
1530
1531
1532
1533
1534
1535
1536
1537
1538
1539
1540
1541
1542
1543
1544
1545
1546
1547
1548
1549
1550
1551
1552
1553
1554
1555
1556
1557
1558
1559
1560
1561
1562
1563
1564
1565
1566
1567
1568
1569
1570
1571
1572
1573
1574
1575
1576
1577
1578
1579
1580
1581
1582
1583
1584
1585
1586
1587
1588
1589
1590
1591
1592
1593
1594
1595
1596
1597
1598
1599
1600
1601
1602
1603
1604
1605
1606
1607
1608
1609
1610
1611
1612
1613
1614
1615
1616
1617
1618
1619
1620
1621
1622
1623
1624
1625
1626
1627
1628
1629
1630
1631
1632
1633
1634
1635
1636
1637
1638
1639
1640
1641
1642
1643
1644
1645
1646
1647
1648
1649
1650
1651
1652
1653
1654
1655
1656
1657
1658
1659
1660
1661
1662
1663
1664
1665
1666
1667
1668
1669
1670
1671
1672
1673
1674
1675
1676
1677
1678
1679
1680
1681
1682
1683
1684
1685
1686
1687
1688
1689
1690
1691
1692
1693
1694
1695
1696
1697
1698
1699
1700
1701
1702
1703
1704
1705
1706
1707
1708
1709
1710
1711
1712
1713
1714
1715
1716
1717
1718
1719
1720
1721
1722
1723
1724
1725
1726
1727
1728
1729
1730
1731
1732
1733
1734
1735
1736
1737
1738
1739
1740
1741
1742
1743
1744
1745
1746
1747
1748
1749
1750
1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
1763
1764
1765
1766
1767
1768
1769
1770
1771
1772
1773
1774
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
2039
2040
2041
2042
2043
2044
2045
2046
2047
2048
2049
2050
2051
2052
2053
2054
2055
2056
2057
2058
2059
2060
2061
2062
2063
2064
2065
2066
2067
2068
2069
2070
2071
2072
2073
2074
2075
2076
2077
2078
2079
2080
2081
2082
2083
2084
2085
2086
2087
2088
2089
2090
2091
2092
2093
2094
2095
2096
2097
2098
2099
2100
2101
2102
2103
2104
2105
2106
2107
2108
2109
2110
2111
2112
2113
2114
2115
2116
2117
2118
2119
2120
2121
2122
2123
2124
2125
2126
2127
2128
2129
2130
2131
2132
2133
2134
2135
2136
2137
2138
2139
2140
2141
2142
2143
2144
2145
2146
2147
2148
2149
2150
2151
2152
2153
2154
2155
2156
2157
2158
2159
2160
2161
2162
2163
2164
2165
2166
2167
2168
2169
2170
2171
2172
2173
2174
2175
2176
2177
2178
2179
2180
2181
2182
2183
2184
2185
2186
2187
2188
2189
2190
2191
2192
2193
2194
2195
2196
2197
2198
2199
2200
2201
2202
2203
2204
2205
2206
2207
2208
2209
2210
2211
2212
2213
2214
2215
2216
2217
2218
2219
2220
2221
2222
2223
2224
2225
2226
2227
2228
2229
2230
2231
2232
2233
2234
2235
2236
2237
2238
2239
2240
2241
2242
2243
2244
2245
2246
2247
2248
2249
2250
2251
2252
2253
2254
2255
2256
2257
2258
2259
2260
2261
2262
2263
2264
2265
2266
2267
2268
2269
2270
2271
2272
2273
2274
2275
2276
2277
2278
2279
2280
2281
2282
2283
2284
2285
2286
2287
2288
2289
2290
2291
2292
2293
2294
2295
2296
2297
2298
2299
2300
2301
2302
2303
2304
2305
2306
2307
2308
2309
2310
2311
2312
2313
2314
2315
2316
2317
2318
2319
2320
2321
2322
2323
2324
2325
2326
2327
2328
2329
2330
2331
2332
2333
2334
2335
2336
2337
2338
2339
2340
2341
2342
2343
2344
2345
2346
2347
2348
2349
2350
2351
2352
2353
2354
2355
2356
2357
2358
2359
2360
2361
2362
2363
2364
2365
2366
2367
2368
2369
2370
2371
2372
2373
2374
2375
2376
2377
2378
2379
2380
2381
2382
2383
2384
2385
2386
2387
2388
2389
2390
2391
2392
2393
2394
2395
2396
2397
2398
2399
2400
2401
2402
2403
2404
2405
2406
2407
2408
2409
2410
2411
2412
2413
2414
2415
2416
2417
2418
2419
2420
2421
2422
2423
2424
2425
2426
2427
2428
2429
2430
2431
2432
2433
2434
2435
2436
2437
2438
2439
2440
2441
2442
2443
2444
2445
2446
2447
2448
2449
2450
2451
2452
2453
2454
2455
2456
2457
2458
2459
2460
2461
2462
2463
2464
2465
2466
2467
2468
2469
2470
2471
2472
2473
2474
2475
2476
2477
2478
2479
2480
2481
2482
2483
2484
2485
2486
2487
2488
2489
2490
2491
2492
2493
2494
2495
2496
2497
2498
2499
2500
2501
2502
2503
2504
2505
2506
2507
2508
2509
2510
2511
2512
2513
2514
2515
2516
2517
2518
2519
2520
2521
2522
2523
2524
2525
2526
2527
2528
2529
2530
2531
2532
2533
2534
2535
2536
2537
2538
2539
2540
2541
2542
2543
2544
2545
2546
2547
2548
2549
2550
2551
2552
2553
2554
2555
2556
2557
2558
2559
2560
2561
2562
2563
2564
2565
2566
2567
2568
2569
2570
2571
2572
2573
2574
2575
2576
2577
2578
2579
2580
2581
2582
2583
2584
2585
2586
2587
2588
2589
2590
2591
2592
2593
2594
2595
2596
2597
2598
2599
2600
2601
2602
2603
2604
2605
2606
2607
2608
2609
2610
2611
2612
2613
2614
2615
2616
2617
2618
2619
2620
2621
2622
2623
2624
2625
2626
2627
2628
2629
2630
2631
2632
2633
2634
2635
2636
2637
2638
2639
2640
2641
2642
2643
2644
2645
2646
2647
2648
2649
2650
2651
2652
2653
2654
2655
2656
2657
2658
2659
2660
2661
2662
2663
2664
2665
2666
2667
2668
2669
2670
2671
2672
2673
2674
2675
2676
2677
2678
2679
2680
2681
2682
2683
2684
2685
2686
2687
2688
2689
2690
2691
2692
2693
2694
2695
2696
2697
2698
2699
2700
2701
2702
2703
2704
2705
2706
2707
2708
2709
2710
2711
2712
2713
2714
2715
2716
2717
2718
2719
2720
2721
2722
2723
2724
2725
2726
2727
2728
2729
2730
2731
2732
2733
2734
2735
2736
2737
2738
2739
2740
2741
2742
2743
2744
2745
2746
2747
2748
2749
2750
2751
2752
2753
2754
2755
2756
2757
2758
2759
2760
2761
2762
2763
2764
2765
2766
2767
2768
2769
2770
2771
2772
2773
2774
2775
2776
2777
2778
2779
2780
2781
2782
2783
2784
2785
2786
2787
2788
2789
2790
2791
2792
2793
2794
2795
2796
2797
2798
2799
2800
2801
2802
2803
2804
2805
2806
2807
2808
2809
2810
2811
2812
2813
2814
2815
2816
2817
2818
2819
2820
2821
2822
2823
2824
2825
2826
2827
2828
2829
2830
2831
2832
2833
2834
2835
2836
2837
2838
2839
2840
2841
2842
2843
2844
2845
2846
2847
2848
2849
2850
2851
2852
2853
2854
2855
2856
2857
2858
2859
2860
2861
2862
2863
2864
2865
2866
2867
2868
2869
2870
2871
2872
2873
2874
2875
2876
2877
2878
2879
2880
2881
2882
2883
2884
2885
2886
2887
2888
2889
2890
2891
2892
2893
2894
2895
2896
2897
2898
2899
2900
2901
2902
2903
2904
2905
2906
2907
2908
2909
2910
2911
2912
2913
2914
2915
2916
2917
2918
2919
2920
2921
2922
2923
2924
2925
2926
2927
2928
2929
2930
2931
2932
2933
2934
2935
2936
2937
2938
2939
2940
2941
2942
2943
2944
2945
2946
2947
2948
2949
2950
2951
2952
2953
2954
2955
2956
2957
2958
2959
2960
2961
2962
2963
2964
2965
2966
2967
2968
2969
2970
2971
2972
2973
2974
2975
2976
2977
2978
2979
2980
2981
2982
2983
2984
2985
2986
2987
2988
2989
2990
2991
2992
2993
2994
2995
2996
2997
2998
2999
3000
3001
3002
3003
3004
3005
3006
3007
3008
3009
3010
3011
3012
3013
3014
3015
3016
3017
3018
3019
3020
3021
3022
3023
3024
3025
3026
3027
3028
3029
3030
3031
3032
3033
3034
3035
3036
3037
3038
3039
3040
3041
3042
3043
3044
3045
3046
3047
3048
3049
3050
3051
3052
3053
3054
3055
3056
3057
3058
3059
3060
3061
3062
3063
3064
3065
3066
3067
3068
3069
3070
3071
3072
3073
3074
3075
3076
3077
3078
3079
3080
3081
3082
3083
3084
3085
3086
3087
3088
3089
3090
3091
3092
3093
3094
3095
3096
3097
3098
3099
3100
3101
3102
3103
3104
3105
3106
3107
3108
3109
3110
3111
3112
3113
3114
3115
3116
3117
3118
3119
3120
3121
3122
3123
3124
3125
3126
3127
3128
3129
3130
3131
3132
3133
3134
3135
3136
3137
3138
3139
3140
3141
3142
3143
3144
3145
3146
3147
3148
3149
3150
3151
3152
3153
3154
3155
3156
3157
3158
3159
3160
3161
3162
3163
3164
3165
3166
3167
3168
3169
3170
3171
3172
3173
3174
3175
3176
3177
3178
3179
3180
3181
3182
3183
3184
3185
3186
3187
3188
3189
3190
3191
3192
3193
3194
3195
3196
3197
3198
3199
3200
3201
3202
3203
3204
3205
3206
3207
3208
3209
3210
3211
3212
3213
3214
3215
3216
3217
3218
3219
3220
3221
3222
3223
3224
3225
3226
3227
3228
3229
3230
3231
3232
3233
3234
3235
3236
3237
3238
3239
3240
3241
3242
3243
3244
3245
3246
3247
3248
3249
3250
3251
3252
3253
3254
3255
3256
3257
3258
3259
3260
3261
3262
3263
3264
3265
3266
3267
3268
3269
3270
3271
3272
3273
3274
3275
3276
3277
3278
3279
3280
3281
3282
3283
3284
3285
3286
3287
3288
3289
3290
3291
3292
3293
3294
3295
3296
3297
3298
3299
3300
3301
3302
3303
3304
3305
3306
3307
3308
3309
3310
3311
3312
3313
3314
3315
3316
3317
3318
3319
3320
3321
3322
3323
3324
3325
3326
3327
3328
3329
3330
3331
3332
3333
3334
3335
3336
3337
3338
3339
3340
3341
3342
3343
3344
3345
3346
3347
3348
3349
3350
3351
3352
3353
3354
3355
3356
3357
3358
3359
3360
3361
3362
3363
3364
3365
3366
3367
3368
3369
3370
3371
3372
3373
3374
3375
3376
3377
3378
3379
3380
3381
3382
3383
3384
3385
3386
3387
3388
3389
3390
3391
3392
3393
3394
3395
3396
3397
3398
3399
3400
3401
3402
3403
3404
3405
3406
3407
3408
3409
3410
3411
3412
3413
3414
3415
3416
3417
3418
3419
3420
3421
3422
3423
3424
3425
3426
3427
3428
3429
3430
3431
3432
3433
3434
3435
3436
3437
3438
3439
3440
3441
3442
3443
3444
3445
3446
3447
3448
3449
3450
3451
3452
3453
3454
3455
3456
3457
3458
3459
3460
3461
3462
3463
3464
3465
3466
3467
3468
3469
3470
3471
3472
3473
3474
3475
3476
3477
3478
3479
3480
3481
3482
3483
3484
3485
3486
3487
3488
3489
3490
3491
3492
3493
3494
3495
3496
3497
3498
3499
3500
3501
3502
3503
3504
3505
3506
3507
3508
3509
3510
3511
3512
3513
3514
3515
3516
3517
3518
3519
3520
3521
3522
3523
3524
3525
3526
3527
3528
3529
3530
3531
3532
3533
3534
3535
3536
3537
3538
3539
3540
3541
3542
3543
3544
3545
3546
3547
3548
3549
3550
3551
3552
3553
3554
3555
3556
3557
3558
3559
3560
3561
3562
3563
3564
3565
3566
3567
3568
3569
3570
3571
3572
3573
3574
3575
3576
3577
3578
3579
3580
3581
3582
3583
3584
3585
3586
3587
3588
3589
3590
3591
3592
3593
3594
3595
3596
3597
3598
3599
3600
3601
3602
3603
3604
3605
3606
3607
3608
3609
3610
3611
3612
3613
3614
3615
3616
3617
3618
3619
3620
3621
3622
3623
3624
3625
3626
3627
3628
3629
3630
3631
3632
3633
3634
3635
3636
3637
3638
3639
3640
3641
3642
3643
3644
3645
3646
3647
3648
3649
3650
3651
3652
3653
3654
3655
3656
3657
3658
3659
3660
3661
3662
3663
3664
3665
3666
3667
3668
3669
3670
3671
3672
3673
3674
3675
3676
3677
3678
3679
3680
3681
3682
3683
3684
3685
3686
3687
3688
3689
3690
3691
3692
3693
3694
3695
3696
3697
3698
3699
3700
3701
3702
3703
3704
3705
3706
3707
3708
3709
3710
3711
3712
3713
3714
3715
3716
3717
3718
3719
3720
3721
3722
3723
3724
3725
3726
3727
3728
3729
3730
3731
3732
3733
3734
3735
3736
3737
3738
3739
3740
3741
3742
3743
3744
3745
3746
3747
3748
3749
3750
3751
3752
3753
3754
3755
3756
3757
3758
3759
3760
3761
3762
3763
3764
3765
3766
3767
3768
3769
3770
3771
3772
3773
3774
3775
3776
3777
3778
3779
3780
3781
3782
3783
3784
3785
3786
3787
3788
3789
3790
3791
3792
3793
3794
3795
3796
3797
3798
3799
3800
3801
3802
3803
3804
3805
3806
3807
3808
3809
3810
3811
3812
3813
3814
3815
3816
3817
3818
3819
3820
3821
3822
3823
3824
3825
3826
3827
3828
3829
3830
3831
3832
3833
3834
3835
3836
3837
3838
3839
3840
3841
3842
3843
3844
3845
3846
3847
3848
3849
3850
3851
3852
3853
3854
3855
3856
3857
3858
3859
3860
3861
3862
3863
3864
3865
3866
3867
3868
3869
3870
3871
3872
3873
3874
3875
3876
3877
3878
3879
3880
3881
3882
3883
3884
3885
3886
3887
3888
3889
3890
3891
3892
3893
3894
3895
3896
3897
3898
3899
3900
3901
3902
3903
3904
3905
3906
3907
3908
3909
3910
3911
3912
3913
3914
3915
3916
3917
3918
3919
3920
3921
3922
3923
3924
3925
3926
3927
3928
3929
3930
3931
3932
3933
3934
3935
3936
3937
3938
3939
3940
3941
3942
3943
3944
3945
3946
3947
3948
3949
3950
3951
3952
3953
3954
3955
3956
3957
3958
3959
3960
3961
3962
3963
3964
3965
3966
3967
3968
3969
3970
3971
3972
3973
3974
3975
3976
3977
3978
3979
3980
3981
3982
3983
3984
3985
3986
3987
3988
3989
3990
3991
3992
3993
3994
3995
3996
3997
3998
3999
4000
4001
4002
4003
4004
4005
4006
4007
4008
4009
4010
4011
4012
4013
4014
4015
4016
4017
4018
4019
4020
4021
4022
4023
4024
4025
4026
4027
4028
4029
4030
4031
4032
4033
4034
4035
4036
4037
4038
4039
4040
4041
4042
4043
4044
4045
4046
4047
4048
4049
4050
4051
4052
4053
4054
4055
4056
4057
4058
4059
4060
4061
4062
4063
4064
4065
4066
4067
4068
4069
4070
4071
4072
4073
4074
4075
4076
4077
4078
4079
4080
4081
4082
4083
4084
4085
4086
4087
4088
4089
4090
4091
4092
4093
4094
4095
4096
4097
4098
4099
4100
4101
4102
4103
4104
4105
4106
4107
4108
4109
4110
4111
4112
4113
4114
4115
4116
4117
4118
4119
4120
4121
4122
4123
4124
4125
4126
4127
4128
4129
4130
4131
4132
4133
4134
4135
4136
4137
4138
4139
4140
4141
4142
4143
4144
4145
4146
4147
4148
4149
4150
4151
4152
4153
4154
4155
4156
4157
4158
4159
4160
4161
4162
4163
4164
4165
4166
4167
4168
4169
4170
4171
4172
4173
4174
4175
4176
4177
4178
4179
4180
4181
4182
4183
4184
4185
4186
4187
4188
4189
4190
4191
4192
4193
4194
4195
4196
4197
4198
4199
4200
4201
4202
4203
4204
4205
4206
4207
4208
4209
4210
4211
4212
4213
4214
4215
4216
4217
4218
4219
4220
4221
4222
4223
4224
4225
4226
4227
4228
4229
4230
4231
4232
4233
4234
4235
4236
4237
4238
4239
4240
4241
4242
4243
4244
4245
4246
4247
4248
4249
4250
4251
4252
4253
4254
4255
4256
4257
4258
4259
4260
4261
4262
4263
4264
4265
4266
4267
4268
4269
4270
4271
4272
4273
4274
4275
4276
4277
4278
4279
4280
4281
4282
4283
4284
4285
4286
4287
4288
4289
4290
4291
4292
4293
4294
4295
4296
4297
4298
4299
4300
4301
4302
4303
4304
4305
4306
4307
4308
4309
4310
4311
4312
4313
4314
4315
4316
4317
4318
4319
4320
4321
4322
4323
4324
4325
4326
4327
4328
4329
4330
4331
4332
4333
4334
4335
4336
4337
4338
4339
4340
4341
4342
4343
4344
4345
4346
4347
4348
4349
4350
4351
4352
4353
4354
4355
4356
4357
4358
4359
4360
4361
4362
4363
4364
4365
4366
4367
4368
4369
4370
4371
4372
4373
4374
4375
4376
4377
4378
4379
4380
4381
4382
4383
4384
4385
4386
4387
4388
4389
4390
4391
4392
4393
4394
4395
4396
4397
4398
4399
4400
4401
4402
4403
4404
4405
4406
4407
4408
4409
4410
4411
4412
4413
4414
4415
4416
4417
4418
4419
4420
4421
4422
4423
4424
4425
4426
4427
4428
4429
4430
4431
4432
4433
4434
4435
4436
4437
4438
4439
4440
4441
4442
4443
4444
4445
4446
4447
4448
4449
4450
4451
4452
4453
4454
4455
4456
4457
4458
4459
4460
4461
4462
4463
4464
4465
4466
4467
4468
4469
4470
4471
4472
4473
4474
4475
4476
4477
4478
4479
4480
4481
4482
4483
4484
4485
4486
4487
4488
4489
4490
4491
4492
4493
4494
4495
4496
4497
4498
4499
4500
4501
4502
4503
4504
4505
4506
4507
4508
4509
4510
4511
4512
4513
4514
4515
4516
4517
4518
4519
4520
4521
4522
4523
4524
4525
4526
4527
4528
4529
4530
4531
4532
4533
4534
4535
4536
4537
4538
4539
4540
4541
4542
4543
4544
4545
4546
4547
4548
4549
4550
4551
4552
4553
4554
4555
4556
4557
4558
4559
4560
4561
4562
4563
4564
4565
4566
4567
4568
4569
4570
4571
4572
4573
4574
4575
4576
4577
4578
4579
4580
4581
4582
4583
4584
4585
4586
4587
4588
4589
4590
4591
4592
4593
4594
4595
4596
4597
4598
4599
4600
4601
4602
4603
4604
4605
4606
4607
4608
4609
4610
4611
4612
4613
4614
4615
4616
4617
4618
4619
4620
4621
4622
4623
4624
4625
4626
4627
4628
4629
4630
4631
4632
4633
4634
4635
4636
4637
4638
4639
4640
4641
4642
4643
4644
4645
4646
4647
4648
4649
4650
4651
4652
4653
4654
4655
4656
4657
4658
4659
4660
4661
4662
4663
4664
4665
4666
4667
4668
4669
4670
4671
4672
4673
4674
4675
4676
4677
4678
4679
4680
4681
4682
4683
4684
4685
4686
4687
4688
4689
4690
4691
4692
4693
4694
4695
4696
4697
4698
4699
4700
4701
4702
4703
4704
4705
4706
4707
4708
4709
4710
4711
4712
4713
4714
4715
4716
4717
4718
4719
4720
4721
4722
4723
4724
4725
4726
4727
4728
4729
4730
4731
4732
4733
4734
4735
4736
4737
4738
4739
4740
4741
4742
4743
4744
4745
4746
4747
4748
4749
4750
4751
4752
4753
4754
4755
4756
4757
4758
4759
4760
4761
4762
4763
4764
4765
4766
4767
4768
4769
4770
4771
4772
4773
4774
4775
4776
4777
4778
4779
4780
4781
4782
4783
4784
4785
4786
4787
4788
4789
4790
4791
4792
4793
4794
4795
4796
4797
4798
4799
4800
4801
4802
4803
4804
4805
4806
4807
4808
4809
4810
4811
4812
4813
4814
4815
4816
4817
4818
4819
4820
4821
4822
4823
4824
4825
4826
4827
4828
4829
4830
4831
4832
4833
4834
4835
4836
4837
4838
4839
4840
4841
4842
4843
4844
4845
4846
4847
4848
4849
4850
4851
4852
4853
4854
4855
4856
4857
4858
4859
4860
4861
4862
4863
4864
4865
4866
4867
4868
4869
4870
4871
4872
4873
4874
4875
4876
4877
4878
4879
4880
4881
4882
4883
4884
4885
4886
4887
4888
4889
4890
4891
4892
4893
4894
4895
4896
4897
4898
4899
4900
4901
4902
4903
4904
4905
4906
4907
4908
4909
4910
4911
4912
4913
4914
4915
4916
4917
4918
4919
4920
4921
4922
4923
4924
4925
4926
4927
4928
4929
4930
4931
4932
4933
4934
4935
4936
4937
4938
4939
4940
4941
4942
4943
4944
4945
4946
4947
4948
4949
4950
4951
4952
4953
4954
4955
4956
4957
4958
4959
4960
4961
4962
4963
4964
4965
4966
4967
4968
4969
4970
4971
4972
4973
4974
4975
4976
4977
4978
4979
4980
4981
4982
4983
4984
4985
4986
4987
4988
4989
4990
4991
4992
4993
4994
4995
4996
4997
4998
4999
5000
5001
5002
5003
5004
5005
5006
5007
5008
5009
5010
5011
5012
5013
5014
5015
5016
5017
5018
5019
5020
5021
5022
5023
5024
5025
5026
5027
5028
5029
5030
5031
5032
5033
5034
5035
5036
5037
5038
5039
5040
5041
5042
5043
5044
5045
5046
5047
5048
5049
5050
5051
5052
5053
5054
5055
5056
5057
5058
5059
5060
5061
5062
5063
5064
5065
5066
5067
5068
5069
5070
5071
5072
5073
5074
5075
5076
5077
5078
5079
5080
5081
5082
5083
5084
5085
5086
5087
5088
5089
5090
5091
5092
5093
5094
5095
5096
5097
5098
5099
5100
5101
5102
5103
5104
5105
5106
5107
5108
5109
5110
5111
5112
5113
5114
5115
5116
5117
5118
5119
5120
5121
5122
5123
5124
5125
5126
5127
5128
5129
5130
5131
5132
5133
5134
5135
5136
5137
5138
5139
5140
5141
5142
5143
5144
5145
5146
5147
5148
5149
5150
5151
5152
5153
5154
5155
5156
5157
5158
5159
5160
5161
5162
5163
5164
5165
5166
5167
5168
5169
5170
5171
5172
5173
5174
5175
5176
5177
5178
5179
5180
5181
5182
5183
5184
5185
5186
5187
5188
5189
5190
5191
5192
5193
5194
5195
5196
5197
5198
5199
5200
5201
5202
5203
5204
5205
5206
5207
5208
5209
5210
5211
5212
5213
5214
5215
5216
5217
5218
5219
5220
5221
5222
5223
5224
5225
5226
5227
5228
5229
5230
5231
5232
5233
5234
5235
5236
5237
5238
5239
5240
5241
5242
5243
5244
5245
5246
5247
5248
5249
5250
5251
5252
5253
5254
5255
5256
5257
5258
5259
5260
5261
5262
5263
5264
5265
5266
5267
5268
5269
5270
5271
5272
5273
5274
5275
5276
5277
5278
5279
5280
5281
5282
5283
5284
5285
5286
5287
5288
5289
5290
5291
5292
5293
5294
5295
5296
5297
5298
5299
5300
5301
5302
5303
5304
5305
5306
5307
5308
5309
5310
5311
5312
5313
5314
5315
5316
5317
5318
5319
5320
5321
5322
5323
5324
5325
5326
5327
5328
5329
5330
5331
5332
5333
5334
5335
5336
5337
5338
5339
5340
5341
5342
5343
5344
5345
5346
5347
5348
5349
5350
5351
5352
5353
5354
5355
5356
5357
5358
5359
5360
5361
5362
5363
5364
5365
5366
5367
5368
5369
5370
5371
5372
5373
5374
5375
5376
5377
5378
5379
5380
5381
5382
5383
5384
5385
5386
5387
5388
5389
5390
5391
5392
5393
5394
5395
5396
5397
5398
5399
5400
5401
5402
5403
5404
5405
5406
5407
5408
5409
5410
5411
5412
5413
5414
5415
5416
5417
5418
5419
5420
5421
5422
5423
5424
5425
5426
5427
5428
5429
5430
5431
5432
5433
5434
5435
5436
5437
5438
5439
5440
5441
5442
5443
5444
5445
5446
5447
5448
5449
5450
5451
5452
5453
5454
5455
5456
5457
5458
5459
5460
5461
5462
5463
5464
5465
5466
5467
5468
5469
5470
5471
5472
5473
5474
5475
5476
5477
5478
5479
5480
5481
5482
5483
5484
5485
5486
5487
5488
5489
5490
5491
5492
5493
5494
5495
5496
5497
5498
5499
5500
5501
5502
5503
5504
5505
5506
5507
5508
5509
5510
5511
5512
5513
5514
5515
5516
5517
5518
5519
5520
5521
5522
5523
5524
5525
5526
5527
5528
5529
5530
5531
5532
5533
5534
5535
5536
5537
5538
5539
5540
5541
5542
5543
5544
5545
5546
5547
5548
5549
5550
5551
5552
5553
5554
5555
5556
5557
5558
5559
5560
5561
5562
5563
5564
5565
5566
5567
5568
5569
5570
5571
5572
5573
5574
5575
5576
5577
5578
5579
5580
5581
5582
5583
5584
5585
5586
5587
5588
5589
5590
5591
5592
5593
5594
5595
5596
5597
5598
5599
5600
5601
5602
5603
5604
5605
5606
5607
5608
5609
5610
5611
5612
5613
5614
5615
5616
5617
5618
5619
5620
5621
5622
5623
5624
5625
5626
5627
5628
5629
5630
5631
5632
5633
5634
5635
5636
5637
5638
5639
5640
5641
5642
5643
5644
5645
5646
5647
5648
5649
5650
5651
5652
5653
5654
5655
5656
5657
5658
5659
5660
5661
5662
5663
5664
5665
5666
5667
5668
5669
5670
5671
5672
5673
5674
5675
5676
5677
5678
5679
5680
5681
5682
5683
5684
5685
5686
5687
5688
5689
5690
5691
5692
5693
5694
5695
5696
5697
5698
5699
5700
5701
5702
5703
5704
5705
5706
5707
5708
5709
5710
5711
5712
5713
5714
5715
5716
5717
5718
5719
5720
5721
5722
5723
5724
5725
5726
5727
5728
5729
5730
5731
5732
5733
5734
5735
5736
5737
5738
5739
5740
5741
5742
5743
5744
5745
5746
5747
5748
5749
5750
5751
5752
5753
5754
5755
5756
5757
5758
5759
5760
5761
5762
5763
5764
5765
5766
5767
5768
5769
5770
5771
5772
5773
5774
5775
5776
5777
5778
5779
5780
5781
5782
5783
5784
5785
5786
5787
5788
5789
5790
5791
5792
5793
5794
5795
5796
5797
5798
5799
5800
5801
5802
5803
5804
5805
5806
5807
5808
5809
5810
5811
5812
5813
5814
5815
5816
5817
5818
5819
5820
5821
5822
5823
5824
5825
5826
5827
5828
5829
5830
5831
5832
5833
5834
5835
5836
5837
5838
5839
5840
5841
5842
5843
5844
5845
5846
5847
5848
5849
5850
5851
5852
5853
5854
5855
5856
5857
5858
5859
5860
5861
5862
5863
5864
5865
5866
5867
5868
5869
5870
5871
5872
5873
5874
5875
5876
5877
5878
5879
5880
5881
5882
5883
5884
5885
5886
5887
5888
5889
5890
5891
5892
5893
5894
5895
5896
5897
5898
5899
5900
5901
5902
5903
5904
5905
5906
5907
5908
5909
5910
5911
5912
5913
5914
5915
5916
5917
5918
5919
5920
5921
5922
5923
5924
5925
5926
5927
5928
5929
5930
5931
5932
5933
5934
5935
5936
5937
5938
5939
5940
5941
5942
5943
5944
5945
5946
5947
5948
5949
5950
5951
5952
5953
5954
5955
5956
5957
5958
5959
5960
5961
5962
5963
5964
5965
5966
5967
5968
5969
5970
5971
5972
5973
5974
5975
5976
5977
5978
5979
5980
5981
5982
5983
5984
5985
5986
5987
5988
5989
5990
5991
5992
5993
5994
5995
5996
5997
5998
5999
6000
6001
6002
6003
6004
6005
6006
6007
6008
6009
6010
6011
6012
6013
6014
6015
6016
6017
6018
6019
6020
6021
6022
6023
6024
6025
6026
6027
6028
6029
6030
6031
6032
6033
6034
6035
6036
6037
6038
6039
6040
6041
6042
6043
6044
6045
6046
6047
6048
6049
6050
6051
6052
6053
6054
6055
6056
6057
6058
6059
6060
6061
6062
6063
6064
6065
6066
6067
6068
6069
6070
6071
6072
6073
6074
6075
6076
6077
6078
6079
6080
6081
6082
6083
6084
6085
6086
6087
6088
6089
6090
6091
6092
6093
6094
6095
6096
6097
6098
6099
6100
6101
6102
6103
6104
6105
6106
6107
6108
6109
6110
6111
6112
6113
6114
6115
6116
6117
6118
6119
6120
6121
6122
6123
6124
6125
6126
6127
6128
6129
6130
6131
6132
6133
6134
6135
6136
6137
6138
6139
6140
6141
6142
6143
6144
6145
6146
6147
6148
6149
6150
6151
6152
6153
6154
6155
6156
6157
6158
6159
6160
6161
6162
6163
6164
6165
6166
6167
6168
6169
6170
6171
6172
6173
6174
6175
6176
6177
6178
6179
6180
6181
6182
6183
6184
6185
6186
6187
6188
6189
6190
6191
6192
6193
6194
6195
6196
6197
6198
6199
6200
6201
6202
6203
6204
6205
6206
6207
6208
6209
6210
6211
6212
6213
6214
6215
6216
6217
6218
6219
6220
6221
6222
6223
6224
6225
6226
6227
6228
6229
6230
6231
6232
6233
6234
6235
6236
6237
6238
6239
6240
6241
6242
6243
6244
6245
6246
6247
6248
6249
6250
6251
6252
6253
6254
6255
6256
6257
6258
6259
6260
6261
6262
6263
6264
6265
6266
6267
6268
6269
6270
6271
6272
6273
6274
6275
6276
6277
6278
6279
6280
6281
6282
6283
6284
6285
6286
6287
6288
6289
6290
6291
6292
6293
6294
6295
6296
6297
6298
6299
6300
6301
6302
6303
6304
6305
6306
6307
6308
6309
6310
6311
6312
6313
6314
6315
6316
6317
6318
6319
6320
6321
6322
6323
6324
6325
6326
6327
6328
6329
6330
6331
6332
6333
6334
6335
6336
6337
6338
6339
6340
6341
6342
6343
6344
6345
6346
6347
6348
6349
6350
6351
6352
6353
6354
6355
6356
6357
6358
6359
6360
6361
6362
6363
6364
6365
6366
6367
6368
6369
6370
6371
6372
6373
6374
6375
6376
6377
6378
6379
6380
6381
6382
6383
6384
6385
6386
6387
6388
6389
6390
6391
6392
6393
6394
6395
6396
6397
6398
6399
6400
6401
6402
6403
6404
6405
6406
6407
6408
6409
6410
6411
6412
6413
6414
6415
6416
6417
6418
6419
6420
6421
6422
6423
6424
6425
6426
6427
6428
6429
6430
6431
6432
6433
6434
6435
6436
6437
6438
6439
6440
6441
6442
6443
6444
6445
6446
6447
6448
6449
6450
6451
6452
6453
6454
6455
6456
6457
6458
6459
6460
6461
6462
6463
6464
6465
6466
6467
6468
6469
6470
6471
6472
6473
6474
6475
6476
6477
6478
6479
6480
6481
6482
6483
6484
6485
6486
6487
6488
6489
6490
6491
6492
6493
6494
6495
6496
6497
6498
6499
6500
6501
6502
6503
6504
6505
6506
6507
6508
6509
6510
6511
6512
6513
6514
6515
6516
6517
6518
6519
6520
6521
6522
6523
6524
6525
6526
6527
6528
6529
6530
6531
6532
6533
6534
6535
6536
6537
6538
6539
6540
6541
6542
6543
6544
6545
6546
6547
6548
6549
6550
6551
6552
6553
6554
6555
6556
6557
6558
6559
6560
6561
6562
6563
6564
6565
6566
6567
6568
6569
6570
6571
6572
6573
6574
6575
6576
6577
6578
6579
6580
6581
6582
6583
6584
6585
6586
6587
6588
6589
6590
6591
6592
6593
6594
6595
6596
6597
6598
6599
6600
6601
6602
6603
6604
6605
6606
6607
6608
6609
6610
6611
6612
6613
6614
6615
6616
6617
6618
6619
6620
6621
6622
6623
6624
6625
6626
6627
6628
6629
6630
6631
6632
6633
6634
6635
6636
6637
6638
6639
6640
6641
6642
6643
6644
6645
6646
6647
6648
6649
6650
6651
6652
6653
6654
6655
6656
6657
6658
6659
6660
6661
6662
6663
6664
6665
6666
6667
6668
6669
6670
6671
6672
6673
6674
6675
6676
6677
6678
6679
6680
6681
6682
6683
6684
6685
6686
6687
6688
6689
6690
6691
6692
6693
6694
6695
6696
6697
6698
6699
6700
6701
6702
6703
6704
6705
6706
6707
6708
6709
6710
6711
6712
6713
6714
6715
6716
6717
6718
6719
6720
6721
6722
6723
6724
6725
6726
6727
6728
6729
6730
6731
6732
6733
6734
6735
6736
6737
6738
6739
6740
6741
6742
6743
6744
6745
6746
6747
6748
6749
6750
6751
6752
6753
6754
6755
6756
6757
6758
6759
6760
6761
6762
6763
6764
6765
6766
6767
6768
6769
6770
6771
6772
6773
6774
6775
6776
6777
6778
6779
6780
6781
6782
6783
6784
6785
6786
6787
6788
6789
6790
6791
6792
6793
6794
6795
6796
6797
6798
6799
6800
6801
6802
6803
6804
6805
6806
6807
6808
6809
6810
6811
6812
6813
6814
6815
6816
6817
6818
6819
6820
6821
6822
6823
6824
6825
6826
6827
6828
6829
6830
6831
6832
6833
6834
6835
6836
6837
6838
6839
6840
6841
6842
6843
6844
6845
6846
6847
6848
6849
6850
6851
6852
6853
6854
6855
6856
6857
6858
6859
6860
6861
6862
6863
6864
6865
6866
6867
6868
6869
6870
6871
6872
6873
6874
6875
6876
6877
6878
6879
6880
6881
6882
6883
6884
6885
6886
6887
6888
6889
6890
6891
6892
6893
6894
6895
6896
6897
6898
6899
6900
6901
6902
6903
6904
6905
6906
6907
6908
6909
6910
6911
6912
6913
6914
6915
6916
6917
6918
6919
6920
6921
6922
6923
6924
6925
6926
6927
6928
6929
6930
6931
6932
6933
6934
6935
6936
6937
6938
6939
6940
6941
6942
6943
6944
6945
6946
6947
6948
6949
6950
6951
6952
6953
6954
6955
6956
6957
6958
6959
6960
6961
6962
6963
6964
6965
6966
6967
6968
6969
6970
6971
6972
6973
6974
6975
6976
6977
6978
6979
6980
6981
6982
6983
6984
6985
6986
6987
6988
6989
6990
6991
6992
6993
6994
6995
6996
6997
6998
6999
7000
7001
7002
7003
7004
7005
7006
7007
7008
7009
7010
7011
7012
7013
7014
7015
7016
7017
7018
7019
7020
7021
7022
7023
7024
7025
7026
7027
7028
7029
7030
7031
7032
7033
7034
7035
7036
7037
7038
7039
7040
7041
7042
7043
7044
7045
7046
7047
7048
7049
7050
7051
7052
7053
7054
7055
7056
7057
7058
7059
7060
7061
7062
7063
7064
7065
7066
7067
7068
7069
7070
7071
7072
7073
7074
7075
7076
7077
7078
7079
7080
7081
7082
7083
7084
7085
7086
7087
7088
7089
7090
7091
7092
7093
7094
7095
7096
7097
7098
7099
7100
7101
7102
7103
7104
7105
7106
7107
7108
7109
7110
7111
7112
7113
7114
7115
7116
7117
7118
7119
7120
7121
7122
7123
7124
7125
7126
7127
7128
7129
7130
7131
7132
7133
7134
7135
7136
7137
7138
7139
7140
7141
7142
7143
7144
7145
7146
7147
7148
7149
7150
7151
7152
7153
7154
7155
7156
7157
7158
7159
7160
7161
7162
7163
7164
7165
7166
7167
7168
7169
7170
7171
7172
7173
7174
7175
7176
7177
7178
7179
7180
7181
7182
7183
7184
7185
7186
7187
7188
7189
7190
7191
7192
7193
7194
7195
7196
7197
7198
7199
7200
7201
7202
7203
7204
7205
7206
7207
7208
7209
7210
7211
7212
7213
7214
7215
7216
7217
7218
7219
7220
7221
7222
7223
7224
7225
7226
7227
7228
7229
7230
7231
7232
7233
7234
7235
7236
7237
7238
7239
7240
7241
7242
7243
7244
7245
7246
7247
7248
7249
7250
7251
7252
7253
7254
7255
7256
7257
7258
7259
7260
7261
7262
7263
7264
7265
7266
7267
7268
7269
7270
7271
7272
7273
7274
7275
7276
7277
7278
7279
7280
7281
7282
7283
7284
7285
7286
7287
7288
7289
7290
7291
7292
7293
7294
7295
7296
7297
7298
7299
7300
7301
7302
7303
7304
7305
7306
7307
7308
7309
7310
7311
7312
7313
7314
7315
7316
7317
7318
7319
7320
7321
7322
7323
7324
7325
7326
7327
7328
7329
7330
7331
7332
7333
7334
7335
7336
7337
7338
7339
7340
7341
7342
7343
7344
7345
7346
7347
7348
7349
7350
7351
7352
7353
7354
7355
7356
7357
7358
7359
7360
7361
7362
7363
7364
7365
7366
7367
7368
7369
7370
7371
7372
7373
7374
7375
7376
7377
7378
7379
7380
7381
7382
7383
7384
7385
7386
7387
7388
7389
7390
7391
7392
7393
7394
7395
7396
7397
7398
7399
7400
7401
7402
7403
7404
7405
7406
7407
7408
7409
7410
7411
7412
7413
7414
7415
7416
7417
7418
7419
7420
7421
7422
7423
7424
7425
7426
7427
7428
7429
7430
7431
7432
7433
7434
7435
7436
7437
7438
7439
7440
7441
7442
7443
7444
7445
7446
7447
7448
7449
7450
7451
7452
7453
7454
7455
7456
7457
7458
7459
7460
7461
7462
7463
7464
7465
7466
7467
7468
7469
7470
7471
7472
7473
7474
7475
7476
7477
7478
7479
7480
7481
7482
7483
7484
7485
7486
7487
7488
7489
7490
7491
7492
7493
7494
7495
7496
7497
7498
7499
7500
7501
7502
7503
7504
7505
7506
7507
7508
7509
7510
7511
7512
7513
7514
7515
7516
7517
7518
7519
7520
7521
7522
7523
7524
7525
7526
7527
7528
7529
7530
7531
7532
7533
7534
7535
7536
7537
7538
7539
7540
7541
7542
7543
7544
7545
7546
7547
7548
7549
7550
7551
7552
7553
7554
7555
7556
7557
7558
7559
7560
7561
7562
7563
7564
7565
7566
7567
7568
7569
7570
7571
7572
7573
7574
7575
7576
7577
7578
7579
7580
7581
7582
7583
7584
7585
7586
7587
7588
7589
7590
7591
7592
7593
7594
7595
7596
7597
7598
7599
7600
7601
7602
7603
7604
7605
7606
7607
7608
7609
7610
7611
7612
7613
7614
7615
7616
7617
7618
7619
7620
7621
7622
7623
7624
7625
7626
7627
7628
7629
7630
7631
7632
7633
7634
7635
7636
7637
7638
7639
7640
7641
7642
7643
7644
7645
7646
7647
7648
7649
7650
7651
7652
7653
7654
7655
7656
7657
7658
7659
7660
7661
7662
7663
7664
7665
7666
7667
7668
7669
7670
7671
7672
7673
7674
7675
7676
7677
7678
7679
7680
7681
7682
7683
7684
7685
7686
7687
7688
7689
7690
7691
7692
7693
7694
7695
7696
7697
7698
7699
7700
7701
7702
7703
7704
7705
7706
7707
7708
7709
7710
7711
7712
7713
7714
7715
7716
7717
7718
7719
7720
7721
7722
7723
7724
7725
7726
7727
7728
7729
7730
7731
7732
7733
7734
7735
7736
7737
7738
7739
7740
7741
7742
7743
7744
7745
7746
7747
7748
7749
7750
7751
7752
7753
7754
7755
7756
7757
7758
7759
7760
7761
7762
7763
7764
7765
7766
7767
7768
7769
7770
7771
7772
7773
7774
7775
7776
7777
7778
7779
7780
7781
7782
7783
7784
7785
7786
7787
7788
7789
7790
7791
7792
7793
7794
7795
7796
7797
7798
7799
7800
7801
7802
7803
7804
7805
7806
7807
7808
7809
7810
7811
7812
7813
7814
7815
7816
7817
7818
7819
7820
7821
7822
7823
7824
7825
7826
7827
7828
7829
7830
7831
7832
7833
7834
7835
7836
7837
7838
7839
7840
7841
7842
7843
7844
7845
7846
7847
7848
7849
7850
7851
7852
7853
7854
7855
7856
7857
7858
7859
7860
7861
7862
7863
7864
7865
7866
7867
7868
7869
7870
7871
7872
7873
7874
7875
7876
7877
7878
7879
7880
7881
7882
7883
7884
7885
7886
7887
7888
7889
7890
7891
7892
7893
7894
7895
7896
7897
7898
7899
7900
7901
7902
7903
7904
7905
7906
7907
7908
7909
7910
7911
7912
7913
7914
7915
7916
7917
7918
7919
7920
7921
7922
7923
7924
7925
7926
7927
7928
7929
7930
7931
7932
7933
7934
7935
7936
7937
7938
7939
7940
7941
7942
7943
7944
7945
7946
7947
7948
7949
7950
7951
7952
7953
7954
7955
7956
7957
7958
7959
7960
7961
7962
7963
7964
7965
7966
7967
7968
7969
7970
7971
7972
7973
7974
7975
7976
7977
7978
7979
7980
7981
7982
7983
7984
7985
7986
7987
7988
7989
7990
7991
7992
7993
7994
7995
7996
7997
7998
7999
8000
8001
8002
8003
8004
8005
8006
8007
8008
8009
8010
8011
8012
8013
8014
8015
8016
8017
8018
8019
8020
8021
8022
8023
8024
8025
8026
8027
8028
8029
8030
8031
8032
8033
8034
8035
8036
8037
8038
8039
8040
8041
8042
8043
8044
8045
8046
8047
8048
8049
8050
8051
8052
8053
8054
8055
8056
8057
8058
8059
8060
8061
8062
8063
8064
8065
8066
8067
8068
8069
8070
8071
8072
8073
8074
8075
8076
8077
8078
8079
8080
8081
8082
8083
8084
8085
8086
8087
8088
8089
8090
8091
8092
8093
8094
8095
8096
8097
8098
8099
8100
8101
8102
8103
8104
8105
8106
8107
8108
8109
8110
8111
8112
8113
8114
8115
8116
8117
8118
8119
8120
8121
8122
8123
8124
8125
8126
8127
8128
8129
8130
8131
8132
8133
8134
8135
8136
8137
8138
8139
8140
8141
8142
8143
8144
8145
8146
8147
8148
8149
8150
8151
8152
8153
8154
8155
8156
8157
8158
8159
8160
8161
8162
8163
8164
8165
8166
8167
8168
8169
8170
8171
8172
8173
8174
8175
8176
8177
8178
8179
8180
8181
8182
8183
8184
8185
8186
8187
8188
8189
8190
8191
8192
8193
8194
8195
8196
8197
8198
8199
8200
8201
8202
8203
8204
8205
8206
8207
8208
8209
8210
8211
8212
8213
8214
8215
8216
8217
8218
8219
8220
8221
8222
8223
8224
8225
8226
8227
8228
8229
8230
8231
8232
8233
8234
8235
8236
8237
8238
8239
8240
8241
8242
8243
8244
8245
8246
8247
8248
8249
8250
8251
8252
8253
8254
8255
8256
8257
8258
8259
8260
8261
8262
8263
8264
8265
8266
8267
8268
8269
8270
8271
8272
8273
8274
8275
8276
8277
8278
8279
8280
8281
8282
8283
8284
8285
8286
8287
8288
8289
8290
8291
8292
8293
8294
8295
8296
8297
8298
8299
8300
8301
8302
8303
8304
8305
8306
8307
8308
8309
8310
8311
8312
8313
8314
8315
8316
8317
8318
8319
8320
8321
8322
8323
8324
8325
8326
8327
8328
8329
8330
8331
8332
8333
8334
8335
8336
8337
8338
8339
8340
8341
8342
8343
8344
8345
8346
8347
8348
8349
8350
8351
8352
8353
8354
8355
8356
8357
8358
8359
8360
8361
8362
8363
8364
8365
8366
8367
8368
8369
8370
8371
8372
8373
8374
8375
8376
8377
8378
8379
8380
8381
8382
8383
8384
8385
8386
8387
8388
8389
8390
8391
8392
8393
8394
8395
8396
8397
8398
8399
8400
8401
8402
8403
8404
8405
8406
8407
8408
8409
8410
8411
8412
8413
8414
8415
8416
8417
8418
8419
8420
8421
8422
8423
8424
8425
8426
8427
8428
8429
8430
8431
8432
8433
8434
8435
8436
8437
8438
8439
8440
8441
8442
8443
8444
8445
8446
8447
8448
8449
8450
8451
8452
8453
8454
8455
8456
8457
8458
8459
8460
8461
8462
8463
8464
8465
8466
8467
8468
8469
8470
8471
8472
8473
8474
8475
8476
8477
8478
8479
8480
8481
8482
8483
8484
8485
8486
8487
8488
8489
8490
8491
8492
8493
8494
8495
8496
8497
8498
8499
8500
8501
8502
8503
8504
8505
8506
8507
8508
8509
8510
8511
8512
8513
8514
8515
8516
8517
8518
8519
8520
8521
8522
8523
8524
8525
8526
8527
8528
8529
8530
8531
8532
8533
8534
8535
8536
8537
8538
8539
8540
8541
8542
8543
8544
8545
8546
8547
8548
8549
8550
8551
8552
8553
8554
8555
8556
8557
8558
8559
8560
8561
8562
8563
8564
8565
8566
8567
8568
8569
8570
8571
8572
8573
8574
8575
8576
8577
8578
8579
8580
8581
8582
8583
8584
8585
8586
8587
8588
8589
8590
8591
8592
8593
8594
8595
8596
8597
8598
8599
8600
8601
8602
8603
8604
8605
8606
8607
8608
8609
8610
8611
8612
8613
8614
8615
8616
8617
8618
8619
8620
8621
8622
8623
8624
8625
8626
8627
8628
8629
8630
8631
8632
8633
8634
8635
8636
8637
8638
8639
8640
8641
8642
8643
8644
8645
8646
8647
8648
8649
8650
8651
8652
8653
8654
8655
8656
8657
8658
8659
8660
8661
8662
8663
8664
8665
8666
8667
8668
8669
8670
8671
8672
8673
8674
8675
8676
8677
8678
8679
8680
8681
8682
8683
8684
8685
8686
8687
8688
8689
8690
8691
8692
8693
8694
8695
8696
8697
8698
8699
8700
8701
8702
8703
8704
8705
8706
8707
8708
8709
8710
8711
8712
8713
8714
8715
8716
8717
8718
8719
8720
8721
8722
8723
8724
8725
8726
8727
8728
8729
8730
8731
8732
8733
8734
8735
8736
8737
8738
8739
8740
8741
8742
8743
8744
8745
8746
8747
8748
8749
8750
8751
8752
8753
8754
8755
8756
8757
8758
8759
8760
8761
8762
8763
8764
8765
8766
8767
8768
8769
8770
8771
8772
8773
8774
8775
8776
8777
8778
8779
8780
8781
8782
8783
8784
8785
8786
8787
8788
8789
8790
8791
8792
8793
8794
8795
8796
8797
8798
8799
8800
8801
8802
8803
8804
8805
8806
8807
8808
8809
8810
8811
8812
8813
8814
8815
8816
8817
8818
8819
8820
8821
8822
8823
8824
8825
8826
8827
8828
8829
8830
8831
8832
8833
8834
8835
8836
8837
8838
8839
8840
8841
8842
8843
8844
8845
8846
8847
8848
8849
8850
8851
8852
8853
8854
8855
8856
8857
8858
8859
8860
8861
8862
8863
8864
8865
8866
8867
8868
8869
8870
8871
8872
8873
8874
8875
8876
8877
8878
8879
8880
8881
8882
8883
8884
8885
8886
8887
8888
8889
8890
8891
8892
8893
8894
8895
8896
8897
8898
8899
8900
8901
8902
8903
8904
8905
8906
8907
8908
8909
8910
8911
8912
8913
8914
8915
8916
8917
8918
8919
8920
8921
8922
8923
8924
8925
8926
8927
8928
8929
8930
8931
8932
8933
8934
8935
8936
8937
8938
8939
8940
8941
8942
8943
8944
8945
8946
8947
8948
8949
8950
8951
8952
8953
8954
8955
8956
8957
8958
8959
8960
8961
8962
8963
8964
8965
8966
8967
8968
8969
8970
8971
8972
8973
8974
8975
8976
8977
8978
8979
8980
8981
8982
8983
8984
8985
8986
8987
8988
8989
8990
8991
8992
8993
8994
8995
8996
8997
8998
8999
9000
9001
9002
9003
9004
9005
9006
9007
9008
9009
9010
9011
9012
9013
9014
9015
9016
9017
9018
9019
9020
9021
9022
9023
9024
9025
9026
9027
9028
9029
9030
9031
9032
9033
9034
9035
9036
9037
9038
9039
9040
9041
9042
9043
9044
9045
9046
9047
9048
9049
9050
9051
9052
9053
9054
9055
9056
9057
9058
9059
9060
9061
9062
9063
9064
9065
9066
9067
9068
9069
9070
9071
9072
9073
9074
9075
9076
9077
9078
9079
9080
9081
9082
9083
9084
9085
9086
9087
9088
9089
9090
9091
9092
9093
9094
9095
9096
9097
9098
9099
9100
9101
9102
9103
9104
9105
9106
9107
9108
9109
9110
9111
9112
9113
9114
9115
9116
9117
9118
9119
9120
9121
9122
9123
9124
9125
9126
9127
9128
9129
9130
9131
9132
9133
9134
9135
9136
9137
9138
9139
9140
9141
9142
9143
9144
9145
9146
9147
9148
9149
9150
9151
9152
9153
9154
9155
9156
9157
9158
9159
9160
9161
9162
9163
9164
9165
9166
9167
9168
9169
9170
9171
9172
9173
9174
9175
9176
9177
9178
9179
9180
9181
9182
9183
9184
9185
9186
9187
9188
9189
9190
9191
9192
9193
9194
9195
9196
9197
9198
9199
9200
9201
9202
9203
9204
9205
9206
9207
9208
9209
9210
9211
9212
9213
9214
9215
9216
9217
9218
9219
9220
9221
9222
9223
9224
9225
9226
9227
9228
9229
9230
9231
9232
9233
9234
9235
9236
9237
9238
9239
9240
9241
9242
9243
9244
9245
9246
9247
9248
9249
9250
9251
9252
9253
9254
9255
9256
9257
9258
9259
9260
9261
9262
9263
9264
9265
9266
9267
9268
9269
9270
9271
9272
9273
9274
9275
9276
9277
9278
9279
9280
9281
9282
9283
9284
9285
9286
9287
9288
9289
9290
9291
9292
9293
9294
9295
9296
9297
9298
9299
9300
9301
9302
9303
9304
9305
9306
9307
9308
9309
9310
9311
9312
9313
9314
9315
9316
9317
9318
9319
9320
9321
9322
9323
9324
9325
9326
9327
9328
9329
9330
9331
9332
9333
9334
9335
9336
9337
9338
9339
9340
9341
9342
9343
9344
9345
9346
9347
9348
9349
9350
9351
9352
9353
9354
9355
9356
9357
9358
9359
9360
9361
9362
9363
9364
9365
9366
9367
9368
9369
9370
9371
9372
9373
9374
9375
9376
9377
9378
9379
9380
9381
9382
9383
9384
9385
9386
9387
9388
9389
9390
9391
9392
9393
9394
9395
9396
9397
9398
9399
9400
9401
9402
9403
9404
9405
9406
9407
9408
9409
9410
9411
9412
9413
9414
9415
9416
9417
9418
9419
9420
9421
9422
9423
9424
9425
9426
9427
9428
9429
9430
9431
9432
9433
9434
9435
9436
9437
9438
9439
9440
9441
9442
9443
9444
9445
9446
9447
9448
9449
9450
9451
9452
9453
9454
9455
9456
9457
9458
9459
9460
9461
9462
9463
9464
9465
9466
9467
9468
9469
9470
9471
9472
9473
9474
9475
9476
9477
9478
9479
9480
9481
9482
9483
9484
9485
9486
9487
9488
9489
9490
9491
9492
9493
9494
9495
9496
9497
9498
9499
9500
9501
9502
9503
9504
9505
9506
9507
9508
9509
9510
9511
9512
9513
9514
9515
9516
9517
9518
9519
9520
9521
9522
9523
9524
9525
9526
9527
9528
9529
9530
9531
9532
9533
9534
9535
9536
9537
9538
9539
9540
9541
9542
9543
9544
9545
9546
9547
9548
9549
9550
9551
9552
9553
9554
9555
9556
9557
9558
9559
9560
9561
9562
9563
9564
9565
9566
9567
9568
9569
9570
9571
9572
9573
9574
9575
9576
9577
9578
9579
9580
9581
9582
9583
9584
9585
9586
9587
9588
9589
9590
9591
9592
9593
9594
9595
9596
9597
9598
9599
9600
9601
9602
9603
9604
9605
9606
9607
9608
9609
9610
9611
9612
9613
9614
9615
9616
9617
9618
9619
9620
9621
9622
9623
9624
9625
9626
9627
9628
9629
9630
9631
9632
9633
9634
9635
9636
9637
9638
9639
9640
9641
9642
9643
9644
9645
9646
9647
9648
9649
9650
9651
9652
9653
9654
9655
9656
9657
9658
9659
9660
9661
9662
9663
9664
9665
9666
9667
9668
9669
9670
9671
9672
9673
9674
9675
9676
9677
9678
9679
9680
9681
9682
9683
9684
9685
9686
9687
9688
9689
9690
9691
9692
9693
9694
9695
9696
9697
9698
9699
9700
9701
9702
9703
9704
9705
9706
9707
9708
9709
9710
9711
9712
9713
9714
9715
9716
9717
9718
9719
9720
9721
9722
9723
9724
9725
9726
9727
9728
9729
9730
9731
9732
9733
9734
9735
9736
9737
9738
9739
9740
9741
9742
9743
9744
9745
9746
9747
9748
9749
9750
9751
9752
9753
9754
9755
9756
9757
9758
9759
9760
9761
9762
9763
9764
9765
9766
9767
9768
9769
9770
9771
9772
9773
9774
9775
9776
9777
9778
9779
9780
9781
9782
9783
9784
9785
9786
9787
9788
9789
9790
9791
9792
9793
9794
9795
9796
9797
9798
9799
9800
9801
9802
9803
9804
9805
9806
9807
9808
9809
9810
9811
9812
9813
9814
9815
9816
9817
9818
9819
9820
9821
9822
9823
9824
9825
9826
9827
9828
9829
9830
9831
9832
9833
9834
9835
9836
9837
9838
9839
9840
9841
9842
9843
9844
9845
9846
9847
9848
9849
9850
9851
9852
9853
9854
9855
9856
9857
9858
9859
9860
9861
9862
9863
9864
9865
9866
9867
9868
9869
9870
9871
9872
9873
9874
9875
9876
9877
9878
9879
9880
9881
9882
9883
9884
9885
9886
9887
9888
9889
9890
9891
9892
9893
9894
9895
9896
9897
9898
9899
9900
9901
9902
9903
9904
9905
9906
9907
9908
9909
9910
9911
9912
9913
9914
9915
9916
9917
9918
9919
9920
9921
9922
9923
9924
9925
9926
9927
9928
9929
9930
9931
9932
9933
9934
9935
9936
9937
9938
9939
9940
9941
9942
9943
9944
9945
9946
9947
9948
9949
9950
9951
9952
9953
9954
9955
9956
9957
9958
9959
9960
9961
9962
9963
9964
9965
9966
9967
9968
9969
9970
9971
9972
9973
9974
9975
9976
9977
9978
9979
9980
9981
9982
9983
9984
9985
9986
9987
9988
9989
9990
9991
9992
9993
9994
9995
9996
9997
9998
9999
10000
10001
10002
10003
10004
10005
10006
10007
10008
10009
10010
10011
10012
10013
10014
10015
10016
10017
10018
10019
10020
10021
10022
10023
10024
10025
10026
10027
10028
10029
10030
10031
10032
10033
10034
10035
10036
10037
10038
10039
10040
10041
10042
10043
10044
10045
10046
10047
10048
10049
10050
10051
10052
10053
10054
10055
10056
10057
10058
10059
10060
10061
10062
10063
10064
10065
10066
10067
10068
10069
10070
10071
10072
10073
10074
10075
10076
10077
10078
10079
10080
10081
10082
10083
10084
10085
10086
10087
10088
10089
10090
10091
10092
10093
10094
10095
10096
10097
10098
10099
10100
10101
10102
10103
10104
10105
10106
10107
10108
10109
10110
10111
10112
10113
10114
10115
10116
10117
10118
10119
10120
10121
10122
10123
10124
10125
10126
10127
10128
10129
10130
10131
10132
10133
10134
10135
10136
10137
10138
10139
10140
10141
10142
10143
10144
10145
10146
10147
10148
10149
10150
10151
10152
10153
10154
10155
10156
10157
10158
10159
10160
10161
10162
10163
10164
10165
10166
10167
10168
10169
10170
10171
10172
10173
10174
10175
10176
10177
10178
10179
10180
10181
10182
10183
10184
10185
10186
10187
10188
10189
10190
10191
10192
10193
10194
10195
10196
10197
10198
10199
10200
10201
10202
10203
10204
10205
10206
10207
10208
10209
10210
10211
10212
10213
10214
10215
10216
10217
10218
10219
10220
10221
10222
10223
10224
10225
10226
10227
10228
10229
10230
10231
10232
10233
10234
10235
10236
10237
10238
10239
10240
10241
10242
10243
10244
10245
10246
10247
10248
10249
10250
10251
10252
10253
10254
10255
10256
10257
10258
10259
10260
10261
10262
10263
10264
10265
10266
10267
10268
10269
10270
10271
10272
10273
10274
10275
10276
10277
10278
10279
10280
10281
10282
10283
10284
10285
10286
10287
10288
10289
10290
10291
10292
10293
10294
10295
10296
10297
10298
10299
10300
10301
10302
10303
10304
10305
10306
10307
10308
10309
10310
10311
10312
10313
10314
10315
10316
10317
10318
10319
10320
10321
10322
10323
10324
10325
10326
10327
10328
10329
10330
10331
10332
10333
10334
10335
10336
10337
10338
10339
10340
10341
10342
10343
10344
10345
10346
10347
10348
10349
10350
10351
10352
10353
10354
10355
10356
10357
10358
10359
10360
10361
10362
10363
10364
10365
10366
10367
10368
10369
10370
10371
10372
10373
10374
10375
10376
10377
10378
10379
10380
10381
10382
10383
10384
10385
10386
10387
10388
10389
10390
10391
10392
10393
10394
10395
10396
10397
10398
10399
10400
10401
10402
10403
10404
10405
10406
10407
10408
10409
10410
10411
10412
10413
10414
10415
10416
10417
10418
10419
10420
10421
10422
10423
10424
10425
10426
10427
10428
10429
10430
10431
10432
10433
10434
10435
10436
10437
10438
10439
10440
10441
10442
10443
10444
10445
10446
10447
10448
10449
10450
10451
10452
10453
10454
10455
10456
10457
10458
10459
10460
10461
10462
10463
10464
10465
10466
10467
10468
10469
10470
10471
10472
10473
10474
10475
10476
10477
10478
10479
10480
10481
10482
10483
10484
10485
10486
10487
10488
10489
10490
10491
10492
10493
10494
10495
10496
10497
10498
10499
10500
10501
10502
10503
10504
10505
10506
10507
10508
10509
10510
10511
10512
10513
10514
10515
10516
10517
10518
10519
10520
10521
10522
10523
10524
10525
10526
10527
10528
10529
10530
10531
10532
10533
10534
10535
10536
10537
10538
10539
10540
10541
10542
10543
10544
10545
10546
10547
10548
10549
10550
10551
10552
10553
10554
10555
10556
10557
10558
10559
10560
10561
10562
10563
10564
10565
10566
10567
10568
10569
10570
10571
10572
10573
10574
10575
10576
10577
10578
10579
10580
10581
10582
10583
10584
10585
10586
10587
10588
10589
10590
10591
10592
10593
10594
10595
10596
10597
10598
10599
10600
10601
10602
10603
10604
10605
10606
10607
10608
10609
10610
10611
10612
10613
10614
10615
10616
10617
10618
10619
10620
10621
10622
10623
10624
10625
10626
10627
10628
10629
10630
10631
10632
10633
10634
10635
10636
10637
10638
10639
10640
10641
10642
10643
10644
10645
10646
10647
10648
10649
10650
10651
10652
10653
10654
10655
10656
10657
10658
10659
10660
10661
10662
10663
10664
10665
10666
10667
10668
10669
10670
10671
10672
10673
10674
10675
10676
10677
10678
10679
10680
10681
10682
10683
10684
10685
10686
10687
10688
10689
10690
10691
10692
10693
10694
10695
10696
10697
10698
10699
10700
10701
10702
10703
10704
10705
10706
10707
10708
10709
10710
10711
10712
10713
10714
10715
10716
10717
10718
10719
10720
10721
10722
10723
10724
10725
10726
10727
10728
10729
10730
10731
10732
10733
10734
10735
10736
10737
10738
10739
10740
10741
10742
10743
10744
10745
10746
10747
10748
10749
10750
10751
10752
10753
10754
10755
10756
10757
10758
10759
10760
10761
10762
10763
10764
10765
10766
10767
10768
10769
10770
10771
10772
10773
10774
10775
10776
10777
10778
10779
10780
10781
10782
10783
10784
10785
10786
10787
10788
10789
10790
10791
10792
10793
10794
10795
10796
10797
10798
10799
10800
10801
10802
10803
10804
10805
10806
10807
10808
10809
10810
10811
10812
10813
10814
10815
10816
10817
10818
10819
10820
10821
10822
10823
10824
10825
10826
10827
10828
10829
10830
10831
10832
10833
10834
10835
10836
10837
10838
10839
10840
10841
10842
10843
10844
10845
10846
10847
10848
10849
10850
10851
10852
10853
10854
10855
10856
10857
10858
10859
10860
10861
10862
10863
10864
10865
10866
10867
10868
10869
10870
10871
10872
10873
10874
10875
10876
10877
10878
10879
10880
10881
10882
10883
10884
10885
10886
10887
10888
10889
10890
10891
10892
10893
10894
10895
10896
10897
10898
10899
10900
10901
10902
10903
10904
10905
10906
10907
10908
10909
10910
10911
10912
10913
10914
10915
10916
10917
10918
10919
10920
10921
10922
10923
10924
10925
10926
10927
10928
10929
10930
10931
10932
10933
10934
10935
10936
10937
10938
10939
10940
10941
10942
10943
10944
10945
10946
10947
10948
10949
10950
10951
10952
10953
10954
10955
10956
10957
10958
10959
10960
10961
10962
10963
10964
10965
10966
10967
10968
10969
10970
10971
10972
10973
10974
10975
10976
10977
10978
10979
10980
10981
10982
10983
10984
10985
10986
10987
10988
10989
10990
10991
10992
10993
10994
10995
10996
10997
10998
10999
11000
11001
11002
11003
11004
11005
11006
11007
11008
11009
11010
11011
11012
11013
11014
11015
11016
11017
11018
11019
11020
11021
11022
11023
11024
11025
11026
11027
11028
11029
11030
11031
11032
11033
11034
11035
11036
11037
11038
11039
11040
11041
11042
11043
11044
11045
11046
11047
11048
11049
11050
11051
11052
11053
11054
11055
11056
11057
11058
11059
11060
11061
11062
11063
11064
11065
11066
11067
11068
11069
11070
11071
11072
11073
11074
11075
11076
11077
11078
11079
11080
11081
11082
11083
11084
11085
11086
11087
11088
11089
11090
11091
11092
11093
11094
11095
11096
11097
11098
11099
11100
11101
11102
11103
11104
11105
11106
11107
11108
11109
11110
11111
11112
11113
11114
11115
11116
11117
11118
11119
11120
11121
11122
11123
11124
11125
11126
11127
11128
11129
11130
11131
11132
11133
11134
11135
11136
11137
11138
11139
11140
11141
11142
11143
11144
11145
11146
11147
11148
11149
11150
11151
11152
11153
11154
11155
11156
11157
11158
11159
11160
11161
11162
11163
11164
11165
11166
11167
11168
11169
11170
11171
11172
11173
11174
11175
11176
11177
11178
11179
11180
11181
11182
11183
11184
11185
11186
11187
11188
11189
11190
11191
11192
11193
11194
11195
11196
11197
11198
11199
11200
11201
11202
11203
11204
11205
11206
11207
11208
11209
11210
11211
11212
11213
11214
11215
11216
11217
11218
11219
11220
11221
11222
11223
11224
11225
11226
11227
11228
11229
11230
11231
11232
11233
11234
11235
11236
11237
11238
11239
11240
11241
11242
11243
11244
11245
11246
11247
11248
11249
11250
11251
11252
11253
11254
11255
11256
11257
11258
11259
11260
11261
11262
11263
11264
11265
11266
11267
11268
11269
11270
11271
11272
11273
11274
11275
11276
11277
11278
11279
11280
11281
11282
11283
11284
11285
11286
11287
11288
11289
11290
11291
11292
11293
11294
11295
11296
11297
11298
11299
11300
11301
11302
11303
11304
11305
11306
11307
11308
11309
11310
11311
11312
11313
11314
11315
11316
11317
11318
11319
11320
11321
11322
11323
11324
11325
11326
11327
11328
11329
11330
11331
11332
11333
11334
11335
11336
11337
11338
11339
11340
11341
11342
11343
11344
11345
11346
11347
11348
11349
11350
11351
11352
11353
11354
11355
11356
11357
11358
11359
11360
11361
11362
11363
11364
11365
11366
11367
11368
11369
11370
11371
11372
11373
11374
11375
11376
11377
11378
11379
11380
11381
11382
11383
11384
11385
11386
11387
11388
11389
11390
11391
11392
11393
11394
11395
11396
11397
11398
11399
11400
11401
11402
11403
11404
11405
11406
11407
11408
11409
11410
11411
11412
11413
11414
11415
11416
11417
11418
11419
11420
11421
11422
11423
11424
11425
11426
11427
11428
11429
11430
11431
11432
11433
11434
11435
11436
11437
11438
11439
11440
11441
11442
11443
11444
11445
11446
11447
11448
11449
11450
11451
11452
11453
11454
11455
11456
11457
11458
11459
11460
11461
11462
11463
11464
11465
11466
11467
11468
11469
11470
11471
11472
11473
11474
11475
11476
11477
11478
11479
11480
11481
11482
11483
11484
11485
11486
11487
11488
11489
11490
11491
11492
11493
11494
11495
11496
11497
11498
11499
11500
11501
11502
11503
11504
11505
11506
11507
11508
11509
11510
11511
11512
11513
11514
11515
11516
11517
11518
11519
11520
11521
11522
11523
11524
11525
11526
11527
11528
11529
11530
11531
11532
11533
11534
11535
11536
11537
11538
11539
11540
11541
11542
11543
11544
11545
11546
11547
11548
11549
11550
11551
11552
11553
11554
11555
11556
11557
11558
11559
11560
11561
11562
11563
11564
11565
11566
11567
11568
11569
11570
11571
11572
11573
11574
11575
11576
11577
11578
11579
11580
11581
11582
11583
11584
11585
11586
11587
11588
11589
11590
11591
11592
11593
11594
11595
11596
11597
11598
11599
11600
11601
11602
11603
11604
11605
11606
11607
11608
11609
11610
11611
11612
11613
11614
11615
11616
11617
11618
11619
11620
11621
11622
11623
11624
11625
11626
11627
11628
11629
11630
11631
11632
11633
11634
11635
11636
11637
11638
11639
11640
11641
11642
11643
11644
11645
11646
11647
11648
11649
11650
11651
11652
11653
11654
11655
11656
11657
11658
11659
11660
11661
11662
11663
11664
11665
11666
11667
11668
11669
11670
11671
11672
11673
11674
11675
11676
11677
11678
11679
11680
11681
11682
11683
11684
11685
11686
11687
11688
11689
11690
11691
11692
11693
11694
11695
11696
11697
11698
11699
11700
11701
11702
11703
11704
11705
11706
11707
11708
11709
11710
11711
11712
11713
11714
11715
11716
11717
11718
11719
11720
11721
11722
11723
11724
11725
11726
11727
11728
11729
11730
11731
11732
11733
11734
11735
11736
11737
11738
11739
11740
11741
11742
11743
11744
11745
11746
11747
11748
11749
11750
11751
11752
11753
11754
11755
11756
11757
11758
11759
11760
11761
11762
11763
11764
11765
11766
11767
11768
11769
11770
11771
11772
11773
11774
11775
11776
11777
11778
11779
11780
11781
11782
11783
11784
11785
11786
11787
11788
11789
11790
11791
11792
11793
11794
11795
11796
11797
11798
11799
11800
11801
11802
11803
11804
11805
11806
11807
11808
11809
11810
11811
11812
11813
11814
11815
11816
11817
11818
11819
11820
11821
11822
11823
11824
11825
11826
11827
11828
11829
11830
11831
11832
11833
11834
11835
11836
11837
11838
11839
11840
11841
11842
11843
11844
11845
11846
11847
11848
11849
11850
11851
11852
11853
11854
11855
11856
11857
11858
11859
11860
11861
11862
11863
11864
11865
11866
11867
11868
11869
11870
11871
11872
11873
11874
11875
11876
11877
11878
11879
11880
11881
11882
11883
11884
11885
11886
11887
11888
11889
11890
11891
11892
11893
11894
11895
11896
11897
11898
11899
11900
11901
11902
11903
11904
11905
11906
11907
11908
11909
11910
11911
11912
11913
11914
11915
11916
11917
11918
11919
11920
11921
11922
11923
11924
11925
11926
11927
11928
11929
11930
11931
11932
11933
11934
11935
11936
11937
11938
11939
11940
11941
11942
11943
11944
11945
11946
11947
11948
11949
11950
11951
11952
11953
11954
11955
11956
11957
11958
11959
11960
11961
11962
11963
11964
11965
11966
11967
11968
11969
11970
11971
11972
11973
11974
11975
11976
11977
11978
11979
11980
11981
11982
11983
11984
11985
11986
11987
11988
11989
11990
11991
11992
11993
11994
11995
11996
11997
11998
11999
12000
12001
12002
12003
12004
12005
12006
12007
12008
12009
12010
12011
12012
12013
12014
12015
12016
12017
12018
12019
12020
12021
12022
12023
12024
12025
12026
12027
12028
12029
12030
12031
12032
12033
12034
12035
12036
12037
12038
12039
12040
12041
12042
12043
12044
12045
12046
12047
12048
12049
12050
12051
12052
12053
12054
12055
12056
12057
12058
12059
12060
12061
12062
12063
12064
12065
12066
12067
12068
12069
12070
12071
12072
12073
12074
12075
12076
12077
12078
12079
12080
12081
12082
12083
12084
12085
12086
12087
12088
12089
12090
12091
12092
12093
12094
12095
12096
12097
12098
12099
12100
12101
12102
12103
12104
12105
12106
12107
12108
12109
12110
12111
12112
12113
12114
12115
12116
12117
12118
12119
12120
12121
12122
12123
12124
12125
12126
12127
12128
12129
12130
12131
12132
12133
12134
12135
12136
12137
12138
12139
12140
12141
12142
12143
12144
12145
12146
12147
12148
12149
12150
12151
12152
12153
12154
12155
12156
12157
12158
12159
12160
12161
12162
12163
12164
12165
12166
12167
12168
12169
12170
12171
12172
12173
12174
12175
12176
12177
12178
12179
12180
12181
12182
12183
12184
12185
12186
12187
12188
12189
12190
12191
12192
12193
12194
12195
12196
12197
12198
12199
12200
12201
12202
12203
12204
12205
12206
12207
12208
12209
12210
12211
12212
12213
12214
12215
12216
12217
12218
12219
12220
12221
12222
12223
12224
12225
12226
12227
12228
12229
12230
12231
12232
12233
12234
12235
12236
12237
12238
12239
12240
12241
12242
12243
12244
12245
12246
12247
12248
12249
12250
12251
12252
12253
12254
12255
12256
12257
12258
12259
12260
12261
12262
12263
12264
12265
12266
12267
12268
12269
12270
12271
12272
12273
12274
12275
12276
12277
12278
12279
12280
12281
12282
12283
12284
12285
12286
12287
12288
12289
12290
12291
12292
12293
12294
12295
12296
12297
12298
12299
12300
12301
12302
12303
12304
12305
12306
12307
12308
12309
12310
12311
12312
12313
12314
12315
12316
12317
12318
12319
12320
12321
12322
12323
12324
12325
12326
12327
12328
12329
12330
12331
12332
12333
12334
12335
12336
12337
12338
12339
12340
12341
12342
12343
12344
12345
12346
12347
12348
12349
12350
12351
12352
12353
12354
12355
12356
12357
12358
12359
12360
12361
12362
12363
12364
12365
12366
12367
12368
12369
12370
12371
12372
12373
12374
12375
12376
12377
12378
12379
12380
12381
12382
12383
12384
12385
12386
12387
12388
12389
12390
12391
12392
12393
12394
12395
12396
12397
12398
12399
12400
12401
12402
12403
12404
12405
12406
12407
12408
12409
12410
12411
12412
12413
12414
12415
12416
12417
12418
12419
12420
12421
12422
12423
12424
12425
12426
12427
12428
12429
12430
12431
12432
12433
12434
12435
12436
12437
12438
12439
12440
12441
12442
12443
12444
12445
12446
12447
12448
12449
12450
12451
12452
12453
12454
12455
12456
12457
12458
12459
12460
12461
12462
12463
12464
12465
12466
12467
12468
12469
12470
12471
12472
12473
12474
12475
12476
12477
12478
12479
12480
12481
12482
12483
12484
12485
12486
12487
12488
12489
12490
12491
12492
12493
12494
12495
12496
12497
12498
12499
12500
12501
12502
12503
12504
12505
12506
12507
12508
12509
12510
12511
12512
12513
12514
12515
12516
12517
12518
12519
12520
12521
12522
12523
12524
12525
12526
12527
12528
12529
12530
12531
12532
12533
12534
12535
12536
12537
12538
12539
12540
12541
12542
12543
12544
12545
12546
12547
12548
12549
12550
12551
12552
12553
12554
12555
12556
12557
12558
12559
12560
12561
12562
12563
12564
12565
12566
12567
12568
12569
12570
12571
12572
12573
12574
12575
12576
12577
12578
12579
12580
12581
12582
12583
12584
12585
12586
12587
12588
12589
12590
12591
12592
12593
12594
12595
12596
12597
12598
12599
12600
12601
12602
12603
12604
12605
12606
12607
12608
12609
12610
12611
12612
12613
12614
12615
12616
12617
12618
12619
12620
12621
12622
12623
12624
12625
12626
12627
12628
12629
12630
12631
12632
12633
12634
12635
12636
12637
12638
12639
12640
12641
12642
12643
12644
12645
12646
12647
12648
12649
12650
12651
12652
12653
12654
12655
12656
12657
12658
12659
12660
12661
12662
12663
12664
12665
12666
12667
12668
12669
12670
12671
12672
12673
12674
12675
12676
12677
12678
12679
12680
12681
12682
12683
12684
12685
12686
12687
12688
12689
12690
12691
12692
12693
12694
12695
12696
12697
12698
12699
12700
12701
12702
12703
12704
12705
12706
12707
12708
12709
12710
12711
12712
12713
12714
12715
12716
12717
12718
12719
12720
12721
12722
12723
12724
12725
12726
12727
12728
12729
12730
12731
12732
12733
12734
12735
12736
12737
12738
12739
12740
12741
12742
12743
12744
12745
12746
12747
12748
12749
12750
12751
12752
12753
12754
12755
12756
12757
12758
12759
12760
12761
12762
12763
12764
12765
12766
12767
12768
12769
12770
12771
12772
12773
12774
12775
12776
12777
12778
12779
12780
12781
12782
12783
12784
12785
12786
12787
12788
12789
12790
12791
12792
12793
12794
12795
12796
12797
12798
12799
12800
12801
12802
12803
12804
12805
12806
12807
12808
12809
12810
12811
12812
12813
12814
12815
12816
12817
12818
12819
12820
12821
12822
12823
12824
12825
12826
12827
12828
12829
12830
12831
12832
12833
12834
12835
12836
12837
12838
12839
12840
12841
12842
12843
12844
12845
12846
12847
12848
12849
12850
12851
12852
12853
12854
12855
12856
12857
12858
12859
12860
12861
12862
12863
12864
12865
12866
12867
12868
12869
12870
12871
12872
12873
12874
12875
12876
12877
12878
12879
12880
12881
12882
12883
12884
12885
12886
12887
12888
12889
12890
12891
12892
12893
12894
12895
12896
12897
12898
12899
12900
12901
12902
12903
12904
12905
12906
12907
12908
12909

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" />
<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Return of Tarzan, by Edgar Rice Burroughs</title>
<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" />
<style type="text/css">

body { margin-left: 20%;
       margin-right: 20%;
       text-align: justify; }

h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 {text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-weight:
normal; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: .5em;}

h1 {font-size: 300%;
    margin-top: 0.6em;
    margin-bottom: 0.6em;
    letter-spacing: 0.12em;
    word-spacing: 0.2em;
    text-indent: 0em;}
h2 {font-size: 150%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;}
h3 {font-size: 130%; margin-top: 1em;}
h4 {font-size: 120%;}
h5 {font-size: 110%;}

.no-break {page-break-before: avoid;} /* for epubs */

div.chapter {page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em;}

hr {width: 80%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;}

p {text-indent: 1em;
   margin-top: 0.25em;
   margin-bottom: 0.25em; }

.p2 {margin-top: 2em;}

p.letter {text-indent: 0%;
          margin-left: 10%;
          margin-right: 10%;
          margin-top: 1em;
          margin-bottom: 1em; }

p.center  {text-align: center;
           text-indent: 0em;
           margin-top: 1em;
           margin-bottom: 1em; }

p.right {text-align: right;
         margin-right: 10%;
         margin-top: 1em;
         margin-bottom: 1em; }

div.fig { display:block;
          margin:0 auto;
          text-align:center;
          margin-top: 1em;
          margin-bottom: 1em;}

a:link {color:blue; text-decoration:none}
a:visited {color:blue; text-decoration:none}
a:hover {color:red}

</style>

</head>

<body>

<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RETURN OF TARZAN ***</div>

<div class="fig" style="width:75%;">
<img src="images/cover.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="[Illustration]" />
</div>

<h1>The Return Of Tarzan</h1>

<h2 class="no-break">By Edgar Rice Burroughs</h2>

<hr />

<h2>Contents</h2>

<table summary="" style="">

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap01">Chapter I The Affair on the Liner</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap02">Chapter II Forging Bonds of Hate and &mdash;&mdash;?</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap03">Chapter III What Happened in the Rue Maule</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap04">Chapter IV The Countess Explains</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap05">Chapter V The Plot That Failed</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap06">Chapter VI A Duel</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap07">Chapter VII The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap08">Chapter VIII The Fight in the Desert</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap09">Chapter IX Numa &ldquo;El Adrea&rdquo;</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap10">Chapter X Through the Valley of the Shadow</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap11">Chapter XI John Caldwell, London</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap12">Chapter XII Ships That Pass</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap13">Chapter XIII The Wreck of the &ldquo;Lady Alice&rdquo;</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap14">Chapter XIV Back to the Primitive</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap15">Chapter XV From Ape to Savage</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap16">Chapter XVI The Ivory Raiders</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap17">Chapter XVII The White Chief of the Waziri</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap18">Chapter XVIII The Lottery of Death</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap19">Chapter XIX The City of Gold</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap20">Chapter XX La</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap21">Chapter XXI The Castaways</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap22">Chapter XXII The Treasure Vaults of Opar</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap23">Chapter XXIII The Fifty Frightful Men</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap24">Chapter XXIV How Tarzan Came Again to Opar</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap25">Chapter XXV Through the Forest Primeval</a></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td> <a href="#chap26">Chapter XXVI The Passing of the Ape-Man</a></td>
</tr>

</table>

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap01"></a>Chapter I<br/>
The Affair on the Liner</h2>

<p>
&ldquo;Magnifique!&rdquo; ejaculated the Countess de Coude, beneath her breath.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Eh?&rdquo; questioned the count, turning toward his young wife.
&ldquo;What is it that is magnificent?&rdquo; and the count bent his eyes in
various directions in quest of the object of her admiration.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, nothing at all, my dear,&rdquo; replied the countess, a slight flush
momentarily coloring her already pink cheek. &ldquo;I was but recalling with
admiration those stupendous skyscrapers, as they call them, of New York,&rdquo;
and the fair countess settled herself more comfortably in her steamer chair,
and resumed the magazine which &ldquo;nothing at all&rdquo; had caused her to
let fall upon her lap.
</p>

<p>
Her husband again buried himself in his book, but not without a mild wonderment
that three days out from New York his countess should suddenly have realized an
admiration for the very buildings she had but recently characterized as horrid.
</p>

<p>
Presently the count put down his book. &ldquo;It is very tiresome, Olga,&rdquo;
he said. &ldquo;I think that I shall hunt up some others who may be equally
bored, and see if we cannot find enough for a game of cards.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are not very gallant, my husband,&rdquo; replied the young woman,
smiling, &ldquo;but as I am equally bored I can forgive you. Go and play at
your tiresome old cards, then, if you will.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When he had gone she let her eyes wander slyly to the figure of a tall young
man stretched lazily in a chair not far distant.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Magnifique!</i>&rdquo; she breathed once more.
</p>

<p>
The Countess Olga de Coude was twenty. Her husband forty. She was a very
faithful and loyal wife, but as she had had nothing whatever to do with the
selection of a husband, it is not at all unlikely that she was not wildly and
passionately in love with the one that fate and her titled Russian father had
selected for her. However, simply because she was surprised into a tiny
exclamation of approval at sight of a splendid young stranger it must not be
inferred therefrom that her thoughts were in any way disloyal to her spouse.
She merely admired, as she might have admired a particularly fine specimen of
any species. Furthermore, the young man was unquestionably good to look at.
</p>

<p>
As her furtive glance rested upon his profile he rose to leave the deck. The
Countess de Coude beckoned to a passing steward. &ldquo;Who is that
gentleman?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is booked, madam, as Monsieur Tarzan, of Africa,&rdquo; replied the
steward.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rather a large estate,&rdquo; thought the girl, but now her interest was
still further aroused.
</p>

<p>
As Tarzan walked slowly toward the smoking-room he came unexpectedly upon two
men whispering excitedly just without. He would have vouchsafed them not even a
passing thought but for the strangely guilty glance that one of them shot in
his direction. They reminded Tarzan of melodramatic villains he had seen at the
theaters in Paris. Both were very dark, and this, in connection with the shrugs
and stealthy glances that accompanied their palpable intriguing, lent still
greater force to the similarity.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan entered the smoking-room, and sought a chair a little apart from the
others who were there. He felt in no mood for conversation, and as he sipped
his absinth he let his mind run rather sorrowfully over the past few weeks of
his life. Time and again he had wondered if he had acted wisely in renouncing
his birthright to a man to whom he owed nothing. It is true that he liked
Clayton, but&mdash;ah, but that was not the question. It was not for William
Cecil Clayton, Lord Greystoke, that he had denied his birth. It was for the
woman whom both he and Clayton had loved, and whom a strange freak of fate had
given to Clayton instead of to him.
</p>

<p>
That she loved him made the thing doubly difficult to bear, yet he knew that he
could have done nothing less than he did do that night within the little
railway station in the far Wisconsin woods. To him her happiness was the first
consideration of all, and his brief experience with civilization and civilized
men had taught him that without money and position life to most of them was
unendurable.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter had been born to both, and had Tarzan taken them away from her
future husband it would doubtless have plunged her into a life of misery and
torture. That she would have spurned Clayton once he had been stripped of both
his title and his estates never for once occurred to Tarzan, for he credited to
others the same honest loyalty that was so inherent a quality in himself. Nor,
in this instance, had he erred. Could any one thing have further bound Jane
Porter to her promise to Clayton it would have been in the nature of some such
misfortune as this overtaking him.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan&rsquo;s thoughts drifted from the past to the future. He tried to look
forward with pleasurable sensations to his return to the jungle of his birth
and boyhood; the cruel, fierce jungle in which he had spent twenty of his
twenty-two years. But who or what of all the myriad jungle life would there be
to welcome his return? Not one. Only Tantor, the elephant, could he call
friend. The others would hunt him or flee from him as had been their way in the
past.
</p>

<p>
Not even the apes of his own tribe would extend the hand of fellowship to him.
</p>

<p>
If civilization had done nothing else for Tarzan of the Apes, it had to some
extent taught him to crave the society of his own kind, and to feel with
genuine pleasure the congenial warmth of companionship. And in the same ratio
had it made any other life distasteful to him. It was difficult to imagine a
world without a friend&mdash;without a living thing who spoke the new tongues
which Tarzan had learned to love so well. And so it was that Tarzan looked with
little relish upon the future he had mapped out for himself.
</p>

<p>
As he sat musing over his cigarette his eyes fell upon a mirror before him, and
in it he saw reflected a table at which four men sat at cards. Presently one of
them rose to leave, and then another approached, and Tarzan could see that he
courteously offered to fill the vacant chair, that the game might not be
interrupted. He was the smaller of the two whom Tarzan had seen whispering just
outside the smoking-room.
</p>

<p>
It was this fact that aroused a faint spark of interest in Tarzan, and so as he
speculated upon the future he watched in the mirror the reflection of the
players at the table behind him. Aside from the man who had but just entered
the game Tarzan knew the name of but one of the other players. It was he who
sat opposite the new player, Count Raoul de Coude, whom an over-attentive
steward had pointed out as one of the celebrities of the passage, describing
him as a man high in the official family of the French minister of war.
</p>

<p>
Suddenly Tarzan&rsquo;s attention was riveted upon the picture in the glass.
The other swarthy plotter had entered, and was standing behind the
count&rsquo;s chair. Tarzan saw him turn and glance furtively about the room,
but his eyes did not rest for a sufficient time upon the mirror to note the
reflection of Tarzan&rsquo;s watchful eyes. Stealthily the man withdrew
something from his pocket. Tarzan could not discern what the object was, for
the man&rsquo;s hand covered it.
</p>

<p>
Slowly the hand approached the count, and then, very deftly, the thing that was
in it was transferred to the count&rsquo;s pocket. The man remained standing
where he could watch the Frenchman&rsquo;s cards. Tarzan was puzzled, but he
was all attention now, nor did he permit another detail of the incident to
escape him.
</p>

<p>
The play went on for some ten minutes after this, until the count won a
considerable wager from him who had last joined the game, and then Tarzan saw
the fellow back of the count&rsquo;s chair nod his head to his confederate.
Instantly the player arose and pointed a finger at the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Had I known that monsieur was a professional card sharp I had not been
so ready to be drawn into the game,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
Instantly the count and the two other players were upon their feet.
</p>

<p>
De Coude&rsquo;s face went white.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean, sir?&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Do you know to whom you
speak?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I know that I speak, for the last time, to one who cheats at
cards,&rdquo; replied the fellow.
</p>

<p>
The count leaned across the table, and struck the man full in the mouth with
his open palm, and then the others closed in between them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is some mistake, sir,&rdquo; cried one of the other players.
&ldquo;Why, this is Count de Coude, of France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If I am mistaken,&rdquo; said the accuser, &ldquo;I shall gladly
apologize; but before I do so first let monsieur le count explain the extra
cards which I saw him drop into his side pocket.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And then the man whom Tarzan had seen drop them there turned to sneak from the
room, but to his annoyance he found the exit barred by a tall, gray-eyed
stranger.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon,&rdquo; said the man brusquely, attempting to pass to one side.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; said Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But why, monsieur?&rdquo; exclaimed the other petulantly. &ldquo;Permit
me to pass, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; said Tarzan. &ldquo;I think that there is a matter in here
that you may doubtless be able to explain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The fellow had lost his temper by this time, and with a low oath seized Tarzan
to push him to one side. The ape-man but smiled as he twisted the big fellow
about and, grasping him by the collar of his coat, escorted him back to the
table, struggling, cursing, and striking in futile remonstrance. It was Nikolas
Rokoff&rsquo;s first experience with the muscles that had brought their savage
owner victorious through encounters with Numa, the lion, and Terkoz, the great
bull ape.
</p>

<p>
The man who had accused De Coude, and the two others who had been playing,
stood looking expectantly at the count. Several other passengers had drawn
toward the scene of the altercation, and all awaited the dénouement.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The fellow is crazy,&rdquo; said the count. &ldquo;Gentlemen, I implore
that one of you search me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The accusation is ridiculous.&rdquo; This from one of the players.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have but to slip your hand in the count&rsquo;s coat pocket and you
will see that the accusation is quite serious,&rdquo; insisted the accuser. And
then, as the others still hesitated to do so: &ldquo;Come, I shall do it myself
if no other will,&rdquo; and he stepped forward toward the count.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monsieur,&rdquo; said De Coude. &ldquo;I will submit to a search
only at the hands of a gentleman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is unnecessary to search the count. The cards are in his pocket. I
myself saw them placed there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
All turned in surprise toward this new speaker, to behold a very well-built
young man urging a resisting captive toward them by the scruff of his neck.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a conspiracy,&rdquo; cried De Coude angrily. &ldquo;There are no
cards in my coat,&rdquo; and with that he ran his hand into his pocket. As he
did so tense silence reigned in the little group. The count went dead white,
and then very slowly he withdrew his hand, and in it were three cards.
</p>

<p>
He looked at them in mute and horrified surprise, and slowly the red of
mortification suffused his face. Expressions of pity and contempt tinged the
features of those who looked on at the death of a man&rsquo;s honor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a conspiracy, monsieur.&rdquo; It was the gray-eyed stranger who
spoke. &ldquo;Gentlemen,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;monsieur le count did not
know that those cards were in his pocket. They were placed there without his
knowledge as he sat at play. From where I sat in that chair yonder I saw the
reflection of it all in the mirror before me. This person whom I just
intercepted in an effort to escape placed the cards in the count&rsquo;s
pocket.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
De Coude had glanced from Tarzan to the man in his grasp.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Mon Dieu</i>, Nikolas!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;You?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then he turned to his accuser, and eyed him intently for a moment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you, monsieur, I did not recognize you without your beard. It quite
disguises you, Paulvitch. I see it all now. It is quite clear,
gentlemen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What shall we do with them, monsieur?&rdquo; asked Tarzan. &ldquo;Turn
them over to the captain?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, my friend,&rdquo; said the count hastily. &ldquo;It is a personal
matter, and I beg that you will let it drop. It is sufficient that I have been
exonerated from the charge. The less we have to do with such fellows, the
better. But, monsieur, how can I thank you for the great kindness you have done
me? Permit me to offer you my card, and should the time come when I may serve
you, remember that I am yours to command.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan had released Rokoff, who, with his confederate, Paulvitch, had hastened
from the smoking-room. Just as he was leaving, Rokoff turned to Tarzan.
&ldquo;Monsieur will have ample opportunity to regret his interference in the
affairs of others.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan smiled, and then, bowing to the count, handed him his own card.
</p>

<p>
The count read:
</p>

<p class="center">
M. JEAN C. TARZAN
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur Tarzan,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;may indeed wish that he had
never befriended me, for I can assure him that he has won the enmity of two of
the most unmitigated scoundrels in all Europe. Avoid them, monsieur, by all
means.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have had more awe-inspiring enemies, my dear count,&rdquo; replied
Tarzan with a quiet smile, &ldquo;yet I am still alive and unworried. I think
that neither of these two will ever find the means to harm me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us hope not, monsieur,&rdquo; said De Coude; &ldquo;but yet it will
do no harm to be on the alert, and to know that you have made at least one
enemy today who never forgets and never forgives, and in whose malignant brain
there are always hatching new atrocities to perpetrate upon those who have
thwarted or offended him. To say that Nikolas Rokoff is a devil would be to
place a wanton affront upon his satanic majesty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
That night as Tarzan entered his cabin he found a folded note upon the floor
that had evidently been pushed beneath the door. He opened it and read:
</p>

<p class="letter">
M. T<small>ARZAN</small>:<br/>
    Doubtless you did not realize the gravity of your offense, or you would not
have done the thing you did today. I am willing to believe that you acted in
ignorance and without any intention to offend a stranger. For this reason I
shall gladly permit you to offer an apology, and on receiving your assurances
that you will not again interfere in affairs that do not concern you, I shall
drop the matter.<br/>
    Otherwise&mdash;but I am sure that you will see the wisdom of adopting the
course I suggest.
</p>

<p class="right">
Very respectfully,<br/>
N<small>IKOLAS</small> R<small>OKOFF</small>.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan permitted a grim smile to play about his lips for a moment, then he
promptly dropped the matter from his mind, and went to bed.
</p>

<p>
In a nearby cabin the Countess de Coude was speaking to her husband.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why so grave, my dear Raoul?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;You have been as
glum as could be all evening. What worries you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Olga, Nikolas is on board. Did you know it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nikolas!&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;But it is impossible, Raoul. It
cannot be. Nikolas is under arrest in Germany.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So I thought myself until I saw him today&mdash;him and that other arch
scoundrel, Paulvitch. Olga, I cannot endure his persecution much longer. No,
not even for you. Sooner or later I shall turn him over to the authorities. In
fact, I am half minded to explain all to the captain before we land. On a
French liner it were an easy matter, Olga, permanently to settle this Nemesis
of ours.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, no, Raoul!&rdquo; cried the countess, sinking to her knees before
him as he sat with bowed head upon a divan. &ldquo;Do not do that. Remember
your promise to me. Tell me, Raoul, that you will not do that. Do not even
threaten him, Raoul.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
De Coude took his wife&rsquo;s hands in his, and gazed upon her pale and
troubled countenance for some time before he spoke, as though he would wrest
from those beautiful eyes the real reason which prompted her to shield this
man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let it be as you wish, Olga,&rdquo; he said at length. &ldquo;I cannot
understand. He has forfeited all claim upon your love, loyalty, or respect. He
is a menace to your life and honor, and the life and honor of your husband. I
trust you may never regret championing him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not champion him, Raoul,&rdquo; she interrupted vehemently.
&ldquo;I believe that I hate him as much as you do, but&mdash;Oh, Raoul, blood
is thicker than water.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should today have liked to sample the consistency of his,&rdquo;
growled De Coude grimly. &ldquo;The two deliberately attempted to besmirch my
honor, Olga,&rdquo; and then he told her of all that had happened in the
smoking-room. &ldquo;Had it not been for this utter stranger, they had
succeeded, for who would have accepted my unsupported word against the damning
evidence of those cards hidden on my person? I had almost begun to doubt myself
when this Monsieur Tarzan dragged your precious Nikolas before us, and
explained the whole cowardly transaction.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur Tarzan?&rdquo; asked the countess, in evident surprise.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes. Do you know him, Olga?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have seen him. A steward pointed him out to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not know that he was a celebrity,&rdquo; said the count.
</p>

<p>
Olga de Coude changed the subject. She discovered suddenly that she might find
it difficult to explain just why the steward had pointed out the handsome
Monsieur Tarzan to her. Perhaps she flushed the least little bit, for was not
the count, her husband, gazing at her with a strangely quizzical expression.
&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; she thought, &ldquo;a guilty conscience is a most suspicious
thing.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap02"></a>Chapter II<br/>
Forging Bonds of Hate and &mdash;&mdash;?</h2>

<p>
It was not until late the following afternoon that Tarzan saw anything more of
the fellow passengers into the midst of whose affairs his love of fair play had
thrust him. And then he came most unexpectedly upon Rokoff and Paulvitch at a
moment when of all others the two might least appreciate his company.
</p>

<p>
They were standing on deck at a point which was temporarily deserted, and as
Tarzan came upon them they were in heated argument with a woman. Tarzan noted
that she was richly appareled, and that her slender, well-modeled figure
denoted youth; but as she was heavily veiled he could not discern her features.
</p>

<p>
The men were standing on either side of her, and the backs of all were toward
Tarzan, so that he was quite close to them without their being aware of his
presence. He noticed that Rokoff seemed to be threatening, the woman pleading;
but they spoke in a strange tongue, and he could only guess from appearances
that the girl was afraid.
</p>

<p>
Rokoff&rsquo;s attitude was so distinctly filled with the threat of physical
violence that the ape-man paused for an instant just behind the trio,
instinctively sensing an atmosphere of danger. Scarcely had he hesitated ere
the man seized the woman roughly by the wrist, twisting it as though to wring a
promise from her through torture. What would have happened next had Rokoff had
his way we may only conjecture, since he did not have his way at all. Instead,
steel fingers gripped his shoulder, and he was swung unceremoniously around, to
meet the cold gray eyes of the stranger who had thwarted him on the previous
day.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Sapristi!</i>&rdquo; screamed the infuriated Rokoff. &ldquo;What do
you mean? Are you a fool that you thus again insult Nikolas Rokoff?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is my answer to your note, monsieur,&rdquo; said Tarzan, in a low
voice. And then he hurled the fellow from him with such force that Rokoff
lunged sprawling against the rail.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Name of a name!&rdquo; shrieked Rokoff. &ldquo;Pig, but you shall die
for this,&rdquo; and, springing to his feet, he rushed upon Tarzan, tugging the
meanwhile to draw a revolver from his hip pocket. The girl shrank back in
terror.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nikolas!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Do not&mdash;oh, do not do that.
Quick, monsieur, fly, or he will surely kill you!&rdquo; But instead of flying
Tarzan advanced to meet the fellow. &ldquo;Do not make a fool of yourself,
monsieur,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
Rokoff, who was in a perfect frenzy of rage at the humiliation the stranger had
put upon him, had at last succeeded in drawing the revolver. He had stopped,
and now he deliberately raised it to Tarzan&rsquo;s breast and pulled the
trigger. The hammer fell with a futile click on an empty chamber&mdash;the
ape-man&rsquo;s hand shot out like the head of an angry python; there was a
quick wrench, and the revolver sailed far out across the ship&rsquo;s rail, and
dropped into the Atlantic.
</p>

<p>
For a moment the two men stood there facing one another. Rokoff had regained
his self-possession. He was the first to speak.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Twice now has monsieur seen fit to interfere in matters which do not
concern him. Twice he has taken it upon himself to humiliate Nikolas Rokoff.
The first offense was overlooked on the assumption that monsieur acted through
ignorance, but this affair shall not be overlooked. If monsieur does not know
who Nikolas Rokoff is, this last piece of effrontery will insure that monsieur
later has good reason to remember him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That you are a coward and a scoundrel, monsieur,&rdquo; replied Tarzan,
&ldquo;is all that I care to know of you,&rdquo; and he turned to ask the girl
if the man had hurt her, but she had disappeared. Then, without even a glance
toward Rokoff and his companion, he continued his stroll along the deck.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan could not but wonder what manner of conspiracy was on foot, or what the
scheme of the two men might be. There had been something rather familiar about
the appearance of the veiled woman to whose rescue he had just come, but as he
had not seen her face he could not be sure that he had ever seen her before.
The only thing about her that he had particularly noticed was a ring of
peculiar workmanship upon a finger of the hand that Rokoff had seized, and he
determined to note the fingers of the women passengers he came upon thereafter,
that he might discover the identity of her whom Rokoff was persecuting, and
learn if the fellow had offered her further annoyance.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan had sought his deck chair, where he sat speculating on the numerous
instances of human cruelty, selfishness, and spite that had fallen to his lot
to witness since that day in the jungle four years since that his eyes had
first fallen upon a human being other than himself&mdash;the sleek, black
Kulonga, whose swift spear had that day found the vitals of Kala, the great
she-ape, and robbed the youth, Tarzan, of the only mother he had ever known.
</p>

<p>
He recalled the murder of King by the rat-faced Snipes; the abandonment of
Professor Porter and his party by the mutineers of the <i>Arrow;</i> the
cruelty of the black warriors and women of Mbonga to their captives; the petty
jealousies of the civil and military officers of the West Coast colony that had
afforded him his first introduction to the civilized world.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Mon Dieu!</i>&rdquo; he soliloquized, &ldquo;but they are all alike.
Cheating, murdering, lying, fighting, and all for things that the beasts of the
jungle would not deign to possess&mdash;money to purchase the effeminate
pleasures of weaklings. And yet withal bound down by silly customs that make
them slaves to their unhappy lot while firm in the belief that they be the
lords of creation enjoying the only real pleasures of existence. In the jungle
one would scarcely stand supinely aside while another took his mate. It is a
silly world, an idiotic world, and Tarzan of the Apes was a fool to renounce
the freedom and the happiness of his jungle to come into it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Presently, as he sat there, the sudden feeling came over him that eyes were
watching from behind, and the old instinct of the wild beast broke through the
thin veneer of civilization, so that Tarzan wheeled about so quickly that the
eyes of the young woman who had been surreptitiously regarding him had not even
time to drop before the gray eyes of the ape-man shot an inquiring look
straight into them. Then, as they fell, Tarzan saw a faint wave of crimson
creep swiftly over the now half-averted face.
</p>

<p>
He smiled to himself at the result of his very uncivilized and ungallant
action, for he had not lowered his own eyes when they met those of the young
woman. She was very young, and equally good to look upon. Further, there was
something rather familiar about her that set Tarzan to wondering where he had
seen her before. He resumed his former position, and presently he was aware
that she had arisen and was leaving the deck. As she passed, Tarzan turned to
watch her, in the hope that he might discover a clew to satisfy his mild
curiosity as to her identity.
</p>

<p>
Nor was he disappointed entirely, for as she walked away she raised one hand to
the black, waving mass at the nape of her neck&mdash;the peculiarly feminine
gesture that admits cognizance of appraising eyes behind her&mdash;and Tarzan
saw upon a finger of this hand the ring of strange workmanship that he had seen
upon the finger of the veiled woman a short time before.
</p>

<p>
So it was this beautiful young woman Rokoff had been persecuting. Tarzan
wondered in a lazy sort of way whom she might be, and what relations one so
lovely could have with the surly, bearded Russian.
</p>

<p>
After dinner that evening Tarzan strolled forward, where he remained until
after dark, in conversation with the second officer, and when that
gentleman&rsquo;s duties called him elsewhere Tarzan lolled lazily by the rail
watching the play of the moonlight upon the gently rolling waters. He was half
hidden by a davit, so that two men who approached along the deck did not see
him, and as they passed Tarzan caught enough of their conversation to cause him
to fall in behind them, to follow and learn what deviltry they were up to. He
had recognized the voice as that of Rokoff, and had seen that his companion was
Paulvitch.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan had overheard but a few words: &ldquo;And if she screams you may choke
her until&mdash;&rdquo; But those had been enough to arouse the spirit of
adventure within him, and so he kept the two men in sight as they walked,
briskly now, along the deck. To the smoking-room he followed them, but they
merely halted at the doorway long enough, apparently, to assure themselves that
one whose whereabouts they wished to establish was within.
</p>

<p>
Then they proceeded directly to the first-class cabins upon the promenade deck.
Here Tarzan found greater difficulty in escaping detection, but he managed to
do so successfully. As they halted before one of the polished hardwood doors,
Tarzan slipped into the shadow of a passageway not a dozen feet from them.
</p>

<p>
To their knock a woman&rsquo;s voice asked in French: &ldquo;Who is it?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is I, Olga&mdash;Nikolas,&rdquo; was the answer, in Rokoff&rsquo;s
now familiar guttural. &ldquo;May I come in?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why do you not cease persecuting me, Nikolas?&rdquo; came the voice of
the woman from beyond the thin panel. &ldquo;I have never harmed you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, come, Olga,&rdquo; urged the man, in propitiary tones; &ldquo;I
but ask a half dozen words with you. I shall not harm you, nor shall I enter
your cabin; but I cannot shout my message through the door.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan heard the catch click as it was released from the inside. He stepped out
from his hiding-place far enough to see what transpired when the door was
opened, for he could not but recall the sinister words he had heard a few
moments before upon the deck, &ldquo;And if she screams you may choke
her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff was standing directly in front of the door. Paulvitch had flattened
himself against the paneled wall of the corridor beyond. The door opened.
Rokoff half entered the room, and stood with his back against the door,
speaking in a low whisper to the woman, whom Tarzan could not see. Then Tarzan
heard the woman&rsquo;s voice, level, but loud enough to distinguish her words.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, Nikolas,&rdquo; she was saying, &ldquo;it is useless. Threaten as
you will, I shall never accede to your demands. Leave the room, please; you
have no right here. You promised not to enter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, Olga, I shall not enter; but before I am done with you, you
shall wish a thousand times that you had done at once the favor I have asked.
In the end I shall win anyway, so you might as well save trouble and time for
me, and disgrace for yourself and your&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never, Nikolas!&rdquo; interrupted the woman, and then Tarzan saw Rokoff
turn and nod to Paulvitch, who sprang quickly toward the doorway of the cabin,
rushing in past Rokoff, who held the door open for him. Then the latter stepped
quickly out. The door closed. Tarzan heard the click of the lock as Paulvitch
turned it from the inside. Rokoff remained standing before the door, with head
bent, as though to catch the words of the two within. A nasty smile curled his
bearded lip.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan could hear the woman&rsquo;s voice commanding the fellow to leave her
cabin. &ldquo;I shall send for my husband,&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;He will
show you no mercy.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Paulvitch&rsquo;s sneering laugh came through the polished panels.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The purser will fetch your husband, madame,&rdquo; said the man.
&ldquo;In fact, that officer has already been notified that you are
entertaining a man other than your husband behind the locked door of your
cabin.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Bah!&rdquo; cried the woman. &ldquo;My husband will know!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Most assuredly your husband will know, but the purser will not; nor will
the newspaper men who shall in some mysterious way hear of it on our landing.
But they will think it a fine story, and so will all your friends when they
read of it at breakfast on&mdash;let me see, this is Tuesday&mdash;yes, when
they read of it at breakfast next Friday morning. Nor will it detract from the
interest they will all feel when they learn that the man whom madame
entertained is a Russian servant&mdash;her brother&rsquo;s valet, to be quite
exact.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alexis Paulvitch,&rdquo; came the woman&rsquo;s voice, cold and
fearless, &ldquo;you are a coward, and when I whisper a certain name in your
ear you will think better of your demands upon me and your threats against me,
and then you will leave my cabin quickly, nor do I think that ever again will
you, at least, annoy me,&rdquo; and there came a moment&rsquo;s silence in
which Tarzan could imagine the woman leaning toward the scoundrel and
whispering the thing she had hinted at into his ear. Only a moment of silence,
and then a startled oath from the man&mdash;the scuffling of feet&mdash;a
woman&rsquo;s scream&mdash;and silence.
</p>

<p>
But scarcely had the cry ceased before the ape-man had leaped from his
hiding-place. Rokoff started to run, but Tarzan grasped him by the collar and
dragged him back. Neither spoke, for both felt instinctively that murder was
being done in that room, and Tarzan was confident that Rokoff had had no
intention that his confederate should go that far&mdash;he felt that the
man&rsquo;s aims were deeper than that&mdash;deeper and even more sinister than
brutal, cold-blooded murder. Without hesitating to question those within, the
ape-man threw his giant shoulder against the frail panel, and in a shower of
splintered wood he entered the cabin, dragging Rokoff after him. Before him, on
a couch, the woman lay, and on top of her was Paulvitch, his fingers gripping
the fair throat, while his victim&rsquo;s hands beat futilely at his face,
tearing desperately at the cruel fingers that were forcing the life from her.
</p>

<p>
The noise of his entrance brought Paulvitch to his feet, where he stood
glowering menacingly at Tarzan. The girl rose falteringly to a sitting posture
upon the couch. One hand was at her throat, and her breath came in little
gasps. Although disheveled and very pale, Tarzan recognized her as the young
woman whom he had caught staring at him on deck earlier in the day.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is the meaning of this?&rdquo; said Tarzan, turning to Rokoff, whom
he intuitively singled out as the instigator of the outrage. The man remained
silent, scowling. &ldquo;Touch the button, please,&rdquo; continued the
ape-man; &ldquo;we will have one of the ship&rsquo;s officers here&mdash;this
affair has gone quite far enough.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; cried the girl, coming suddenly to her feet.
&ldquo;Please do not do that. I am sure that there was no real intention to
harm me. I angered this person, and he lost control of himself, that is all. I
would not care to have the matter go further, please, monsieur,&rdquo; and
there was such a note of pleading in her voice that Tarzan could not press the
matter, though his better judgment warned him that there was something afoot
here of which the proper authorities should be made cognizant.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wish me to do nothing, then, in the matter?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing, please,&rdquo; she replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are content that these two scoundrels should continue persecuting
you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She did not seem to know what answer to make, and looked very troubled and
unhappy. Tarzan saw a malicious grin of triumph curl Rokoff&rsquo;s lip. The
girl evidently was in fear of these two&mdash;she dared not express her real
desires before them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said Tarzan, &ldquo;I shall act on my own responsibility.
To you,&rdquo; he continued, turning to Rokoff, &ldquo;and this includes your
accomplice, I may say that from now on to the end of the voyage I shall take it
upon myself to keep an eye on you, and should there chance to come to my notice
any act of either one of you that might even remotely annoy this young woman
you shall be called to account for it directly to me, nor shall the calling or
the accounting be pleasant experiences for either of you.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now get out of here,&rdquo; and he grabbed Rokoff and Paulvitch each by
the scruff of the neck and thrust them forcibly through the doorway, giving
each an added impetus down the corridor with the toe of his boot. Then he
turned back to the stateroom and the girl. She was looking at him in wide-eyed
astonishment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you, madame, will confer a great favor upon me if you will but let
me know if either of those rascals troubles you further.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, monsieur,&rdquo; she answered, &ldquo;I hope that you will not
suffer for the kind deed you attempted. You have made a very wicked and
resourceful enemy, who will stop at nothing to satisfy his hatred. You must be
very careful indeed, Monsieur&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pardon me, madame, my name is Tarzan.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur Tarzan. And because I would not consent to notify the officers,
do not think that I am not sincerely grateful to you for the brave and
chivalrous protection you rendered me. Good night, Monsieur Tarzan. I shall
never forget the debt I owe you,&rdquo; and, with a most winsome smile that
displayed a row of perfect teeth, the girl curtsied to Tarzan, who bade her
good night and made his way on deck.
</p>

<p>
It puzzled the man considerably that there should be two on board&mdash;this
girl and Count de Coude&mdash;who suffered indignities at the hands of Rokoff
and his companion, and yet would not permit the offenders to be brought to
justice. Before he turned in that night his thoughts reverted many times to the
beautiful young woman into the evidently tangled web of whose life fate had so
strangely introduced him. It occurred to him that he had not learned her name.
That she was married had been evidenced by the narrow gold band that encircled
the third finger of her left hand. Involuntarily he wondered who the lucky man
might be.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan saw nothing further of any of the actors in the little drama that he had
caught a fleeting glimpse of until late in the afternoon of the last day of the
voyage. Then he came suddenly face to face with the young woman as the two
approached their deck chairs from opposite directions. She greeted him with a
pleasant smile, speaking almost immediately of the affair he had witnessed in
her cabin two nights before. It was as though she had been perturbed by a
conviction that he might have construed her acquaintance with such men as
Rokoff and Paulvitch as a personal reflection upon herself.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I trust monsieur has not judged me,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;by the
unfortunate occurrence of Tuesday evening. I have suffered much on account of
it&mdash;this is the first time that I have ventured from my cabin since; I
have been ashamed,&rdquo; she concluded simply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One does not judge the gazelle by the lions that attack it,&rdquo;
replied Tarzan. &ldquo;I had seen those two work before&mdash;in the
smoking-room the day prior to their attack on you, if I recollect it correctly,
and so, knowing their methods, I am convinced that their enmity is a sufficient
guarantee of the integrity of its object. Men such as they must cleave only to
the vile, hating all that is noblest and best.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is very kind of you to put it that way,&rdquo; she replied, smiling.
&ldquo;I have already heard of the matter of the card game. My husband told me
the entire story. He spoke especially of the strength and bravery of Monsieur
Tarzan, to whom he feels that he owes an immense debt of gratitude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your husband?&rdquo; repeated Tarzan questioningly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes. I am the Countess de Coude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am already amply repaid, madame, in knowing that I have rendered a
service to the wife of the Count de Coude.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Alas, monsieur, I already am so greatly indebted to you that I may never
hope to settle my own account, so pray do not add further to my
obligations,&rdquo; and she smiled so sweetly upon him that Tarzan felt that a
man might easily attempt much greater things than he had accomplished, solely
for the pleasure of receiving the benediction of that smile.
</p>

<p>
He did not see her again that day, and in the rush of landing on the following
morning he missed her entirely, but there had been something in the expression
of her eyes as they parted on deck the previous day that haunted him. It had
been almost wistful as they had spoken of the strangeness of the swift
friendships of an ocean crossing, and of the equal ease with which they are
broken forever.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan wondered if he should ever see her again.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap03"></a>Chapter III<br/>
What Happened in the Rue Maule</h2>

<p>
On his arrival in Paris, Tarzan had gone directly to the apartments of his old
friend, D&rsquo;Arnot, where the naval lieutenant had scored him roundly for
his decision to renounce the title and estates that were rightly his from his
father, John Clayton, the late Lord Greystoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must be mad, my friend,&rdquo; said D&rsquo;Arnot, &ldquo;thus
lightly to give up not alone wealth and position, but an opportunity to prove
beyond doubt to all the world that in your veins flows the noble blood of two
of England&rsquo;s most honored houses&mdash;instead of the blood of a savage
she-ape. It is incredible that they could have believed you&mdash;Miss Porter
least of all.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, I never did believe it, even back in the wilds of your African
jungle, when you tore the raw meat of your kills with mighty jaws, like some
wild beast, and wiped your greasy hands upon your thighs. Even then, before
there was the slightest proof to the contrary, I knew that you were mistaken in
the belief that Kala was your mother.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And now, with your father&rsquo;s diary of the terrible life led by him
and your mother on that wild African shore; with the account of your birth,
and, final and most convincing proof of all, your own baby finger prints upon
the pages of it, it seems incredible to me that you are willing to remain a
nameless, penniless vagabond.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not need any better name than Tarzan,&rdquo; replied the ape-man;
&ldquo;and as for remaining a penniless vagabond, I have no intention of so
doing. In fact, the next, and let us hope the last, burden that I shall be
forced to put upon your unselfish friendship will be the finding of employment
for me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pooh, pooh!&rdquo; scoffed D&rsquo;Arnot. &ldquo;You know that I did not
mean that. Have I not told you a dozen times that I have enough for twenty men,
and that half of what I have is yours? And if I gave it all to you, would it
represent even the tenth part of the value I place upon your friendship, my
Tarzan? Would it repay the services you did me in Africa? I do not forget, my
friend, that but for you and your wondrous bravery I had died at the stake in
the village of Mbonga&rsquo;s cannibals. Nor do I forget that to your
self-sacrificing devotion I owe the fact that I recovered from the terrible
wounds I received at their hands&mdash;I discovered later something of what it
meant to you to remain with me in the amphitheater of apes while your heart was
urging you on to the coast.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When we finally came there, and found that Miss Porter and her party had
left, I commenced to realize something of what you had done for an utter
stranger. Nor am I trying to repay you with money, Tarzan. It is that just at
present you need money; were it sacrifice that I might offer you it were the
same&mdash;my friendship must always be yours, because our tastes are similar,
and I admire you. That I cannot command, but the money I can and shall.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; laughed Tarzan, &ldquo;we shall not quarrel over the money.
I must live, and so I must have it; but I shall be more contented with
something to do. You cannot show me your friendship in a more convincing manner
than to find employment for me&mdash;I shall die of inactivity in a short
while. As for my birthright&mdash;it is in good hands. Clayton is not guilty of
robbing me of it. He truly believes that he is the real Lord Greystoke, and the
chances are that he will make a better English lord than a man who was born and
raised in an African jungle. You know that I am but half civilized even now.
Let me see red in anger but for a moment, and all the instincts of the savage
beast that I really am, submerge what little I possess of the milder ways of
culture and refinement.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And then again, had I declared myself I should have robbed the woman I
love of the wealth and position that her marriage to Clayton will now insure to
her. I could not have done that&mdash;could I, Paul?
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nor is the matter of birth of great importance to me,&rdquo; he went on,
without waiting for a reply. &ldquo;Raised as I have been, I see no worth in
man or beast that is not theirs by virtue of their own mental or physical
prowess. And so I am as happy to think of Kala as my mother as I would be to
try to picture the poor, unhappy little English girl who passed away a year
after she bore me. Kala was always kind to me in her fierce and savage way. I
must have nursed at her hairy breast from the time that my own mother died. She
fought for me against the wild denizens of the forest, and against the savage
members of our tribe, with the ferocity of real mother love.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I, on my part, loved her, Paul. I did not realize how much until
after the cruel spear and the poisoned arrow of Mbonga&rsquo;s black warrior
had stolen her away from me. I was still a child when that occurred, and I
threw myself upon her dead body and wept out my anguish as a child might for
his own mother. To you, my friend, she would have appeared a hideous and ugly
creature, but to me she was beautiful&mdash;so gloriously does love transfigure
its object. And so I am perfectly content to remain forever the son of Kala,
the she-ape.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not admire you the less for your loyalty,&rdquo; said
D&rsquo;Arnot, &ldquo;but the time will come when you will be glad to claim
your own. Remember what I say, and let us hope that it will be as easy then as
it is now. You must bear in mind that Professor Porter and Mr. Philander are
the only people in the world who can swear that the little skeleton found in
the cabin with those of your father and mother was that of an infant anthropoid
ape, and not the offspring of Lord and Lady Greystoke. That evidence is most
important. They are both old men. They may not live many years longer. And
then, did it not occur to you that once Miss Porter knew the truth she would
break her engagement with Clayton? You might easily have your title, your
estates, and the woman you love, Tarzan. Had you not thought of that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan shook his head. &ldquo;You do not know her,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;Nothing could bind her closer to her bargain than some misfortune to
Clayton. She is from an old southern family in America, and southerners pride
themselves upon their loyalty.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan spent the two following weeks renewing his former brief acquaintance
with Paris. In the daytime he haunted the libraries and picture galleries. He
had become an omnivorous reader, and the world of possibilities that were
opened to him in this seat of culture and learning fairly appalled him when he
contemplated the very infinitesimal crumb of the sum total of human knowledge
that a single individual might hope to acquire even after a lifetime of study
and research; but he learned what he could by day, and threw himself into a
search for relaxation and amusement at night. Nor did he find Paris a whit less
fertile field for his nocturnal avocation.
</p>

<p>
If he smoked too many cigarettes and drank too much absinth it was because he
took civilization as he found it, and did the things that he found his
civilized brothers doing. The life was a new and alluring one, and in addition
he had a sorrow in his breast and a great longing which he knew could never be
fulfilled, and so he sought in study and in dissipation&mdash;the two
extremes&mdash;to forget the past and inhibit contemplation of the future.
</p>

<p>
He was sitting in a music hall one evening, sipping his absinth and admiring
the art of a certain famous Russian dancer, when he caught a passing glimpse of
a pair of evil black eyes upon him. The man turned and was lost in the crowd at
the exit before Tarzan could catch a good look at him, but he was confident
that he had seen those eyes before and that they had been fastened on him this
evening through no passing accident. He had had the uncanny feeling for some
time that he was being watched, and it was in response to this animal instinct
that was strong within him that he had turned suddenly and surprised the eyes
in the very act of watching him.
</p>

<p>
Before he left the music hall the matter had been forgotten, nor did he notice
the swarthy individual who stepped deeper into the shadows of an opposite
doorway as Tarzan emerged from the brilliantly lighted amusement hall.
</p>

<p>
Had Tarzan but known it, he had been followed many times from this and other
places of amusement, but seldom if ever had he been alone. Tonight
D&rsquo;Arnot had had another engagement, and Tarzan had come by himself.
</p>

<p>
As he turned in the direction he was accustomed to taking from this part of
Paris to his apartments, the watcher across the street ran from his
hiding-place and hurried on ahead at a rapid pace.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan had been wont to traverse the Rue Maule on his way home at night.
Because it was very quiet and very dark it reminded him more of his beloved
African jungle than did the noisy and garish streets surrounding it. If you are
familiar with your Paris you will recall the narrow, forbidding precincts of
the Rue Maule. If you are not, you need but ask the police about it to learn
that in all Paris there is no street to which you should give a wider berth
after dark.
</p>

<p>
On this night Tarzan had proceeded some two squares through the dense shadows
of the squalid old tenements which line this dismal way when he was attracted
by screams and cries for help from the third floor of an opposite building. The
voice was a woman&rsquo;s. Before the echoes of her first cries had died Tarzan
was bounding up the stairs and through the dark corridors to her rescue.
</p>

<p>
At the end of the corridor on the third landing a door stood slightly ajar, and
from within Tarzan heard again the same appeal that had lured him from the
street. Another instant found him in the center of a dimly-lighted room. An oil
lamp burned upon a high, old-fashioned mantel, casting its dim rays over a
dozen repulsive figures. All but one were men. The other was a woman of about
thirty. Her face, marked by low passions and dissipation, might once have been
lovely. She stood with one hand at her throat, crouching against the farther
wall.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Help, monsieur,&rdquo; she cried in a low voice as Tarzan entered the
room; &ldquo;they were killing me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As Tarzan turned toward the men about him he saw the crafty, evil faces of
habitual criminals. He wondered that they had made no effort to escape. A
movement behind him caused him to turn. Two things his eyes saw, and one of
them caused him considerable wonderment. A man was sneaking stealthily from the
room, and in the brief glance that Tarzan had of him he saw that it was Rokoff.
But the other thing that he saw was of more immediate interest. It was a great
brute of a fellow tiptoeing upon him from behind with a huge bludgeon in his
hand, and then, as the man and his confederates saw that he was discovered,
there was a concerted rush upon Tarzan from all sides. Some of the men drew
knives. Others picked up chairs, while the fellow with the bludgeon raised it
high above his head in a mighty swing that would have crushed Tarzan&rsquo;s
head had it ever descended upon it.
</p>

<p>
But the brain, and the agility, and the muscles that had coped with the mighty
strength and cruel craftiness of Terkoz and Numa in the fastness of their
savage jungle were not to be so easily subdued as these apaches of Paris had
believed.
</p>

<p>
Selecting his most formidable antagonist, the fellow with the bludgeon, Tarzan
charged full upon him, dodging the falling weapon, and catching the man a
terrific blow on the point of the chin that felled him in his tracks.
</p>

<p>
Then he turned upon the others. This was sport. He was reveling in the joy of
battle and the lust of blood. As though it had been but a brittle shell, to
break at the least rough usage, the thin veneer of his civilization fell from
him, and the ten burly villains found themselves penned in a small room with a
wild and savage beast, against whose steel muscles their puny strength was less
than futile.
</p>

<p>
At the end of the corridor without stood Rokoff, waiting the outcome of the
affair. He wished to be sure that Tarzan was dead before he left, but it was
not a part of his plan to be one of those within the room when the murder
occurred.
</p>

<p>
The woman still stood where she had when Tarzan entered, but her face had
undergone a number of changes with the few minutes which had elapsed. From the
semblance of distress which it had worn when Tarzan first saw it, it had
changed to one of craftiness as he had wheeled to meet the attack from behind;
but the change Tarzan had not seen.
</p>

<p>
Later an expression of surprise and then one of horror superseded the others.
And who may wonder. For the immaculate gentleman her cries had lured to what
was to have been his death had been suddenly metamorphosed into a demon of
revenge. Instead of soft muscles and a weak resistance, she was looking upon a
veritable Hercules gone mad.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Mon Dieu!</i>&rdquo; she cried; &ldquo;he is a beast!&rdquo; For the
strong, white teeth of the ape-man had found the throat of one of his
assailants, and Tarzan fought as he had learned to fight with the great bull
apes of the tribe of Kerchak.
</p>

<p>
He was in a dozen places at once, leaping hither and thither about the room in
sinuous bounds that reminded the woman of a panther she had seen at the zoo.
Now a wrist-bone snapped in his iron grip, now a shoulder was wrenched from its
socket as he forced a victim&rsquo;s arm backward and upward.
</p>

<p>
With shrieks of pain the men escaped into the hallway as quickly as they could;
but even before the first one staggered, bleeding and broken, from the room,
Rokoff had seen enough to convince him that Tarzan would not be the one to lie
dead in that house this night, and so the Russian had hastened to a nearby den
and telephoned the police that a man was committing murder on the third floor
of Rue Maule, 27. When the officers arrived they found three men groaning on
the floor, a frightened woman lying upon a filthy bed, her face buried in her
arms, and what appeared to be a well-dressed young gentleman standing in the
center of the room awaiting the reenforcements which he had thought the
footsteps of the officers hurrying up the stairway had announced&mdash;but they
were mistaken in the last; it was a wild beast that looked upon them through
those narrowed lids and steel-gray eyes. With the smell of blood the last
vestige of civilization had deserted Tarzan, and now he stood at bay, like a
lion surrounded by hunters, awaiting the next overt act, and crouching to
charge its author.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What has happened here?&rdquo; asked one of the policemen.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan explained briefly, but when he turned to the woman for confirmation of
his statement he was appalled by her reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He lies!&rdquo; she screamed shrilly, addressing the policeman.
&ldquo;He came to my room while I was alone, and for no good purpose. When I
repulsed him he would have killed me had not my screams attracted these
gentlemen, who were passing the house at the time. He is a devil, monsieurs;
alone he has all but killed ten men with his bare hands and his teeth.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
So shocked was Tarzan by her ingratitude that for a moment he was struck dumb.
The police were inclined to be a little skeptical, for they had had other
dealings with this same lady and her lovely coterie of gentlemen friends.
However, they were policemen, not judges, so they decided to place all the
inmates of the room under arrest, and let another, whose business it was,
separate the innocent from the guilty.
</p>

<p>
But they found that it was one thing to tell this well-dressed young man that
he was under arrest, but quite another to enforce it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am guilty of no offense,&rdquo; he said quietly. &ldquo;I have but
sought to defend myself. I do not know why the woman has told you what she has.
She can have no enmity against me, for never until I came to this room in
response to her cries for help had I seen her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, come,&rdquo; said one of the officers; &ldquo;there are judges to
listen to all that,&rdquo; and he advanced to lay his hand upon Tarzan&rsquo;s
shoulder. An instant later he lay crumpled in a corner of the room, and then,
as his comrades rushed in upon the ape-man, they experienced a taste of what
the apaches had but recently gone through. So quickly and so roughly did he
handle them that they had not even an opportunity to draw their revolvers.
</p>

<p>
During the brief fight Tarzan had noted the open window and, beyond, the stem
of a tree, or a telegraph pole&mdash;he could not tell which. As the last
officer went down, one of his fellows succeeded in drawing his revolver and,
from where he lay on the floor, fired at Tarzan. The shot missed, and before
the man could fire again Tarzan had swept the lamp from the mantel and plunged
the room into darkness.
</p>

<p>
The next they saw was a lithe form spring to the sill of the open window and
leap, panther-like, onto the pole across the walk. When the police gathered
themselves together and reached the street their prisoner was nowhere to be
seen.
</p>

<p>
They did not handle the woman and the men who had not escaped any too gently
when they took them to the station; they were a very sore and humiliated detail
of police. It galled them to think that it would be necessary to report that a
single unarmed man had wiped the floor with the whole lot of them, and then
escaped them as easily as though they had not existed.
</p>

<p>
The officer who had remained in the street swore that no one had leaped from
the window or left the building from the time they entered until they had come
out. His comrades thought that he lied, but they could not prove it.
</p>

<p>
When Tarzan found himself clinging to the pole outside the window, he followed
his jungle instinct and looked below for enemies before he ventured down. It
was well he did, for just beneath stood a policeman. Above, Tarzan saw no one,
so he went up instead of down.
</p>

<p>
The top of the pole was opposite the roof of the building, so it was but the
work of an instant for the muscles that had for years sent him hurtling through
the treetops of his primeval forest to carry him across the little space
between the pole and the roof. From one building he went to another, and so on,
with much climbing, until at a cross street he discovered another pole, down
which he ran to the ground.
</p>

<p>
For a square or two he ran swiftly; then he turned into a little all-night café
and in the lavatory removed the evidences of his over-roof promenade from hands
and clothes. When he emerged a few moments later it was to saunter slowly on
toward his apartments.
</p>

<p>
Not far from them he came to a well-lighted boulevard which it was necessary to
cross. As he stood directly beneath a brilliant arc light, waiting for a
limousine that was approaching to pass him, he heard his name called in a sweet
feminine voice. Looking up, he met the smiling eyes of Olga de Coude as she
leaned forward upon the back seat of the machine. He bowed very low in response
to her friendly greeting. When he straightened up the machine had borne her
away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rokoff and the Countess de Coude both in the same evening,&rdquo; he
soliloquized; &ldquo;Paris is not so large, after all.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap04"></a>Chapter IV<br/>
The Countess Explains</h2>

<p>
&ldquo;Your Paris is more dangerous than my savage jungles, Paul,&rdquo;
concluded Tarzan, after narrating his adventures to his friend the morning
following his encounter with the apaches and police in the Rue Maule.
&ldquo;Why did they lure me there? Were they hungry?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot feigned a horrified shudder, but he laughed at the quaint
suggestion.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is difficult to rise above the jungle standards and reason by the
light of civilized ways, is it not, my friend?&rdquo; he queried banteringly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Civilized ways, forsooth,&rdquo; scoffed Tarzan. &ldquo;Jungle standards
do not countenance wanton atrocities. There we kill for food and for
self-preservation, or in the winning of mates and the protection of the young.
Always, you see, in accordance with the dictates of some great natural law. But
here! Faugh, your civilized man is more brutal than the brutes. He kills
wantonly, and, worse than that, he utilizes a noble sentiment, the brotherhood
of man, as a lure to entice his unwary victim to his doom. It was in answer to
an appeal from a fellow being that I hastened to that room where the assassins
lay in wait for me.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not realize, I could not realize for a long time afterward, that
any woman could sink to such moral depravity as that one must have to call a
would-be rescuer to death. But it must have been so&mdash;the sight of Rokoff
there and the woman&rsquo;s later repudiation of me to the police make it
impossible to place any other construction upon her acts. Rokoff must have
known that I frequently passed through the Rue Maule. He lay in wait for
me&mdash;his entire scheme worked out to the last detail, even to the
woman&rsquo;s story in case a hitch should occur in the program such as really
did happen. It is all perfectly plain to me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said D&rsquo;Arnot, &ldquo;among other things, it has
taught you what I have been unable to impress upon you&mdash;that the Rue Maule
is a good place to avoid after dark.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;On the contrary,&rdquo; replied Tarzan, with a smile, &ldquo;it has
convinced me that it is the one worth-while street in all Paris. Never again
shall I miss an opportunity to traverse it, for it has given me the first real
entertainment I have had since I left Africa.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It may give you more than you will relish even without another
visit,&rdquo; said D&rsquo;Arnot. &ldquo;You are not through with the police
yet, remember. I know the Paris police well enough to assure you that they will
not soon forget what you did to them. Sooner or later they will get you, my
dear Tarzan, and then they will lock the wild man of the woods up behind iron
bars. How will you like that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They will never lock Tarzan of the Apes behind iron bars,&rdquo; replied
he, grimly.
</p>

<p>
There was something in the man&rsquo;s voice as he said it that caused
D&rsquo;Arnot to look up sharply at his friend. What he saw in the set jaw and
the cold, gray eyes made the young Frenchman very apprehensive for this great
child, who could recognize no law mightier than his own mighty physical
prowess. He saw that something must be done to set Tarzan right with the police
before another encounter was possible.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have much to learn, Tarzan,&rdquo; he said gravely. &ldquo;The law
of man must be respected, whether you relish it or no. Nothing but trouble can
come to you and your friends should you persist in defying the police. I can
explain it to them once for you, and that I shall do this very day, but
hereafter you must obey the law. If its representatives say &lsquo;Come,&rsquo;
you must come; if they say &lsquo;Go,&rsquo; you must go. Now we shall go to my
great friend in the department and fix up this matter of the Rue Maule.
Come!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Together they entered the office of the police official a half hour later. He
was very cordial. He remembered Tarzan from the visit the two had made him
several months prior in the matter of finger prints.
</p>

<p>
When D&rsquo;Arnot had concluded the narration of the events which had
transpired the previous evening, a grim smile was playing about the lips of the
policeman. He touched a button near his hand, and as he waited for the clerk to
respond to its summons he searched through the papers on his desk for one which
he finally located.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here, Joubon,&rdquo; he said as the clerk entered. &ldquo;Summon these
officers&mdash;have them come to me at once,&rdquo; and he handed the man the
paper he had sought. Then he turned to Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have committed a very grave offense, monsieur,&rdquo; he said, not
unkindly, &ldquo;and but for the explanation made by our good friend here I
should be inclined to judge you harshly. I am, instead, about to do a rather
unheard-of-thing. I have summoned the officers whom you maltreated last night.
They shall hear Lieutenant D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s story, and then I shall leave
it to their discretion to say whether you shall be prosecuted or not.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have much to learn about the ways of civilization. Things that seem
strange or unnecessary to you, you must learn to accept until you are able to
judge the motives behind them. The officers whom you attacked were but doing
their duty. They had no discretion in the matter. Every day they risk their
lives in the protection of the lives or property of others. They would do the
same for you. They are very brave men, and they are deeply mortified that a
single unarmed man bested and beat them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Make it easy for them to overlook what you did. Unless I am gravely in
error you are yourself a very brave man, and brave men are proverbially
magnanimous.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Further conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the four policemen.
As their eyes fell on Tarzan, surprise was writ large on each countenance.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My children,&rdquo; said the official, &ldquo;here is the gentleman whom
you met in the Rue Maule last evening. He has come voluntarily to give himself
up. I wish you to listen attentively to Lieutenant D&rsquo;Arnot, who will tell
you a part of the story of monsieur&rsquo;s life. It may explain his attitude
toward you of last night. Proceed, my dear lieutenant.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot spoke to the policemen for half an hour. He told them something
of Tarzan&rsquo;s wild jungle life. He explained the savage training that had
taught him to battle like a wild beast in self-preservation. It became plain to
them that the man had been guided by instinct rather than reason in his attack
upon them. He had not understood their intentions. To him they had been little
different from any of the various forms of life he had been accustomed to in
his native jungle, where practically all were his enemies.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your pride has been wounded,&rdquo; said D&rsquo;Arnot, in conclusion.
&ldquo;It is the fact that this man overcame you that hurts the most. But you
need feel no shame. You would not make apologies for defeat had you been penned
in that small room with an African lion, or with the great Gorilla of the
jungles.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And yet you were battling with muscles that have time and time again
been pitted, and always victoriously, against these terrors of the dark
continent. It is no disgrace to fall beneath the superhuman strength of Tarzan
of the Apes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And then, as the men stood looking first at Tarzan and then at their superior
the ape-man did the one thing which was needed to erase the last remnant of
animosity which they might have felt for him. With outstretched hand he
advanced toward them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sorry for the mistake I made,&rdquo; he said simply. &ldquo;Let us
be friends.&rdquo; And that was the end of the whole matter, except that Tarzan
became a subject of much conversation in the barracks of the police, and
increased the number of his friends by four brave men at least.
</p>

<p>
On their return to D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s apartments the lieutenant found a
letter awaiting him from an English friend, William Cecil Clayton, Lord
Greystoke. The two had maintained a correspondence since the birth of their
friendship on that ill-fated expedition in search of Jane Porter after her
theft by Terkoz, the bull ape.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are to be married in London in about two months,&rdquo; said
D&rsquo;Arnot, as he completed his perusal of the letter. Tarzan did not need
to be told who was meant by &ldquo;they.&rdquo; He made no reply, but he was
very quiet and thoughtful during the balance of the day.
</p>

<p>
That evening they attended the opera. Tarzan&rsquo;s mind was still occupied by
his gloomy thoughts. He paid little or no attention to what was transpiring
upon the stage. Instead he saw only the lovely vision of a beautiful American
girl, and heard naught but a sad, sweet voice acknowledging that his love was
returned. And she was to marry another!
</p>

<p>
He shook himself to be rid of his unwelcome thoughts, and at the same instant
he felt eyes upon him. With the instinct that was his by virtue of training he
looked up squarely into the eyes that were looking at him, to find that they
were shining from the smiling face of Olga, Countess de Coude. As Tarzan
returned her bow he was positive that there was an invitation in her look,
almost a plea. The next intermission found him beside her in her box.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have so much wished to see you,&rdquo; she was saying. &ldquo;It has
troubled me not a little to think that after the service you rendered to both
my husband and myself no adequate explanation was ever made you of what must
have seemed ingratitude on our part in not taking the necessary steps to
prevent a repetition of the attacks upon us by those two men.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You wrong me,&rdquo; replied Tarzan. &ldquo;My thoughts of you have been
only the most pleasant. You must not feel that any explanation is due me. Have
they annoyed you further?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They never cease,&rdquo; she replied sadly. &ldquo;I feel that I must
tell some one, and I do not know another who so deserves an explanation as you.
You must permit me to do so. It may be of service to you, for I know Nikolas
Rokoff quite well enough to be positive that you have not seen the last of him.
He will find some means to be revenged upon you. What I wish to tell you may be
of aid to you in combating any scheme of revenge he may harbor. I cannot tell
you here, but tomorrow I shall be at home to Monsieur Tarzan at five.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It will be an eternity until tomorrow at five,&rdquo; he said, as he
bade her good night. From a corner of the theater Rokoff and Paulvitch saw
Monsieur Tarzan in the box of the Countess de Coude, and both men smiled.
</p>

<p>
At four-thirty the following afternoon a swarthy, bearded man rang the bell at
the servants&rsquo; entrance of the palace of the Count de Coude. The footman
who opened the door raised his eyebrows in recognition as he saw who stood
without. A low conversation passed between the two.
</p>

<p>
At first the footman demurred from some proposition that the bearded one made,
but an instant later something passed from the hand of the caller to the hand
of the servant. Then the latter turned and led the visitor by a roundabout way
to a little curtained alcove off the apartment in which the countess was wont
to serve tea of an afternoon.
</p>

<p>
A half hour later Tarzan was ushered into the room, and presently his hostess
entered, smiling, and with outstretched hands.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am so glad that you came,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing could have prevented,&rdquo; he replied.
</p>

<p>
For a few moments they spoke of the opera, of the topics that were then
occupying the attention of Paris, of the pleasure of renewing their brief
acquaintance which had had its inception under such odd circumstances, and this
brought them to the subject that was uppermost in the minds of both.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must have wondered,&rdquo; said the countess finally, &ldquo;what
the object of Rokoff&rsquo;s persecution could be. It is very simple. The count
is intrusted with many of the vital secrets of the ministry of war. He often
has in his possession papers that foreign powers would give a fortune to
possess&mdash;secrets of state that their agents would commit murder and worse
than murder to learn.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is such a matter now in his possession that would make the fame
and fortune of any Russian who could divulge it to his government. Rokoff and
Paulvitch are Russian spies. They will stop at nothing to procure this
information. The affair on the liner&mdash;I mean the matter of the card
game&mdash;was for the purpose of blackmailing the knowledge they seek from my
husband.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Had he been convicted of cheating at cards, his career would have been
blighted. He would have had to leave the war department. He would have been
socially ostracized. They intended to hold this club over him&mdash;the price
of an avowal on their part that the count was but the victim of the plot of
enemies who wished to besmirch his name was to have been the papers they seek.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You thwarted them in this. Then they concocted the scheme whereby my
reputation was to be the price, instead of the count&rsquo;s. When Paulvitch
entered my cabin he explained it to me. If I would obtain the information for
them he promised to go no farther, otherwise Rokoff, who stood without, was to
notify the purser that I was entertaining a man other than my husband behind
the locked doors of my cabin. He was to tell every one he met on the boat, and
when we landed he was to have given the whole story to the newspaper men.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Was it not too horrible? But I happened to know something of Monsieur
Paulvitch that would send him to the gallows in Russia if it were known by the
police of St. Petersburg. I dared him to carry out his plan, and then I leaned
toward him and whispered a name in his ear. Like that&rdquo;&mdash;and she
snapped her fingers&mdash;&ldquo;he flew at my throat as a madman. He would
have killed me had you not interfered.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The brutes!&rdquo; muttered Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are worse than that, my friend,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They are
devils. I fear for you because you have gained their hatred. I wish you to be
on your guard constantly. Tell me that you will, for my sake, for I should
never forgive myself should you suffer through the kindness you did me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not fear them,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;I have survived grimmer
enemies than Rokoff and Paulvitch.&rdquo; He saw that she knew nothing of the
occurrence in the Rue Maule, nor did he mention it, fearing that it might
distress her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For your own safety,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;why do you not turn the
scoundrels over to the authorities? They should make quick work of them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She hesitated for a moment before replying.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There are two reasons,&rdquo; she said finally. &ldquo;One of them it is
that keeps the count from doing that very thing. The other, my real reason for
fearing to expose them, I have never told&mdash;only Rokoff and I know it. I
wonder,&rdquo; and then she paused, looking intently at him for a long time.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And what do you wonder?&rdquo; he asked, smiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was wondering why it is that I want to tell you the thing that I have
not dared tell even to my husband. I believe that you would understand, and
that you could tell me the right course to follow. I believe that you would not
judge me too harshly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear that I should prove a very poor judge, madame,&rdquo; Tarzan
replied, &ldquo;for if you had been guilty of murder I should say that the
victim should be grateful to have met so sweet a fate.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, dear, no,&rdquo; she expostulated; &ldquo;it is not so terrible as
that. But first let me tell you the reason the count has for not prosecuting
these men; then, if I can hold my courage, I shall tell you the real reason
that I dare not. The first is that Nikolas Rokoff is my brother. We are
Russians. Nikolas has been a bad man since I can remember. He was cashiered
from the Russian army, in which he held a captaincy. There was a scandal for a
time, but after a while it was partially forgotten, and my father obtained a
position for him in the secret service.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There have been many terrible crimes laid at Nikolas&rsquo; door, but he
has always managed to escape punishment. Of late he has accomplished it by
trumped-up evidence convicting his victims of treason against the czar, and the
Russian police, who are always only too ready to fasten guilt of this nature
upon any and all, have accepted his version and exonerated him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have not his attempted crimes against you and your husband forfeited
whatever rights the bonds of kinship might have accorded him?&rdquo; asked
Tarzan. &ldquo;The fact that you are his sister has not deterred him from
seeking to besmirch your honor. You owe him no loyalty, madame.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, but there is that other reason. If I owe him no loyalty though he be
my brother, I cannot so easily disavow the fear I hold him in because of a
certain episode in my life of which he is cognizant.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I might as well tell you all,&rdquo; she resumed after a pause,
&ldquo;for I see that it is in my heart to tell you sooner or later. I was
educated in a convent. While there I met a man whom I supposed to be a
gentleman. I knew little or nothing about men and less about love. I got it
into my foolish head that I loved this man, and at his urgent request I ran
away with him. We were to have been married.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was with him just three hours. All in the daytime and in public
places&mdash;railroad stations and upon a train. When we reached our
destination where we were to have been married, two officers stepped up to my
escort as we descended from the train, and placed him under arrest. They took
me also, but when I had told my story they did not detain me, other than to
send me back to the convent under the care of a matron. It seemed that the man
who had wooed me was no gentleman at all, but a deserter from the army as well
as a fugitive from civil justice. He had a police record in nearly every
country in Europe.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The matter was hushed up by the authorities of the convent. Not even my
parents knew of it. But Nikolas met the man afterward, and learned the whole
story. Now he threatens to tell the count if I do not do just as he wishes me
to.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan laughed. &ldquo;You are still but a little girl. The story that you have
told me cannot reflect in any way upon your reputation, and were you not a
little girl at heart you would know it. Go to your husband tonight, and tell
him the whole story, just as you have told it to me. Unless I am much mistaken
he will laugh at you for your fears, and take immediate steps to put that
precious brother of yours in prison where he belongs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I only wish that I dared,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;but I am afraid. I
learned early to fear men. First my father, then Nikolas, then the fathers in
the convent. Nearly all my friends fear their husbands&mdash;why should I not
fear mine?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It does not seem right that women should fear men,&rdquo; said Tarzan,
an expression of puzzlement on his face. &ldquo;I am better acquainted with the
jungle folk, and there it is more often the other way around, except among the
black men, and they to my mind are in most ways lower in the scale than the
beasts. No, I cannot understand why civilized women should fear men, the beings
that are created to protect them. I should hate to think that any woman feared
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not think that any woman would fear you, my friend,&rdquo; said
Olga de Coude softly. &ldquo;I have known you but a short while, yet though it
may seem foolish to say it, you are the only man I have ever known whom I think
that I should never fear&mdash;it is strange, too, for you are very strong. I
wondered at the ease with which you handled Nikolas and Paulvitch that night in
my cabin. It was marvellous.&rdquo; As Tarzan was leaving her a short time
later he wondered a little at the clinging pressure of her hand at parting, and
the firm insistence with which she exacted a promise from him that he would
call again on the morrow.
</p>

<p>
The memory of her half-veiled eyes and perfect lips as she had stood smiling up
into his face as he bade her good-by remained with him for the balance of the
day. Olga de Coude was a very beautiful woman, and Tarzan of the Apes a very
lonely young man, with a heart in him that was in need of the doctoring that
only a woman may provide.
</p>

<p>
As the countess turned back into the room after Tarzan&rsquo;s departure, she
found herself face to face with Nikolas Rokoff.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How long have you been here?&rdquo; she cried, shrinking away from him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Since before your lover came,&rdquo; he answered, with a nasty leer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; she commanded. &ldquo;How dare you say such a thing to
me&mdash;your sister!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, my dear Olga, if he is not your lover, accept my apologies; but it
is no fault of yours that he is not. Had he one-tenth the knowledge of women
that I have you would be in his arms this minute. He is a stupid fool, Olga.
Why, your every word and act was an open invitation to him, and he had not the
sense to see it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The woman put her hands to her ears.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will not listen. You are wicked to say such things as that. No matter
what you may threaten me with, you know that I am a good woman. After tonight
you will not dare to annoy me, for I shall tell Raoul all. He will understand,
and then, Monsieur Nikolas, beware!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You shall tell him nothing,&rdquo; said Rokoff. &ldquo;I have this
affair now, and with the help of one of your servants whom I may trust it will
lack nothing in the telling when the time comes that the details of the sworn
evidence shall be poured into your husband&rsquo;s ears. The other affair
served its purpose well&mdash;we now have something tangible to work on, Olga.
A real <i>affair</i>&mdash;and you a trusted wife. Shame, Olga,&rdquo; and the
brute laughed.
</p>

<p>
So the countess told her count nothing, and matters were worse than they had
been. From a vague fear her mind was transferred to a very tangible one. It may
be, too, that conscience helped to enlarge it out of all proportion.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap05"></a>Chapter V<br/>
The Plot That Failed</h2>

<p>
For a month Tarzan was a regular and very welcome devotee at the shrine of the
beautiful Countess de Coude. Often he met other members of the select little
coterie that dropped in for tea of an afternoon. More often Olga found devices
that would give her an hour of Tarzan alone.
</p>

<p>
For a time she had been frightened by what Nikolas had insinuated. She had not
thought of this big, young man as anything more than friend, but with the
suggestion implanted by the evil words of her brother she had grown to
speculate much upon the strange force which seemed to attract her toward the
gray-eyed stranger. She did not wish to love him, nor did she wish his love.
</p>

<p>
She was much younger than her husband, and without having realized it she had
been craving the haven of a friendship with one nearer her own age. Twenty is
shy in exchanging confidences with forty. Tarzan was but two years her senior.
He could understand her, she felt. Then he was clean and honorable and
chivalrous. She was not afraid of him. That she could trust him she had felt
instinctively from the first.
</p>

<p>
From a distance Rokoff had watched this growing intimacy with malicious glee.
Ever since he had learned that Tarzan knew that he was a Russian spy there had
been added to his hatred for the ape-man a great fear that he would expose him.
He was but waiting now until the moment was propitious for a master stroke. He
wanted to rid himself forever of Tarzan, and at the same time reap an ample
revenge for the humiliations and defeats that he had suffered at his hands.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan was nearer to contentment than he had been since the peace and
tranquility of his jungle had been broken in upon by the advent of the marooned
Porter party. He enjoyed the pleasant social intercourse with Olga&rsquo;s
friends, while the friendship which had sprung up between the fair countess and
himself was a source of never-ending delight. It broke in upon and dispersed
his gloomy thoughts, and served as a balm to his lacerated heart.
</p>

<p>
Sometimes D&rsquo;Arnot accompanied him on his visits to the De Coude home, for
he had long known both Olga and the count. Occasionally De Coude dropped in,
but the multitudinous affairs of his official position and the never-ending
demands of politics kept him from home usually until late at night.
</p>

<p>
Rokoff spied upon Tarzan almost constantly, waiting for the time that he should
call at the De Coude palace at night, but in this he was doomed to
disappointment. On several occasions Tarzan accompanied the countess to her
home after the opera, but he invariably left her at the entrance&mdash;much to
the disgust of the lady&rsquo;s devoted brother.
</p>

<p>
Finding that it seemed impossible to trap Tarzan through any voluntary act of
his own, Rokoff and Paulvitch put their heads together to hatch a plan that
would trap the ape-man in all the circumstantial evidence of a compromising
position.
</p>

<p>
For days they watched the papers as well as the movements of De Coude and
Tarzan. At length they were rewarded. A morning paper made brief mention of a
smoker that was to be given on the following evening by the German minister. De
Coude&rsquo;s name was among those of the invited guests. If he attended this
meant that he would be absent from his home until after midnight.
</p>

<p>
On the night of the banquet Paulvitch waited at the curb before the residence
of the German minister, where he could scan the face of each guest that
arrived. He had not long to wait before De Coude descended from his car and
passed him. That was enough. Paulvitch hastened back to his quarters, where
Rokoff awaited him. There they waited until after eleven, then Paulvitch took
down the receiver of their telephone. He called a number.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The apartments of Lieutenant D&rsquo;Arnot?&rdquo; he asked, when he had
obtained his connection.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A message for Monsieur Tarzan, if he will be so kind as to step to the
telephone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For a minute there was silence.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur Tarzan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ah, yes, monsieur, this is François&mdash;in the service of the Countess
de Coude. Possibly monsieur does poor François the honor to recall
him&mdash;yes?
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, monsieur. I have a message, an urgent message from the countess.
She asks that you hasten to her at once&mdash;she is in trouble, monsieur.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, monsieur, poor François does not know. Shall I tell madame that
monsieur will be here shortly?
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thank you, monsieur. The good God will bless you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Paulvitch hung up the receiver and turned to grin at Rokoff.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It will take him thirty minutes to get there. If you reach the German
minister&rsquo;s in fifteen, De Coude should arrive at his home in about
forty-five minutes. It all depends upon whether the fool will remain fifteen
minutes after he finds that a trick has been played upon him; but unless I am
mistaken Olga will be loath to let him go in so short a time as that. Here is
the note for De Coude. Hasten!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Paulvitch lost no time in reaching the German minister&rsquo;s. At the door he
handed the note to a footman. &ldquo;This is for the Count de Coude. It is very
urgent. You must see that it is placed in his hands at once,&rdquo; and he
dropped a piece of silver into the willing hand of the servant. Then he
returned to his quarters.
</p>

<p>
A moment later De Coude was apologizing to his host as he tore open the
envelope. What he read left his face white and his hand trembling.
</p>

<p class="letter">
M<small>ONSIEUR LE</small> C<small>OUNT DE</small> C<small>OUDE</small>:<br/>
    One who wishes to save the honor of your name takes this means to warn you
that the sanctity of your home is this minute in jeopardy.<br/>
    A certain man who for months has been a constant visitor there during your
absence is now with your wife. If you go at once to your countess&rsquo;
boudoir you will find them together.
</p>

<p class="right">
A F<small>RIEND</small>.
</p>

<p>
Twenty minutes after Paulvitch had called Tarzan, Rokoff obtained a connection
with Olga&rsquo;s private line. Her maid answered the telephone which was in
the countess&rsquo; boudoir.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But madame has retired,&rdquo; said the maid, in answer to
Rokoff&rsquo;s request to speak with her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is a very urgent message for the countess&rsquo; ears alone,&rdquo;
replied Rokoff. &ldquo;Tell her that she must arise and slip something about
her and come to the telephone. I shall call up again in five minutes.&rdquo;
Then he hung up his receiver. A moment later Paulvitch entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The count has the message?&rdquo; asked Rokoff.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He should be on his way to his home by now,&rdquo; replied Paulvitch.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good! My lady will be sitting in her boudoir, very much in negligee,
about now. In a minute the faithful Jacques will escort Monsieur Tarzan into
her presence without announcing him. It will take a few minutes for
explanations. Olga will look very alluring in the filmy creation that is her
night-dress, and the clinging robe which but half conceals the charms that the
former does not conceal at all. Olga will be surprised, but not displeased.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If there is a drop of red blood in the man the count will break in upon
a very pretty love scene in about fifteen minutes from now. I think we have
planned marvelously, my dear Alexis. Let us go out and drink to the very good
health of Monsieur Tarzan in some of old Plancon&rsquo;s unparalleled absinth;
not forgetting that the Count de Coude is one of the best swordsmen in Paris,
and by far the best shot in all France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When Tarzan reached Olga&rsquo;s, Jacques was awaiting him at the entrance.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This way, Monsieur,&rdquo; he said, and led the way up the broad, marble
staircase. In another moment he had opened a door, and, drawing aside a heavy
curtain, obsequiously bowed Tarzan into a dimly lighted apartment. Then Jacques
vanished.
</p>

<p>
Across the room from him Tarzan saw Olga seated before a little desk on which
stood her telephone. She was tapping impatiently upon the polished surface of
the desk. She had not heard him enter.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Olga,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;what is wrong?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She turned toward him with a little cry of alarm.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Jean!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;What are you doing here? Who admitted
you? What does it mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan was thunderstruck, but in an instant he realized a part of the truth.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you did not send for me, Olga?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Send for you at this time of night? <i>Mon Dieu!</i> Jean, do you think
that I am quite mad?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;François telephoned me to come at once; that you were in trouble and
wanted me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;François? Who in the world is François?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He said that he was in your service. He spoke as though I should recall
the fact.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is no one by that name in my employ. Some one has played a joke
upon you, Jean,&rdquo; and Olga laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear that it may be a most sinister &lsquo;joke,&rsquo; Olga,&rdquo;
he replied. &ldquo;There is more back of it than humor.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean? You do not think that&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where is the count?&rdquo; he interrupted.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At the German ambassador&rsquo;s.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is another move by your estimable brother. Tomorrow the count will
hear of it. He will question the servants. Everything will point to&mdash;to
what Rokoff wishes the count to think.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The scoundrel!&rdquo; cried Olga. She had arisen, and come close to
Tarzan, where she stood looking up into his face. She was very frightened. In
her eyes was an expression that the hunter sees in those of a poor, terrified
doe&mdash;puzzled&mdash;questioning. She trembled, and to steady herself raised
her hands to his broad shoulders. &ldquo;What shall we do, Jean?&rdquo; she
whispered. &ldquo;It is terrible. Tomorrow all Paris will read of it&mdash;he
will see to that.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Her look, her attitude, her words were eloquent of the age-old appeal of
defenseless woman to her natural protector&mdash;man. Tarzan took one of the
warm little hands that lay on his breast in his own strong one. The act was
quite involuntary, and almost equally so was the instinct of protection that
threw a sheltering arm around the girl&rsquo;s shoulders.
</p>

<p>
The result was electrical. Never before had he been so close to her. In
startled guilt they looked suddenly into each other&rsquo;s eyes, and where
Olga de Coude should have been strong she was weak, for she crept closer into
the man&rsquo;s arms, and clasped her own about his neck. And Tarzan of the
Apes? He took the panting figure into his mighty arms, and covered the hot lips
with kisses.
</p>

<p>
Raoul de Coude made hurried excuses to his host after he had read the note
handed him by the ambassador&rsquo;s butler. Never afterward could he recall
the nature of the excuses he made. Everything was quite a blur to him up to the
time that he stood on the threshold of his own home. Then he became very cool,
moving quietly and with caution. For some inexplicable reason Jacques had the
door open before he was halfway to the steps. It did not strike him at the time
as being unusual, though afterward he remarked it.
</p>

<p>
Very softly he tiptoed up the stairs and along the gallery to the door of his
wife&rsquo;s boudoir. In his hand was a heavy walking stick&mdash;in his heart,
murder.
</p>

<p>
Olga was the first to see him. With a horrified shriek she tore herself from
Tarzan&rsquo;s arms, and the ape-man turned just in time to ward with his arm a
terrific blow that De Coude had aimed at his head. Once, twice, three times the
heavy stick fell with lightning rapidity, and each blow aided in the transition
of the ape-man back to the primordial.
</p>

<p>
With the low, guttural snarl of the bull ape he sprang for the Frenchman. The
great stick was torn from his grasp and broken in two as though it had been
matchwood, to be flung aside as the now infuriated beast charged for his
adversary&rsquo;s throat. Olga de Coude stood a horrified spectator of the
terrible scene which ensued during the next brief moment, then she sprang to
where Tarzan was murdering her husband&mdash;choking the life from
him&mdash;shaking him as a terrier might shake a rat.
</p>

<p>
Frantically she tore at his great hands. &ldquo;Mother of God!&rdquo; she
cried. &ldquo;You are killing him, you are killing him! Oh, Jean, you are
killing my husband!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan was deaf with rage. Suddenly he hurled the body to the floor, and,
placing his foot upon the upturned breast, raised his head. Then through the
palace of the Count de Coude rang the awesome challenge of the bull ape that
has made a kill. From cellar to attic the horrid sound searched out the
servants, and left them blanched and trembling. The woman in the room sank to
her knees beside the body of her husband, and prayed.
</p>

<p>
Slowly the red mist faded from before Tarzan&rsquo;s eyes. Things began to take
form&mdash;he was regaining the perspective of civilized man. His eyes fell
upon the figure of the kneeling woman. &ldquo;Olga,&rdquo; he whispered. She
looked up, expecting to see the maniacal light of murder in the eyes above her.
Instead she saw sorrow and contrition.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, Jean!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;See what you have done. He was my
husband. I loved him, and you have killed him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Very gently Tarzan raised the limp form of the Count de Coude and bore it to a
couch. Then he put his ear to the man&rsquo;s breast.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some brandy, Olga,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
She brought it, and together they forced it between his lips. Presently a faint
gasp came from the white lips. The head turned, and De Coude groaned.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He will not die,&rdquo; said Tarzan. &ldquo;Thank God!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why did you do it, Jean?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know. He struck me, and I went mad. I have seen the apes of my
tribe do the same thing. I have never told you my story, Olga. It would have
been better had you known it&mdash;this might not have happened. I never saw my
father. The only mother I knew was a ferocious she-ape. Until I was fifteen I
had never seen a human being. I was twenty before I saw a white man. A little
more than a year ago I was a naked beast of prey in an African jungle.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not judge me too harshly. Two years is too short a time in which to
attempt to work the change in an individual that it has taken countless ages to
accomplish in the white race.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not judge at all, Jean. The fault is mine. You must go now&mdash;he
must not find you here when he regains consciousness. Good-by.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
It was a sorrowful Tarzan who walked with bowed head from the palace of the
Count de Coude.
</p>

<p>
Once outside his thoughts took definite shape, to the end that twenty minutes
later he entered a police station not far from the Rue Maule. Here he soon
found one of the officers with whom he had had the encounter several weeks
previous. The policeman was genuinely glad to see again the man who had so
roughly handled him. After a moment of conversation Tarzan asked if he had ever
heard of Nikolas Rokoff or Alexis Paulvitch.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very often, indeed, monsieur. Each has a police record, and while there
is nothing charged against them now, we make it a point to know pretty well
where they may be found should the occasion demand. It is only the same
precaution that we take with every known criminal. Why does monsieur
ask?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are known to me,&rdquo; replied Tarzan. &ldquo;I wish to see
Monsieur Rokoff on a little matter of business. If you can direct me to his
lodgings I shall appreciate it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A few minutes later he bade the policeman adieu, and, with a slip of paper in
his pocket bearing a certain address in a semirespectable quarter, he walked
briskly toward the nearest taxi stand.
</p>

<p>
Rokoff and Paulvitch had returned to their rooms, and were sitting talking over
the probable outcome of the evening&rsquo;s events. They had telephoned to the
offices of two of the morning papers from which they momentarily expected
representatives to hear the first report of the scandal that was to stir social
Paris on the morrow.
</p>

<p>
A heavy step sounded on the stairway. &ldquo;Ah, but these newspaper men are
prompt,&rdquo; exclaimed Rokoff, and as a knock fell upon the door of their
room: &ldquo;Enter, monsieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The smile of welcome froze upon the Russian&rsquo;s face as he looked into the
hard, gray eyes of his visitor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Name of a name!&rdquo; he shouted, springing to his feet, &ldquo;What
brings you here!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Sit down!&rdquo; said Tarzan, so low that the men could barely catch the
words, but in a tone that brought Rokoff to his chair, and kept Paulvitch in
his.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You know what has brought me here,&rdquo; he continued, in the same low
tone. &ldquo;It should be to kill you, but because you are Olga de
Coude&rsquo;s brother I shall not do that&mdash;now.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall give you a chance for your lives. Paulvitch does not count
much&mdash;he is merely a stupid, foolish little tool, and so I shall not kill
him so long as I permit you to live. Before I leave you two alive in this room
you will have done two things. The first will be to write a full confession of
your connection with tonight&rsquo;s plot&mdash;and sign it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The second will be to promise me upon pain of death that you will permit
no word of this affair to get into the newspapers. If you do not do both,
neither of you will be alive when I pass next through that doorway. Do you
understand?&rdquo; And, without waiting for a reply: &ldquo;Make haste; there
is ink before you, and paper and a pen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff assumed a truculent air, attempting by bravado to show how little he
feared Tarzan&rsquo;s threats. An instant later he felt the ape-man&rsquo;s
steel fingers at his throat, and Paulvitch, who attempted to dodge them and
reach the door, was lifted completely off the floor, and hurled senseless into
a corner. When Rokoff commenced to blacken about the face Tarzan released his
hold and shoved the fellow back into his chair. After a moment of coughing
Rokoff sat sullenly glaring at the man standing opposite him. Presently
Paulvitch came to himself, and limped painfully back to his chair at
Tarzan&rsquo;s command.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now write,&rdquo; said the ape-man. &ldquo;If it is necessary to handle
you again I shall not be so lenient.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff picked up a pen and commenced to write.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;See that you omit no detail, and that you mention every name,&rdquo;
cautioned Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
Presently there was a knock at the door. &ldquo;Enter,&rdquo; said Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
A dapper young man came in. &ldquo;I am from the <i>Matin</i>,&rdquo; he
announced. &ldquo;I understand that Monsieur Rokoff has a story for me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you are mistaken, monsieur,&rdquo; replied Tarzan. &ldquo;You have
no story for publication, have you, my dear Nikolas.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff looked up from his writing with an ugly scowl upon his face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; he growled, &ldquo;I have no story for
publication&mdash;now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nor ever, my dear Nikolas,&rdquo; and the reporter did not see the nasty
light in the ape-man&rsquo;s eye; but Nikolas Rokoff did.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nor ever,&rdquo; he repeated hastily.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is too bad that monsieur has been troubled,&rdquo; said Tarzan,
turning to the newspaper man. &ldquo;I bid monsieur good evening,&rdquo; and he
bowed the dapper young man out of the room, and closed the door in his face.
</p>

<p>
An hour later Tarzan, with a rather bulky manuscript in his coat pocket, turned
at the door leading from Rokoff&rsquo;s room.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Were I you I should leave France,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;for sooner or
later I shall find an excuse to kill you that will not in any way compromise
your sister.&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap06"></a>Chapter VI<br/>
A Duel</h2>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot was asleep when Tarzan entered their apartments after leaving
Rokoff&rsquo;s. Tarzan did not disturb him, but the following morning he
narrated the happenings of the previous evening, omitting not a single detail.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What a fool I have been,&rdquo; he concluded. &ldquo;De Coude and his
wife were both my friends. How have I returned their friendship? Barely did I
escape murdering the count. I have cast a stigma on the name of a good woman.
It is very probable that I have broken up a happy home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do you love Olga de Coude?&rdquo; asked D&rsquo;Arnot.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Were I not positive that she does not love me I could not answer your
question, Paul; but without disloyalty to her I tell you that I do not love
her, nor does she love me. For an instant we were the victims of a sudden
madness&mdash;it was not love&mdash;and it would have left us, unharmed, as
suddenly as it had come upon us even though De Coude had not returned. As you
know, I have had little experience of women. Olga de Coude is very beautiful;
that, and the dim light and the seductive surroundings, and the appeal of the
defenseless for protection, might have been resisted by a more civilized man,
but my civilization is not even skin deep&mdash;it does not go deeper than my
clothes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Paris is no place for me. I will but continue to stumble into more and
more serious pitfalls. The man-made restrictions are irksome. I feel always
that I am a prisoner. I cannot endure it, my friend, and so I think that I
shall go back to my own jungle, and lead the life that God intended that I
should lead when He put me there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not take it so to heart, Jean,&rdquo; responded D&rsquo;Arnot.
&ldquo;You have acquitted yourself much better than most
&lsquo;civilized&rsquo; men would have under similar circumstances. As to
leaving Paris at this time, I rather think that Raoul de Coude may be expected
to have something to say on that subject before long.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Nor was D&rsquo;Arnot mistaken. A week later on Monsieur Flaubert was announced
about eleven in the morning, as D&rsquo;Arnot and Tarzan were breakfasting.
Monsieur Flaubert was an impressively polite gentleman. With many low bows he
delivered Monsieur le Count de Coude&rsquo;s challenge to Monsieur Tarzan.
Would monsieur be so very kind as to arrange to have a friend meet Monsieur
Flaubert at as early an hour as convenient, that the details might be arranged
to the mutual satisfaction of all concerned?
</p>

<p>
Certainly. Monsieur Tarzan would be delighted to place his interests
unreservedly in the hands of his friend, Lieutenant D&rsquo;Arnot. And so it
was arranged that D&rsquo;Arnot was to call on Monsieur Flaubert at two that
afternoon, and the polite Monsieur Flaubert, with many bows, left them.
</p>

<p>
When they were again alone D&rsquo;Arnot looked quizzically at Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well?&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now to my sins I must add murder, or else myself be killed,&rdquo; said
Tarzan. &ldquo;I am progressing rapidly in the ways of my civilized
brothers.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What weapons shall you select?&rdquo; asked D&rsquo;Arnot. &ldquo;De
Coude is accredited with being a master with the sword, and a splendid
shot.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I might then choose poisoned arrows at twenty paces, or spears at the
same distance,&rdquo; laughed Tarzan. &ldquo;Make it pistols, Paul.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He will kill you, Jean.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have no doubt of it,&rdquo; replied Tarzan. &ldquo;I must die some
day.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We had better make it swords,&rdquo; said D&rsquo;Arnot. &ldquo;He will
be satisfied with wounding you, and there is less danger of a mortal
wound.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Pistols,&rdquo; said Tarzan, with finality.
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot tried to argue him out of it, but without avail, so pistols it
was.
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot returned from his conference with Monsieur Flaubert shortly after
four.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is all arranged,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Everything is satisfactory.
Tomorrow morning at daylight&mdash;there is a secluded spot on the road not far
from Etamps. For some personal reason Monsieur Flaubert preferred it. I did not
demur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; was Tarzan&rsquo;s only comment. He did not refer to the
matter again even indirectly. That night he wrote several letters before he
retired. After sealing and addressing them he placed them all in an envelope
addressed to D&rsquo;Arnot. As he undressed D&rsquo;Arnot heard him humming a
music-hall ditty.
</p>

<p>
The Frenchman swore under his breath. He was very unhappy, for he was positive
that when the sun rose the next morning it would look down upon a dead Tarzan.
It grated upon him to see Tarzan so unconcerned.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is a most uncivilized hour for people to kill each other,&rdquo;
remarked the ape-man when he had been routed out of a comfortable bed in the
blackness of the early morning hours. He had slept well, and so it seemed that
his head scarcely touched the pillow ere his man deferentially aroused him. His
remark was addressed to D&rsquo;Arnot, who stood fully dressed in the doorway
of Tarzan&rsquo;s bedroom.
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot had scarcely slept at all during the night. He was nervous, and
therefore inclined to be irritable.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I presume you slept like a baby all night,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan laughed. &ldquo;From your tone, Paul, I infer that you rather harbor the
fact against me. I could not help it, really.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, Jean; it is not that,&rdquo; replied D&rsquo;Arnot, himself smiling.
&ldquo;But you take the entire matter with such infernal indifference&mdash;it
is exasperating. One would think that you were going out to shoot at a target,
rather than to face one of the best shots in France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan shrugged his shoulders. &ldquo;I am going out to expiate a great wrong,
Paul. A very necessary feature of the expiation is the marksmanship of my
opponent. Wherefore, then, should I be dissatisfied? Have you not yourself told
me that Count de Coude is a splendid marksman?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You mean that you hope to be killed?&rdquo; exclaimed D&rsquo;Arnot, in
horror.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot say that I hope to be; but you must admit that there is little
reason to believe that I shall not be killed.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Had D&rsquo;Arnot known the thing that was in the ape-man&rsquo;s
mind&mdash;that had been in his mind almost from the first intimation that De
Coude would call him to account on the field of honor&mdash;he would have been
even more horrified than he was.
</p>

<p>
In silence they entered D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s great car, and in similar silence
they sped over the dim road that leads to Etamps. Each man was occupied with
his own thoughts. D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s were very mournful, for he was
genuinely fond of Tarzan. The great friendship which had sprung up between
these two men whose lives and training had been so widely different had but
been strengthened by association, for they were both men to whom the same high
ideals of manhood, of personal courage, and of honor appealed with equal force.
They could understand one another, and each could be proud of the friendship of
the other.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan of the Apes was wrapped in thoughts of the past; pleasant memories of
the happier occasions of his lost jungle life. He recalled the countless
boyhood hours that he had spent cross-legged upon the table in his dead
father&rsquo;s cabin, his little brown body bent over one of the fascinating
picture books from which, unaided, he had gleaned the secret of the printed
language long before the sounds of human speech fell upon his ears. A smile of
contentment softened his strong face as he thought of that day of days that he
had had alone with Jane Porter in the heart of his primeval forest.
</p>

<p>
Presently his reminiscences were broken in upon by the stopping of the
car&mdash;they were at their destination. Tarzan&rsquo;s mind returned to the
affairs of the moment. He knew that he was about to die, but there was no fear
of death in him. To a denizen of the cruel jungle death is a commonplace. The
first law of nature compels them to cling tenaciously to life&mdash;to fight
for it; but it does not teach them to fear death.
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot and Tarzan were first upon the field of honor. A moment later De
Coude, Monsieur Flaubert, and a third gentleman arrived. The last was
introduced to D&rsquo;Arnot and Tarzan; he was a physician.
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot and Monsieur Flaubert spoke together in whispers for a brief
time. The Count de Coude and Tarzan stood apart at opposite sides of the field.
Presently the seconds summoned them. D&rsquo;Arnot and Monsieur Flaubert had
examined both pistols. The two men who were to face each other a moment later
stood silently while Monsieur Flaubert recited the conditions they were to
observe.
</p>

<p>
They were to stand back to back. At a signal from Monsieur Flaubert they were
to walk in opposite directions, their pistols hanging by their sides. When each
had proceeded ten paces D&rsquo;Arnot was to give the final signal&mdash;then
they were to turn and fire at will until one fell, or each had expended the
three shots allowed.
</p>

<p>
While Monsieur Flaubert spoke Tarzan selected a cigarette from his case, and
lighted it. De Coude was the personification of coolness&mdash;was he not the
best shot in France?
</p>

<p>
Presently Monsieur Flaubert nodded to D&rsquo;Arnot, and each man placed his
principal in position.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Are you quite ready, gentlemen?&rdquo; asked Monsieur Flaubert.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Quite,&rdquo; replied De Coude.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan nodded. Monsieur Flaubert gave the signal. He and D&rsquo;Arnot stepped
back a few paces to be out of the line of fire as the men paced slowly apart.
Six! Seven! Eight! There were tears in D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s eyes. He loved
Tarzan very much. Nine! Another pace, and the poor lieutenant gave the signal
he so hated to give. To him it sounded the doom of his best friend.
</p>

<p>
Quickly De Coude wheeled and fired. Tarzan gave a little start. His pistol
still dangled at his side. De Coude hesitated, as though waiting to see his
antagonist crumple to the ground. The Frenchman was too experienced a marksman
not to know that he had scored a hit. Still Tarzan made no move to raise his
pistol. De Coude fired once more, but the attitude of the ape-man&mdash;the
utter indifference that was so apparent in every line of the nonchalant ease of
his giant figure, and the even unruffled puffing of his cigarette&mdash;had
disconcerted the best marksman in France. This time Tarzan did not start, but
again De Coude knew that he had hit.
</p>

<p>
Suddenly the explanation leaped to his mind&mdash;his antagonist was coolly
taking these terrible chances in the hope that he would receive no staggering
wound from any of De Coude&rsquo;s three shots. Then he would take his own time
about shooting De Coude down deliberately, coolly, and in cold blood. A little
shiver ran up the Frenchman&rsquo;s spine. It was fiendish&mdash;diabolical.
What manner of creature was this that could stand complacently with two bullets
in him, waiting for the third?
</p>

<p>
And so De Coude took careful aim this time, but his nerve was gone, and he made
a clean miss. Not once had Tarzan raised his pistol hand from where it hung
beside his leg.
</p>

<p>
For a moment the two stood looking straight into each other&rsquo;s eyes. On
Tarzan&rsquo;s face was a pathetic expression of disappointment. On De
Coude&rsquo;s a rapidly growing expression of horror&mdash;yes, of terror.
</p>

<p>
He could endure it no longer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mother of God! Monsieur&mdash;shoot!&rdquo; he screamed.
</p>

<p>
But Tarzan did not raise his pistol. Instead, he advanced toward De Coude, and
when D&rsquo;Arnot and Monsieur Flaubert, misinterpreting his intention, would
have rushed between them, he raised his left hand in a sign of remonstrance.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not fear,&rdquo; he said to them, &ldquo;I shall not harm him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
It was most unusual, but they halted. Tarzan advanced until he was quite close
to De Coude.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There must have been something wrong with monsieur&rsquo;s
pistol,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Or monsieur is unstrung. Take mine, monsieur,
and try again,&rdquo; and Tarzan offered his pistol, butt foremost, to the
astonished De Coude.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Mon Dieu</i>, monsieur!&rdquo; cried the latter. &ldquo;Are you
mad?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, my friend,&rdquo; replied the ape-man; &ldquo;but I deserve to die.
It is the only way in which I may atone for the wrong I have done a very good
woman. Take my pistol and do as I bid.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It would be murder,&rdquo; replied De Coude. &ldquo;But what wrong did
you do my wife? She swore to me that&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not mean that,&rdquo; said Tarzan quickly. &ldquo;You saw all the
wrong that passed between us. But that was enough to cast a shadow upon her
name, and to ruin the happiness of a man against whom I had no enmity. The
fault was all mine, and so I hoped to die for it this morning. I am
disappointed that monsieur is not so wonderful a marksman as I had been led to
believe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You say that the fault was all yours?&rdquo; asked De Coude eagerly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All mine, monsieur. Your wife is a very pure woman. She loves only you.
The fault that you saw was all mine. The thing that brought me there was no
fault of either the Countess de Coude or myself. Here is a paper which will
quite positively demonstrate that,&rdquo; and Tarzan drew from his pocket the
statement Rokoff had written and signed.
</p>

<p>
De Coude took it and read. D&rsquo;Arnot and Monsieur Flaubert had drawn near.
They were interested spectators of this strange ending of a strange duel. None
spoke until De Coude had quite finished, then he looked up at Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a very brave and chivalrous gentleman,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I
thank God that I did not kill you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
De Coude was a Frenchman. Frenchmen are impulsive. He threw his arms about
Tarzan and embraced him. Monsieur Flaubert embraced D&rsquo;Arnot. There was no
one to embrace the doctor. So possibly it was pique which prompted him to
interfere, and demand that he be permitted to dress Tarzan&rsquo;s wounds.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This gentleman was hit once at least,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Possibly
thrice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Twice,&rdquo; said Tarzan. &ldquo;Once in the left shoulder, and again
in the left side&mdash;both flesh wounds, I think.&rdquo; But the doctor
insisted upon stretching him upon the sward, and tinkering with him until the
wounds were cleansed and the flow of blood checked.
</p>

<p>
One result of the duel was that they all rode back to Paris together in
D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s car, the best of friends. De Coude was so relieved to
have had this double assurance of his wife&rsquo;s loyalty that he felt no
rancor at all toward Tarzan. It is true that the latter had assumed much more
of the fault than was rightly his, but if he lied a little he may be excused,
for he lied in the service of a woman, and he lied like a gentleman.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man was confined to his bed for several days. He felt that it was
foolish and unnecessary, but the doctor and D&rsquo;Arnot took the matter so to
heart that he gave in to please them, though it made him laugh to think of it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is droll,&rdquo; he said to D&rsquo;Arnot. &ldquo;To lie abed because
of a pin prick! Why, when Bolgani, the king gorilla, tore me almost to pieces,
while I was still but a little boy, did I have a nice soft bed to lie on? No,
only the damp, rotting vegetation of the jungle. Hidden beneath some friendly
bush I lay for days and weeks with only Kala to nurse me&mdash;poor, faithful
Kala, who kept the insects from my wounds and warned off the beasts of prey.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When I called for water she brought it to me in her own mouth&mdash;the
only way she knew to carry it. There was no sterilized gauze, there was no
antiseptic bandage&mdash;there was nothing that would not have driven our dear
doctor mad to have seen. Yet I recovered&mdash;recovered to lie in bed because
of a tiny scratch that one of the jungle folk would scarce realize unless it
were upon the end of his nose.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But the time was soon over, and before he realized it Tarzan found himself
abroad again. Several times De Coude had called, and when he found that Tarzan
was anxious for employment of some nature he promised to see what could be done
to find a berth for him.
</p>

<p>
It was the first day that Tarzan was permitted to go out that he received a
message from De Coude requesting him to call at the count&rsquo;s office that
afternoon.
</p>

<p>
He found De Coude awaiting him with a very pleasant welcome, and a sincere
congratulation that he was once more upon his feet. Neither had ever mentioned
the duel or the cause of it since that morning upon the field of honor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think that I have found just the thing for you, Monsieur
Tarzan,&rdquo; said the count. &ldquo;It is a position of much trust and
responsibility, which also requires considerably physical courage and prowess.
I cannot imagine a man better fitted than you, my dear Monsieur Tarzan, for
this very position. It will necessitate travel, and later it may lead to a very
much better post&mdash;possibly in the diplomatic service.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;At first, for a short time only, you will be a special agent in the
service of the ministry of war. Come, I will take you to the gentleman who will
be your chief. He can explain the duties better than I, and then you will be in
a position to judge if you wish to accept or no.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
De Coude himself escorted Tarzan to the office of General Rochere, the chief of
the bureau to which Tarzan would be attached if he accepted the position. There
the count left him, after a glowing description to the general of the many
attributes possessed by the ape-man which should fit him for the work of the
service.
</p>

<p>
A half hour later Tarzan walked out of the office the possessor of the first
position he had ever held. On the morrow he was to return for further
instructions, though General Rochere had made it quite plain that Tarzan might
prepare to leave Paris for an almost indefinite period, possibly on the morrow.
</p>

<p>
It was with feelings of the keenest elation that he hastened home to bear the
good news to D&rsquo;Arnot. At last he was to be of some value in the world. He
was to earn money, and, best of all, to travel and see the world.
</p>

<p>
He could scarcely wait to get well inside D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s sitting room
before he burst out with the glad tidings. D&rsquo;Arnot was not so pleased.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It seems to delight you to think that you are to leave Paris, and that
we shall not see each other for months, perhaps. Tarzan, you are a most
ungrateful beast!&rdquo; and D&rsquo;Arnot laughed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, Paul; I am a little child. I have a new toy, and I am tickled to
death.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And so it came that on the following day Tarzan left Paris en route for
Marseilles and Oran.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap07"></a>Chapter VII<br/>
The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa</h2>

<p>
Tarzan&rsquo;s first mission did not bid fair to be either exciting or vastly
important. There was a certain lieutenant of <i>spahis</i> whom the government
had reason to suspect of improper relations with a great European power. This
Lieutenant Gernois, who was at present stationed at Sidi-bel-Abbes, had
recently been attached to the general staff, where certain information of great
military value had come into his possession in the ordinary routine of his
duties. It was this information which the government suspected the great power
was bartering for with the officer.
</p>

<p>
It was at most but a vague hint dropped by a certain notorious Parisienne in a
jealous mood that had caused suspicion to rest upon the lieutenant. But general
staffs are jealous of their secrets, and treason so serious a thing that even a
hint of it may not be safely neglected. And so it was that Tarzan had come to
Algeria in the guise of an American hunter and traveler to keep a close eye
upon Lieutenant Gernois.
</p>

<p>
He had looked forward with keen delight to again seeing his beloved Africa, but
this northern aspect of it was so different from his tropical jungle home that
he might as well have been back in Paris for all the heart thrills of
homecoming that he experienced. At Oran he spent a day wandering through the
narrow, crooked alleys of the Arab quarter enjoying the strange, new sights.
The next day found him at Sidi-bel-Abbes, where he presented his letters of
introduction to both civil and military authorities&mdash;letters which gave no
clew to the real significance of his mission.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan possessed a sufficient command of English to enable him to pass among
Arabs and Frenchmen as an American, and that was all that was required of it.
When he met an Englishman he spoke French in order that he might not betray
himself, but occasionally talked in English to foreigners who understood that
tongue, but could not note the slight imperfections of accent and pronunciation
that were his.
</p>

<p>
Here he became acquainted with many of the French officers, and soon became a
favorite among them. He met Gernois, whom he found to be a taciturn,
dyspeptic-looking man of about forty, having little or no social intercourse
with his fellows.
</p>

<p>
For a month nothing of moment occurred. Gernois apparently had no visitors, nor
did he on his occasional visits to the town hold communication with any who
might even by the wildest flight of imagination be construed into secret agents
of a foreign power. Tarzan was beginning to hope that, after all, the rumor
might have been false, when suddenly Gernois was ordered to Bou Saada in the
Petit Sahara far to the south.
</p>

<p>
A company of <i>spahis</i> and three officers were to relieve another company
already stationed there. Fortunately one of the officers, Captain Gerard, had
become an excellent friend of Tarzan&rsquo;s, and so when the ape-man suggested
that he should embrace the opportunity of accompanying him to Bou Saada, where
he expected to find hunting, it caused not the slightest suspicion.
</p>

<p>
At Bouira the detachment detrained, and the balance of the journey was made in
the saddle. As Tarzan was dickering at Bouira for a mount he caught a brief
glimpse of a man in European clothes eying him from the doorway of a native
coffeehouse, but as Tarzan looked the man turned and entered the little,
low-ceilinged mud hut, and but for a haunting impression that there had been
something familiar about the face or figure of the fellow, Tarzan gave the
matter no further thought.
</p>

<p>
The march to Aumale was fatiguing to Tarzan, whose equestrian experiences
hitherto had been confined to a course of riding lessons in a Parisian academy,
and so it was that he quickly sought the comforts of a bed in the Hotel
Grossat, while the officers and troops took up their quarters at the military
post.
</p>

<p>
Although Tarzan was called early the following morning, the company of
<i>spahis</i> was on the march before he had finished his breakfast. He was
hurrying through his meal that the soldiers might not get too far in advance of
him when he glanced through the door connecting the dining room with the bar.
</p>

<p>
To his surprise, he saw Gernois standing there in conversation with the very
stranger he had seen in the coffee-house at Bouira the day previous. He could
not be mistaken, for there was the same strangely familiar attitude and figure,
though the man&rsquo;s back was toward him.
</p>

<p>
As his eyes lingered on the two, Gernois looked up and caught the intent
expression on Tarzan&rsquo;s face. The stranger was talking in a low whisper at
the time, but the French officer immediately interrupted him, and the two at
once turned away and passed out of the range of Tarzan&rsquo;s vision.
</p>

<p>
This was the first suspicious occurrence that Tarzan had ever witnessed in
connection with Gernois&rsquo; actions, but he was positive that the men had
left the barroom solely because Gernois had caught Tarzan&rsquo;s eyes upon
them; then there was the persistent impression of familiarity about the
stranger to further augment the ape-man&rsquo;s belief that here at length was
something which would bear watching.
</p>

<p>
A moment later Tarzan entered the barroom, but the men had left, nor did he see
aught of them in the street beyond, though he found a pretext to ride to
various shops before he set out after the column which had now considerable
start of him. He did not overtake them until he reached Sidi Aissa shortly
after noon, where the soldiers had halted for an hour&rsquo;s rest. Here he
found Gernois with the column, but there was no sign of the stranger.
</p>

<p>
It was market day at Sidi Aissa, and the numberless caravans of camels coming
in from the desert, and the crowds of bickering Arabs in the market place,
filled Tarzan with a consuming desire to remain for a day that he might see
more of these sons of the desert. Thus it was that the company of <i>spahis</i>
marched on that afternoon toward Bou Saada without him. He spent the hours
until dark wandering about the market in company with a youthful Arab, one
Abdul, who had been recommended to him by the innkeeper as a trustworthy
servant and interpreter.
</p>

<p>
Here Tarzan purchased a better mount than the one he had selected at Bouira,
and, entering into conversation with the stately Arab to whom the animal had
belonged, learned that the seller was Kadour ben Saden, sheik of a desert tribe
far south of Djelfa. Through Abdul, Tarzan invited his new acquaintance to dine
with him. As the three were making their way through the crowds of marketers,
camels, donkeys, and horses that filled the market place with a confusing babel
of sounds, Abdul plucked at Tarzan&rsquo;s sleeve.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look, master, behind us,&rdquo; and he turned, pointing at a figure
which disappeared behind a camel as Tarzan turned. &ldquo;He has been following
us about all afternoon,&rdquo; continued Abdul.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I caught only a glimpse of an Arab in a dark-blue burnoose and white
turban,&rdquo; replied Tarzan. &ldquo;Is it he you mean?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes. I suspected him because he seems a stranger here, without other
business than following us, which is not the way of the Arab who is honest, and
also because he keeps the lower part of his face hidden, only his eyes showing.
He must be a bad man, or he would have honest business of his own to occupy his
time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is on the wrong scent then, Abdul,&rdquo; replied Tarzan, &ldquo;for
no one here can have any grievance against me. This is my first visit to your
country, and none knows me. He will soon discover his error, and cease to
follow us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Unless he be bent on robbery,&rdquo; returned Abdul.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then all we can do is wait until he is ready to try his hand upon
us,&rdquo; laughed Tarzan, &ldquo;and I warrant that he will get his bellyful
of robbing now that we are prepared for him,&rdquo; and so he dismissed the
subject from his mind, though he was destined to recall it before many hours
through a most unlooked-for occurrence.
</p>

<p>
Kadour ben Saden, having dined well, prepared to take leave of his host. With
dignified protestations of friendship, he invited Tarzan to visit him in his
wild domain, where the antelope, the stag, the boar, the panther, and the lion
might still be found in sufficient numbers to tempt an ardent huntsman.
</p>

<p>
On his departure the ape-man, with Abdul, wandered again into the streets of
Sidi Aissa, where he was soon attracted by the wild din of sound coming from
the open doorway of one of the numerous <i>cafés maures</i>. It was after
eight, and the dancing was in full swing as Tarzan entered. The room was filled
to repletion with Arabs. All were smoking, and drinking their thick, hot
coffee.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan and Abdul found seats near the center of the room, though the terrific
noise produced by the musicians upon their Arab drums and pipes would have
rendered a seat farther from them more acceptable to the quiet-loving ape-man.
A rather good-looking Ouled-Nail was dancing, and, perceiving Tarzan&rsquo;s
European clothes, and scenting a generous gratuity, she threw her silken
handkerchief upon his shoulder, to be rewarded with a franc.
</p>

<p>
When her place upon the floor had been taken by another the bright-eyed Abdul
saw her in conversation with two Arabs at the far side of the room, near a side
door that let upon an inner court, around the gallery of which were the rooms
occupied by the girls who danced in this café.
</p>

<p>
At first he thought nothing of the matter, but presently he noticed from the
corner of his eye one of the men nod in their direction, and the girl turn and
shoot a furtive glance at Tarzan. Then the Arabs melted through the doorway
into the darkness of the court.
</p>

<p>
When it came again the girl&rsquo;s turn to dance she hovered close to Tarzan,
and for the ape-man alone were her sweetest smiles. Many an ugly scowl was cast
upon the tall European by swarthy, dark-eyed sons of the desert, but neither
smiles nor scowls produced any outwardly visible effect upon him. Again the
girl cast her handkerchief upon his shoulder, and again was she rewarded with a
franc piece. As she was sticking it upon her forehead, after the custom of her
kind, she bent low toward Tarzan, whispering a quick word in his ear.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There are two without in the court,&rdquo; she said quickly, in broken
French, &ldquo;who would harm m&rsquo;sieur. At first I promised to lure you to
them, but you have been kind, and I cannot do it. Go quickly, before they find
that I have failed them. I think that they are very bad men.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan thanked the girl, assuring her that he would be careful, and, having
finished her dance, she crossed to the little doorway and went out into the
court. But Tarzan did not leave the café as she had urged.
</p>

<p>
For another half hour nothing unusual occurred, then a surly-looking Arab
entered the café from the street. He stood near Tarzan, where he deliberately
made insulting remarks about the European, but as they were in his native
tongue Tarzan was entirely innocent of their purport until Abdul took it upon
himself to enlighten him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This fellow is looking for trouble,&rdquo; warned Abdul. &ldquo;He is
not alone. In fact, in case of a disturbance, nearly every man here would be
against you. It would be better to leave quietly, master.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ask the fellow what he wants,&rdquo; commanded Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He says that &lsquo;the dog of a Christian&rsquo; insulted the
Ouled-Nail, who belongs to him. He means trouble, m&rsquo;sieur.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tell him that I did not insult his or any other Ouled-Nail, that I wish
him to go away and leave me alone. That I have no quarrel with him, nor has he
any with me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He says,&rdquo; replied Abdul, after delivering this message to the
Arab, &ldquo;that besides being a dog yourself that you are the son of one, and
that your grandmother was a hyena. Incidentally you are a liar.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The attention of those near by had now been attracted by the altercation, and
the sneering laughs that followed this torrent of invective easily indicated
the trend of the sympathies of the majority of the audience.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan did not like being laughed at, neither did he relish the terms applied
to him by the Arab, but he showed no sign of anger as he arose from his seat
upon the bench. A half smile played about his lips, but of a sudden a mighty
fist shot into the face of the scowling Arab, and back of it were the terrible
muscles of the ape-man.
</p>

<p>
At the instant that the man fell a half dozen fierce plainsmen sprang into the
room from where they had apparently been waiting for their cue in the street
before the café. With cries of &ldquo;Kill the unbeliever!&rdquo; and
&ldquo;Down with the dog of a Christian!&rdquo; they made straight for Tarzan.
A number of the younger Arabs in the audience sprang to their feet to join in
the assault upon the unarmed white man. Tarzan and Abdul were rushed back
toward the end of the room by the very force of numbers opposing them. The
young Arab remained loyal to his master, and with drawn knife fought at his
side.
</p>

<p>
With tremendous blows the ape-man felled all who came within reach of his
powerful hands. He fought quietly and without a word, upon his lips the same
half smile they had worn as he rose to strike down the man who had insulted
him. It seemed impossible that either he or Abdul could survive the sea of
wicked-looking swords and knives that surrounded them, but the very numbers of
their assailants proved the best bulwark of their safety. So closely packed was
the howling, cursing mob that no weapon could be wielded to advantage, and none
of the Arabs dared use a firearm for fear of wounding one of his compatriots.
</p>

<p>
Finally Tarzan succeeded in seizing one of the most persistent of his
attackers. With a quick wrench he disarmed the fellow, and then, holding him
before them as a shield, he backed slowly beside Abdul toward the little door
which led into the inner courtyard. At the threshold he paused for an instant,
and, lifting the struggling Arab above his head, hurled him, as though from a
catapult, full in the faces of his on-pressing fellows.
</p>

<p>
Then Tarzan and Abdul stepped into the semidarkness of the court. The
frightened Ouled-Nails were crouching at the tops of the stairs which led to
their respective rooms, the only light in the courtyard coming from the sickly
candles which each girl had stuck with its own grease to the woodwork of her
door-frame, the better to display her charms to those who might happen to
traverse the dark inclosure.
</p>

<p>
Scarcely had Tarzan and Abdul emerged from the room ere a revolver spoke close
at their backs from the shadows beneath one of the stairways, and as they
turned to meet this new antagonist, two muffled figures sprang toward them,
firing as they came. Tarzan leaped to meet these two new assailants. The
foremost lay, a second later, in the trampled dirt of the court, disarmed and
groaning from a broken wrist. Abdul&rsquo;s knife found the vitals of the
second in the instant that the fellow&rsquo;s revolver missed fire as he held
it to the faithful Arab&rsquo;s forehead.
</p>

<p>
The maddened horde within the café were now rushing out in pursuit of their
quarry. The Ouled-Nails had extinguished their candles at a cry from one of
their number, and the only light within the yard came feebly from the open and
half-blocked door of the café. Tarzan had seized a sword from the man who had
fallen before Abdul&rsquo;s knife, and now he stood waiting for the rush of men
that was coming in search of them through the darkness.
</p>

<p>
Suddenly he felt a light hand upon his shoulder from behind, and a
woman&rsquo;s voice whispering, &ldquo;Quick, m&rsquo;sieur; this way. Follow
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, Abdul,&rdquo; said Tarzan, in a low tone, to the youth; &ldquo;we
can be no worse off elsewhere than we are here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The woman turned and led them up the narrow stairway that ended at the door of
her quarters. Tarzan was close beside her. He saw the gold and silver bracelets
upon her bare arms, the strings of gold coin that depended from her hair
ornaments, and the gorgeous colors of her dress. He saw that she was a
Ouled-Nail, and instinctively he knew that she was the same who had whispered
the warning in his ear earlier in the evening.
</p>

<p>
As they reached the top of the stairs they could hear the angry crowd searching
the yard beneath.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Soon they will search here,&rdquo; whispered the girl. &ldquo;They must
not find you, for, though you fight with the strength of many men, they will
kill you in the end. Hasten; you can drop from the farther window of my room to
the street beyond. Before they discover that you are no longer in the court of
the buildings you will be safe within the hotel.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But even as she spoke, several men had started up the stairway at the head of
which they stood. There was a sudden cry from one of the searchers. They had
been discovered. Quickly the crowd rushed for the stairway. The foremost
assailant leaped quickly upward, but at the top he met the sudden sword that he
had not expected&mdash;the quarry had been unarmed before.
</p>

<p>
With a cry, the man toppled back upon those behind him. Like tenpins they
rolled down the stairs. The ancient and rickety structure could not withstand
the strain of this unwonted weight and jarring. With a creaking and rending of
breaking wood it collapsed beneath the Arabs, leaving Tarzan, Abdul, and the
girl alone upon the frail platform at the top.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come!&rdquo; cried the Ouled-Nail. &ldquo;They will reach us from
another stairway through the room next to mine. We have not a moment to
spare.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Just as they were entering the room Abdul heard and translated a cry from the
yard below for several to hasten to the street and cut off escape from that
side.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We are lost now,&rdquo; said the girl simply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We?&rdquo; questioned Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, m&rsquo;sieur,&rdquo; she responded; &ldquo;they will kill me as
well. Have I not aided you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
This put a different aspect on the matter. Tarzan had rather been enjoying the
excitement and danger of the encounter. He had not for an instant supposed that
either Abdul or the girl could suffer except through accident, and he had only
retreated just enough to keep from being killed himself. He had had no
intention of running away until he saw that he was hopelessly lost were he to
remain.
</p>

<p>
Alone he could have sprung into the midst of that close-packed mob, and, laying
about him after the fashion of Numa, the lion, have struck the Arabs with such
consternation that escape would have been easy. Now he must think entirely of
these two faithful friends.
</p>

<p>
He crossed to the window which overlooked the street. In a minute there would
be enemies below. Already he could hear the mob clambering the stairway to the
next quarters&mdash;they would be at the door beside him in another instant. He
put a foot upon the sill and leaned out, but he did not look down. Above him,
within arm&rsquo;s reach, was the low roof of the building. He called to the
girl. She came and stood beside him. He put a great arm about her and lifted
her across his shoulder.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait here until I reach down for you from above,&rdquo; he said to
Abdul. &ldquo;In the meantime shove everything in the room against that
door&mdash;it may delay them long enough.&rdquo; Then he stepped to the sill of
the narrow window with the girl upon his shoulders. &ldquo;Hold tight,&rdquo;
he cautioned her. A moment later he had clambered to the roof above with the
ease and dexterity of an ape. Setting the girl down, he leaned far over the
roof&rsquo;s edge, calling softly to Abdul. The youth ran to the window.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your hand,&rdquo; whispered Tarzan. The men in the room beyond were
battering at the door. With a sudden crash it fell splintering in, and at the
same instant Abdul felt himself lifted like a feather onto the roof above. They
were not a moment too soon, for as the men broke into the room which they had
just quitted a dozen more rounded the corner in the street below and came
running to a spot beneath the girl&rsquo;s window.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap08"></a>Chapter VIII<br/>
The Fight in the Desert</h2>

<p>
As the three squatted upon the roof above the quarters of the Ouled-Nails they
heard the angry cursing of the Arabs in the room beneath. Abdul translated from
time to time to Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are berating those in the street below now,&rdquo; said Abdul,
&ldquo;for permitting us to escape so easily. Those in the street say that we
did not come that way&mdash;that we are still within the building, and that
those above, being too cowardly to attack us, are attempting to deceive them
into believing that we have escaped. In a moment they will have fighting of
their own to attend to if they continue their brawling.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Presently those in the building gave up the search, and returned to the café. A
few remained in the street below, smoking and talking.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan spoke to the girl, thanking her for the sacrifice she had made for him,
a total stranger.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I liked you,&rdquo; she said simply. &ldquo;You were unlike the others
who come to the café. You did not speak coarsely to me&mdash;the manner in
which you gave me money was not an insult.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What shall you do after tonight?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;You cannot
return to the café. Can you even remain with safety in Sidi Aissa?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tomorrow it will be forgotten,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;But I should
be glad if it might be that I need never return to this or another café. I have
not remained because I wished to; I have been a prisoner.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A prisoner!&rdquo; ejaculated Tarzan incredulously.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A slave would be the better word,&rdquo; she answered. &ldquo;I was
stolen in the night from my father&rsquo;s <i>douar</i> by a band of marauders.
They brought me here and sold me to the Arab who keeps this café. It has been
nearly two years now since I saw the last of mine own people. They are very far
to the south. They never come to Sidi Aissa.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You would like to return to your people?&rdquo; asked Tarzan.
&ldquo;Then I shall promise to see you safely so far as Bou Saada at least.
There we can doubtless arrange with the commandant to send you the rest of the
way.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, m&rsquo;sieur,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;how can I ever repay you!
You cannot really mean that you will do so much for a poor Ouled-Nail. But my
father can reward you, and he will, for is he not a great sheik? He is Kadour
ben Saden.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Kadour ben Saden!&rdquo; ejaculated Tarzan. &ldquo;Why, Kadour ben Saden
is in Sidi Aissa this very night. He dined with me but a few hours
since.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My father in Sidi Aissa?&rdquo; cried the amazed girl. &ldquo;Allah be
praised then, for I am indeed saved.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Hssh!&rdquo; cautioned Abdul. &ldquo;Listen.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
From below came the sound of voices, quite distinguishable upon the still night
air. Tarzan could not understand the words, but Abdul and the girl translated.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They have gone now,&rdquo; said the latter. &ldquo;It is you they want,
m&rsquo;sieur. One of them said that the stranger who had offered money for
your slaying lay in the house of Akmed din Soulef with a broken wrist, but that
he had offered a still greater reward if some would lay in wait for you upon
the road to Bou Saada and kill you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is he who followed m&rsquo;sieur about the market today,&rdquo;
exclaimed Abdul. &ldquo;I saw him again within the café&mdash;him and another;
and the two went out into the inner court after talking with this girl here. It
was they who attacked and fired upon us, as we came out of the café. Why do
they wish to kill you, m&rsquo;sieur?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know,&rdquo; replied Tarzan, and then, after a pause:
&ldquo;Unless&mdash;&rdquo; But he did not finish, for the thought that had
come to his mind, while it seemed the only reasonable solution of the mystery,
appeared at the same time quite improbable. Presently the men in the street
went away. The courtyard and the café were deserted. Cautiously Tarzan lowered
himself to the sill of the girl&rsquo;s window. The room was empty. He returned
to the roof and let Abdul down, then he lowered the girl to the arms of the
waiting Arab.
</p>

<p>
From the window Abdul dropped the short distance to the street below, while
Tarzan took the girl in his arms and leaped down as he had done on so many
other occasions in his own forest with a burden in his arms. A little cry of
alarm was startled from the girl&rsquo;s lips, but Tarzan landed in the street
with but an imperceptible jar, and lowered her in safety to her feet.
</p>

<p>
She clung to him for a moment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How strong m&rsquo;sieur is, and how active,&rdquo; she cried.
&ldquo;<i>El Adrea</i>, the black lion, himself is not more so.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should like to meet this <i>el Adrea</i> of yours,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;I have heard much about him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you come to the <i>douar</i> of my father you shall see him,&rdquo;
said the girl. &ldquo;He lives in a spur of the mountains north of us, and
comes down from his lair at night to rob my father&rsquo;s <i>douar</i>. With a
single blow of his mighty paw he crushes the skull of a bull, and woe betide
the belated wayfarer who meets <i>el Adrea</i> abroad at night.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Without further mishap they reached the hotel. The sleepy landlord objected
strenuously to instituting a search for Kadour ben Saden until the following
morning, but a piece of gold put a different aspect on the matter, so that a
few moments later a servant had started to make the rounds of the lesser native
hostelries where it might be expected that a desert sheik would find congenial
associations. Tarzan had felt it necessary to find the girl&rsquo;s father that
night, for fear he might start on his homeward journey too early in the morning
to be intercepted.
</p>

<p>
They had waited perhaps half an hour when the messenger returned with Kadour
ben Saden. The old sheik entered the room with a questioning expression upon
his proud face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur has done me the honor to&mdash;&rdquo; he commenced, and then
his eyes fell upon the girl. With outstretched arms he crossed the room to meet
her. &ldquo;My daughter!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Allah is merciful!&rdquo; and
tears dimmed the martial eyes of the old warrior.
</p>

<p>
When the story of her abduction and her final rescue had been told to Kadour
ben Saden he extended his hand to Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;All that is Kadour ben Saden&rsquo;s is thine, my friend, even to his
life,&rdquo; he said very simply, but Tarzan knew that those were no idle
words.
</p>

<p>
It was decided that although three of them would have to ride after practically
no sleep, it would be best to make an early start in the morning, and attempt
to ride all the way to Bou Saada in one day. It would have been comparatively
easy for the men, but for the girl it was sure to be a fatiguing journey.
</p>

<p>
She, however, was the most anxious to undertake it, for it seemed to her that
she could not quickly enough reach the family and friends from whom she had
been separated for two years.
</p>

<p>
It seemed to Tarzan that he had not closed his eyes before he was awakened, and
in another hour the party was on its way south toward Bou Saada. For a few
miles the road was good, and they made rapid progress, but suddenly it became
only a waste of sand, into which the horses sank fetlock deep at nearly every
step. In addition to Tarzan, Abdul, the sheik, and his daughter were four of
the wild plainsmen of the sheik&rsquo;s tribe who had accompanied him upon the
trip to Sidi Aissa. Thus, seven guns strong, they entertained little fear of
attack by day, and if all went well they should reach Bou Saada before
nightfall.
</p>

<p>
A brisk wind enveloped them in the blowing sand of the desert, until
Tarzan&rsquo;s lips were parched and cracked. What little he could see of the
surrounding country was far from alluring&mdash;a vast expanse of rough
country, rolling in little, barren hillocks, and tufted here and there with
clumps of dreary shrub. Far to the south rose the dim lines of the Saharan
Atlas range. How different, thought Tarzan, from the gorgeous Africa of his
boyhood!
</p>

<p>
Abdul, always on the alert, looked backward quite as often as he did ahead. At
the top of each hillock that they mounted he would draw in his horse and,
turning, scan the country to the rear with utmost care. At last his scrutiny
was rewarded.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;There are six horsemen behind us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your friends of last evening, no doubt, monsieur,&rdquo; remarked Kadour
ben Saden dryly to Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No doubt,&rdquo; replied the ape-man. &ldquo;I am sorry that my society
should endanger the safety of your journey. At the next village I shall remain
and question these gentlemen, while you ride on. There is no necessity for my
being at Bou Saada tonight, and less still why you should not ride in
peace.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you stop we shall stop,&rdquo; said Kadour ben Saden. &ldquo;Until
you are safe with your friends, or the enemy has left your trail, we shall
remain with you. There is nothing more to say.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan nodded his head. He was a man of few words, and possibly it was for this
reason as much as any that Kadour ben Saden had taken to him, for if there be
one thing that an Arab despises it is a talkative man.
</p>

<p>
All the balance of the day Abdul caught glimpses of the horsemen in their rear.
They remained always at about the same distance. During the occasional halts
for rest, and at the longer halt at noon, they approached no closer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are waiting for darkness,&rdquo; said Kadour ben Saden.
</p>

<p>
And darkness came before they reached Bou Saada. The last glimpse that Abdul
had of the grim, white-robed figures that trailed them, just before dusk made
it impossible to distinguish them, had made it apparent that they were rapidly
closing up the distance that intervened between them and their intended quarry.
He whispered this fact to Tarzan, for he did not wish to alarm the girl. The
ape-man drew back beside him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will ride ahead with the others, Abdul,&rdquo; said Tarzan.
&ldquo;This is my quarrel. I shall wait at the next convenient spot, and
interview these fellows.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then Abdul shall wait at thy side,&rdquo; replied the young Arab, nor
would any threats or commands move him from his decision.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, then,&rdquo; replied Tarzan. &ldquo;Here is as good a place
as we could wish. Here are rocks at the top of this hillock. We shall remain
hidden here and give an account of ourselves to these gentlemen when they
appear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They drew in their horses and dismounted. The others riding ahead were already
out of sight in the darkness. Beyond them shone the lights of Bou Saada. Tarzan
removed his rifle from its boot and loosened his revolver in its holster. He
ordered Abdul to withdraw behind the rocks with the horses, so that they should
be shielded from the enemies&rsquo; bullets should they fire. The young Arab
pretended to do as he was bid, but when he had fastened the two animals
securely to a low shrub he crept back to lie on his belly a few paces behind
Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man stood erect in the middle of the road, waiting. Nor did he have
long to wait. The sound of galloping horses came suddenly out of the darkness
below him, and a moment later he discerned the moving blotches of lighter color
against the solid background of the night.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Halt,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;or we fire!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The white figures came to a sudden stop, and for a moment there was silence.
Then came the sound of a whispered council, and like ghosts the phantom riders
dispersed in all directions. Again the desert lay still about him, yet it was
an ominous stillness that foreboded evil.
</p>

<p>
Abdul raised himself to one knee. Tarzan cocked his jungle-trained ears, and
presently there came to him the sound of horses walking quietly through the
sand to the east of him, to the west, to the north, and to the south. They had
been surrounded. Then a shot came from the direction in which he was looking, a
bullet whirred through the air above his head, and he fired at the flash of the
enemy&rsquo;s gun.
</p>

<p>
Instantly the soundless waste was torn with the quick staccato of guns upon
every hand. Abdul and Tarzan fired only at the flashes&mdash;they could not yet
see their foemen. Presently it became evident that the attackers were circling
their position, drawing closer and closer in as they began to realize the
paltry numbers of the party which opposed them.
</p>

<p>
But one came too close, for Tarzan was accustomed to using his eyes in the
darkness of the jungle night, than which there is no more utter darkness this
side the grave, and with a cry of pain a saddle was emptied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The odds are evening, Abdul,&rdquo; said Tarzan, with a low laugh.
</p>

<p>
But they were still far too one-sided, and when the five remaining horsemen
whirled at a signal and charged full upon them it looked as if there would be a
sudden ending of the battle. Both Tarzan and Abdul sprang to the shelter of the
rocks, that they might keep the enemy in front of them. There was a mad clatter
of galloping hoofs, a volley of shots from both sides, and the Arabs withdrew
to repeat the maneuver; but there were now only four against the two.
</p>

<p>
For a few moments there came no sound from out of the surrounding blackness.
Tarzan could not tell whether the Arabs, satisfied with their losses, had given
up the fight, or were waiting farther along the road to waylay them as they
proceeded on toward Bou Saada. But he was not left long in doubt, for now all
from one direction came the sound of a new charge. But scarcely had the first
gun spoken ere a dozen shots rang out behind the Arabs. There came the wild
shouts of a new party to the controversy, and the pounding of the feet of many
horses from down the road to Bou Saada.
</p>

<p>
The Arabs did not wait to learn the identity of the oncomers. With a parting
volley as they dashed by the position which Tarzan and Abdul were holding, they
plunged off along the road toward Sidi Aissa. A moment later Kadour ben Saden
and his men dashed up.
</p>

<p>
The old sheik was much relieved to find that neither Tarzan nor Abdul had
received a scratch. Not even had their horses been wounded. They sought out the
two men who had fallen before Tarzan&rsquo;s shots, and, finding that both were
dead, left them where they lay.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why did you not tell me that you contemplated ambushing those
fellows?&rdquo; asked the sheik in a hurt tone. &ldquo;We might have had them
all if the seven of us had stopped to meet them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then it would have been useless to stop at all,&rdquo; replied Tarzan,
&ldquo;for had we simply ridden on toward Bou Saada they would have been upon
us presently, and all could have been engaged. It was to prevent the transfer
of my own quarrel to another&rsquo;s shoulders that Abdul and I stopped off to
question them. Then there is your daughter&mdash;I could not be the cause of
exposing her needlessly to the marksmanship of six men.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Kadour ben Saden shrugged his shoulders. He did not relish having been cheated
out of a fight.
</p>

<p>
The little battle so close to Bou Saada had drawn out a company of soldiers.
Tarzan and his party met them just outside the town. The officer in charge
halted them to learn the significance of the shots.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A handful of marauders,&rdquo; replied Kadour ben Saden. &ldquo;They
attacked two of our number who had dropped behind, but when we returned to them
the fellows soon dispersed. They left two dead. None of my party was
injured.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
This seemed to satisfy the officer, and after taking the names of the party he
marched his men on toward the scene of the skirmish to bring back the dead men
for purposes of identification, if possible.
</p>

<p>
Two days later, Kadour ben Saden, with his daughter and followers, rode south
through the pass below Bou Saada, bound for their home in the far wilderness.
The sheik had urged Tarzan to accompany him, and the girl had added her
entreaties to those of her father; but, though he could not explain it to them,
Tarzan&rsquo;s duties loomed particularly large after the happenings of the
past few days, so that he could not think of leaving his post for an instant.
But he promised to come later if it lay within his power to do so, and they had
to content themselves with that assurance.
</p>

<p>
During these two days Tarzan had spent practically all his time with Kadour ben
Saden and his daughter. He was keenly interested in this race of stern and
dignified warriors, and embraced the opportunity which their friendship offered
to learn what he could of their lives and customs. He even commenced to acquire
the rudiments of their language under the pleasant tutorage of the brown-eyed
girl. It was with real regret that he saw them depart, and he sat his horse at
the opening to the pass, as far as which he had accompanied them, gazing after
the little party as long as he could catch a glimpse of them.
</p>

<p>
Here were people after his own heart! Their wild, rough lives, filled with
danger and hardship, appealed to this half-savage man as nothing had appealed
to him in the midst of the effeminate civilization of the great cities he had
visited. Here was a life that excelled even that of the jungle, for here he
might have the society of men&mdash;real men whom he could honor and respect,
and yet be near to the wild nature that he loved. In his head revolved an idea
that when he had completed his mission he would resign and return to live for
the remainder of his life with the tribe of Kadour ben Saden.
</p>

<p>
Then he turned his horse&rsquo;s head and rode slowly back to Bou Saada.
</p>

<p>
The front of the Hotel du Petit Sahara, where Tarzan stopped in Bou Saada, is
taken up with the bar, two dining-rooms, and the kitchens. Both of the
dining-rooms open directly off the bar, and one of them is reserved for the use
of the officers of the garrison. As you stand in the barroom you may look into
either of the dining-rooms if you wish.
</p>

<p>
It was to the bar that Tarzan repaired after speeding Kadour ben Saden and his
party on their way. It was yet early in the morning, for Kadour ben Saden had
elected to ride far that day, so that it happened that when Tarzan returned
there were guests still at breakfast.
</p>

<p>
As his casual glance wandered into the officers&rsquo; dining-room, Tarzan saw
something which brought a look of interest to his eyes. Lieutenant Gernois was
sitting there, and as Tarzan looked a white-robed Arab approached and, bending,
whispered a few words into the lieutenant&rsquo;s ear. Then he passed on out of
the building through another door.
</p>

<p>
In itself the thing was nothing, but as the man had stooped to speak to the
officer, Tarzan had caught sight of something which the accidental parting of
the man&rsquo;s burnoose had revealed&mdash;he carried his left arm in a sling.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap09"></a>Chapter IX<br/>
Numa &ldquo;El Adrea&rdquo;</h2>

<p>
On the same day that Kadour ben Saden rode south the diligence from the north
brought Tarzan a letter from D&rsquo;Arnot which had been forwarded from
Sidi-bel-Abbes. It opened the old wound that Tarzan would have been glad to
have forgotten; yet he was not sorry that D&rsquo;Arnot had written, for one at
least of his subjects could never cease to interest the ape-man. Here is the
letter:
</p>

<p class="letter">
M<small>Y</small> D<small>EAR</small> J<small>EAN</small>:
</p>

<p>
Since last I wrote you I have been across to London on a matter of business. I
was there but three days. The very first day I came upon an old friend of
yours&mdash;quite unexpectedly&mdash;in Henrietta Street. Now you never in the
world would guess whom. None other than Mr. Samuel T. Philander. But it is
true. I can see your look of incredulity. Nor is this all. He insisted that I
return to the hotel with him, and there I found the others&mdash;Professor
Archimedes Q. Porter, Miss Porter, and that enormous black woman, Miss
Porter&rsquo;s maid&mdash;Esmeralda, you will recall. While I was there Clayton
came in. They are to be married soon, or rather sooner, for I rather suspect
that we shall receive announcements almost any day. On account of his
father&rsquo;s death it is to be a very quiet affair&mdash;only blood
relatives.
</p>

<p>
While I was alone with Mr. Philander the old fellow became rather confidential.
Said Miss Porter had already postponed the wedding on three different
occasions. He confided that it appeared to him that she was not particularly
anxious to marry Clayton at all; but this time it seems that it is quite likely
to go through.
</p>

<p>
Of course they all asked after you, but I respected your wishes in the matter
of your true origin, and only spoke to them of your present affairs.
</p>

<p>
Miss Porter was especially interested in everything I had to say about you, and
asked many questions. I am afraid I took a rather unchivalrous delight in
picturing your desire and resolve to go back eventually to your native jungle.
I was sorry afterward, for it did seem to cause her real anguish to contemplate
the awful dangers to which you wished to return. &ldquo;And yet,&rdquo; she
said, &ldquo;I do not know. There are more unhappy fates than the grim and
terrible jungle presents to Monsieur Tarzan. At least his conscience will be
free from remorse. And there are moments of quiet and restfulness by day, and
vistas of exquisite beauty. You may find it strange that I should say it, who
experienced such terrifying experiences in that frightful forest, yet at times
I long to return, for I cannot but feel that the happiest moments of my life
were spent there.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
There was an expression of ineffable sadness on her face as she spoke, and I
could not but feel that she knew that I knew her secret, and that this was her
way of transmitting to you a last tender message from a heart that might still
enshrine your memory, though its possessor belonged to another.
</p>

<p>
Clayton appeared nervous and ill at ease while you were the subject of
conversation. He wore a worried and harassed expression. Yet he was very kindly
in his expressions of interest in you. I wonder if he suspects the truth about
you?
</p>

<p>
Tennington came in with Clayton. They are great friends, you know. He is about
to set out upon one of his interminable cruises in that yacht of his, and was
urging the entire party to accompany him. Tried to inveigle me into it, too. Is
thinking of circumnavigating Africa this time. I told him that his precious toy
would take him and some of his friends to the bottom of the ocean one of these
days if he didn&rsquo;t get it out of his head that she was a liner or a
battleship.
</p>

<p>
I returned to Paris day before yesterday, and yesterday I met the Count and
Countess de Coude at the races. They inquired after you. De Coude really seems
quite fond of you. Doesn&rsquo;t appear to harbor the least ill will. Olga is
as beautiful as ever, but a trifle subdued. I imagine that she learned a lesson
through her acquaintance with you that will serve her in good stead during the
balance of her life. It is fortunate for her, and for De Coude as well, that it
was you and not another man more sophisticated.
</p>

<p>
Had you really paid court to Olga&rsquo;s heart I am afraid that there would
have been no hope for either of you.
</p>

<p>
She asked me to tell you that Nikolas had left France. She paid him twenty
thousand francs to go away, and stay. She is congratulating herself that she
got rid of him before he tried to carry out a threat he recently made her that
he should kill you at the first opportunity. She said that she should hate to
think that her brother&rsquo;s blood was on your hands, for she is very fond of
you, and made no bones in saying so before the count. It never for a moment
seemed to occur to her that there might be any possibility of any other outcome
of a meeting between you and Nikolas. The count quite agreed with her in that.
He added that it would take a regiment of Rokoffs to kill you. He has a most
healthy respect for your prowess.
</p>

<p>
Have been ordered back to my ship. She sails from Havre in two days under
sealed orders. If you will address me in her care, the letters will find me
eventually. I shall write you as soon as another opportunity presents.
</p>

<p class="right">
Your sincere friend,<br/>
P<small>AUL</small> D&rsquo;A<small>RNOT</small>.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear,&rdquo; mused Tarzan, half aloud, &ldquo;that Olga has thrown
away her twenty thousand francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He read over that part of D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s letter several times in which
he had quoted from his conversation with Jane Porter. Tarzan derived a rather
pathetic happiness from it, but it was better than no happiness at all.
</p>

<p>
The following three weeks were quite uneventful. On several occasions Tarzan
saw the mysterious Arab, and once again he had been exchanging words with
Lieutenant Gernois; but no amount of espionage or shadowing by Tarzan revealed
the Arab&rsquo;s lodgings, the location of which Tarzan was anxious to
ascertain.
</p>

<p>
Gernois, never cordial, had kept more than ever aloof from Tarzan since the
episode in the dining-room of the hotel at Aumale. His attitude on the few
occasions that they had been thrown together had been distinctly hostile.
</p>

<p>
That he might keep up the appearance of the character he was playing, Tarzan
spent considerable time hunting in the vicinity of Bou Saada. He would spend
entire days in the foothills, ostensibly searching for gazelle, but on the few
occasions that he came close enough to any of the beautiful little animals to
harm them he invariably allowed them to escape without so much as taking his
rifle from its boot. The ape-man could see no sport in slaughtering the most
harmless and defenseless of God&rsquo;s creatures for the mere pleasure of
killing.
</p>

<p>
In fact, Tarzan had never killed for &ldquo;pleasure,&rdquo; nor to him was
there pleasure in killing. It was the joy of righteous battle that he
loved&mdash;the ecstasy of victory. And the keen and successful hunt for food
in which he pitted his skill and craftiness against the skill and craftiness of
another; but to come out of a town filled with food to shoot down a soft-eyed,
pretty gazelle&mdash;ah, that was crueller than the deliberate and cold-blooded
murder of a fellow man. Tarzan would have none of it, and so he hunted alone
that none might discover the sham that he was practicing.
</p>

<p>
And once, probably because of the fact that he rode alone, he was like to have
lost his life. He was riding slowly through a little ravine when a shot sounded
close behind him, and a bullet passed through the cork helmet he wore. Although
he turned at once and galloped rapidly to the top of the ravine, there was no
sign of any enemy, nor did he see aught of another human being until he reached
Bou Saada.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he soliloquized, in recalling the occurrence, &ldquo;Olga
has indeed thrown away her twenty thousand francs.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
That night he was Captain Gerard&rsquo;s guest at a little dinner.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your hunting has not been very fortunate?&rdquo; questioned the officer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied Tarzan; &ldquo;the game hereabout is timid, nor do I
care particularly about hunting game birds or antelope. I think I shall move on
farther south, and have a try at some of your Algerian lions.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; exclaimed the captain. &ldquo;We are marching toward Djelfa
on the morrow. You shall have company that far at least. Lieutenant Gernois and
I, with a hundred men, are ordered south to patrol a district in which the
marauders are giving considerable trouble. Possibly we may have the pleasure of
hunting the lion together&mdash;what say you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan was more than pleased, nor did he hesitate to say so; but the captain
would have been astonished had he known the real reason of Tarzan&rsquo;s
pleasure. Gernois was sitting opposite the ape-man. He did not seem so pleased
with his captain&rsquo;s invitation.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will find lion hunting more exciting than gazelle shooting,&rdquo;
remarked Captain Gerard, &ldquo;and more dangerous.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Even gazelle shooting has its dangers,&rdquo; replied Tarzan.
&ldquo;Especially when one goes alone. I found it so today. I also found that
while the gazelle is the most timid of animals, it is not the most
cowardly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He let his glance rest only casually upon Gernois after he had spoken, for he
did not wish the man to know that he was under suspicion, or surveillance, no
matter what he might think. The effect of his remark upon him, however, might
tend to prove his connection with, or knowledge of, certain recent happenings.
Tarzan saw a dull red creep up from beneath Gernois&rsquo; collar. He was
satisfied, and quickly changed the subject.
</p>

<p>
When the column rode south from Bou Saada the next morning there were half a
dozen Arabs bringing up the rear.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are not attached to the command,&rdquo; replied Gerard in response
to Tarzan&rsquo;s query. &ldquo;They merely accompany us on the road for
companionship.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan had learned enough about Arab character since he had been in Algeria to
know that this was no real motive, for the Arab is never overfond of the
companionship of strangers, and especially of French soldiers. So his
suspicions were aroused, and he decided to keep a sharp eye on the little party
that trailed behind the column at a distance of about a quarter of a mile. But
they did not come close enough even during the halts to enable him to obtain a
close scrutiny of them.
</p>

<p>
He had long been convinced that there were hired assassins on his trail, nor
was he in great doubt but that Rokoff was at the bottom of the plot. Whether it
was to be revenge for the several occasions in the past that Tarzan had
defeated the Russian&rsquo;s purposes and humiliated him, or was in some way
connected with his mission in the Gernois affair, he could not determine. If
the latter, and it seemed probable since the evidence he had had that Gernois
suspected him, then he had two rather powerful enemies to contend with, for
there would be many opportunities in the wilds of Algeria, for which they were
bound, to dispatch a suspected enemy quietly and without attracting suspicion.
</p>

<p>
After camping at Djelfa for two days the column moved to the southwest, from
whence word had come that the marauders were operating against the tribes whose
<i>douars</i> were situated at the foot of the mountains.
</p>

<p>
The little band of Arabs who had accompanied them from Bou Saada had
disappeared suddenly the very night that orders had been given to prepare for
the morrow&rsquo;s march from Djelfa. Tarzan made casual inquiries among the
men, but none could tell him why they had left, or in what direction they had
gone. He did not like the looks of it, especially in view of the fact that he
had seen Gernois in conversation with one of them some half hour after Captain
Gerard had issued his instructions relative to the new move. Only Gernois and
Tarzan knew the direction of the proposed march. All the soldiers knew was that
they were to be prepared to break camp early the next morning. Tarzan wondered
if Gernois could have revealed their destination to the Arabs.
</p>

<p>
Late that afternoon they went into camp at a little oasis in which was the
<i>douar</i>  of a sheik whose flocks were being stolen, and whose herdsmen
were being killed. The Arabs came out of their goatskin tents, and surrounded
the soldiers, asking many questions in the native tongue, for the soldiers were
themselves natives. Tarzan, who, by this time, with the assistance of Abdul,
had picked up quite a smattering of Arab, questioned one of the younger men who
had accompanied the sheik while the latter paid his respects to Captain Gerard.
</p>

<p>
No, he had seen no party of six horsemen riding from the direction of Djelfa.
There were other oases scattered about&mdash;possibly they had been journeying
to one of these. Then there were the marauders in the mountains
above&mdash;they often rode north to Bou Saada in small parties, and even as
far as Aumale and Bouira. It might indeed have been a few marauders returning
to the band from a pleasure trip to one of these cities.
</p>

<p>
Early the next morning Captain Gerard split his command in two, giving
Lieutenant Gernois command of one party, while he headed the other. They were
to scour the mountains upon opposite sides of the plain.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And with which detachment will Monsieur Tarzan ride?&rdquo; asked the
captain. &ldquo;Or maybe it is that monsieur does not care to hunt
marauders?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I shall be delighted to go,&rdquo; Tarzan hastened to explain. He
was wondering what excuse he could make to accompany Gernois. His embarrassment
was short-lived, and was relieved from a most unexpected source. It was Gernois
himself who spoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If my captain will forego the pleasure of Monsieur Tarzan&rsquo;s
company for this once, I shall esteem it an honor indeed to have monsieur ride
with me today,&rdquo; he said, nor was his tone lacking in cordiality. In fact,
Tarzan imagined that he had overdone it a trifle, but, even so, he was both
astounded and pleased, hastening to express his delight at the arrangement.
</p>

<p>
And so it was that Lieutenant Gernois and Tarzan rode off side by side at the
head of the little detachment of <i>spahis</i>. Gernois&rsquo; cordiality was
short-lived. No sooner had they ridden out of sight of Captain Gerard and his
men than he lapsed once more into his accustomed taciturnity. As they advanced
the ground became rougher. Steadily it ascended toward the mountains, into
which they filed through a narrow cañon close to noon. By the side of a little
rivulet Gernois called the midday halt. Here the men prepared and ate their
frugal meal, and refilled their canteens.
</p>

<p>
After an hour&rsquo;s rest they advanced again along the cañon, until they
presently came to a little valley, from which several rocky gorges diverged.
Here they halted, while Gernois minutely examined the surrounding heights from
the center of the depression.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We shall separate here,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;several riding into each
of these gorges,&rdquo; and then he commenced to detail his various squads and
issue instructions to the non-commissioned officers who were to command them.
When he had done he turned to Tarzan. &ldquo;Monsieur will be so good as to
remain here until we return.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan demurred, but the officer cut him short. &ldquo;There may be fighting
for one of these sections,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and troops cannot be
embarrassed by civilian noncombatants during action.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But, my dear lieutenant,&rdquo; expostulated Tarzan, &ldquo;I am most
ready and willing to place myself under command of yourself or any of your
sergeants or corporals, and to fight in the ranks as they direct. It is what I
came for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should be glad to think so,&rdquo; retorted Gernois, with a sneer he
made no attempt to disguise. Then shortly: &ldquo;You are under my orders, and
they are that you remain here until we return. Let that end the matter,&rdquo;
and he turned and spurred away at the head of his men. A moment later Tarzan
found himself alone in the midst of a desolate mountain fastness.
</p>

<p>
The sun was hot, so he sought the shelter of a nearby tree, where he tethered
his horse, and sat down upon the ground to smoke. Inwardly he swore at Gernois
for the trick he had played upon him. A mean little revenge, thought Tarzan,
and then suddenly it occurred to him that the man would not be such a fool as
to antagonize him through a trivial annoyance of so petty a description. There
must be something deeper than this behind it. With the thought he arose and
removed his rifle from its boot. He looked to its loads and saw that the
magazine was full. Then he inspected his revolver. After this preliminary
precaution he scanned the surrounding heights and the mouths of the several
gorges&mdash;he was determined that he should not be caught napping.
</p>

<p>
The sun sank lower and lower, yet there was no sign of returning SPAHIS. At
last the valley was submerged in shadow Tarzan was too proud to go back to camp
until he had given the detachment ample time to return to the valley, which he
thought was to have been their rendezvous. With the closing in of night he felt
safer from attack, for he was at home in the dark. He knew that none might
approach him so cautiously as to elude those alert and sensitive ears of his;
then there were his eyes, too, for he could see well at night; and his nose, if
they came toward him from up-wind, would apprise him of the approach of an
enemy while they were still a great way off.
</p>

<p>
So he felt that he was in little danger, and thus lulled to a sense of security
he fell asleep, with his back against the tree.
</p>

<p>
He must have slept for several hours, for when he was suddenly awakened by the
frightened snorting and plunging of his horse the moon was shining full upon
the little valley, and there, not ten paces before him, stood the grim cause of
the terror of his mount.
</p>

<p>
Superb, majestic, his graceful tail extended and quivering, and his two eyes of
fire riveted full upon his prey, stood Numa <i>el adrea</i>, the black lion. A
little thrill of joy tingled through Tarzan&rsquo;s nerves. It was like meeting
an old friend after years of separation. For a moment he sat rigid to enjoy the
magnificent spectacle of this lord of the wilderness.
</p>

<p>
But now Numa was crouching for the spring. Very slowly Tarzan raised his gun to
his shoulder. He had never killed a large animal with a gun in all his
life&mdash;heretofore he had depended upon his spear, his poisoned arrows, his
rope, his knife, or his bare hands. Instinctively he wished that he had his
arrows and his knife&mdash;he would have felt surer with them.
</p>

<p>
Numa was lying quite flat upon the ground now, presenting only his head. Tarzan
would have preferred to fire a little from one side, for he knew what terrific
damage the lion could do if he lived two minutes, or even a minute after he was
hit. The horse stood trembling in terror at Tarzan&rsquo;s back. The ape-man
took a cautious step to one side&mdash;Numa but followed him with his eyes.
Another step he took, and then another. Numa had not moved. Now he could aim at
a point between the eye and the ear.
</p>

<p>
His finger tightened upon the trigger, and as he fired Numa sprang. At the same
instant the terrified horse made a last frantic effort to escape&mdash;the
tether parted, and he went careening down the cañon toward the desert.
</p>

<p>
No ordinary man could have escaped those frightful claws when Numa sprang from
so short a distance, but Tarzan was no ordinary man. From earliest childhood
his muscles had been trained by the fierce exigencies of his existence to act
with the rapidity of thought. As quick as was <i>el adrea</i>, Tarzan of the
Apes was quicker, and so the great beast crashed against a tree where he had
expected to feel the soft flesh of man, while Tarzan, a couple of paces to the
right, pumped another bullet into him that brought him clawing and roaring to
his side.
</p>

<p>
Twice more Tarzan fired in quick succession, and then <i>el adrea</i> lay still
and roared no more. It was no longer Monsieur Jean Tarzan; it was Tarzan of the
Apes that put a savage foot upon the body of his savage kill, and, raising his
face to the full moon, lifted his mighty voice in the weird and terrible
challenge of his kind&mdash;a bull ape had made his kill. And the wild things
in the wild mountains stopped in their hunting, and trembled at this new and
awful voice, while down in the desert the children of the wilderness came out
of their goatskin tents and looked toward the mountains, wondering what new and
savage scourge had come to devastate their flocks.
</p>

<p>
A half mile from the valley in which Tarzan stood, a score of white-robed
figures, bearing long, wicked-looking guns, halted at the sound, and looked at
one another with questioning eyes. But presently, as it was not repeated, they
took up their silent, stealthy way toward the valley.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan was now confident that Gernois had no intention of returning for him,
but he could not fathom the object that had prompted the officer to desert him,
yet leave him free to return to camp. His horse gone, he decided that it would
be foolish to remain longer in the mountains, so he set out toward the desert.
</p>

<p>
He had scarcely entered the confines of the cañon when the first of the
white-robed figures emerged into the valley upon the opposite side. For a
moment they scanned the little depression from behind sheltering bowlders, but
when they had satisfied themselves that it was empty they advanced across it.
Beneath the tree at one side they came upon the body of <i>el adrea</i>. With
muttered exclamations they crowded about it. Then, a moment later, they hurried
down the cañon which Tarzan was threading a brief distance in advance of them.
They moved cautiously and in silence, taking advantage of shelter, as men do
who are stalking man.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap10"></a>Chapter X<br/>
Through the Valley of the Shadow</h2>

<p>
As Tarzan walked down the wild cañon beneath the brilliant African moon the
call of the jungle was strong upon him. The solitude and the savage freedom
filled his heart with life and buoyancy. Again he was Tarzan of the
Apes&mdash;every sense alert against the chance of surprise by some jungle
enemy&mdash;yet treading lightly and with head erect, in proud consciousness of
his might.
</p>

<p>
The nocturnal sounds of the mountains were new to him, yet they fell upon his
ears like the soft voice of a half-forgotten love. Many he intuitively
sensed&mdash;ah, there was one that was familiar indeed; the distant coughing
of Sheeta, the leopard; but there was a strange note in the final wail which
made him doubt. It was a panther he heard.
</p>

<p>
Presently a new sound&mdash;a soft, stealthy sound&mdash;obtruded itself among
the others. No human ears other than the ape-man&rsquo;s would have detected
it. At first he did not translate it, but finally he realized that it came from
the bare feet of a number of human beings. They were behind him, and they were
coming toward him quietly. He was being stalked.
</p>

<p>
In a flash he knew why he had been left in that little valley by Gernois; but
there had been a hitch in the arrangements&mdash;the men had come too late.
Closer and closer came the footsteps. Tarzan halted and faced them, his rifle
ready in his hand. Now he caught a fleeting glimpse of a white burnoose. He
called aloud in French, asking what they would of him. His reply was the flash
of a long gun, and with the sound of the shot Tarzan of the Apes plunged
forward upon his face.
</p>

<p>
The Arabs did not rush out immediately; instead, they waited to be sure that
their victim did not rise. Then they came rapidly from their concealment, and
bent over him. It was soon apparent that he was not dead. One of the men put
the muzzle of his gun to the back of Tarzan&rsquo;s head to finish him, but
another waved him aside. &ldquo;If we bring him alive the reward is to be
greater,&rdquo; explained the latter. So they bound his hands and feet, and,
picking him up, placed him on the shoulders of four of their number. Then the
march was resumed toward the desert. When they had come out of the mountains
they turned toward the south, and about daylight came to the spot where their
horses stood in care of two of their number.
</p>

<p>
From here on their progress was more rapid. Tarzan, who had regained
consciousness, was tied to a spare horse, which they evidently had brought for
the purpose. His wound was but a slight scratch, which had furrowed the flesh
across his temple. It had stopped bleeding, but the dried and clotted blood
smeared his face and clothing. He had said no word since he had fallen into the
hands of these Arabs, nor had they addressed him other than to issue a few
brief commands to him when the horses had been reached.
</p>

<p>
For six hours they rode rapidly across the burning desert, avoiding the oases
near which their way led. About noon they came to a <i>douar</i> of about
twenty tents. Here they halted, and as one of the Arabs was releasing the
alfa-grass ropes which bound him to his mount they were surrounded by a mob of
men, women, and children. Many of the tribe, and more especially the women,
appeared to take delight in heaping insults upon the prisoner, and some had
even gone so far as to throw stones at him and strike him with sticks, when an
old sheik appeared and drove them away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Ali-ben-Ahmed tells me,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that this man sat alone
in the mountains and slew <i>el adrea</i>. What the business of the stranger
who sent us after him may be, I know not, and what he may do with this man when
we turn him over to him, I care not; but the prisoner is a brave man, and while
he is in our hands he shall be treated with the respect that be due one who
hunts <i>the lord with the large head</i> alone and by night&mdash;and slays
him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan had heard of the respect in which Arabs held a lion-killer, and he was
not sorry that chance had played into his hands thus favorably to relieve him
of the petty tortures of the tribe. Shortly after this he was taken to a
goat-skin tent upon the upper side of the <i>douar</i>. There he was fed, and
then, securely bound, was left lying on a piece of native carpet, alone in the
tent.
</p>

<p>
He could see a guard sitting before the door of his frail prison, but when he
attempted to force the stout bonds that held him he realized that any extra
precaution on the part of his captors was quite unnecessary; not even his giant
muscles could part those numerous strands.
</p>

<p>
Just before dusk several men approached the tent where he lay, and entered it.
All were in Arab dress, but presently one of the number advanced to
Tarzan&rsquo;s side, and as he let the folds of cloth that had hidden the lower
half of his face fall away the ape-man saw the malevolent features of Nikolas
Rokoff. There was a nasty smile on the bearded lips. &ldquo;Ah, Monsieur
Tarzan,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;this is indeed a pleasure. But why do you not
rise and greet your guest?&rdquo; Then, with an ugly oath, &ldquo;Get up, you
dog!&rdquo; and, drawing back his booted foot, he kicked Tarzan heavily in the
side. &ldquo;And here is another, and another, and another,&rdquo; he
continued, as he kicked Tarzan about the face and side. &ldquo;One for each of
the injuries you have done me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The ape-man made no reply&mdash;he did not even deign to look upon the Russian
again after the first glance of recognition. Finally the sheik, who had been
standing a mute and frowning witness of the cowardly attack, intervened.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; he commanded. &ldquo;Kill him if you will, but I will see
no brave man subjected to such indignities in my presence. I have half a mind
to turn him loose, that I may see how long you would kick him then.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
This threat put a sudden end to Rokoff&rsquo;s brutality, for he had no craving
to see Tarzan loosed from his bonds while he was within reach of those powerful
hands.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; he replied to the Arab; &ldquo;I shall kill him
presently.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not within the precincts of my <i>douar</i>,&rdquo; returned the sheik.
&ldquo;When he leaves here he leaves alive. What you do with him in the desert
is none of my concern, but I shall not have the blood of a Frenchman on the
hands of my tribe on account of another man&rsquo;s quarrel&mdash;they would
send soldiers here and kill many of my people, and burn our tents and drive
away our flocks.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As you say,&rdquo; growled Rokoff. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll take him out into
the desert below the <i>douar</i>, and dispatch him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will take him a day&rsquo;s ride from my country,&rdquo; said the
sheik, firmly, &ldquo;and some of my children shall follow you to see that you
do not disobey me&mdash;otherwise there may be two dead Frenchmen in the
desert.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff shrugged. &ldquo;Then I shall have to wait until the morrow&mdash;it is
already dark.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;As you will,&rdquo; said the sheik. &ldquo;But by an hour after dawn you
must be gone from my <i>douar</i>. I have little liking for unbelievers, and
none at all for a coward.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff would have made some kind of retort, but he checked himself, for he
realized that it would require but little excuse for the old man to turn upon
him. Together they left the tent. At the door Rokoff could not resist the
temptation to turn and fling a parting taunt at Tarzan. &ldquo;Sleep well,
monsieur,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and do not forget to pray well, for when you
die tomorrow it will be in such agony that you will be unable to pray for
blaspheming.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
No one had bothered to bring Tarzan either food or water since noon, and
consequently he suffered considerably from thirst. He wondered if it would be
worth while to ask his guard for water, but after making two or three requests
without receiving any response, he decided that it would not.
</p>

<p>
Far up in the mountains he heard a lion roar. How much safer one was, he
soliloquized, in the haunts of wild beasts than in the haunts of men. Never in
all his jungle life had he been more relentlessly tracked down than in the past
few months of his experience among civilized men. Never had he been any nearer
death.
</p>

<p>
Again the lion roared. It sounded a little nearer. Tarzan felt the old, wild
impulse to reply with the challenge of his kind. His kind? He had almost
forgotten that he was a man and not an ape. He tugged at his bonds. God, if he
could but get them near those strong teeth of his. He felt a wild wave of
madness sweep over him as his efforts to regain his liberty met with failure.
</p>

<p>
Numa was roaring almost continually now. It was quite evident that he was
coming down into the desert to hunt. It was the roar of a hungry lion. Tarzan
envied him, for he was free. No one would tie him with ropes and slaughter him
like a sheep. It was that which galled the ape-man. He did not fear to die,
no&mdash;it was the humiliation of defeat before death, without even a chance
to battle for his life.
</p>

<p>
It must be near midnight, thought Tarzan. He had several hours to live.
Possibly he would yet find a way to take Rokoff with him on the long journey.
He could hear the savage lord of the desert quite close by now. Possibly he
sought his meat from among the penned animals within the <i>douar</i>.
</p>

<p>
For a long time silence reigned, then Tarzan&rsquo;s trained ears caught the
sound of a stealthily moving body. It came from the side of the tent nearest
the mountains&mdash;the back. Nearer and nearer it came. He waited, listening
intently, for it to pass. For a time there was silence without, such a terrible
silence that Tarzan was surprised that he did not hear the breathing of the
animal he felt sure must be crouching close to the back wall of his tent.
</p>

<p>
There! It is moving again. Closer it creeps. Tarzan turns his head in the
direction of the sound. It is very dark within the tent. Slowly the back rises
from the ground, forced up by the head and shoulders of a body that looks all
black in the semi-darkness. Beyond is a faint glimpse of the dimly starlit
desert. A grim smile plays about Tarzan&rsquo;s lips. At least Rokoff will be
cheated. How mad he will be! And death will be more merciful than he could have
hoped for at the hands of the Russian.
</p>

<p>
Now the back of the tent drops into place, and all is darkness
again&mdash;whatever it is is inside the tent with him. He hears it creeping
close to him&mdash;now it is beside him. He closes his eyes and waits for the
mighty paw. Upon his upturned face falls the gentle touch of a soft hand
groping in the dark, and then a girl&rsquo;s voice in a scarcely audible
whisper pronounces his name.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, it is I,&rdquo; he whispers in reply. &ldquo;But in the name of
Heaven who are you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The Ouled-Nail of Sisi Aissa,&rdquo; came the answer. While she spoke
Tarzan could feel her working about his bonds. Occasionally the cold steel of a
knife touched his flesh. A moment later he was free.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come!&rdquo; she whispered.
</p>

<p>
On hands and knees he followed her out of the tent by the way she had come. She
continued crawling thus flat to the ground until she reached a little patch of
shrub. There she halted until he gained her side. For a moment he looked at her
before he spoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot understand,&rdquo; he said at last. &ldquo;Why are you here?
How did you know that I was a prisoner in that tent? How does it happen that it
is you who have saved me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She smiled. &ldquo;I have come a long way tonight,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and
we have a long way to go before we shall be out of danger. Come; I shall tell
you all about it as we go.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Together they rose and set off across the desert in the direction of the
mountains.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I was not quite sure that I should ever reach you,&rdquo; she said at
last. &ldquo;<i>El adrea</i> is abroad tonight, and after I left the horses I
think he winded me and was following&mdash;I was terribly frightened.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What a brave girl,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And you ran all that risk for
a stranger&mdash;an alien&mdash;an unbeliever?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She drew herself up very proudly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am the daughter of the Sheik Kabour ben Saden,&rdquo; she answered.
&ldquo;I should be no fit daughter of his if I would not risk my life to save
that of the man who saved mine while he yet thought that I was but a common
Ouled-Nail.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nevertheless,&rdquo; he insisted, &ldquo;you are a very brave girl. But
how did you know that I was a prisoner back there?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Achmet-din-Taieb, who is my cousin on my father&rsquo;s side, was
visiting some friends who belong to the tribe that captured you. He was at the
<i>douar</i> when you were brought in. When he reached home he was telling us
about the big Frenchman who had been captured by Ali-ben-Ahmed for another
Frenchman who wished to kill him. From the description I knew that it must be
you. My father was away. I tried to persuade some of the men to come and save
you, but they would not do it, saying: &lsquo;Let the unbelievers kill one
another if they wish. It is none of our affair, and if we go and interfere with
Ali-ben-Ahmed&rsquo;s plans we shall only stir up a fight with our own
people.&rsquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;So when it was dark I came alone, riding one horse and leading another
for you. They are tethered not far from here. By morning we shall be within my
father&rsquo;s <i>douar</i>. He should be there himself by now&mdash;then let
them come and try to take Kadour ben Saden&rsquo;s friend.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For a few moments they walked on in silence.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We should be near the horses,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It is strange that
I do not see them here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then a moment later she stopped, with a little cry of consternation.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are gone!&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;It is here that I tethered
them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan stooped to examine the ground. He found that a large shrub had been torn
up by the roots. Then he found something else. There was a wry smile on his
face as he rose and turned toward the girl.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>El adrea</i> has been here. From the signs, though, I rather think
that his prey escaped him. With a little start they would be safe enough from
him in the open.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
There was nothing to do but continue on foot. The way led them across a low
spur of the mountains, but the girl knew the trail as well as she did her
mother&rsquo;s face. They walked in easy, swinging strides, Tarzan keeping a
hand&rsquo;s breadth behind the girl&rsquo;s shoulder, that she might set the
pace, and thus be less fatigued. As they walked they talked, occasionally
stopping to listen for sounds of pursuit.
</p>

<p>
It was now a beautiful, moonlit night. The air was crisp and invigorating.
Behind them lay the interminable vista of the desert, dotted here and there
with an occasional oasis. The date palms of the little fertile spot they had
just left, and the circle of goatskin tents, stood out in sharp relief against
the yellow sand&mdash;a phantom paradise upon a phantom sea. Before them rose
the grim and silent mountains. Tarzan&rsquo;s blood leaped in his veins. This
was life! He looked down upon the girl beside him&mdash;a daughter of the
desert walking across the face of a dead world with a son of the jungle. He
smiled at the thought. He wished that he had had a sister, and that she had
been like this girl. What a bully chum she would have been!
</p>

<p>
They had entered the mountains now, and were progressing more slowly, for the
trail was steeper and very rocky.
</p>

<p>
For a few minutes they had been silent. The girl was wondering if they would
reach her father&rsquo;s <i>douar</i> before the pursuit had overtaken them.
Tarzan was wishing that they might walk on thus forever. If the girl were only
a man they might. He longed for a friend who loved the same wild life that he
loved. He had learned to crave companionship, but it was his misfortune that
most of the men he knew preferred immaculate linen and their clubs to nakedness
and the jungle. It was, of course, difficult to understand, yet it was very
evident that they did.
</p>

<p>
The two had just turned a projecting rock around which the trail ran when they
were brought to a sudden stop. There, before them, directly in the middle of
the path, stood Numa, <i>el adrea</i>, the black lion. His green eyes looked
very wicked, and he bared his teeth, and lashed his bay-black sides with his
angry tail. Then he roared&mdash;the fearsome, terror-inspiring roar of the
hungry lion which is also angry.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Your knife,&rdquo; said Tarzan to the girl, extending his hand. She
slipped the hilt of the weapon into his waiting palm. As his fingers closed
upon it he drew her back and pushed her behind him. &ldquo;Walk back to the
desert as rapidly as you can. If you hear me call you will know that all is
well, and you may return.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is useless,&rdquo; she replied, resignedly. &ldquo;This is the
end.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do as I tell you,&rdquo; he commanded. &ldquo;Quickly! He is about to
charge.&rdquo; The girl dropped back a few paces, where she stood watching for
the terrible sight that she knew she should soon witness.
</p>

<p>
The lion was advancing slowly toward Tarzan, his nose to the ground, like a
challenging bull, his tail extended now and quivering as though with intense
excitement.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man stood, half crouching, the long Arab knife glistening in the
moonlight. Behind him the tense figure of the girl, motionless as a carven
statue. She leaned slightly forward, her lips parted, her eyes wide. Her only
conscious thought was wonder at the bravery of the man who dared face with a
puny knife the lord with the large head. A man of her own blood would have
knelt in prayer and gone down beneath those awful fangs without resistance. In
either case the result would be the same&mdash;it was inevitable; but she could
not repress a thrill of admiration as her eyes rested upon the heroic figure
before her. Not a tremor in the whole giant frame&mdash;his attitude as
menacing and defiant as that of <i>el adrea</i> himself.
</p>

<p>
The lion was quite close to him now&mdash;but a few paces intervened&mdash;he
crouched, and then, with a deafening roar, he sprang.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap11"></a>Chapter XI<br/>
John Caldwell, London</h2>

<p>
As Numa <i>el adrea</i> launched himself with widespread paws and bared fangs
he looked to find this puny man as easy prey as the score who had gone down
beneath him in the past. To him man was a clumsy, slow-moving, defenseless
creature&mdash;he had little respect for him.
</p>

<p>
But this time he found that he was pitted against a creature as agile and as
quick as himself. When his mighty frame struck the spot where the man had been
he was no longer there.
</p>

<p>
The watching girl was transfixed by astonishment at the ease with which the
crouching man eluded the great paws. And now, O Allah! He had rushed in behind
<i>el adrea&rsquo;s</i> shoulder even before the beast could turn, and had
grasped him by the mane. The lion reared upon his hind legs like a
horse&mdash;Tarzan had known that he would do this, and he was ready. A giant
arm encircled the black-maned throat, and once, twice, a dozen times a sharp
blade darted in and out of the bay-black side behind the left shoulder.
</p>

<p>
Frantic were the leaps of Numa&mdash;awful his roars of rage and pain; but the
giant upon his back could not be dislodged or brought within reach of fangs or
talons in the brief interval of life that remained to the lord with the large
head. He was quite dead when Tarzan of the Apes released his hold and arose.
Then the daughter of the desert witnessed a thing that terrified her even more
than had the presence of <i>el adrea</i>. The man placed a foot upon the
carcass of his kill, and, with his handsome face raised toward the full moon,
gave voice to the most frightful cry that ever had smote upon her ears.
</p>

<p>
With a little cry of fear she shrank away from him&mdash;she thought that the
fearful strain of the encounter had driven him mad. As the last note of that
fiendish challenge died out in the diminishing echoes of the distance the man
dropped his eyes until they rested upon the girl.
</p>

<p>
Instantly his face was lighted by the kindly smile that was ample assurance of
his sanity, and the girl breathed freely once again, smiling in response.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What manner of man are you?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;The thing you have
done is unheard of. Even now I cannot believe that it is possible for a lone
man armed only with a knife to have fought hand to hand with <i>el adrea</i>
and conquered him, unscathed&mdash;to have conquered him at all. And that
cry&mdash;it was not human. Why did you do that?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan flushed. &ldquo;It is because I forget,&rdquo; he said,
&ldquo;sometimes, that I am a civilized man. When I kill it must be that I am
another creature.&rdquo; He did not try to explain further, for it always
seemed to him that a woman must look with loathing upon one who was yet so
nearly a beast.
</p>

<p>
Together they continued their journey. The sun was an hour high when they came
out into the desert again beyond the mountains. Beside a little rivulet they
found the girl&rsquo;s horses grazing. They had come this far on their way
home, and with the cause of their fear no longer present had stopped to feed.
</p>

<p>
With little trouble Tarzan and the girl caught them, and, mounting, rode out
into the desert toward the <i>douar</i> of Sheik Kadour ben Saden.
</p>

<p>
No sign of pursuit developed, and they came in safety about nine o&rsquo;clock
to their destination. The sheik had but just returned. He was frantic with
grief at the absence of his daughter, whom he thought had been again abducted
by the marauders. With fifty men he was already mounted to go in search of her
when the two rode into the <i>douar</i>.
</p>

<p>
His joy at the safe return of his daughter was only equaled by his gratitude to
Tarzan for bringing her safely to him through the dangers of the night, and his
thankfulness that she had been in time to save the man who had once saved her.
</p>

<p>
No honor that Kadour ben Saden could heap upon the ape-man in acknowledgment of
his esteem and friendship was neglected. When the girl had recited the story of
the slaying of <i>el adrea</i> Tarzan was surrounded by a mob of worshiping
Arabs&mdash;it was a sure road to their admiration and respect.
</p>

<p>
The old sheik insisted that Tarzan remain indefinitely as his guest. He even
wished to adopt him as a member of the tribe, and there was for some time a
half-formed resolution in the ape-man&rsquo;s mind to accept and remain forever
with these wild people, whom he understood and who seemed to understand him.
His friendship and liking for the girl were potent factors in urging him toward
an affirmative decision.
</p>

<p>
Had she been a man, he argued, he should not have hesitated, for it would have
meant a friend after his own heart, with whom he could ride and hunt at will;
but as it was they would be hedged by the conventionalities that are even more
strictly observed by the wild nomads of the desert than by their more civilized
brothers and sisters. And in a little while she would be married to one of
these swarthy warriors, and there would be an end to their friendship. So he
decided against the sheik&rsquo;s proposal, though he remained a week as his
guest.
</p>

<p>
When he left, Kadour ben Saden and fifty white-robed warriors rode with him to
Bou Saada. While they were mounting in the <i>douar</i> of Kadour ben Saden the
morning of their departure, the girl came to bid farewell to Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have prayed that you would remain with us,&rdquo; she said simply, as
he leaned from his saddle to clasp her hand in farewell, &ldquo;and now I shall
pray that you will return.&rdquo; There was an expression of wistfulness in her
beautiful eyes, and a pathetic droop at the corners of her mouth. Tarzan was
touched.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who knows?&rdquo; and then he turned and rode after the departing Arabs.
</p>

<p>
Outside Bou Saada he bade Kadour ben Saden and his men good-by, for there were
reasons which made him wish to make his entry into the town as secret as
possible, and when he had explained them to the sheik the latter concurred in
his decision. The Arabs were to enter Bou Saada ahead of him, saying nothing as
to his presence with them. Later Tarzan would come in alone, and go directly to
an obscure native inn.
</p>

<p>
Thus, making his entrance after dark, as he did, he was not seen by any one who
knew him, and reached the inn unobserved. After dining with Kadour ben Saden as
his guest, he went to his former hotel by a roundabout way, and, coming in by a
rear entrance, sought the proprietor, who seemed much surprised to see him
alive.
</p>

<p>
Yes, there was mail for monsieur; he would fetch it. No, he would mention
monsieur&rsquo;s return to no one. Presently he returned with a packet of
letters. One was an order from his superior to lay off on his present work, and
hasten to Cape Town by the first steamer he could get. His further instructions
would be awaiting him there in the hands of another agent whose name and
address were given. That was all&mdash;brief but explicit. Tarzan arranged to
leave Bou Saada early the next morning. Then he started for the garrison to see
Captain Gerard, whom the hotel man had told him had returned with his
detachment the previous day.
</p>

<p>
He found the officer in his quarters. He was filled with surprise and pleasure
at seeing Tarzan alive and well.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When Lieutenant Gernois returned and reported that he had not found you
at the spot that you had chosen to remain while the detachment was scouting, I
was filled with alarm. We searched the mountain for days. Then came word that
you had been killed and eaten by a lion. As proof your gun was brought to us.
Your horse had returned to camp the second day after your disappearance. We
could not doubt. Lieutenant Gernois was grief-stricken&mdash;he took all the
blame upon himself. It was he who insisted on carrying on the search himself.
It was he who found the Arab with your gun. He will be delighted to know that
you are safe.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Doubtless,&rdquo; said Tarzan, with a grim smile.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is down in the town now, or I should send for him,&rdquo; continued
Captain Gerard. &ldquo;I shall tell him as soon as he returns.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan let the officer think that he had been lost, wandering finally into the
<i>douar</i> of Kadour ben Saden, who had escorted him back to Bou Saada. As
soon as possible he bade the good officer adieu, and hastened back into the
town. At the native inn he had learned through Kadour ben Saden a piece of
interesting information. It told of a black-bearded white man who went always
disguised as an Arab. For a time he had nursed a broken wrist. More recently he
had been away from Bou Saada, but now he was back, and Tarzan knew his place of
concealment. It was for there he headed.
</p>

<p>
Through narrow, stinking alleys, black as Erebus, he groped, and then up a
rickety stairway, at the end of which was a closed door and a tiny, unglazed
window. The window was high under the low eaves of the mud building. Tarzan
could just reach the sill. He raised himself slowly until his eyes topped it.
The room within was lighted, and at a table sat Rokoff and Gernois. Gernois was
speaking.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Rokoff, you are a devil!&rdquo; he was saying. &ldquo;You have hounded
me until I have lost the last shred of my honor. You have driven me to murder,
for the blood of that man Tarzan is on my hands. If it were not that that other
devil&rsquo;s spawn, Paulvitch, still knew my secret, I should kill you here
tonight with my bare hands.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff laughed. &ldquo;You would not do that, my dear lieutenant,&rdquo; he
said. &ldquo;The moment I am reported dead by assassination that dear Alexis
will forward to the minister of war full proof of the affair you so ardently
long to conceal; and, further, will charge you with my murder. Come, be
sensible. I am your best friend. Have I not protected your honor as though it
were my own?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Gernois sneered, and spat out an oath.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Just one more little payment,&rdquo; continued Rokoff, &ldquo;and the
papers I wish, and you have my word of honor that I shall never ask another
cent from you, or further information.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And a good reason why,&rdquo; growled Gernois. &ldquo;What you ask will
take my last cent, and the only valuable military secret I hold. You ought to
be paying me for the information, instead of taking both it and money,
too.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am paying you by keeping a still tongue in my head,&rdquo; retorted
Rokoff. &ldquo;But let&rsquo;s have done. Will you, or will you not? I give you
three minutes to decide. If you are not agreeable I shall send a note to your
commandant tonight that will end in the degradation that Dreyfus
suffered&mdash;the only difference being that he did not deserve it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For a moment Gernois sat with bowed head. At length he arose. He drew two
pieces of paper from his blouse.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here,&rdquo; he said hopelessly. &ldquo;I had them ready, for I knew
that there could be but one outcome.&rdquo; He held them toward the Russian.
</p>

<p>
Rokoff&rsquo;s cruel face lighted in malignant gloating. He seized the bits of
paper.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have done well, Gernois,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I shall not trouble
you again&mdash;unless you happen to accumulate some more money or
information,&rdquo; and he grinned.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You never shall again, you dog!&rdquo; hissed Gernois. &ldquo;The next
time I shall kill you. I came near doing it tonight. For an hour I sat with
these two pieces of paper on my table before me ere I came here&mdash;beside
them lay my loaded revolver. I was trying to decide which I should bring. Next
time the choice shall be easier, for I already have decided. You had a close
call tonight, Rokoff; do not tempt fate a second time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then Gernois rose to leave. Tarzan barely had time to drop to the landing and
shrink back into the shadows on the far side of the door. Even then he scarcely
hoped to elude detection. The landing was very small, and though he flattened
himself against the wall at its far edge he was scarcely more than a foot from
the doorway. Almost immediately it opened, and Gernois stepped out. Rokoff was
behind him. Neither spoke. Gernois had taken perhaps three steps down the
stairway when he halted and half turned, as though to retrace his steps.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan knew that discovery would be inevitable. Rokoff still stood on the
threshold a foot from him, but he was looking in the opposite direction, toward
Gernois. Then the officer evidently reconsidered his decision, and resumed his
downward course. Tarzan could hear Rokoff&rsquo;s sigh of relief. A moment
later the Russian went back into the room and closed the door.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan waited until Gernois had had time to get well out of hearing, then he
pushed open the door and stepped into the room. He was on top of Rokoff before
the man could rise from the chair where he sat scanning the paper Gernois had
given him. As his eyes turned and fell upon the ape-man&rsquo;s face his own
went livid.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You!&rdquo; he gasped.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I,&rdquo; replied Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you want?&rdquo; whispered Rokoff, for the look in the
ape-man&rsquo;s eyes frightened him. &ldquo;Have you come to kill me? You do
not dare. They would guillotine you. You do not dare kill me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I dare kill you, Rokoff,&rdquo; replied Tarzan, &ldquo;for no one knows
that you are here or that I am here, and Paulvitch would tell them that it was
Gernois. I heard you tell Gernois so. But that would not influence me, Rokoff.
I would not care who knew that I had killed you; the pleasure of killing you
would more than compensate for any punishment they might inflict upon me. You
are the most despicable cur of a coward, Rokoff, I have ever heard of. You
should be killed. I should love to kill you,&rdquo; and Tarzan approached
closer to the man.
</p>

<p>
Rokoff&rsquo;s nerves were keyed to the breaking point. With a shriek he sprang
toward an adjoining room, but the ape-man was upon his back while his leap was
yet but half completed. Iron fingers sought his throat&mdash;the great coward
squealed like a stuck pig, until Tarzan had shut off his wind. Then the ape-man
dragged him to his feet, still choking him. The Russian struggled
futilely&mdash;he was like a babe in the mighty grasp of Tarzan of the Apes.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan sat him in a chair, and long before there was danger of the man&rsquo;s
dying he released his hold upon his throat. When the Russian&rsquo;s coughing
spell had abated Tarzan spoke to him again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have given you a taste of the suffering of death,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;But I shall not kill&mdash;this time. I am sparing you solely for the
sake of a very good woman whose great misfortune it was to have been born of
the same woman who gave birth to you. But I shall spare you only this once on
her account. Should I ever learn that you have again annoyed her or her
husband&mdash;should you ever annoy me again&mdash;should I hear that you have
returned to France or to any French possession, I shall make it my sole
business to hunt you down and complete the choking I commenced tonight.&rdquo;
Then he turned to the table, on which the two pieces of paper still lay. As he
picked them up Rokoff gasped in horror.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan examined both the check and the other. He was amazed at the information
the latter contained. Rokoff had partially read it, but Tarzan knew that no one
could remember the salient facts and figures it held which made it of real
value to an enemy of France.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;These will interest the chief of staff,&rdquo; he said, as he slipped
them into his pocket. Rokoff groaned. He did not dare curse aloud.
</p>

<p>
The next morning Tarzan rode north on his way to Bouira and Algiers. As he had
ridden past the hotel Lieutenant Gernois was standing on the veranda. As his
eyes discovered Tarzan he went white as chalk. The ape-man would have been glad
had the meeting not occurred, but he could not avoid it. He saluted the officer
as he rode past. Mechanically Gernois returned the salute, but those terrible,
wide eyes followed the horseman, expressionless except for horror. It was as
though a dead man looked upon a ghost.
</p>

<p>
At Sidi Aissa Tarzan met a French officer with whom he had become acquainted on
the occasion of his recent sojourn in the town.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You left Bou Saada early?&rdquo; questioned the officer. &ldquo;Then you
have not heard about poor Gernois.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He was the last man I saw as I rode away,&rdquo; replied Tarzan.
&ldquo;What about him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He is dead. He shot himself about eight o&rsquo;clock this
morning.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Two days later Tarzan reached Algiers. There he found that he would have a two
days&rsquo; wait before he could catch a ship bound for Cape Town. He occupied
his time in writing out a full report of his mission. The secret papers he had
taken from Rokoff he did not inclose, for he did not dare trust them out of his
own possession until he had been authorized to turn them over to another agent,
or himself return to Paris with them.
</p>

<p>
As Tarzan boarded his ship after what seemed a most tedious wait to him, two
men watched him from an upper deck. Both were fashionably dressed and smooth
shaven. The taller of the two had sandy hair, but his eyebrows were very black.
Later in the day they chanced to meet Tarzan on deck, but as one hurriedly
called his companion&rsquo;s attention to something at sea their faces were
turned from Tarzan as he passed, so that he did not notice their features. In
fact, he had paid no attention to them at all.
</p>

<p>
Following the instructions of his chief, Tarzan had booked his passage under an
assumed name&mdash;John Caldwell, London. He did not understand the necessity
of this, and it caused him considerable speculation. He wondered what role he
was to play in Cape Town.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he thought, &ldquo;thank Heaven that I am rid of Rokoff. He
was commencing to annoy me. I wonder if I am really becoming so civilized that
presently I shall develop a set of nerves. He would give them to me if any one
could, for he does not fight fair. One never knows through what new agency he
is going to strike. It is as though Numa, the lion, had induced Tantor, the
elephant, and Histah, the snake, to join him in attempting to kill me. I would
then never have known what minute, or by whom, I was to be attacked next. But
the brutes are more chivalrous than man&mdash;they do not stoop to cowardly
intrigue.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
At dinner that night Tarzan sat next to a young woman whose place was at the
captain&rsquo;s left. The officer introduced them.
</p>

<p>
Miss Strong! Where had he heard the name before? It was very familiar. And then
the girl&rsquo;s mother gave him the clew, for when she addressed her daughter
she called her Hazel.
</p>

<p>
Hazel Strong! What memories the name inspired. It had been a letter to this
girl, penned by the fair hand of Jane Porter, that had carried to him the first
message from the woman he loved. How vividly he recalled the night he had
stolen it from the desk in the cabin of his long-dead father, where Jane Porter
had sat writing it late into the night, while he crouched in the darkness
without. How terror-stricken she would have been that night had she known that
the wild jungle beast squatted outside her window, watching her every move.
</p>

<p>
And this was Hazel Strong&mdash;Jane Porter&rsquo;s best friend!
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap12"></a>Chapter XII<br/>
Ships That Pass</h2>

<p>
Let us go back a few months to the little, windswept platform of a railway
station in northern Wisconsin. The smoke of forest fires hangs low over the
surrounding landscape, its acrid fumes smarting the eyes of a little party of
six who stand waiting the coming of the train that is to bear them away toward
the south.
</p>

<p>
Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, his hands clasped beneath the tails of his long
coat, paces back and forth under the ever-watchful eye of his faithful
secretary, Mr. Samuel T. Philander. Twice within the past few minutes he has
started absent-mindedly across the tracks in the direction of a near-by swamp,
only to be rescued and dragged back by the tireless Mr. Philander.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter, the professor&rsquo;s daughter, is in strained and lifeless
conversation with William Cecil Clayton and Tarzan of the Apes. Within the
little waiting room, but a bare moment before, a confession of love and a
renunciation had taken place that had blighted the lives and happiness of two
of the party, but William Cecil Clayton, Lord Greystoke, was not one of them.
</p>

<p>
Behind Miss Porter hovered the motherly Esmeralda. She, too, was happy, for was
she not returning to her beloved Maryland? Already she could see dimly through
the fog of smoke the murky headlight of the oncoming engine. The men began to
gather up the hand baggage. Suddenly Clayton exclaimed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By Jove! I&rsquo;ve left my ulster in the waiting-room,&rdquo; and
hastened off to fetch it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good-bye, Jane,&rdquo; said Tarzan, extending his hand. &ldquo;God bless
you!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good-bye,&rdquo; replied the girl faintly. &ldquo;Try to forget
me&mdash;no, not that&mdash;I could not bear to think that you had forgotten
me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is no danger of that, dear,&rdquo; he answered. &ldquo;I wish to
Heaven that I might forget. It would be so much easier than to go through life
always remembering what might have been. You will be happy, though; I am sure
you shall&mdash;you must be. You may tell the others of my decision to drive my
car on to New York&mdash;I don&rsquo;t feel equal to bidding Clayton good-bye.
I want always to remember him kindly, but I fear that I am too much of a wild
beast yet to be trusted too long with the man who stands between me and the one
person in all the world I want.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As Clayton stooped to pick up his coat in the waiting room his eyes fell on a
telegraph blank lying face down upon the floor. He stooped to pick it up,
thinking it might be a message of importance which some one had dropped. He
glanced at it hastily, and then suddenly he forgot his coat, the approaching
train&mdash;everything but that terrible little piece of yellow paper in his
hand. He read it twice before he could fully grasp the terrific weight of
meaning that it bore to him.
</p>

<p>
When he had picked it up he had been an English nobleman, the proud and wealthy
possessor of vast estates&mdash;a moment later he had read it, and he knew that
he was an untitled and penniless beggar. It was D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s cablegram
to Tarzan, and it read:
</p>

<p class="letter">
Finger prints prove you Greystoke. Congratulations.<br/>
D&rsquo;A<small>RNOT</small>.
</p>

<p>
He staggered as though he had received a mortal blow. Just then he heard the
others calling to him to hurry&mdash;the train was coming to a stop at the
little platform. Like a man dazed he gathered up his ulster. He would tell them
about the cablegram when they were all on board the train. Then he ran out upon
the platform just as the engine whistled twice in the final warning that
precedes the first rumbling jerk of coupling pins. The others were on board,
leaning out from the platform of a Pullman, crying to him to hurry. Quite five
minutes elapsed before they were settled in their seats, nor was it until then
that Clayton discovered that Tarzan was not with them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where is Tarzan?&rdquo; he asked Jane Porter. &ldquo;In another
car?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; she replied; &ldquo;at the last minute he determined to drive
his machine back to New York. He is anxious to see more of America than is
possible from a car window. He is returning to France, you know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton did not reply. He was trying to find the right words to explain to Jane
Porter the calamity that had befallen him&mdash;and her. He wondered just what
the effect of his knowledge would be on her. Would she still wish to marry
him&mdash;to be plain Mrs. Clayton? Suddenly the awful sacrifice which one of
them must make loomed large before his imagination. Then came the question:
Will Tarzan claim his own? The ape-man had known the contents of the message
before he calmly denied knowledge of his parentage! He had admitted that Kala,
the ape, was his mother! Could it have been for love of Jane Porter?
</p>

<p>
There was no other explanation which seemed reasonable. Then, having ignored
the evidence of the message, was it not reasonable to assume that he meant
never to claim his birthright? If this were so, what right had he, William
Cecil Clayton, to thwart the wishes, to balk the self-sacrifice of this strange
man? If Tarzan of the Apes could do this thing to save Jane Porter from
unhappiness, why should he, to whose care she was intrusting her whole future,
do aught to jeopardize her interests?
</p>

<p>
And so he reasoned until the first generous impulse to proclaim the truth and
relinquish his titles and his estates to their rightful owner was forgotten
beneath the mass of sophistries which self-interest had advanced. But during
the balance of the trip, and for many days thereafter, he was moody and
distraught. Occasionally the thought obtruded itself that possibly at some
later day Tarzan would regret his magnanimity, and claim his rights.
</p>

<p>
Several days after they reached Baltimore Clayton broached the subject of an
early marriage to Jane.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean by early?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Within the next few days. I must return to England at once&mdash;I want
you to return with me, dear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t get ready so soon as that,&rdquo; replied Jane. &ldquo;It
will take a whole month, at least.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She was glad, for she hoped that whatever called him to England might still
further delay the wedding. She had made a bad bargain, but she intended
carrying her part loyally to the bitter end&mdash;if she could manage to secure
a temporary reprieve, though, she felt that she was warranted in doing so. His
reply disconcerted her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well, Jane,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am disappointed, but I shall
let my trip to England wait a month; then we can go back together.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But when the month was drawing to a close she found still another excuse upon
which to hang a postponement, until at last, discouraged and doubting, Clayton
was forced to go back to England alone.
</p>

<p>
The several letters that passed between them brought Clayton no nearer to a
consummation of his hopes than he had been before, and so it was that he wrote
directly to Professor Porter, and enlisted his services. The old man had always
favored the match. He liked Clayton, and, being of an old southern family, he
put rather an exaggerated value on the advantages of a title, which meant
little or nothing to his daughter.
</p>

<p>
Clayton urged that the professor accept his invitation to be his guest in
London, an invitation which included the professor&rsquo;s entire little
family&mdash;Mr. Philander, Esmeralda, and all. The Englishman argued that once
Jane was there, and home ties had been broken, she would not so dread the step
which she had so long hesitated to take.
</p>

<p>
So the evening that he received Clayton&rsquo;s letter Professor Porter
announced that they would leave for London the following week.
</p>

<p>
But once in London Jane Porter was no more tractable than she had been in
Baltimore. She found one excuse after another, and when, finally, Lord
Tennington invited the party to cruise around Africa in his yacht, she
expressed the greatest delight in the idea, but absolutely refused to be
married until they had returned to London. As the cruise was to consume a year
at least, for they were to stop for indefinite periods at various points of
interest, Clayton mentally anathematized Tennington for ever suggesting such a
ridiculous trip.
</p>

<p>
It was Lord Tennington&rsquo;s plan to cruise through the Mediterranean, and
the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, and thus down the East Coast, putting in at
every port that was worth the seeing.
</p>

<p>
And so it happened that on a certain day two vessels passed in the Strait of
Gibraltar. The smaller, a trim white yacht, was speeding toward the east, and
on her deck sat a young woman who gazed with sad eyes upon a diamond-studded
locket which she idly fingered. Her thoughts were far away, in the dim, leafy
fastness of a tropical jungle&mdash;and her heart was with her thoughts.
</p>

<p>
She wondered if the man who had given her the beautiful bauble, that had meant
so much more to him than the intrinsic value which he had not even known could
ever have meant to him, was back in his savage forest.
</p>

<p>
And upon the deck of the larger vessel, a passenger steamer passing toward the
east, the man sat with another young woman, and the two idly speculated upon
the identity of the dainty craft gliding so gracefully through the gentle swell
of the lazy sea.
</p>

<p>
When the yacht had passed the man resumed the conversation that her appearance
had broken off.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I like America very much, and that means, of
course, that I like Americans, for a country is only what its people make it. I
met some very delightful people while I was there. I recall one family from
your own city, Miss Strong, whom I liked particularly&mdash;Professor Porter
and his daughter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Jane Porter!&rdquo; exclaimed the girl. &ldquo;Do you mean to tell me
that you know Jane Porter? Why, she is the very best friend I have in the
world. We were little children together&mdash;we have known each other for
ages.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed!&rdquo; he answered, smiling. &ldquo;You would have difficulty in
persuading any one of the fact who had seen either of you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll qualify the statement, then,&rdquo; she answered, with a
laugh. &ldquo;We have known each other for two ages&mdash;hers and mine. But
seriously we are as dear to each other as sisters, and now that I am going to
lose her I am almost heartbroken.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Going to lose her?&rdquo; exclaimed Tarzan. &ldquo;Why, what do you
mean? Oh, yes, I understand. You mean that now that she is married and living
in England, you will seldom if ever see her.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; replied she; &ldquo;and the saddest part of it all is that
she is not marrying the man she loves. Oh, it is terrible. Marrying from a
sense of duty! I think it is perfectly wicked, and I told her so. I have felt
so strongly on the subject that although I was the only person outside of blood
relations who was to have been asked to the wedding I would not let her invite
me, for I should not have gone to witness the terrible mockery. But Jane Porter
is peculiarly positive. She has convinced herself that she is doing the only
honorable thing that she can do, and nothing in the world will ever prevent her
from marrying Lord Greystoke except Greystoke himself, or death.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am sorry for her,&rdquo; said Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I am sorry for the man she loves,&rdquo; said the girl, &ldquo;for
he loves her. I never met him, but from what Jane tells me he must be a very
wonderful person. It seems that he was born in an African jungle, and brought
up by fierce, anthropoid apes. He had never seen a white man or woman until
Professor Porter and his party were marooned on the coast right at the
threshold of his tiny cabin. He saved them from all manner of terrible beasts,
and accomplished the most wonderful feats imaginable, and then to cap the
climax he fell in love with Jane and she with him, though she never really knew
it for sure until she had promised herself to Lord Greystoke.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Most remarkable,&rdquo; murmured Tarzan, cudgeling his brain for some
pretext upon which to turn the subject. He delighted in hearing Hazel Strong
talk of Jane, but when he was the subject of the conversation he was bored and
embarrassed. But he was soon given a respite, for the girl&rsquo;s mother
joined them, and the talk became general.
</p>

<p>
The next few days passed uneventfully. The sea was quiet. The sky was clear.
The steamer plowed steadily on toward the south without pause. Tarzan spent
quite a little time with Miss Strong and her mother. They whiled away their
hours on deck reading, talking, or taking pictures with Miss Strong&rsquo;s
camera. When the sun had set they walked.
</p>

<p>
One day Tarzan found Miss Strong in conversation with a stranger, a man he had
not seen on board before. As he approached the couple the man bowed to the girl
and turned to walk away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait, Monsieur Thuran,&rdquo; said Miss Strong; &ldquo;you must meet Mr.
Caldwell. We are all fellow passengers, and should be acquainted.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The two men shook hands. As Tarzan looked into the eyes of Monsieur Thuran he
was struck by the strange familiarity of their expression.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have had the honor of monsieur&rsquo;s acquaintance in the past, I am
sure,&rdquo; said Tarzan, &ldquo;though I cannot recall the
circumstances.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran appeared ill at ease.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot say, monsieur,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;It may be so. I have
had that identical sensation myself when meeting a stranger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur Thuran has been explaining some of the mysteries of navigation
to me,&rdquo; explained the girl.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan paid little heed to the conversation that ensued&mdash;he was attempting
to recall where he had met Monsieur Thuran before. That it had been under
peculiar circumstances he was positive. Presently the sun reached them, and the
girl asked Monsieur Thuran to move her chair farther back into the shade.
Tarzan happened to be watching the man at the time, and noticed the awkward
manner in which he handled the chair&mdash;his left wrist was stiff. That clew
was sufficient&mdash;a sudden train of associated ideas did the rest.
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran had been trying to find an excuse to make a graceful departure.
The lull in the conversation following the moving of their position gave him an
opportunity to make his excuses. Bowing low to Miss Strong, and inclining his
head to Tarzan, he turned to leave them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Just a moment,&rdquo; said Tarzan. &ldquo;If Miss Strong will pardon me
I will accompany you. I shall return in a moment, Miss Strong.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran looked uncomfortable. When the two men had passed out of the
girl&rsquo;s sight, Tarzan stopped, laying a heavy hand on the other&rsquo;s
shoulder.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What is your game now, Rokoff?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am leaving France as I promised you,&rdquo; replied the other, in a
surly voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I see you are,&rdquo; said Tarzan; &ldquo;but I know you so well that I
can scarcely believe that your being on the same boat with me is purely a
coincidence. If I could believe it the fact that you are in disguise would
immediately disabuse my mind of any such idea.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; growled Rokoff, with a shrug, &ldquo;I cannot see what you
are going to do about it. This vessel flies the English flag. I have as much
right on board her as you, and from the fact that you are booked under an
assumed name I imagine that I have more right.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We will not discuss it, Rokoff. All I wanted to say to you is that you
must keep away from Miss Strong&mdash;she is a decent woman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Rokoff turned scarlet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t I shall pitch you overboard,&rdquo; continued Tarzan.
&ldquo;Do not forget that I am just waiting for some excuse.&rdquo; Then he
turned on his heel, and left Rokoff standing there trembling with suppressed
rage.
</p>

<p>
He did not see the man again for days, but Rokoff was not idle. In his
stateroom with Paulvitch he fumed and swore, threatening the most terrible of
revenges.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I would throw him overboard tonight,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;were I sure
that those papers were not on his person. I cannot chance pitching them into
the ocean with him. If you were not such a stupid coward, Alexis, you would
find a way to enter his stateroom and search for the documents.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Paulvitch smiled. &ldquo;You are supposed to be the brains of this partnership,
my dear Nikolas,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;Why do you not find the means to
search Monsieur Caldwell&rsquo;s stateroom&mdash;eh?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Two hours later fate was kind to them, for Paulvitch, who was ever on the
watch, saw Tarzan leave his room without locking the door. Five minutes later
Rokoff was stationed where he could give the alarm in case Tarzan returned, and
Paulvitch was deftly searching the contents of the ape-man&rsquo;s luggage.
</p>

<p>
He was about to give up in despair when he saw a coat which Tarzan had just
removed. A moment later he grasped an official envelope in his hand. A quick
glance at its contents brought a broad smile to the Russian&rsquo;s face.
</p>

<p>
When he left the stateroom Tarzan himself could not have told that an article
in it had been touched since he left it&mdash;Paulvitch was a past master in
his chosen field. When he handed the packet to Rokoff in the seclusion of their
stateroom the larger man rang for a steward, and ordered a pint of champagne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We must celebrate, my dear Alexis,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was luck, Nikolas,&rdquo; explained Paulvitch. &ldquo;It is evident
that he carries these papers always upon his person&mdash;just by chance he
neglected to transfer them when he changed coats a few minutes since. But there
will be the deuce to pay when he discovers his loss. I am afraid that he will
immediately connect you with it. Now that he knows that you are on board he
will suspect you at once.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It will make no difference whom he suspects&mdash;after to-night,&rdquo;
said Rokoff, with a nasty grin.
</p>

<p>
After Miss Strong had gone below that night Tarzan stood leaning over the rail
looking far out to sea. Every night he had done this since he had come on
board&mdash;sometimes he stood thus for an hour. And the eyes that had been
watching his every movement since he had boarded the ship at Algiers knew that
this was his habit.
</p>

<p>
Even as he stood there this night those eyes were on him. Presently the last
straggler had left the deck. It was a clear night, but there was no
moon&mdash;objects on deck were barely discernible.
</p>

<p>
From the shadows of the cabin two figures crept stealthily upon the ape-man
from behind. The lapping of the waves against the ship&rsquo;s sides, the
whirring of the propeller, the throbbing of the engines, drowned the almost
soundless approach of the two.
</p>

<p>
They were quite close to him now, and crouching low, like tacklers on a
gridiron. One of them raised his hand and lowered it, as though counting off
seconds&mdash;one&mdash;two&mdash;three! As one man the two leaped for their
victim. Each grasped a leg, and before Tarzan of the Apes, lightning though he
was, could turn to save himself he had been pitched over the low rail and was
falling into the Atlantic.
</p>

<p>
Hazel Strong was looking from her darkened port across the dark sea. Suddenly a
body shot past her eyes from the deck above. It dropped so quickly into the
dark waters below that she could not be sure of what it was&mdash;it might have
been a man, she could not say. She listened for some outcry from
above&mdash;for the always-fearsome call, &ldquo;Man overboard!&rdquo; but it
did not come. All was silence on the ship above&mdash;all was silence in the
sea below.
</p>

<p>
The girl decided that she had but seen a bundle of refuse thrown overboard by
one of the ship&rsquo;s crew, and a moment later sought her berth.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap13"></a>Chapter XIII<br/>
The Wreck of the &ldquo;Lady Alice&rdquo;</h2>

<p>
The next morning at breakfast Tarzan&rsquo;s place was vacant. Miss Strong was
mildly curious, for Mr. Caldwell had always made it a point to wait that he
might breakfast with her and her mother. As she was sitting on deck later
Monsieur Thuran paused to exchange a half dozen pleasant words with her. He
seemed in most excellent spirits&mdash;his manner was the extreme of
affability. As he passed on Miss Strong thought what a very delightful man was
Monsieur Thuran.
</p>

<p>
The day dragged heavily. She missed the quiet companionship of Mr.
Caldwell&mdash;there had been something about him that had made the girl like
him from the first; he had talked so entertainingly of the places he had
seen&mdash;the peoples and their customs&mdash;the wild beasts; and he had
always had a droll way of drawing striking comparisons between savage animals
and civilized men that showed a considerable knowledge of the former, and a
keen, though somewhat cynical, estimate of the latter.
</p>

<p>
When Monsieur Thuran stopped again to chat with her in the afternoon she
welcomed the break in the day&rsquo;s monotony. But she had begun to become
seriously concerned in Mr. Caldwell&rsquo;s continued absence; somehow she
constantly associated it with the start she had had the night before, when the
dark object fell past her port into the sea. Presently she broached the subject
to Monsieur Thuran. Had he seen Mr. Caldwell today? He had not. Why?
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He was not at breakfast as usual, nor have I seen him once since
yesterday,&rdquo; explained the girl.
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran was extremely solicitous.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not have the pleasure of intimate acquaintance with Mr.
Caldwell,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He seemed a most estimable gentleman, however.
Can it be that he is indisposed, and has remained in his stateroom? It would
not be strange.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; replied the girl, &ldquo;it would not be strange, of course;
but for some inexplicable reason I have one of those foolish feminine
presentiments that all is not right with Mr. Caldwell. It is the strangest
feeling&mdash;it is as though I knew that he was not on board the ship.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran laughed pleasantly. &ldquo;Mercy, my dear Miss Strong,&rdquo;
he said; &ldquo;where in the world could he be then? We have not been within
sight of land for days.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Of course, it is ridiculous of me,&rdquo; she admitted. And then:
&ldquo;But I am not going to worry about it any longer; I am going to find out
where Mr. Caldwell is,&rdquo; and she motioned to a passing steward.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That may be more difficult than you imagine, my dear girl,&rdquo;
thought Monsieur Thuran, but aloud he said: &ldquo;By all means.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Find Mr. Caldwell, please,&rdquo; she said to the steward, &ldquo;and
tell him that his friends are much worried by his continued absence.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are very fond of Mr. Caldwell?&rdquo; suggested Monsieur Thuran.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think he is splendid,&rdquo; replied the girl. &ldquo;And mamma is
perfectly infatuated with him. He is the sort of man with whom one has a
feeling of perfect security&mdash;no one could help but have confidence in Mr.
Caldwell.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A moment later the steward returned to say that Mr. Caldwell was not in his
stateroom. &ldquo;I cannot find him, Miss Strong, and&rdquo;&mdash;he
hesitated&mdash;&ldquo;I have learned that his berth was not occupied last
night. I think that I had better report the matter to the captain.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Most assuredly,&rdquo; exclaimed Miss Strong. &ldquo;I shall go with you
to the captain myself. It is terrible! I know that something awful has
happened. My presentiments were not false, after all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
It was a very frightened young woman and an excited steward who presented
themselves before the captain a few moments later. He listened to their stories
in silence&mdash;a look of concern marking his expression as the steward
assured him that he had sought for the missing passenger in every part of the
ship that a passenger might be expected to frequent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And are you sure, Miss Strong, that you saw a body fall overboard last
night?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There is not the slightest doubt about that,&rdquo; she answered.
&ldquo;I cannot say that it was a human body&mdash;there was no outcry. It
might have been only what I thought it was&mdash;a bundle of refuse. But if Mr.
Caldwell is not found on board I shall always be positive that it was he whom I
saw fall past my port.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The captain ordered an immediate and thorough search of the entire ship from
stem to stern&mdash;no nook or cranny was to be overlooked. Miss Strong
remained in his cabin, waiting the outcome of the quest. The captain asked her
many questions, but she could tell him nothing about the missing man other than
what she had herself seen during their brief acquaintance on shipboard. For the
first time she suddenly realized how very little indeed Mr. Caldwell had told
her about himself or his past life. That he had been born in Africa and
educated in Paris was about all she knew, and this meager information had been
the result of her surprise that an Englishman should speak English with such a
marked French accent.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did he ever speak of any enemies?&rdquo; asked the captain.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Was he acquainted with any of the other passengers?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only as he had been with me&mdash;through the circumstance of casual
meeting as fellow shipmates.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Er&mdash;was he, in your opinion, Miss Strong, a man who drank to
excess?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know that he drank at all&mdash;he certainly had not been
drinking up to half an hour before I saw that body fall overboard,&rdquo; she
answered, &ldquo;for I was with him on deck up to that time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is very strange,&rdquo; said the captain. &ldquo;He did not look to
me like a man who was subject to fainting spells, or anything of that sort. And
even had he been it is scarcely credible that he should have fallen completely
over the rail had he been taken with an attack while leaning upon it&mdash;he
would rather have fallen inside, upon the deck. If he is not on board, Miss
Strong, he was thrown overboard&mdash;and the fact that you heard no outcry
would lead to the assumption that he was dead before he left the ship&rsquo;s
deck&mdash;murdered.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The girl shuddered.
</p>

<p>
It was a full hour later that the first officer returned to report the outcome
of the search.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mr. Caldwell is not on board, sir,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I fear that there is something more serious than accident here, Mr.
Brently,&rdquo; said the captain. &ldquo;I wish that you would make a personal
and very careful examination of Mr. Caldwell&rsquo;s effects, to ascertain if
there is any clew to a motive either for suicide or murder&mdash;sift the thing
to the bottom.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Aye, aye, sir!&rdquo; responded Mr. Brently, and left to commence his
investigation.
</p>

<p>
Hazel Strong was prostrated. For two days she did not leave her cabin, and when
she finally ventured on deck she was very wan and white, with great, dark
circles beneath her eyes. Waking or sleeping, it seemed that she constantly saw
that dark body dropping, swift and silent, into the cold, grim sea.
</p>

<p>
Shortly after her first appearance on deck following the tragedy, Monsieur
Thuran joined her with many expressions of kindly solicitude.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, but it is terrible, Miss Strong,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I cannot rid
my mind of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nor I,&rdquo; said the girl wearily. &ldquo;I feel that he might have
been saved had I but given the alarm.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must not reproach yourself, my dear Miss Strong,&rdquo; urged
Monsieur Thuran. &ldquo;It was in no way your fault. Another would have done as
you did. Who would think that because something fell into the sea from a ship
that it must necessarily be a man? Nor would the outcome have been different
had you given an alarm. For a while they would have doubted your story,
thinking it but the nervous hallucination of a woman&mdash;had you insisted it
would have been too late to have rescued him by the time the ship could have
been brought to a stop, and the boats lowered and rowed back miles in search of
the unknown spot where the tragedy had occurred. No, you must not censure
yourself. You have done more than any other of us for poor Mr.
Caldwell&mdash;you were the only one to miss him. It was you who instituted the
search.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The girl could not help but feel grateful to him for his kind and encouraging
words. He was with her often&mdash;almost constantly for the remainder of the
voyage&mdash;and she grew to like him very much indeed. Monsieur Thuran had
learned that the beautiful Miss Strong, of Baltimore, was an American
heiress&mdash;a very wealthy girl in her own right, and with future prospects
that quite took his breath away when he contemplated them, and since he spent
most of his time in that delectable pastime it is a wonder that he breathed at
all.
</p>

<p>
It had been Monsieur Thuran&rsquo;s intention to leave the ship at the first
port they touched after the disappearance of Tarzan. Did he not have in his
coat pocket the thing he had taken passage upon this very boat to obtain? There
was nothing more to detain him here. He could not return to the Continent fast
enough, that he might board the first express for St. Petersburg.
</p>

<p>
But now another idea had obtruded itself, and was rapidly crowding his original
intentions into the background. That American fortune was not to be sneezed at,
nor was its possessor a whit less attractive.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Sapristi!</i> but she would cause a sensation in St.
Petersburg.&rdquo; And he would, too, with the assistance of her inheritance.
</p>

<p>
After Monsieur Thuran had squandered a few million dollars, he discovered that
the vocation was so entirely to his liking that he would continue on down to
Cape Town, where he suddenly decided that he had pressing engagements that
might detain him there for some time.
</p>

<p>
Miss Strong had told him that she and her mother were to visit the
latter&rsquo;s brother there&mdash;they had not decided upon the duration of
their stay, and it would probably run into months.
</p>

<p>
She was delighted when she found that Monsieur Thuran was to be there also.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I hope that we shall be able to continue our acquaintance,&rdquo; she
said. &ldquo;You must call upon mamma and me as soon as we are settled.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran was delighted at the prospect, and lost no time in saying so.
Mrs. Strong was not quite so favorably impressed by him as her daughter.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know why I should distrust him,&rdquo; she said to Hazel one
day as they were discussing him. &ldquo;He seems a perfect gentleman in every
respect, but sometimes there is something about his eyes&mdash;a fleeting
expression which I cannot describe, but which when I see it gives me a very
uncanny feeling.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The girl laughed. &ldquo;You are a silly dear, mamma,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I suppose so, but I am sorry that we have not poor Mr. Caldwell for
company instead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I, too,&rdquo; replied her daughter.
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran became a frequent visitor at the home of Hazel Strong&rsquo;s
uncle in Cape Town. His attentions were very marked, but they were so
punctiliously arranged to meet the girl&rsquo;s every wish that she came to
depend upon him more and more. Did she or her mother or a cousin require an
escort&mdash;was there a little friendly service to be rendered, the genial and
ubiquitous Monsieur Thuran was always available. Her uncle and his family grew
to like him for his unfailing courtesy and willingness to be of service.
Monsieur Thuran was becoming indispensable. At length, feeling the moment
propitious, he proposed. Miss Strong was startled. She did not know what to
say.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I had never thought that you cared for me in any such way,&rdquo; she
told him. &ldquo;I have looked upon you always as a very dear friend. I shall
not give you my answer now. Forget that you have asked me to be your wife. Let
us go on as we have been&mdash;then I can consider you from an entirely
different angle for a time. It may be that I shall discover that my feeling for
you is more than friendship. I certainly have not thought for a moment that I
loved you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
This arrangement was perfectly satisfactory to Monsieur Thuran. He deeply
regretted that he had been hasty, but he had loved her for so long a time, and
so devotedly, that he thought that every one must know it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From the first time I saw you, Hazel,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;I have
loved you. I am willing to wait, for I am certain that so great and pure a love
as mine will be rewarded. All that I care to know is that you do not love
another. Will you tell me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have never been in love in my life,&rdquo; she replied, and he was
quite satisfied. On the way home that night he purchased a steam yacht, and
built a million-dollar villa on the Black Sea.
</p>

<p>
The next day Hazel Strong enjoyed one of the happiest surprises of her
life&mdash;she ran face to face upon Jane Porter as she was coming out of a
jeweler&rsquo;s shop.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, Jane Porter!&rdquo; she exclaimed. &ldquo;Where in the world did
you drop from? Why, I can&rsquo;t believe my own eyes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, of all things!&rdquo; cried the equally astonished Jane.
&ldquo;And here I have been wasting whole reams of perfectly good imagination
picturing you in Baltimore&mdash;the very idea!&rdquo; And she threw her arms
about her friend once more, and kissed her a dozen times.
</p>

<p>
By the time mutual explanations had been made Hazel knew that Lord
Tennington&rsquo;s yacht had put in at Cape Town for at least a week&rsquo;s
stay, and at the end of that time was to continue on her voyage&mdash;this time
up the West Coast&mdash;and so back to England. &ldquo;Where,&rdquo; concluded
Jane, &ldquo;I am to be married.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you are not married yet?&rdquo; asked Hazel.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Not yet,&rdquo; replied Jane, and then, quite irrelevantly, &ldquo;I
wish England were a million miles from here.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Visits were exchanged between the yacht and Hazel&rsquo;s relatives. Dinners
were arranged, and trips into the surrounding country to entertain the
visitors. Monsieur Thuran was a welcome guest at every function. He gave a
dinner himself to the men of the party, and managed to ingratiate himself in
the good will of Lord Tennington by many little acts of hospitality.
</p>

<p>
Monsieur Thuran had heard dropped a hint of something which might result from
this unexpected visit of Lord Tennington&rsquo;s yacht, and he wanted to be
counted in on it. Once when he was alone with the Englishman he took occasion
to make it quite plain that his engagement to Miss Strong was to be announced
immediately upon their return to America. &ldquo;But not a word of it, my dear
Tennington&mdash;not a word of it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Certainly, I quite understand, my dear fellow,&rdquo; Tennington had
replied. &ldquo;But you are to be congratulated&mdash;ripping girl, don&rsquo;t
you know&mdash;really.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The next day it came. Mrs. Strong, Hazel, and Monsieur Thuran were Lord
Tennington&rsquo;s guests aboard his yacht. Mrs. Strong had been telling them
how much she had enjoyed her visit at Cape Town, and that she regretted that a
letter just received from her attorneys in Baltimore had necessitated her
cutting her visit shorter than they had intended.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When do you sail?&rdquo; asked Tennington.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The first of the week, I think,&rdquo; she replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Indeed?&rdquo; exclaimed Monsieur Thuran. &ldquo;I am very fortunate. I,
too, have found that I must return at once, and now I shall have the honor of
accompanying and serving you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is nice of you, Monsieur Thuran,&rdquo; replied Mrs. Strong.
&ldquo;I am sure that we shall be glad to place ourselves under your
protection.&rdquo; But in the bottom of her heart was the wish that they might
escape him. Why, she could not have told.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;By Jove!&rdquo; ejaculated Lord Tennington, a moment later. &ldquo;Bully
idea, by Jove!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, Tennington, of course,&rdquo; ventured Clayton; &ldquo;it must be a
bully idea if you had it, but what the deuce is it? Goin&rsquo; to steam to
China via the south pole?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, I say now, Clayton,&rdquo; returned Tennington, &ldquo;you
needn&rsquo;t be so rough on a fellow just because you didn&rsquo;t happen to
suggest this trip yourself&mdash;you&rsquo;ve acted a regular bounder ever
since we sailed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, sir,&rdquo; he continued, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s a bully idea, and
you&rsquo;ll all say so. It&rsquo;s to take Mrs. Strong and Miss Strong, and
Thuran, too, if he&rsquo;ll come, as far as England with us on the yacht. Now,
isn&rsquo;t that a corker?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Forgive me, Tenny, old boy,&rdquo; cried Clayton. &ldquo;It certainly IS
a corking idea&mdash;I never should have suspected you of it. You&rsquo;re
quite sure it&rsquo;s original, are you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And we&rsquo;ll sail the first of the week, or any other time that suits
your convenience, Mrs. Strong,&rdquo; concluded the big-hearted Englishman, as
though the thing were all arranged except the sailing date.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Mercy, Lord Tennington, you haven&rsquo;t even given us an opportunity
to thank you, much less decide whether we shall be able to accept your generous
invitation,&rdquo; said Mrs. Strong.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, of course you&rsquo;ll come,&rdquo; responded Tennington.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll make as good time as any passenger boat, and you&rsquo;ll be
fully as comfortable; and, anyway, we all want you, and won&rsquo;t take no for
an answer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And so it was settled that they should sail the following Monday.
</p>

<p>
Two days out the girls were sitting in Hazel&rsquo;s cabin, looking at some
prints she had had finished in Cape Town. They represented all the pictures she
had taken since she had left America, and the girls were both engrossed in
them, Jane asking many questions, and Hazel keeping up a perfect torrent of
comment and explanation of the various scenes and people.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And here,&rdquo; she said suddenly, &ldquo;here&rsquo;s a man you know.
Poor fellow, I have so often intended asking you about him, but I never have
been able to think of it when we were together.&rdquo; She was holding the
little print so that Jane did not see the face of the man it portrayed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His name was John Caldwell,&rdquo; continued Hazel. &ldquo;Do you recall
him? He said that he met you in America. He is an Englishman.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not recollect the name,&rdquo; replied Jane. &ldquo;Let me see the
picture.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The poor fellow was lost overboard on our trip down the coast,&rdquo;
she said, as she handed the print to Jane.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Lost over&mdash;Why, Hazel, Hazel&mdash;don&rsquo;t tell me that he is
dead&mdash;drowned at sea! Hazel! Why don&rsquo;t you say that you are
joking!&rdquo; And before the astonished Miss Strong could catch her Jane
Porter had slipped to the floor in a swoon.
</p>

<p>
After Hazel had restored her chum to consciousness she sat looking at her for a
long time before either spoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I did not know, Jane,&rdquo; said Hazel, in a constrained voice,
&ldquo;that you knew Mr. Caldwell so intimately that his death could prove such
a shock to you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;John Caldwell?&rdquo; questioned Miss Porter. &ldquo;You do not mean to
tell me that you do not know who this man was, Hazel?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, yes, Jane; I know perfectly well who he was&mdash;his name was John
Caldwell; he was from London.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Oh, Hazel, I wish I could believe it,&rdquo; moaned the girl. &ldquo;I
wish I could believe it, but those features are burned so deep into my memory
and my heart that I should recognize them anywhere in the world from among a
thousand others, who might appear identical to any one but me.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you mean, Jane?&rdquo; cried Hazel, now thoroughly alarmed.
&ldquo;Who do you think it is?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think, Hazel. I know that that is a picture of Tarzan of
the Apes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Jane!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot be mistaken. Oh, Hazel, are you sure that he is dead? Can there
be no mistake?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am afraid not, dear,&rdquo; answered Hazel sadly. &ldquo;I wish I
could think that you are mistaken, but now a hundred and one little pieces of
corroborative evidence occur to me that meant nothing to me while I thought
that he was John Caldwell, of London. He said that he had been born in Africa,
and educated in France.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, that would be true,&rdquo; murmured Jane Porter dully.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The first officer, who searched his luggage, found nothing to identify
John Caldwell, of London. Practically all his belongings had been made, or
purchased, in Paris. Everything that bore an initial was marked either with a
&lsquo;T&rsquo; alone, or with &lsquo;J. C. T.&rsquo; We thought that he was
traveling incognito under his first two names&mdash;the J. C. standing for John
Caldwell.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Tarzan of the Apes took the name Jean C. Tarzan,&rdquo; said Jane, in
the same lifeless monotone. &ldquo;And he is dead! Oh! Hazel, it is horrible!
He died all alone in this terrible ocean! It is unbelievable that that brave
heart should have ceased to beat&mdash;that those mighty muscles are quiet and
cold forever! That he who was the personification of life and health and manly
strength should be the prey of slimy, crawling things, that&mdash;&rdquo; But
she could go no further, and with a little moan she buried her head in her
arms, and sank sobbing to the floor.
</p>

<p>
For days Miss Porter was ill, and would see no one except Hazel and the
faithful Esmeralda. When at last she came on deck all were struck by the sad
change that had taken place in her. She was no longer the alert, vivacious
American beauty who had charmed and delighted all who came in contact with her.
Instead she was a very quiet and sad little girl&mdash;with an expression of
hopeless wistfulness that none but Hazel Strong could interpret.
</p>

<p>
The entire party strove their utmost to cheer and amuse her, but all to no
avail. Occasionally the jolly Lord Tennington would wring a wan smile from her,
but for the most part she sat with wide eyes looking out across the sea.
</p>

<p>
With Jane Porter&rsquo;s illness one misfortune after another seemed to attack
the yacht. First an engine broke down, and they drifted for two days while
temporary repairs were being made. Then a squall struck them unaware, that
carried overboard nearly everything above deck that was portable. Later two of
the seamen fell to fighting in the forecastle, with the result that one of them
was badly wounded with a knife, and the other had to be put in irons. Then, to
cap the climax, the mate fell overboard at night, and was drowned before help
could reach him. The yacht cruised about the spot for ten hours, but no sign of
the man was seen after he disappeared from the deck into the sea.
</p>

<p>
Every member of the crew and guests was gloomy and depressed after these series
of misfortunes. All were apprehensive of worse to come, and this was especially
true of the seamen who recalled all sorts of terrible omens and warnings that
had occurred during the early part of the voyage, and which they could now
clearly translate into the precursors of some grim and terrible tragedy to
come.
</p>

<p>
Nor did the croakers have long to wait. The second night after the drowning of
the mate the little yacht was suddenly wracked from stem to stern. About one
o&rsquo;clock in the morning there was a terrific impact that threw the
slumbering guests and crew from berth and bunk. A mighty shudder ran through
the frail craft; she lay far over to starboard; the engines stopped. For a
moment she hung there with her decks at an angle of forty-five
degrees&mdash;then, with a sullen, rending sound, she slipped back into the sea
and righted.
</p>

<p>
Instantly the men rushed upon deck, followed closely by the women. Though the
night was cloudy, there was little wind or sea, nor was it so dark but that
just off the port bow a black mass could be discerned floating low in the
water.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A derelict,&rdquo; was the terse explanation of the officer of the
watch.
</p>

<p>
Presently the engineer hurried on deck in search of the captain.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That patch we put on the cylinder head&rsquo;s blown out, sir,&rdquo; he
reported, &ldquo;and she&rsquo;s makin&rsquo; water fast for&rsquo;ard on the
port bow.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
An instant later a seaman rushed up from below.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;My Gawd!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Her whole bleedin&rsquo; bottom&rsquo;s
ripped out. She can&rsquo;t float twenty minutes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Shut up!&rdquo; roared Tennington. &ldquo;Ladies, go below and get some
of your things together. It may not be so bad as that, but we may have to take
to the boats. It will be safer to be prepared. Go at once, please. And, Captain
Jerrold, send some competent man below, please, to ascertain the exact extent
of the damage. In the meantime I might suggest that you have the boats
provisioned.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The calm, low voice of the owner did much to reassure the entire party, and a
moment later all were occupied with the duties he had suggested. By the time
the ladies had returned to the deck the rapid provisioning of the boats had
been about completed, and a moment later the officer who had gone below had
returned to report. But his opinion was scarcely needed to assure the huddled
group of men and women that the end of the <i>Lady Alice</i> was at hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, sir?&rdquo; said the captain, as his officer hesitated.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I dislike to frighten the ladies, sir,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but she
can&rsquo;t float a dozen minutes, in my opinion. There&rsquo;s a hole in her
you could drive a bally cow through, sir.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For five minutes the <i>Lady Alice</i> had been settling rapidly by the bow.
Already her stern loomed high in the air, and foothold on the deck was of the
most precarious nature. She carried four boats, and these were all filled and
lowered away in safety. As they pulled rapidly from the stricken little vessel
Jane Porter turned to have one last look at her. Just then there came a loud
crash and an ominous rumbling and pounding from the heart of the ship&mdash;her
machinery had broken loose, and was dashing its way toward the bow, tearing out
partitions and bulkheads as it went&mdash;the stern rose rapidly high above
them; for a moment she seemed to pause there&mdash;a vertical shaft protruding
from the bosom of the ocean, and then swiftly she dove headforemost beneath the
waves.
</p>

<p>
In one of the boats the brave Lord Tennington wiped a tear from his
eye&mdash;he had not seen a fortune in money go down forever into the sea, but
a dear, beautiful friend whom he had loved.
</p>

<p>
At last the long night broke, and a tropical sun smote down upon the rolling
water. Jane Porter had dropped into a fitful slumber&mdash;the fierce light of
the sun upon her upturned face awoke her. She looked about her. In the boat
with her were three sailors, Clayton, and Monsieur Thuran. Then she looked for
the other boats, but as far as the eye could reach there was nothing to break
the fearful monotony of that waste of waters&mdash;they were alone in a small
boat upon the broad Atlantic.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap14"></a>Chapter XIV<br/>
Back to the Primitive</h2>

<p>
As Tarzan struck the water, his first impulse was to swim clear of the ship and
possible danger from her propellers. He knew whom to thank for his present
predicament, and as he lay in the sea, just supporting himself by a gentle
movement of his hands, his chief emotion was one of chagrin that he had been so
easily bested by Rokoff.
</p>

<p>
He lay thus for some time, watching the receding and rapidly diminishing lights
of the steamer without it ever once occurring to him to call for help. He never
had called for help in his life, and so it is not strange that he did not think
of it now. Always had he depended upon his own prowess and resourcefulness, nor
had there ever been since the days of Kala any to answer an appeal for succor.
When it did occur to him it was too late.
</p>

<p>
There was, thought Tarzan, a possible one chance in a hundred thousand that he
might be picked up, and an even smaller chance that he would reach land, so he
determined that to combine what slight chances there were, he would swim slowly
in the direction of the coast&mdash;the ship might have been closer in than he
had known.
</p>

<p>
His strokes were long and easy&mdash;it would be many hours before those giant
muscles would commence to feel fatigue. As he swam, guided toward the east by
the stars, he noticed that he felt the weight of his shoes, and so he removed
them. His trousers went next, and he would have removed his coat at the same
time but for the precious papers in its pocket. To assure himself that he still
had them he slipped his hand in to feel, but to his consternation they were
gone.
</p>

<p>
Now he knew that something more than revenge had prompted Rokoff to pitch him
overboard&mdash;the Russian had managed to obtain possession of the papers
Tarzan had wrested from him at Bou Saada. The ape-man swore softly, and let his
coat and shirt sink into the Atlantic. Before many hours he had divested
himself of his remaining garments, and was swimming easily and unencumbered
toward the east.
</p>

<p>
The first faint evidence of dawn was paling the stars ahead of him when the dim
outlines of a low-lying black mass loomed up directly in his track. A few
strong strokes brought him to its side&mdash;it was the bottom of a wave-washed
derelict. Tarzan clambered upon it&mdash;he would rest there until daylight at
least. He had no intention to remain there inactive&mdash;a prey to hunger and
thirst. If he must die he preferred dying in action while making some semblance
of an attempt to save himself.
</p>

<p>
The sea was quiet, so that the wreck had only a gently undulating motion, that
was nothing to the swimmer who had had no sleep for twenty hours. Tarzan of the
Apes curled up upon the slimy timbers, and was soon asleep.
</p>

<p>
The heat of the sun awoke him early in the forenoon. His first conscious
sensation was of thirst, which grew almost to the proportions of suffering with
full returning consciousness; but a moment later it was forgotten in the joy of
two almost simultaneous discoveries. The first was a mass of wreckage floating
beside the derelict in the midst of which, bottom up, rose and fell an
overturned lifeboat; the other was the faint, dim line of a far-distant shore
showing on the horizon in the east.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan dove into the water, and swam around the wreck to the lifeboat. The cool
ocean refreshed him almost as much as would a draft of water, so that it was
with renewed vigor that he brought the smaller boat alongside the derelict,
and, after many herculean efforts, succeeded in dragging it onto the slimy
ship&rsquo;s bottom. There he righted and examined it&mdash;the boat was quite
sound, and a moment later floated upright alongside the wreck. Then Tarzan
selected several pieces of wreckage that might answer him as paddles, and
presently was making good headway toward the far-off shore.
</p>

<p>
It was late in the afternoon by the time he came close enough to distinguish
objects on land, or to make out the contour of the shore line. Before him lay
what appeared to be the entrance to a little, landlocked harbor. The wooded
point to the north was strangely familiar. Could it be possible that fate had
thrown him up at the very threshold of his own beloved jungle! But as the bow
of his boat entered the mouth of the harbor the last shred of doubt was cleared
away, for there before him upon the farther shore, under the shadows of his
primeval forest, stood his own cabin&mdash;built before his birth by the hand
of his long-dead father, John Clayton, Lord Greystoke.
</p>

<p>
With long sweeps of his giant muscles Tarzan sent the little craft speeding
toward the beach. Its prow had scarcely touched when the ape-man leaped to
shore&mdash;his heart beat fast in joy and exultation as each long-familiar
object came beneath his roving eyes&mdash;the cabin, the beach, the little
brook, the dense jungle, the black, impenetrable forest. The myriad birds in
their brilliant plumage&mdash;the gorgeous tropical blooms upon the festooned
creepers falling in great loops from the giant trees.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan of the Apes had come into his own again, and that all the world might
know it he threw back his young head, and gave voice to the fierce, wild
challenge of his tribe. For a moment silence reigned upon the jungle, and then,
low and weird, came an answering challenge&mdash;it was the deep roar of Numa,
the lion; and from a great distance, faintly, the fearsome answering bellow of
a bull ape.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan went to the brook first, and slaked his thirst. Then he approached his
cabin. The door was still closed and latched as he and D&rsquo;Arnot had left
it. He raised the latch and entered. Nothing had been disturbed; there were the
table, the bed, and the little crib built by his father&mdash;the shelves and
cupboards just as they had stood for over twenty-three years&mdash;just as he
had left them nearly two years before.
</p>

<p>
His eyes satisfied, Tarzan&rsquo;s stomach began to call aloud for
attention&mdash;the pangs of hunger suggested a search for food. There was
nothing in the cabin, nor had he any weapons; but upon a wall hung one of his
old grass ropes. It had been many times broken and spliced, so that he had
discarded it for a better one long before. Tarzan wished that he had a knife.
Well, unless he was mistaken he should have that and a spear and bows and
arrows before another sun had set&mdash;the rope would take care of that, and
in the meantime it must be made to procure food for him. He coiled it
carefully, and, throwing it about his shoulder, went out, closing the door
behind him.
</p>

<p>
Close to the cabin the jungle commenced, and into it Tarzan of the Apes
plunged, wary and noiseless&mdash;once more a savage beast hunting its food.
For a time he kept to the ground, but finally, discovering no spoor indicative
of nearby meat, he took to the trees. With the first dizzy swing from tree to
tree all the old joy of living swept over him. Vain regrets and dull heartache
were forgotten. Now was he living. Now, indeed, was the true happiness of
perfect freedom his. Who would go back to the stifling, wicked cities of
civilized man when the mighty reaches of the great jungle offered peace and
liberty? Not he.
</p>

<p>
While it was yet light Tarzan came to a drinking place by the side of a jungle
river. There was a ford there, and for countless ages the beasts of the forest
had come down to drink at this spot. Here of a night might always be found
either Sabor or Numa crouching in the dense foliage of the surrounding jungle
awaiting an antelope or a water buck for their meal. Here came Horta, the boar,
to water, and here came Tarzan of the Apes to make a kill, for he was very
empty.
</p>

<p>
On a low branch he squatted above the trail. For an hour he waited. It was
growing dark. A little to one side of the ford in the densest thicket he heard
the faint sound of padded feet, and the brushing of a huge body against tall
grasses and tangled creepers. None other than Tarzan might have heard it, but
the ape-man heard and translated&mdash;it was Numa, the lion, on the same
errand as himself. Tarzan smiled.
</p>

<p>
Presently he heard an animal approaching warily along the trail toward the
drinking place. A moment more and it came in view&mdash;it was Horta, the boar.
Here was delicious meat&mdash;and Tarzan&rsquo;s mouth watered. The grasses
where Numa lay were very still now&mdash;ominously still. Horta passed beneath
Tarzan&mdash;a few more steps and he would be within the radius of Numa&rsquo;s
spring. Tarzan could imagine how old Numa&rsquo;s eyes were shining&mdash;how
he was already sucking in his breath for the awful roar which would freeze his
prey for the brief instant between the moment of the spring and the sinking of
terrible fangs into splintering bones.
</p>

<p>
But as Numa gathered himself, a slender rope flew through the air from the low
branches of a near-by tree. A noose settled about Horta&rsquo;s neck. There was
a frightened grunt, a squeal, and then Numa saw his quarry dragged backward up
the trail, and, as he sprang, Horta, the boar, soared upward beyond his
clutches into the tree above, and a mocking face looked down and laughed into
his own.
</p>

<p>
Then indeed did Numa roar. Angry, threatening, hungry, he paced back and forth
beneath the taunting ape-man. Now he stopped, and, rising on his hind legs
against the stem of the tree that held his enemy, sharpened his huge claws upon
the bark, tearing out great pieces that laid bare the white wood beneath.
</p>

<p>
And in the meantime Tarzan had dragged the struggling Horta to the limb beside
him. Sinewy fingers completed the work the choking noose had commenced. The
ape-man had no knife, but nature had equipped him with the means of tearing his
food from the quivering flank of his prey, and gleaming teeth sank into the
succulent flesh while the raging lion looked on from below as another enjoyed
the dinner that he had thought already his.
</p>

<p>
It was quite dark by the time Tarzan had gorged himself. Ah, but it had been
delicious! Never had he quite accustomed himself to the ruined flesh that
civilized men had served him, and in the bottom of his savage heart there had
constantly been the craving for the warm meat of the fresh kill, and the rich,
red blood.
</p>

<p>
He wiped his bloody hands upon a bunch of leaves, slung the remains of his kill
across his shoulder, and swung off through the middle terrace of the forest
toward his cabin, and at the same instant Jane Porter and William Cecil Clayton
arose from a sumptuous dinner upon the <i>Lady Alice</i>, thousands of miles to
the east, in the Indian Ocean.
</p>

<p>
Beneath Tarzan walked Numa, the lion, and when the ape-man deigned to glance
downward he caught occasional glimpses of the baleful green eyes following
through the darkness. Numa did not roar now&mdash;instead, he moved stealthily,
like the shadow of a great cat; but yet he took no step that did not reach the
sensitive ears of the ape-man.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan wondered if he would stalk him to his cabin door. He hoped not, for that
would mean a night&rsquo;s sleep curled in the crotch of a tree, and he much
preferred the bed of grasses within his own abode. But he knew just the tree
and the most comfortable crotch, if necessity demanded that he sleep out. A
hundred times in the past some great jungle cat had followed him home, and
compelled him to seek shelter in this same tree, until another mood or the
rising sun had sent his enemy away.
</p>

<p>
But presently Numa gave up the chase and, with a series of blood-curdling moans
and roars, turned angrily back in search of another and an easier dinner. So
Tarzan came to his cabin unattended, and a few moments later was curled up in
the mildewed remnants of what had once been a bed of grasses. Thus easily did
Monsieur Jean C. Tarzan slough the thin skin of his artificial civilization,
and sink happy and contented into the deep sleep of the wild beast that has fed
to repletion. Yet a woman&rsquo;s &ldquo;yes&rdquo; would have bound him to
that other life forever, and made the thought of this savage existence
repulsive.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan slept late into the following forenoon, for he had been very tired from
the labors and exertion of the long night and day upon the ocean, and the
jungle jaunt that had brought into play muscles that he had scarce used for
nearly two years. When he awoke he ran to the brook first to drink. Then he
took a plunge into the sea, swimming about for a quarter of an hour. Afterward
he returned to his cabin, and breakfasted off the flesh of Horta. This done, he
buried the balance of the carcass in the soft earth outside the cabin, for his
evening meal.
</p>

<p>
Once more he took his rope and vanished into the jungle. This time he hunted
nobler quarry&mdash;man; although had you asked him his own opinion he could
have named a dozen other denizens of the jungle which he considered far the
superiors in nobility of the men he hunted. Today Tarzan was in quest of
weapons. He wondered if the women and children had remained in Mbonga&rsquo;s
village after the punitive expedition from the French cruiser had massacred all
the warriors in revenge for D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s supposed death. He hoped that
he should find warriors there, for he knew not how long a quest he should have
to make were the village deserted.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man traveled swiftly through the forest, and about noon came to the
site of the village, but to his disappointment found that the jungle had
overgrown the plantain fields and that the thatched huts had fallen in decay.
There was no sign of man. He clambered about among the ruins for half an hour,
hoping that he might discover some forgotten weapon, but his search was without
fruit, and so he took up his quest once more, following up the stream, which
flowed from a southeasterly direction. He knew that near fresh water he would
be most likely to find another settlement.
</p>

<p>
As he traveled he hunted as he had hunted with his ape people in the past, as
Kala had taught him to hunt, turning over rotted logs to find some toothsome
vermin, running high into the trees to rob a bird&rsquo;s nest, or pouncing
upon a tiny rodent with the quickness of a cat. There were other things that he
ate, too, but the less detailed the account of an ape&rsquo;s diet, the
better&mdash;and Tarzan was again an ape, the same fierce, brutal anthropoid
that Kala had taught him to be, and that he had been for the first twenty years
of his life.
</p>

<p>
Occasionally he smiled as he recalled some friend who might even at the moment
be sitting placid and immaculate within the precincts of his select Parisian
club&mdash;just as Tarzan had sat but a few months before; and then he would
stop, as though turned suddenly to stone as the gentle breeze carried to his
trained nostrils the scent of some new prey or a formidable enemy.
</p>

<p>
That night he slept far inland from his cabin, securely wedged into the crotch
of a giant tree, swaying a hundred feet above the ground. He had eaten heartily
again&mdash;this time from the flesh of Bara, the deer, who had fallen prey to
his quick noose.
</p>

<p>
Early the next morning he resumed his journey, always following the course of
the stream. For three days he continued his quest, until he had come to a part
of the jungle in which he never before had been. Occasionally upon the higher
ground the forest was much thinner, and in the far distance through the trees
he could see ranges of mighty mountains, with wide plains in the foreground.
Here, in the open spaces, were new game&mdash;countless antelope and vast herds
of zebra. Tarzan was entranced&mdash;he would make a long visit to this new
world.
</p>

<p>
On the morning of the fourth day his nostrils were suddenly surprised by a
faint new scent. It was the scent of man, but yet a long way off. The ape-man
thrilled with pleasure. Every sense was on the alert as with crafty stealth he
moved quickly through the trees, up-wind, in the direction of his prey.
Presently he came upon it&mdash;a lone warrior treading softly through the
jungle.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan followed close above his quarry, waiting for a clearer space in which to
hurl his rope. As he stalked the unconscious man, new thoughts presented
themselves to the ape-man&mdash;thoughts born of the refining influences of
civilization, and of its cruelties. It came to him that seldom if ever did
civilized man kill a fellow being without some pretext, however slight. It was
true that Tarzan wished this man&rsquo;s weapons and ornaments, but was it
necessary to take his life to obtain them?
</p>

<p>
The longer he thought about it, the more repugnant became the thought of taking
human life needlessly; and thus it happened that while he was trying to decide
just what to do, they had come to a little clearing, at the far side of which
lay a palisaded village of beehive huts.
</p>

<p>
As the warrior emerged from the forest, Tarzan caught a fleeting glimpse of a
tawny hide worming its way through the matted jungle grasses in his
wake&mdash;it was Numa, the lion. He, too, was stalking the black man. With the
instant that Tarzan realized the native&rsquo;s danger his attitude toward his
erstwhile prey altered completely&mdash;now he was a fellow man threatened by a
common enemy.
</p>

<p>
Numa was about to charge&mdash;there was little time in which to compare
various methods or weigh the probable results of any. And then a number of
things happened, almost simultaneously&mdash;the lion sprang from his ambush
toward the retreating black&mdash;Tarzan cried out in warning&mdash;and the
black turned just in time to see Numa halted in mid-flight by a slender strand
of grass rope, the noosed end of which had fallen cleanly about his neck.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man had acted so quickly that he had been unable to prepare himself to
withstand the strain and shock of Numa&rsquo;s great weight upon the rope, and
so it was that though the rope stopped the beast before his mighty talons could
fasten themselves in the flesh of the black, the strain overbalanced Tarzan,
who came tumbling to the ground not six paces from the infuriated animal. Like
lightning Numa turned upon this new enemy, and, defenseless as he was, Tarzan
of the Apes was nearer to death that instant than he ever before had been. It
was the black who saved him. The warrior realized in an instant that he owed
his life to this strange white man, and he also saw that only a miracle could
save his preserver from those fierce yellow fangs that had been so near to his
own flesh.
</p>

<p>
With the quickness of thought his spear arm flew back, and then shot forward
with all the force of the sinewy muscles that rolled beneath the shimmering
ebon hide. True to its mark the iron-shod weapon flew, transfixing Numa&rsquo;s
sleek carcass from the right groin to beneath the left shoulder. With a hideous
scream of rage and pain the brute turned again upon the black. A dozen paces he
had gone when Tarzan&rsquo;s rope brought him to a stand once more&mdash;then
he wheeled again upon the ape-man, only to feel the painful prick of a barbed
arrow as it sank half its length in his quivering flesh. Again he stopped, and
by this time Tarzan had run twice around the stem of a great tree with his
rope, and made the end fast.
</p>

<p>
The black saw the trick, and grinned, but Tarzan knew that Numa must be quickly
finished before those mighty teeth had found and parted the slender cord that
held him. It was a matter of but an instant to reach the black&rsquo;s side and
drag his long knife from its scabbard. Then he signed the warrior to continue
to shoot arrows into the great beast while he attempted to close in upon him
with the knife; so as one tantalized upon one side, the other sneaked
cautiously in upon the other. Numa was furious. He raised his voice in a
perfect frenzy of shrieks, growls, and hideous moans, the while he reared upon
his hind legs in futile attempt to reach first one and then the other of his
tormentors.
</p>

<p>
But at length the agile ape-man saw his chance, and rushed in upon the
beast&rsquo;s left side behind the mighty shoulder. A giant arm encircled the
tawny throat, and a long blade sank once, true as a die, into the fierce heart.
Then Tarzan arose, and the black man and the white looked into each
other&rsquo;s eyes across the body of their kill&mdash;and the black made the
sign of peace and friendship, and Tarzan of the Apes answered in kind.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap15"></a>Chapter XV<br/>
From Ape to Savage</h2>

<p>
The noise of their battle with Numa had drawn an excited horde of savages from
the nearby village, and a moment after the lion&rsquo;s death the two men were
surrounded by lithe, ebon warriors, gesticulating and jabbering&mdash;a
thousand questions that drowned each ventured reply.
</p>

<p>
And then the women came, and the children&mdash;eager, curious, and, at sight
of Tarzan, more questioning than ever. The ape-man&rsquo;s new friend finally
succeeded in making himself heard, and when he had done talking the men and
women of the village vied with one another in doing honor to the strange
creature who had saved their fellow and battled single-handed with fierce Numa.
</p>

<p>
At last they led him back to their village, where they brought him gifts of
fowl, and goats, and cooked food. When he pointed to their weapons the warriors
hastened to fetch spear, shield, arrows, and a bow. His friend of the encounter
presented him with the knife with which he had killed Numa. There was nothing
in all the village he could not have had for the asking.
</p>

<p>
How much easier this was, thought Tarzan, than murder and robbery to supply his
wants. How close he had been to killing this man whom he never had seen before,
and who now was manifesting by every primitive means at his command friendship
and affection for his would-be slayer. Tarzan of the Apes was ashamed.
Hereafter he would at least wait until he knew men deserved it before he
thought of killing them.
</p>

<p>
The idea recalled Rokoff to his mind. He wished that he might have the Russian
to himself in the dark jungle for a few minutes. There was a man who deserved
killing if ever any one did. And if he could have seen Rokoff at that moment as
he assiduously bent every endeavor to the pleasant task of ingratiating himself
into the affections of the beautiful Miss Strong, he would have longed more
than ever to mete out to the man the fate he deserved.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan&rsquo;s first night with the savages was devoted to a wild orgy in his
honor. There was feasting, for the hunters had brought in an antelope and a
zebra as trophies of their skill, and gallons of the weak native beer were
consumed. As the warriors danced in the firelight, Tarzan was again impressed
by the symmetry of their figures and the regularity of their features&mdash;the
flat noses and thick lips of the typical West Coast savage were entirely
missing. In repose the faces of the men were intelligent and dignified, those
of the women ofttimes prepossessing.
</p>

<p>
It was during this dance that the ape-man first noticed that some of the men
and many of the women wore ornaments of gold&mdash;principally anklets and
armlets of great weight, apparently beaten out of the solid metal. When he
expressed a wish to examine one of these, the owner removed it from her person
and insisted, through the medium of signs, that Tarzan accept it as a gift. A
close scrutiny of the bauble convinced the ape-man that the article was of
virgin gold, and he was surprised, for it was the first time that he had ever
seen golden ornaments among the savages of Africa, other than the trifling
baubles those near the coast had purchased or stolen from Europeans. He tried
to ask them from whence the metal came, but he could not make them understand.
</p>

<p>
When the dance was done Tarzan signified his intention to leave them, but they
almost implored him to accept the hospitality of a great hut which the chief
set apart for his sole use. He tried to explain that he would return in the
morning, but they could not understand. When he finally walked away from them
toward the side of the village opposite the gate, they were still further
mystified as to his intentions.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan, however, knew just what he was about. In the past he had had experience
with the rodents and vermin that infest every native village, and, while he was
not overscrupulous about such matters, he much preferred the fresh air of the
swaying trees to the fetid atmosphere of a hut.
</p>

<p>
The natives followed him to where a great tree overhung the palisade, and as
Tarzan leaped for a lower branch and disappeared into the foliage above,
precisely after the manner of Manu, the monkey, there were loud exclamations of
surprise and astonishment. For half an hour they called to him to return, but
as he did not answer them they at last desisted, and sought the sleeping-mats
within their huts.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan went back into the forest a short distance until he had found a tree
suited to his primitive requirements, and then, curling himself in a great
crotch, he fell immediately into a deep sleep.
</p>

<p>
The following morning he dropped into the village street as suddenly as he had
disappeared the preceding night. For a moment the natives were startled and
afraid, but when they recognized their guest of the night before they welcomed
him with shouts and laughter. That day he accompanied a party of warriors to
the nearby plains on a great hunt, and so dexterous did they find this white
man with their own crude weapons that another bond of respect and admiration
was thereby wrought.
</p>

<p>
For weeks Tarzan lived with his savage friends, hunting buffalo, antelope, and
zebra for meat, and elephant for ivory. Quickly he learned their simple speech,
their native customs, and the ethics of their wild, primitive tribal life. He
found that they were not cannibals&mdash;that they looked with loathing and
contempt upon men who ate men.
</p>

<p>
Busuli, the warrior whom he had stalked to the village, told him many of the
tribal legends&mdash;how, many years before, his people had come many long
marches from the north; how once they had been a great and powerful tribe; and
how the slave raiders had wrought such havoc among them with their
death-dealing guns that they had been reduced to a mere remnant of their former
numbers and power.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They hunted us down as one hunts a fierce beast,&rdquo; said Busuli.
&ldquo;There was no mercy in them. When it was not slaves they sought it was
ivory, but usually it was both. Our men were killed and our women driven away
like sheep. We fought against them for many years, but our arrows and spears
could not prevail against the sticks which spit fire and lead and death to many
times the distance that our mightiest warrior could place an arrow. At last,
when my father was a young man, the Arabs came again, but our warriors saw them
a long way off, and Chowambi, who was chief then, told his people to gather up
their belongings and come away with him&mdash;that he would lead them far to
the south until they found a spot to which the Arab raiders did not come.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And they did as he bid, carrying all their belongings, including many
tusks of ivory. For months they wandered, suffering untold hardships and
privations, for much of the way was through dense jungle, and across mighty
mountains, but finally they came to this spot, and although they sent parties
farther on to search for an even better location, none has ever been
found.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the raiders have never found you here?&rdquo; asked Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;About a year ago a small party of Arabs and Manyuema stumbled upon us,
but we drove them off, killing many. For days we followed them, stalking them
for the wild beasts they are, picking them off one by one, until but a handful
remained, but these escaped us.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As Busuli talked he fingered a heavy gold armlet that encircled the glossy hide
of his left arm. Tarzan&rsquo;s eyes had been upon the ornament, but his
thoughts were elsewhere. Presently he recalled the question he had tried to ask
when he first came to the tribe&mdash;the question he could not at that time
make them understand. For weeks he had forgotten so trivial a thing as gold,
for he had been for the time a truly primeval man with no thought beyond today.
But of a sudden the sight of gold awakened the sleeping civilization that was
in him, and with it came the lust for wealth. That lesson Tarzan had learned
well in his brief experience of the ways of civilized man. He knew that gold
meant power and pleasure. He pointed to the bauble.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From whence came the yellow metal, Busuli?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
The black pointed toward the southeast.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;A moon&rsquo;s march away&mdash;maybe more,&rdquo; he replied.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you been there?&rdquo; asked Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No, but some of our people were there years ago, when my father was yet
a young man. One of the parties that searched farther for a location for the
tribe when first they settled here came upon a strange people who wore many
ornaments of yellow metal. Their spears were tipped with it, as were their
arrows, and they cooked in vessels made all of solid metal like my armlet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They lived in a great village in huts that were built of stone and
surrounded by a great wall. They were very fierce, rushing out and falling upon
our warriors before ever they learned that their errand was a peaceful one. Our
men were few in number, but they held their own at the top of a little rocky
hill, until the fierce people went back at sunset into their wicked city. Then
our warriors came down from their hill, and, after taking many ornaments of
yellow metal from the bodies of those they had slain, they marched back out of
the valley, nor have any of us ever returned.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are wicked people&mdash;neither white like you nor black like me,
but covered with hair as is Bolgani, the gorilla. Yes, they are very bad people
indeed, and Chowambi was glad to get out of their country.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And are none of those alive who were with Chowambi, and saw these
strange people and their wonderful city?&rdquo; asked Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Waziri, our chief, was there,&rdquo; replied Busuli. &ldquo;He was a
very young man then, but he accompanied Chowambi, who was his father.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
So that night Tarzan asked Waziri about it, and Waziri, who was now an old man,
said that it was a long march, but that the way was not difficult to follow. He
remembered it well.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For ten days we followed this river which runs beside our village. Up
toward its source we traveled until on the tenth day we came to a little spring
far up upon the side of a lofty mountain range. In this little spring our river
is born. The next day we crossed over the top of the mountain, and upon the
other side we came to a tiny rivulet which we followed down into a great
forest. For many days we traveled along the winding banks of the rivulet that
had now become a river, until we came to a greater river, into which it
emptied, and which ran down the center of a mighty valley.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then we followed this large river toward its source, hoping to come to
more open land. After twenty days of marching from the time we had crossed the
mountains and passed out of our own country we came again to another range of
mountains. Up their side we followed the great river, that had now dwindled to
a tiny rivulet, until we came to a little cave near the mountain-top. In this
cave was the mother of the river.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I remember that we camped there that night, and that it was very cold,
for the mountains were high. The next day we decided to ascend to the top of
the mountains, and see what the country upon the other side looked like, and if
it seemed no better than that which we had so far traversed we would return to
our village and tell them that they had already found the best place in all the
world to live.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And so we clambered up the face of the rocky cliffs until we reached the
summit, and there from a flat mountain-top we saw, not far beneath us, a
shallow valley, very narrow; and upon the far side of it was a great village of
stone, much of which had fallen and crumbled into decay.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The balance of Waziri&rsquo;s story was practically the same as that which
Busuli had told.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should like to go there and see this strange city,&rdquo; said Tarzan,
&ldquo;and get some of their yellow metal from its fierce inhabitants.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is a long march,&rdquo; replied Waziri, &ldquo;and I am an old man,
but if you will wait until the rainy season is over and the rivers have gone
down I will take some of my warriors and go with you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And Tarzan had to be contented with that arrangement, though he would have
liked it well enough to have set off the next morning&mdash;he was as impatient
as a child. Really Tarzan of the Apes was but a child, or a primeval man, which
is the same thing in a way.
</p>

<p>
The next day but one a small party of hunters returned to the village from the
south to report a large herd of elephant some miles away. By climbing trees
they had had a fairly good view of the herd, which they described as numbering
several large tuskers, a great many cows and calves, and full-grown bulls whose
ivory would be worth having.
</p>

<p>
The balance of the day and evening was filled with preparation for a great
hunt&mdash;spears were overhauled, quivers were replenished, bows were
restrung; and all the while the village witch doctor passed through the busy
throngs disposing of various charms and amulets designed to protect the
possessor from hurt, or bring him good fortune in the morrow&rsquo;s hunt.
</p>

<p>
At dawn the hunters were off. There were fifty sleek, black warriors, and in
their midst, lithe and active as a young forest god, strode Tarzan of the Apes,
his brown skin contrasting oddly with the ebony of his companions. Except for
color he was one of them. His ornaments and weapons were the same as
theirs&mdash;he spoke their language&mdash;he laughed and joked with them, and
leaped and shouted in the brief wild dance that preceded their departure from
the village, to all intent and purpose a savage among savages. Nor, had he
questioned himself, is it to be doubted that he would have admitted that he was
far more closely allied to these people and their life than to the Parisian
friends whose ways, apelike, he had successfully mimicked for a few short
months.
</p>

<p>
But he did think of D&rsquo;Arnot, and a grin of amusement showed his strong
white teeth as he pictured the immaculate Frenchman&rsquo;s expression could he
by some means see Tarzan as he was that minute. Poor Paul, who had prided
himself on having eradicated from his friend the last traces of wild savagery.
&ldquo;How quickly have I fallen!&rdquo; thought Tarzan; but in his heart he
did not consider it a fall&mdash;rather, he pitied the poor creatures of Paris,
penned up like prisoners in their silly clothes, and watched by policemen all
their poor lives, that they might do nothing that was not entirely artificial
and tiresome.
</p>

<p>
A two hours&rsquo; march brought them close to the vicinity in which the
elephants had been seen the previous day. From there on they moved very quietly
indeed searching for the spoor of the great beasts. At length they found the
well-marked trail along which the herd had passed not many hours before. In
single file they followed it for about half an hour. It was Tarzan who first
raised his hand in signal that the quarry was at hand&mdash;his sensitive nose
had warned him that the elephants were not far ahead of them.
</p>

<p>
The blacks were skeptical when he told them how he knew.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come with me,&rdquo; said Tarzan, &ldquo;and we shall see.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
With the agility of a squirrel he sprang into a tree and ran nimbly to the top.
One of the blacks followed more slowly and carefully. When he had reached a
lofty limb beside the ape-man the latter pointed to the south, and there, some
few hundred yards away, the black saw a number of huge black backs swaying back
and forth above the top of the lofty jungle grasses. He pointed the direction
to the watchers below, indicating with his fingers the number of beasts he
could count.
</p>

<p>
Immediately the hunters started toward the elephants. The black in the tree
hastened down, but Tarzan stalked, after his own fashion, along the leafy way
of the middle terrace.
</p>

<p>
It is no child&rsquo;s play to hunt wild elephants with the crude weapons of
primitive man. Tarzan knew that few native tribes ever attempted it, and the
fact that his tribe did so gave him no little pride&mdash;already he was
commencing to think of himself as a member of the little community. As Tarzan
moved silently through the trees he saw the warriors below creeping in a half
circle upon the still unsuspecting elephants. Finally they were within sight of
the great beasts. Now they singled out two large tuskers, and at a signal the
fifty men rose from the ground where they had lain concealed, and hurled their
heavy war spears at the two marked beasts. There was not a single miss;
twenty-five spears were embedded in the sides of each of the giant animals. One
never moved from the spot where it stood when the avalanche of spears struck
it, for two, perfectly aimed, had penetrated its heart, and it lunged forward
upon its knees, rolling to the ground without a struggle.
</p>

<p>
The other, standing nearly head-on toward the hunters, had not proved so good a
mark, and though every spear struck not one entered the great heart. For a
moment the huge bull stood trumpeting in rage and pain, casting about with its
little eyes for the author of its hurt. The blacks had faded into the jungle
before the weak eyes of the monster had fallen upon any of them, but now he
caught the sound of their retreat, and, amid a terrific crashing of underbrush
and branches, he charged in the direction of the noise.
</p>

<p>
It so happened that chance sent him in the direction of Busuli, whom he was
overtaking so rapidly that it was as though the black were standing still
instead of racing at full speed to escape the certain death which pursued him.
Tarzan had witnessed the entire performance from the branches of a nearby tree,
and now that he saw his friend&rsquo;s peril he raced toward the infuriated
beast with loud cries, hoping to distract him.
</p>

<p>
But it had been as well had he saved his breath, for the brute was deaf and
blind to all else save the particular object of his rage that raced futilely
before him. And now Tarzan saw that only a miracle could save Busuli, and with
the same unconcern with which he had once hunted this very man he hurled
himself into the path of the elephant to save the black warrior&rsquo;s life.
</p>

<p>
He still grasped his spear, and while Tantor was yet six or eight paces behind
his prey, a sinewy white warrior dropped as from the heavens, almost directly
in his path. With a vicious lunge the elephant swerved to the right to dispose
of this temerarious foeman who dared intervene between himself and his intended
victim; but he had not reckoned on the lightning quickness that could galvanize
those steel muscles into action so marvelously swift as to baffle even a keener
eyesight than Tantor&rsquo;s.
</p>

<p>
And so it happened that before the elephant realized that his new enemy had
leaped from his path Tarzan had driven his iron-shod spear from behind the
massive shoulder straight into the fierce heart, and the colossal pachyderm had
toppled to his death at the feet of the ape-man.
</p>

<p>
Busuli had not beheld the manner of his deliverance, but Waziri, the old chief,
had seen, and several of the other warriors, and they hailed Tarzan with
delight as they swarmed about him and his great kill. When he leaped upon the
mighty carcass, and gave voice to the weird challenge with which he announced a
great victory, the blacks shrank back in fear, for to them it marked the brutal
Bolgani, whom they feared fully as much as they feared Numa, the lion; but with
a fear with which was mixed a certain uncanny awe of the manlike thing to which
they attributed supernatural powers.
</p>

<p>
But when Tarzan lowered his raised head and smiled upon them they were
reassured, though they did not understand. Nor did they ever fully understand
this strange creature who ran through the trees as quickly as Manu, yet was
even more at home upon the ground than themselves; who was except as to color
like unto themselves, yet as powerful as ten of them, and singlehanded a match
for the fiercest denizens of the fierce jungle.
</p>

<p>
When the remainder of the warriors had gathered, the hunt was again taken up
and the stalking of the retreating herd once more begun; but they had covered a
bare hundred yards when from behind them, at a great distance, sounded faintly
a strange popping.
</p>

<p>
For an instant they stood like a group of statuary, intently listening. Then
Tarzan spoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Guns!&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The village is being attacked.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come!&rdquo; cried Waziri. &ldquo;The Arab raiders have returned with
their cannibal slaves for our ivory and our women!&rdquo;
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap16"></a>Chapter XVI<br/>
The Ivory Raiders</h2>

<p>
Waziri&rsquo;s warriors marched at a rapid trot through the jungle in the
direction of the village. For a few minutes, the sharp cracking of guns ahead
warned them to haste, but finally the reports dwindled to an occasional shot,
presently ceasing altogether. Nor was this less ominous than the rattle of
musketry, for it suggested but a single solution to the little band of
rescuers&mdash;that the illy garrisoned village had already succumbed to the
onslaught of a superior force.
</p>

<p>
The returning hunters had covered a little more than three miles of the five
that had separated them from the village when they met the first of the
fugitives who had escaped the bullets and clutches of the foe. There were a
dozen women, youths, and girls in the party, and so excited were they that they
could scarce make themselves understood as they tried to relate to Waziri the
calamity that had befallen his people.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are as many as the leaves of the forest,&rdquo; cried one of the
women, in attempting to explain the enemy&rsquo;s force. &ldquo;There are many
Arabs and countless Manyuema, and they all have guns. They crept close to the
village before we knew that they were about, and then, with many shouts, they
rushed in upon us, shooting down men, and women, and children. Those of us who
could fled in all directions into the jungle, but more were killed. I do not
know whether they took any prisoners or not&mdash;they seemed only bent upon
killing us all. The Manyuema called us many names, saying that they would eat
us all before they left our country&mdash;that this was our punishment for
killing their friends last year. I did not hear much, for I ran away
quickly.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The march toward the village was now resumed, more slowly and with greater
stealth, for Waziri knew that it was too late to rescue&mdash;their only
mission could be one of revenge. Inside the next mile a hundred more fugitives
were met. There were many men among these, and so the fighting strength of the
party was augmented.
</p>

<p>
Now a dozen warriors were sent creeping ahead to reconnoiter. Waziri remained
with the main body, which advanced in a thin line that spread in a great
crescent through the forest. By the chief&rsquo;s side walked Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
Presently one of the scouts returned. He had come within sight of the village.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are all within the palisade,&rdquo; he whispered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; said Waziri. &ldquo;We shall rush in upon them and slay
them all,&rdquo; and he made ready to send word along the line that they were
to halt at the edge of the clearing until they saw him rush toward the
village&mdash;then all were to follow.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait!&rdquo; cautioned Tarzan. &ldquo;If there are even fifty guns
within the palisade we shall be repulsed and slaughtered. Let me go alone
through the trees, so that I may look down upon them from above, and see just
how many there be, and what chance we might have were we to charge. It were
foolish to lose a single man needlessly if there be no hope of success. I have
an idea that we can accomplish more by cunning than by force. Will you wait,
Waziri?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the old chief. &ldquo;Go!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
So Tarzan sprang into the trees and disappeared in the direction of the
village. He moved more cautiously than was his wont, for he knew that men with
guns could reach him quite as easily in the treetops as on the ground. And when
Tarzan of the Apes elected to adopt stealth, no creature in all the jungle
could move so silently or so completely efface himself from the sight of an
enemy.
</p>

<p>
In five minutes he had wormed his way to the great tree that overhung the
palisade at one end of the village, and from his point of vantage looked down
upon the savage horde beneath. He counted fifty Arabs and estimated that there
were five times as many Manyuema. The latter were gorging themselves upon food
and, under the very noses of their white masters, preparing the gruesome feast
which is the <i>piece de résistance</i> that follows a victory in which the
bodies of their slain enemies fall into their horrid hands.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man saw that to charge that wild horde, armed as they were with guns,
and barricaded behind the locked gates of the village, would be a futile task,
and so he returned to Waziri and advised him to wait; that he, Tarzan, had a
better plan.
</p>

<p>
But a moment before one of the fugitives had related to Waziri the story of the
atrocious murder of the old chief&rsquo;s wife, and so crazed with rage was the
old man that he cast discretion to the winds. Calling his warriors about him,
he commanded them to charge, and, with brandishing spears and savage yells, the
little force of scarcely more than a hundred dashed madly toward the village
gates. Before the clearing had been half crossed the Arabs opened up a
withering fire from behind the palisade.
</p>

<p>
With the first volley Waziri fell. The speed of the chargers slackened. Another
volley brought down a half dozen more. A few reached the barred gates, only to
be shot in their tracks, without the ghost of a chance to gain the inside of
the palisade, and then the whole attack crumpled, and the remaining warriors
scampered back into the forest. As they ran the raiders opened the gates,
rushing after them, to complete the day&rsquo;s work with the utter
extermination of the tribe. Tarzan had been among the last to turn back toward
the forest, and now, as he ran slowly, he turned from time to time to speed a
well-aimed arrow into the body of a pursuer.
</p>

<p>
Once within the jungle, he found a little knot of determined blacks waiting to
give battle to the oncoming horde, but Tarzan cried to them to scatter, keeping
out of harm&rsquo;s way until they could gather in force after dark.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do as I tell you,&rdquo; he urged, &ldquo;and I will lead you to victory
over these enemies of yours. Scatter through the forest, picking up as many
stragglers as you can find, and at night, if you think that you have been
followed, come by roundabout ways to the spot where we killed the elephants
today. Then I will explain my plan, and you will find that it is good. You
cannot hope to pit your puny strength and simple weapons against the numbers
and the guns of the Arabs and the Manyuema.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They finally assented. &ldquo;When you scatter,&rdquo; explained Tarzan, in
conclusion, &ldquo;your foes will have to scatter to follow you, and so it may
happen that if you are watchful you can drop many a Manyuema with your arrows
from behind some great trees.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They had barely time to hasten away farther into the forest before the first of
the raiders had crossed the clearing and entered it in pursuit of them.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan ran a short distance along the ground before he took to the trees. Then
he raced quickly to the upper terrace, there doubling on his tracks and making
his way rapidly back toward the village. Here he found that every Arab and
Manyuema had joined in the pursuit, leaving the village deserted except for the
chained prisoners and a single guard.
</p>

<p>
The sentry stood at the open gate, looking in the direction of the forest, so
that he did not see the agile giant that dropped to the ground at the far end
of the village street. With drawn bow the ape-man crept stealthily toward his
unsuspecting victim. The prisoners had already discovered him, and with wide
eyes filled with wonder and with hope they watched their would-be rescuer. Now
he halted not ten paces from the unconscious Manyuema. The shaft was drawn back
its full length at the height of the keen gray eye that sighted along its
polished surface. There was a sudden twang as the brown fingers released their
hold, and without a sound the raider sank forward upon his face, a wooden shaft
transfixing his heart and protruding a foot from his black chest.
</p>

<p>
Then Tarzan turned his attention to the fifty women and youths chained neck to
neck on the long slave chain. There was no releasing of the ancient padlocks in
the time that was left him, so the ape-man called to them to follow him as they
were, and, snatching the gun and cartridge belt from the dead sentry, he led
the now happy band out through the village gate and into the forest upon the
far side of the clearing.
</p>

<p>
It was a slow and arduous march, for the slave chain was new to these people,
and there were many delays as one of their number would stumble and fall,
dragging others down with her. Then, too, Tarzan had been forced to make a wide
detour to avoid any possibility of meeting with returning raiders. He was
partially guided by occasional shots which indicated that the Arab horde was
still in touch with the villagers; but he knew that if they would but follow
his advice there would be but few casualties other than on the side of the
marauders.
</p>

<p>
Toward dusk the firing ceased entirely, and Tarzan knew that the Arabs had all
returned to the village. He could scarce repress a smile of triumph as he
thought of their rage on discovering that their guard had been killed and their
prisoners taken away. Tarzan had wished that he might have taken some of the
great store of ivory the village contained, solely for the purpose of still
further augmenting the wrath of his enemies; but he knew that that was not
necessary for its salvation, since he already had a plan mapped out which would
effectually prevent the Arabs leaving the country with a single tusk. And it
would have been cruel to have needlessly burdened these poor, overwrought women
with the extra weight of the heavy ivory.
</p>

<p>
It was after midnight when Tarzan, with his slow-moving caravan, approached the
spot where the elephants lay. Long before they reached it they had been guided
by the huge fire the natives had built in the center of a hastily improvised
<i>boma</i>, partially for warmth and partially to keep off chance lions.
</p>

<p>
When they had come close to the encampment Tarzan called aloud to let them know
that friends were coming. It was a joyous reception the little party received
when the blacks within the <i>boma</i> saw the long file of fettered friends
and relatives enter the firelight. These had all been given up as lost forever,
as had Tarzan as well, so that the happy blacks would have remained awake all
night to feast on elephant meat and celebrate the return of their fellows, had
not Tarzan insisted that they take what sleep they could, against the work of
the coming day.
</p>

<p>
At that, sleep was no easy matter, for the women who had lost their men or
their children in the day&rsquo;s massacre and battle made night hideous with
their continued wailing and howling. Finally, however, Tarzan succeeded in
silencing them, on the plea that their noise would attract the Arabs to their
hiding-place, when all would be slaughtered.
</p>

<p>
When dawn came Tarzan explained his plan of battle to the warriors, and without
demur one and all agreed that it was the safest and surest way in which to rid
themselves of their unwelcome visitors and be revenged for the murder of their
fellows.
</p>

<p>
First the women and children, with a guard of some twenty old warriors and
youths, were started southward, to be entirely out of the zone of danger. They
had instructions to erect temporary shelter and construct a protecting
<i>boma</i> of thorn bush; for the plan of campaign which Tarzan had chosen was
one which might stretch out over many days, or even weeks, during which time
the warriors would not return to the new camp.
</p>

<p>
Two hours after daylight a thin circle of black warriors surrounded the
village. At intervals one was perched high in the branches of a tree which
could overlook the palisade. Presently a Manyuema within the village fell,
pierced by a single arrow. There had been no sound of attack&mdash;none of the
hideous war-cries or vainglorious waving of menacing spears that ordinarily
marks the attack of savages&mdash;just a silent messenger of death from out of
the silent forest.
</p>

<p>
The Arabs and their followers were thrown into a fine rage at this
unprecedented occurrence. They ran for the gates, to wreak dire vengeance upon
the foolhardy perpetrator of the outrage; but they suddenly realized that they
did not know which way to turn to find the foe. As they stood debating with
many angry shouts and much gesticulating, one of the Arabs sank silently to the
ground in their very midst&mdash;a thin arrow protruding from his heart.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan had placed the finest marksmen of the tribe in the surrounding trees,
with directions never to reveal themselves while the enemy was faced in their
direction. As a black released his messenger of death he would slink behind the
sheltering stem of the tree he had selected, nor would he again aim until a
watchful eye told him that none was looking toward his tree.
</p>

<p>
Three times the Arabs started across the clearing in the direction from which
they thought the arrows came, but each time another arrow would come from
behind to take its toll from among their number. Then they would turn and
charge in a new direction. Finally they set out upon a determined search of the
forest, but the blacks melted before them, so that they saw no sign of an
enemy.
</p>

<p>
But above them lurked a grim figure in the dense foliage of the mighty
trees&mdash;it was Tarzan of the Apes, hovering over them as if he had been the
shadow of death. Presently a Manyuema forged ahead of his companions; there was
none to see from what direction death came, and so it came quickly, and a
moment later those behind stumbled over the dead body of their
comrade&mdash;the inevitable arrow piercing the still heart.
</p>

<p>
It does not take a great deal of this manner of warfare to get upon the nerves
of white men, and so it is little to be wondered at that the Manyuema were soon
panic-stricken. Did one forge ahead an arrow found his heart; did one lag
behind he never again was seen alive; did one stumble to one side, even for a
bare moment from the sight of his fellows, he did not return&mdash;and always
when they came upon the bodies of their dead they found those terrible arrows
driven with the accuracy of superhuman power straight through the
victim&rsquo;s heart. But worse than all else was the hideous fact that not
once during the morning had they seen or heard the slightest sign of an enemy
other than the pitiless arrows.
</p>

<p>
When finally they returned to the village it was no better. Every now and then,
at varying intervals that were maddening in the terrible suspense they caused,
a man would plunge forward dead. The blacks besought their masters to leave
this terrible place, but the Arabs feared to take up the march through the grim
and hostile forest beset by this new and terrible enemy while laden with the
great store of ivory they had found within the village; but, worse yet, they
hated to leave the ivory behind.
</p>

<p>
Finally the entire expedition took refuge within the thatched huts&mdash;here,
at least, they would be free from the arrows. Tarzan, from the tree above the
village, had marked the hut into which the chief Arabs had gone, and, balancing
himself upon an overhanging limb, he drove his heavy spear with all the force
of his giant muscles through the thatched roof. A howl of pain told him that it
had found a mark. With this parting salute to convince them that there was no
safety for them anywhere within the country, Tarzan returned to the forest,
collected his warriors, and withdrew a mile to the south to rest and eat. He
kept sentries in several trees that commanded a view of the trail toward the
village, but there was no pursuit.
</p>

<p>
An inspection of his force showed not a single casualty&mdash;not even a minor
wound; while rough estimates of the enemies&rsquo; loss convinced the blacks
that no fewer than twenty had fallen before their arrows. They were wild with
elation, and were for finishing the day in one glorious rush upon the village,
during which they would slaughter the last of their foemen. They were even
picturing the various tortures they would inflict, and gloating over the
suffering of the Manyuema, for whom they entertained a peculiar hatred, when
Tarzan put his foot down flatly upon the plan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are crazy!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;I have shown you the only way to
fight these people. Already you have killed twenty of them without the loss of
a single warrior, whereas, yesterday, following your own tactics, which you
would now renew, you lost at least a dozen, and killed not a single Arab or
Manyuema. You will fight just as I tell you to fight, or I shall leave you and
go back to my own country.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They were frightened when he threatened this, and promised to obey him
scrupulously if he would but promise not to desert them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We shall return to the elephant
<i>boma</i> for the night. I have a plan to give the Arabs a little taste of
what they may expect if they remain in our country, but I shall need no help.
Come! If they suffer no more for the balance of the day they will feel
reassured, and the relapse into fear will be even more nerve-racking than as
though we continued to frighten them all afternoon.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
So they marched back to their camp of the previous night, and, lighting great
fires, ate and recounted the adventures of the day until long after dark.
Tarzan slept until midnight, then he arose and crept into the Cimmerian
blackness of the forest. An hour later he came to the edge of the clearing
before the village. There was a camp-fire burning within the palisade. The
ape-man crept across the clearing until he stood before the barred gates.
Through the interstices he saw a lone sentry sitting before the fire.
</p>

<p>
Quietly Tarzan went to the tree at the end of the village street. He climbed
softly to his place, and fitted an arrow to his bow. For several minutes he
tried to sight fairly upon the sentry, but the waving branches and flickering
firelight convinced him that the danger of a miss was too great&mdash;he must
touch the heart full in the center to bring the quiet and sudden death his plan
required.
</p>

<p>
He had brought, besides, his bow, arrows, and rope, the gun he had taken the
previous day from the other sentry he had killed. Caching all these in a
convenient crotch of the tree, he dropped lightly to the ground within the
palisade, armed only with his long knife. The sentry&rsquo;s back was toward
him. Like a cat Tarzan crept upon the dozing man. He was within two paces of
him now&mdash;another instant and the knife would slide silently into the
fellow&rsquo;s heart.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan crouched for a spring, for that is ever the quickest and surest attack
of the jungle beast&mdash;when the man, warned, by some subtle sense, sprang to
his feet and faced the ape-man.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap17"></a>Chapter XVII<br/>
The White Chief of the Waziri</h2>

<p>
When the eyes of the black Manyuema savage fell upon the strange apparition
that confronted him with menacing knife they went wide in horror. He forgot the
gun within his hands; he even forgot to cry out&mdash;his one thought was to
escape this fearsome-looking white savage, this giant of a man upon whose
massive rolling muscles and mighty chest the flickering firelight played.
</p>

<p>
But before he could turn Tarzan was upon him, and then the sentry thought to
scream for aid, but it was too late. A great hand was upon his windpipe, and he
was being borne to the earth. He battled furiously but futilely&mdash;with the
grim tenacity of a bulldog those awful fingers were clinging to his throat.
Swiftly and surely life was being choked from him. His eyes bulged, his tongue
protruded, his face turned to a ghastly purplish hue&mdash;there was a
convulsive tremor of the stiffening muscles, and the Manyuema sentry lay quite
still.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man threw the body across one of his broad shoulders and, gathering up
the fellow&rsquo;s gun, trotted silently up the sleeping village street toward
the tree that gave him such easy ingress to the palisaded village. He bore the
dead sentry into the midst of the leafy maze above.
</p>

<p>
First he stripped the body of cartridge belt and such ornaments as he craved,
wedging it into a convenient crotch while his nimble fingers ran over it in
search of the loot he could not plainly see in the dark. When he had finished
he took the gun that had belonged to the man, and walked far out upon a limb,
from the end of which he could obtain a better view of the huts. Drawing a
careful bead on the beehive structure in which he knew the chief Arabs to be,
he pulled the trigger. Almost instantly there was an answering groan. Tarzan
smiled. He had made another lucky hit.
</p>

<p>
Following the shot there was a moment&rsquo;s silence in the camp, and then
Manyuema and Arab came pouring from the huts like a swarm of angry hornets; but
if the truth were known they were even more frightened than they were angry.
The strain of the preceding day had wrought upon the fears of both black and
white, and now this single shot in the night conjured all manner of terrible
conjectures in their terrified minds.
</p>

<p>
When they discovered that their sentry had disappeared, their fears were in no
way allayed, and as though to bolster their courage by warlike actions, they
began to fire rapidly at the barred gates of the village, although no enemy was
in sight. Tarzan took advantage of the deafening roar of this fusillade to fire
into the mob beneath him.
</p>

<p>
No one heard his shot above the din of rattling musketry in the street, but
some who were standing close saw one of their number crumple suddenly to the
earth. When they leaned over him he was dead. They were panic-stricken, and it
took all the brutal authority of the Arabs to keep the Manyuema from rushing
helter-skelter into the jungle&mdash;anywhere to escape from this terrible
village.
</p>

<p>
After a time they commenced to quiet down, and as no further mysterious deaths
occurred among them they took heart again. But it was a short-lived respite,
for just as they had concluded that they would not be disturbed again Tarzan
gave voice to a weird moan, and as the raiders looked up in the direction from
which the sound seemed to come, the ape-man, who stood swinging the dead body
of the sentry gently to and fro, suddenly shot the corpse far out above their
heads.
</p>

<p>
With howls of alarm the throng broke in all directions to escape this new and
terrible creature who seemed to be springing upon them. To their fear-distorted
imaginations the body of the sentry, falling with wide-sprawled arms and legs,
assumed the likeness of a great beast of prey. In their anxiety to escape, many
of the blacks scaled the palisade, while others tore down the bars from the
gates and rushed madly across the clearing toward the jungle.
</p>

<p>
For a time no one turned back toward the thing that had frightened them, but
Tarzan knew that they would in a moment, and when they discovered that it was
but the dead body of their sentry, while they would doubtless be still further
terrified, he had a rather definite idea as to what they would do, and so he
faded silently away toward the south, taking the moonlit upper terrace back
toward the camp of the Waziri.
</p>

<p>
Presently one of the Arabs turned and saw that the thing that had leaped from
the tree upon them lay still and quiet where it had fallen in the center of the
village street. Cautiously he crept back toward it until he saw that it was but
a man. A moment later he was beside the figure, and in another had recognized
it as the corpse of the Manyuema who had stood on guard at the village gate.
</p>

<p>
His companions rapidly gathered around at his call, and after a moment&rsquo;s
excited conversation they did precisely what Tarzan had reasoned they would.
Raising their guns to their shoulders, they poured volley after volley into the
tree from which the corpse had been thrown&mdash;had Tarzan remained there he
would have been riddled by a hundred bullets.
</p>

<p>
When the Arabs and Manyuema discovered that the only marks of violence upon the
body of their dead comrade were giant finger prints upon his swollen throat
they were again thrown into deeper apprehension and despair. That they were not
even safe within a palisaded village at night came as a distinct shock to them.
That an enemy could enter into the midst of their camp and kill their sentry
with bare hands seemed outside the bounds of reason, and so the superstitious
Manyuema commenced to attribute their ill luck to supernatural causes; nor were
the Arabs able to offer any better explanation.
</p>

<p>
With at least fifty of their number flying through the black jungle, and
without the slightest knowledge of when their uncanny foemen might resume the
cold-blooded slaughter they had commenced, it was a desperate band of
cut-throats that waited sleeplessly for the dawn. Only on the promise of the
Arabs that they would leave the village at daybreak, and hasten onward toward
their own land, would the remaining Manyuema consent to stay at the village a
moment longer. Not even fear of their cruel masters was sufficient to overcome
this new terror.
</p>

<p>
And so it was that when Tarzan and his warriors returned to the attack the next
morning they found the raiders prepared to march out of the village. The
Manyuema were laden with stolen ivory. As Tarzan saw it he grinned, for he knew
that they would not carry it far. Then he saw something which caused him
anxiety&mdash;a number of the Manyuema were lighting torches in the remnant of
the camp-fire. They were about to fire the village.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan was perched in a tall tree some hundred yards from the palisade. Making
a trumpet of his hands, he called loudly in the Arab tongue: &ldquo;Do not fire
the huts, or we shall kill you all! Do not fire the huts, or we shall kill you
all!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A dozen times he repeated it. The Manyuema hesitated, then one of them flung
his torch into the campfire. The others were about to do the same when an Arab
sprung upon them with a stick, beating them toward the huts. Tarzan could see
that he was commanding them to fire the little thatched dwellings. Then he
stood erect upon the swaying branch a hundred feet above the ground, and,
raising one of the Arab guns to his shoulder, took careful aim and fired. With
the report the Arab who was urging on his men to burn the village fell in his
tracks, and the Manyuema threw away their torches and fled from the village.
The last Tarzan saw of them they were racing toward the jungle, while their
former masters knelt upon the ground and fired at them.
</p>

<p>
But however angry the Arabs might have been at the insubordination of their
slaves, they were at least convinced that it would be the better part of wisdom
to forego the pleasure of firing the village that had given them two such nasty
receptions. In their hearts, however, they swore to return again with such
force as would enable them to sweep the entire country for miles around, until
no vestige of human life remained.
</p>

<p>
They had looked in vain for the owner of the voice which had frightened off the
men who had been detailed to put the torch to the huts, but not even the
keenest eye among them had been able to locate him. They had seen the puff of
smoke from the tree following the shot that brought down the Arab, but, though
a volley had immediately been loosed into its foliage, there had been no
indication that it had been effective.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan was too intelligent to be caught in any such trap, and so the report of
his shot had scarcely died away before the ape-man was on the ground and racing
for another tree a hundred yards away. Here he again found a suitable perch
from which he could watch the preparations of the raiders. It occurred to him
that he might have considerable more fun with them, so again he called to them
through his improvised trumpet.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Leave the ivory!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Leave the ivory! Dead men have
no use for ivory!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Some of the Manyuema started to lay down their loads, but this was altogether
too much for the avaricious Arabs. With loud shouts and curses they aimed their
guns full upon the bearers, threatening instant death to any who might lay down
his load. They could give up firing the village, but the thought of abandoning
this enormous fortune in ivory was quite beyond their conception&mdash;better
death than that.
</p>

<p>
And so they marched out of the village of the Waziri, and on the shoulders of
their slaves was the ivory ransom of a score of kings. Toward the north they
marched, back toward their savage settlement in the wild and unknown country
which lies back from the Kongo in the uttermost depths of The Great Forest, and
on either side of them traveled an invisible and relentless foe.
</p>

<p>
Under Tarzan&rsquo;s guidance the black Waziri warriors stationed themselves
along the trail on either side in the densest underbrush. They stood at far
intervals, and, as the column passed, a single arrow or a heavy spear, well
aimed, would pierce a Manyuema or an Arab. Then the Waziri would melt into the
distance and run ahead to take his stand farther on. They did not strike unless
success were sure and the danger of detection almost nothing, and so the arrows
and the spears were few and far between, but so persistent and inevitable that
the slow-moving column of heavy-laden raiders was in a constant state of
panic&mdash;panic at the uncertainty of who the next would be to fall, and
when.
</p>

<p>
It was with the greatest difficulty that the Arabs prevented their men a dozen
times from throwing away their burdens and fleeing like frightened rabbits up
the trail toward the north. And so the day wore on&mdash;a frightful nightmare
of a day for the raiders&mdash;a day of weary but well-repaid work for the
Waziri. At night the Arabs constructed a rude <i>boma</i> in a little clearing
by a river, and went into camp.
</p>

<p>
At intervals during the night a rifle would bark close above their heads, and
one of the dozen sentries which they now had posted would tumble to the ground.
Such a condition was insupportable, for they saw that by means of these hideous
tactics they would be completely wiped out, one by one, without inflicting a
single death upon their enemy. But yet, with the persistent avariciousness of
the white man, the Arabs clung to their loot, and when morning came forced the
demoralized Manyuema to take up their burdens of death and stagger on into the
jungle.
</p>

<p>
For three days the withering column kept up its frightful march. Each hour was
marked by its deadly arrow or cruel spear. The nights were made hideous by the
barking of the invisible gun that made sentry duty equivalent to a death
sentence.
</p>

<p>
On the morning of the fourth day the Arabs were compelled to shoot two of their
blacks before they could compel the balance to take up the hated ivory, and as
they did so a voice rang out, clear and strong, from the jungle: &ldquo;Today
you die, oh, Manyuema, unless you lay down the ivory. Fall upon your cruel
masters and kill them! You have guns, why do you not use them? Kill the Arabs,
and we will not harm you. We will take you back to our village and feed you,
and lead you out of our country in safety and in peace. Lay down the ivory, and
fall upon your masters&mdash;we will help you. Else you die!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As the voice died down the raiders stood as though turned to stone. The Arabs
eyed their Manyuema slaves; the slaves looked first at one of their fellows,
and then at another&mdash;they were but waiting for some one to take the
initiative. There were some thirty Arabs left, and about one hundred and fifty
blacks. All were armed&mdash;even those who were acting as porters had their
rifles slung across their backs.
</p>

<p>
The Arabs drew together. The sheik ordered the Manyuema to take up the march,
and as he spoke he cocked his rifle and raised it. But at the same instant one
of the blacks threw down his load, and, snatching his rifle from his back,
fired point-blank at the group of Arabs. In an instant the camp was a cursing,
howling mass of demons, fighting with guns and knives and pistols. The Arabs
stood together, and defended their lives valiantly, but with the rain of lead
that poured upon them from their own slaves, and the shower of arrows and
spears which now leaped from the surrounding jungle aimed solely at them, there
was little question from the first what the outcome would be. In ten minutes
from the time the first porter had thrown down his load the last of the Arabs
lay dead.
</p>

<p>
When the firing had ceased Tarzan spoke again to the Manyuema:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Take up our ivory, and return it to our village, from whence you stole
it. We shall not harm you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For a moment the Manyuema hesitated. They had no stomach to retrace that
difficult three days&rsquo; trail. They talked together in low whispers, and
one turned toward the jungle, calling aloud to the voice that had spoken to
them from out of the foliage.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How do we know that when you have us in your village you will not kill
us all?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You do not know,&rdquo; replied Tarzan, &ldquo;other than that we have
promised not to harm you if you will return our ivory to us. But this you do
know, that it lies within our power to kill you all if you do not return as we
direct, and are we not more likely to do so if you anger us than if you do as
we bid?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who are you that speaks the tongue of our Arab masters?&rdquo; cried the
Manyuema spokesman. &ldquo;Let us see you, and then we shall give you our
answer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan stepped out of the jungle a dozen paces from them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look!&rdquo; he said. When they saw that he was white they were filled
with awe, for never had they seen a white savage before, and at his great
muscles and giant frame they were struck with wonder and admiration.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You may trust me,&rdquo; said Tarzan. &ldquo;So long as you do as I tell
you, and harm none of my people, we shall do you no hurt. Will you take up our
ivory and return in peace to our village, or shall we follow along your trail
toward the north as we have followed for the past three days?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The recollection of the horrid days that had just passed was the thing that
finally decided the Manyuema, and so, after a short conference, they took up
their burdens and set off to retrace their steps toward the village of the
Waziri. At the end of the third day they marched into the village gate, and
were greeted by the survivors of the recent massacre, to whom Tarzan had sent a
messenger in their temporary camp to the south on the day that the raiders had
quitted the village, telling them that they might return in safety.
</p>

<p>
It took all the mastery and persuasion that Tarzan possessed to prevent the
Waziri falling on the Manyuema tooth and nail, and tearing them to pieces, but
when he had explained that he had given his word that they would not be
molested if they carried the ivory back to the spot from which they had stolen
it, and had further impressed upon his people that they owed their entire
victory to him, they finally acceded to his demands, and allowed the cannibals
to rest in peace within their palisade.
</p>

<p>
That night the village warriors held a big palaver to celebrate their
victories, and to choose a new chief. Since old Waziri&rsquo;s death Tarzan had
been directing the warriors in battle, and the temporary command had been
tacitly conceded to him. There had been no time to choose a new chief from
among their own number, and, in fact, so remarkably successful had they been
under the ape-man&rsquo;s generalship that they had had no wish to delegate the
supreme authority to another for fear that what they already had gained might
be lost. They had so recently seen the results of running counter to this
savage white man&rsquo;s advice in the disastrous charge ordered by Waziri, in
which he himself had died, that it had not been difficult for them to accept
Tarzan&rsquo;s authority as final.
</p>

<p>
The principal warriors sat in a circle about a small fire to discuss the
relative merits of whomever might be suggested as old Waziri&rsquo;s successor.
It was Busuli who spoke first:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Since Waziri is dead, leaving no son, there is but one among us whom we
know from experience is fitted to make us a good king. There is only one who
has proved that he can successfully lead us against the guns of the white man,
and bring us easy victory without the loss of a single life. There is only one,
and that is the white man who has led us for the past few days,&rdquo; and
Busuli sprang to his feet, and with uplifted spear and half-bent, crouching
body commenced to dance slowly about Tarzan, chanting in time to his steps:
&ldquo;Waziri, king of the Waziri; Waziri, killer of Arabs; Waziri, king of the
Waziri.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
One by one the other warriors signified their acceptance of Tarzan as their
king by joining in the solemn dance. The women came and squatted about the rim
of the circle, beating upon tom-toms, clapping their hands in time to the steps
of the dancers, and joining in the chant of the warriors. In the center of the
circle sat Tarzan of the Apes&mdash;Waziri, king of the Waziri, for, like his
predecessor, he was to take the name of his tribe as his own.
</p>

<p>
Faster and faster grew the pace of the dancers, louder and louder their wild
and savage shouts. The women rose and fell in unison, shrieking now at the tops
of their voices. The spears were brandishing fiercely, and as the dancers
stooped down and beat their shields upon the hard-tramped earth of the village
street the whole sight was as terribly primeval and savage as though it were
being staged in the dim dawn of humanity, countless ages in the past.
</p>

<p>
As the excitement waxed the ape-man sprang to his feet and joined in the wild
ceremony. In the center of the circle of glittering black bodies he leaped and
roared and shook his heavy spear in the same mad abandon that enthralled his
fellow savages. The last remnant of his civilization was forgotten&mdash;he was
a primitive man to the fullest now; reveling in the freedom of the fierce, wild
life he loved, gloating in his kingship among these wild blacks.
</p>

<p>
Ah, if Olga de Coude had but seen him then&mdash;could she have recognized the
well-dressed, quiet young man whose well-bred face and irreproachable manners
had so captivated her but a few short months ago? And Jane Porter! Would she
have still loved this savage warrior chieftain, dancing naked among his naked
savage subjects? And D&rsquo;Arnot! Could D&rsquo;Arnot have believed that this
was the same man he had introduced into half a dozen of the most select clubs
of Paris? What would his fellow peers in the House of Lords have said had one
pointed to this dancing giant, with his barbaric headdress and his metal
ornaments, and said: &ldquo;There, my lords, is John Clayton, Lord
Greystoke.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And so Tarzan of the Apes came into a real kingship among men&mdash;slowly but
surely was he following the evolution of his ancestors, for had he not started
at the very bottom?
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap18"></a>Chapter XVIII<br/>
The Lottery of Death</h2>

<p>
Jane Porter had been the first of those in the lifeboat to awaken the morning
after the wreck of the <i>Lady Alice</i>. The other members of the party were
asleep upon the thwarts or huddled in cramped positions in the bottom of the
boat.
</p>

<p>
When the girl realized that they had become separated from the other boats she
was filled with alarm. The sense of utter loneliness and helplessness which the
vast expanse of deserted ocean aroused in her was so depressing that, from the
first, contemplation of the future held not the slightest ray of promise for
her. She was confident that they were lost&mdash;lost beyond possibility of
succor.
</p>

<p>
Presently Clayton awoke. It was several minutes before he could gather his
senses sufficiently to realize where he was, or recall the disaster of the
previous night. Finally his bewildered eyes fell upon the girl.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Jane!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Thank God that we are together!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look,&rdquo; said the girl dully, indicating the horizon with an
apathetic gesture. &ldquo;We are all alone.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton scanned the water in every direction.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where can they be?&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;They cannot have gone down,
for there has been no sea, and they were afloat after the yacht sank&mdash;I
saw them all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He awoke the other members of the party, and explained their plight.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is just as well that the boats are scattered, sir,&rdquo; said one of
the sailors. &ldquo;They are all provisioned, so that they do not need each
other on that score, and should a storm blow up they could be of no service to
one another even if they were together, but scattered about the ocean there is
a much better chance that one at least will be picked up, and then a search
will be at once started for the others. Were we together there would be but one
chance of rescue, where now there may be four.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
They saw the wisdom of his philosophy, and were cheered by it, but their joy
was short-lived, for when it was decided that they should row steadily toward
the east and the continent, it was discovered that the sailors who had been at
the only two oars with which the boat had been provided had fallen asleep at
their work, and allowed both to slip into the sea, nor were they in sight
anywhere upon the water.
</p>

<p>
During the angry words and recriminations which followed the sailors nearly
came to blows, but Clayton succeeded in quieting them; though a moment later
Monsieur Thuran almost precipitated another row by making a nasty remark about
the stupidity of all Englishmen, and especially English sailors.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come, come, mates,&rdquo; spoke up one of the men, Tompkins, who had
taken no part in the altercation, &ldquo;shootin&rsquo; off our bloomin&rsquo;
mugs won&rsquo;t get us nothin&rsquo;. As Spider &rsquo;ere said afore,
we&rsquo;ll all bloody well be picked up, anyway, sez &rsquo;e, so wot&rsquo;s
the use o&rsquo; squabblin&rsquo;? Let&rsquo;s eat, sez I.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not a bad idea,&rdquo; said Monsieur Thuran, and then,
turning to the third sailor, Wilson, he said: &ldquo;Pass one of those tins
aft, my good man.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Fetch it yerself,&rdquo; retorted Wilson sullenly. &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t
a-takin&rsquo; no orders from no&mdash;furriner&mdash;you ain&rsquo;t captain
o&rsquo; this ship yet.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The result was that Clayton himself had to get the tin, and then another angry
altercation ensued when one of the sailors accused Clayton and Monsieur Thuran
of conspiring to control the provisions so that they could have the
lion&rsquo;s share.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Some one should take command of this boat,&rdquo; spoke up Jane Porter,
thoroughly disgusted with the disgraceful wrangling that had marked the very
opening of a forced companionship that might last for many days. &ldquo;It is
terrible enough to be alone in a frail boat on the Atlantic, without having the
added misery and danger of constant bickering and brawling among the members of
our party. You men should elect a leader, and then abide by his decisions in
all matters. There is greater need for strict discipline here than there is
upon a well-ordered ship.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She had hoped before she voiced her sentiments that it would not be necessary
for her to enter into the transaction at all, for she believed that Clayton was
amply able to cope with every emergency, but she had to admit that so far at
least he had shown no greater promise of successfully handling the situation
than any of the others, though he had at least refrained from adding in any way
to the unpleasantness, even going so far as to give up the tin to the sailors
when they objected to its being opened by him.
</p>

<p>
The girl&rsquo;s words temporarily quieted the men, and finally it was decided
that the two kegs of water and the four tins of food should be divided into two
parts, one-half going forward to the three sailors to do with as they saw best,
and the balance aft to the three passengers.
</p>

<p>
Thus was the little company divided into two camps, and when the provisions had
been apportioned each immediately set to work to open and distribute food and
water. The sailors were the first to get one of the tins of &ldquo;food&rdquo;
open, and their curses of rage and disappointment caused Clayton to ask what
the trouble might be.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Trouble!&rdquo; shrieked Spider. &ldquo;Trouble! It&rsquo;s worse than
trouble&mdash;it&rsquo;s death! This&mdash;-tin is full of coal oil!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Hastily now Clayton and Monsieur Thuran tore open one of theirs, only to learn
the hideous truth that it also contained, not food, but coal oil. One after
another the four tins on board were opened. And as the contents of each became
known howls of anger announced the grim truth&mdash;there was not an ounce of
food upon the boat.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Well, thank Gawd it wasn&rsquo;t the water,&rdquo; cried Thompkins.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s easier to get along without food than it is without water. We
can eat our shoes if worse comes to worst, but we couldn&rsquo;t drink
&rsquo;em.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As he spoke Wilson had been boring a hole in one of the water kegs, and as
Spider held a tin cup he tilted the keg to pour a draft of the precious fluid.
A thin stream of blackish, dry particles filtered slowly through the tiny
aperture into the bottom of the cup. With a groan Wilson dropped the keg, and
sat staring at the dry stuff in the cup, speechless with horror.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The kegs are filled with gunpowder,&rdquo; said Spider, in a low tone,
turning to those aft. And so it proved when the last had been opened.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Coal oil and gunpowder!&rdquo; cried Monsieur Thuran.
&ldquo;<i>Sapristi!</i> What a diet for shipwrecked mariners!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
With the full knowledge that there was neither food nor water on board, the
pangs of hunger and thirst became immediately aggravated, and so on the first
day of their tragic adventure real suffering commenced in grim earnest, and the
full horrors of shipwreck were upon them.
</p>

<p>
As the days passed conditions became horrible. Aching eyes scanned the horizon
day and night until the weak and weary watchers would sink exhausted to the
bottom of the boat, and there wrest in dream-disturbed slumber a moment&rsquo;s
respite from the horrors of the waking reality.
</p>

<p>
The sailors, goaded by the remorseless pangs of hunger, had eaten their leather
belts, their shoes, the sweatbands from their caps, although both Clayton and
Monsieur Thuran had done their best to convince them that these would only add
to the suffering they were enduring.
</p>

<p>
Weak and hopeless, the entire party lay beneath the pitiless tropic sun, with
parched lips and swollen tongues, waiting for the death they were beginning to
crave. The intense suffering of the first few days had become deadened for the
three passengers who had eaten nothing, but the agony of the sailors was
pitiful, as their weak and impoverished stomachs attempted to cope with the
bits of leather with which they had filled them. Tompkins was the first to
succumb. Just a week from the day the <i>Lady Alice</i> went down the sailor
died horribly in frightful convulsions.
</p>

<p>
For hours his contorted and hideous features lay grinning back at those in the
stern of the little boat, until Jane Porter could endure the sight no longer.
&ldquo;Can you not drop his body overboard, William?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
Clayton rose and staggered toward the corpse. The two remaining sailors eyed
him with a strange, baleful light in their sunken orbs. Futilely the Englishman
tried to lift the corpse over the side of the boat, but his strength was not
equal to the task.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Lend me a hand here, please,&rdquo; he said to Wilson, who lay nearest
him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wot do you want to throw &rsquo;im over for?&rdquo; questioned the
sailor, in a querulous voice.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to before we&rsquo;re too weak to do it,&rdquo; replied
Clayton. &ldquo;He&rsquo;d be awful by tomorrow, after a day under that
broiling sun.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Better leave well enough alone,&rdquo; grumbled Wilson. &ldquo;We may
need him before tomorrow.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Slowly the meaning of the man&rsquo;s words percolated into Clayton&rsquo;s
understanding. At last he realized the fellow&rsquo;s reason for objecting to
the disposal of the dead man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;God!&rdquo; whispered Clayton, in a horrified tone. &ldquo;You
don&rsquo;t mean&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;W&rsquo;y not?&rdquo; growled Wilson. &ldquo;Ain&rsquo;t we gotta live?
He&rsquo;s dead,&rdquo; he added, jerking his thumb in the direction of the
corpse. &ldquo;He won&rsquo;t care.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come here, Thuran,&rdquo; said Clayton, turning toward the Russian.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll have something worse than death aboard us if we don&rsquo;t
get rid of this body before dark.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Wilson staggered up menacingly to prevent the contemplated act, but when his
comrade, Spider, took sides with Clayton and Monsieur Thuran he gave up, and
sat eying the corpse hungrily as the three men, by combining their efforts,
succeeded in rolling it overboard.
</p>

<p>
All the balance of the day Wilson sat glaring at Clayton, in his eyes the gleam
of insanity. Toward evening, as the sun was sinking into the sea, he commenced
to chuckle and mumble to himself, but his eyes never left Clayton.
</p>

<p>
After it became quite dark Clayton could still feel those terrible eyes upon
him. He dared not sleep, and yet so exhausted was he that it was a constant
fight to retain consciousness. After what seemed an eternity of suffering his
head dropped upon a thwart, and he slept. How long he was unconscious he did
not know&mdash;he was awakened by a shuffling noise quite close to him. The
moon had risen, and as he opened his startled eyes he saw Wilson creeping
stealthily toward him, his mouth open and his swollen tongue hanging out.
</p>

<p>
The slight noise had awakened Jane Porter at the same time, and as she saw the
hideous tableau she gave a shrill cry of alarm, and at the same instant the
sailor lurched forward and fell upon Clayton. Like a wild beast his teeth
sought the throat of his intended prey, but Clayton, weak though he was, still
found sufficient strength to hold the maniac&rsquo;s mouth from him.
</p>

<p>
At Jane Porter&rsquo;s scream Monsieur Thuran and Spider awoke. On seeing the
cause of her alarm, both men crawled to Clayton&rsquo;s rescue, and between the
three of them were able to subdue Wilson and hurl him to the bottom of the
boat. For a few minutes he lay there chattering and laughing, and then, with an
awful scream, and before any of his companions could prevent, he staggered to
his feet and leaped overboard.
</p>

<p>
The reaction from the terrific strain of excitement left the weak survivors
trembling and prostrated. Spider broke down and wept; Jane Porter prayed;
Clayton swore softly to himself; Monsieur Thuran sat with his head in his
hands, thinking. The result of his cogitation developed the following morning
in a proposition he made to Spider and Clayton.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Gentlemen,&rdquo; said Monsieur Thuran, &ldquo;you see the fate that
awaits us all unless we are picked up within a day or two. That there is little
hope of that is evidenced by the fact that during all the days we have drifted
we have seen no sail, nor the faintest smudge of smoke upon the horizon.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;There might be a chance if we had food, but without food there is none.
There remains for us, then, but one of two alternatives, and we must choose at
once. Either we must all die together within a few days, or one must be
sacrificed that the others may live. Do you quite clearly grasp my
meaning?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter, who had overheard, was horrified. If the proposition had come from
the poor, ignorant sailor, she might possibly have not been so surprised; but
that it should come from one who posed as a man of culture and refinement, from
a gentleman, she could scarcely credit.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is better that we die together, then,&rdquo; said Clayton.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is for the majority to decide,&rdquo; replied Monsieur Thuran.
&ldquo;As only one of us three will be the object of sacrifice, we shall
decide. Miss Porter is not interested, since she will be in no danger.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How shall we know who is to be first?&rdquo; asked Spider.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It may be fairly fixed by lot,&rdquo; replied Monsieur Thuran. &ldquo;I
have a number of franc pieces in my pocket. We can choose a certain date from
among them&mdash;the one to draw this date first from beneath a piece of cloth
will be the first.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall have nothing to do with any such diabolical plan,&rdquo;
muttered Clayton; &ldquo;even yet land may be sighted or a ship appear&mdash;in
time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will do as the majority decide, or you will be &lsquo;the
first&rsquo; without the formality of drawing lots,&rdquo; said Monsieur Thuran
threateningly. &ldquo;Come, let us vote on the plan; I for one am in favor of
it. How about you, Spider?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I,&rdquo; replied the sailor.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is the will of the majority,&rdquo; announced Monsieur Thuran,
&ldquo;and now let us lose no time in drawing lots. It is as fair for one as
for another. That three may live, one of us must die perhaps a few hours sooner
than otherwise.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Then he began his preparation for the lottery of death, while Jane Porter sat
wide-eyed and horrified at thought of the thing that she was about to witness.
Monsieur Thuran spread his coat upon the bottom of the boat, and then from a
handful of money he selected six franc pieces. The other two men bent close
above him as he inspected them. Finally he handed them all to Clayton.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Look at them carefully,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The oldest date is
eighteen-seventy-five, and there is only one of that year.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton and the sailor inspected each coin. To them there seemed not the
slightest difference that could be detected other than the dates. They were
quite satisfied. Had they known that Monsieur Thuran&rsquo;s past experience as
a card sharp had trained his sense of touch to so fine a point that he could
almost differentiate between cards by the mere feel of them, they would
scarcely have felt that the plan was so entirely fair. The 1875 piece was a
hair thinner than the other coins, but neither Clayton nor Spider could have
detected it without the aid of a micrometer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In what order shall we draw?&rdquo; asked Monsieur Thuran, knowing from
past experience that the majority of men always prefer last chance in a lottery
where the single prize is some distasteful thing&mdash;there is always the
chance and the hope that another will draw it first. Monsieur Thuran, for
reasons of his own, preferred to draw first if the drawing should happen to
require a second adventure beneath the coat.
</p>

<p>
And so when Spider elected to draw last he graciously offered to take the first
chance himself. His hand was under the coat for but a moment, yet those quick,
deft fingers had felt of each coin, and found and discarded the fatal piece.
When he brought forth his hand it contained an 1888 franc piece. Then Clayton
drew. Jane Porter leaned forward with a tense and horrified expression on her
face as the hand of the man she was to marry groped about beneath the coat.
Presently he withdrew it, a franc piece lying in the palm. For an instant he
dared not look, but Monsieur Thuran, who had leaned nearer to see the date,
exclaimed that he was safe.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter sank weak and trembling against the side of the boat. She felt sick
and dizzy. And now, if Spider should not draw the 1875 piece she must endure
the whole horrid thing again.
</p>

<p>
The sailor already had his hand beneath the coat. Great beads of sweat were
standing upon his brow. He trembled as though with a fit of ague. Aloud he
cursed himself for having taken the last draw, for now his chances for escape
were but three to one, whereas Monsieur Thuran&rsquo;s had been five to one,
and Clayton&rsquo;s four to one.
</p>

<p>
The Russian was very patient, and did not hurry the man, for he knew that he
himself was quite safe whether the 1875 piece came out this time or not. When
the sailor withdrew his hand and looked at the piece of money within, he
dropped fainting to the bottom of the boat. Both Clayton and Monsieur Thuran
hastened weakly to examine the coin, which had rolled from the man&rsquo;s hand
and lay beside him. It was not dated 1875. The reaction from the state of fear
he had been in had overcome Spider quite as effectually as though he had drawn
the fated piece.
</p>

<p>
But now the whole proceeding must be gone through again. Once more the Russian
drew forth a harmless coin. Jane Porter closed her eyes as Clayton reached
beneath the coat. Spider bent, wide-eyed, toward the hand that was to decide
his fate, for whatever luck was Clayton&rsquo;s on this last draw, the opposite
would be Spider&rsquo;s. Then William Cecil Clayton, Lord Greystoke, removed
his hand from beneath the coat, and with a coin tight pressed within his palm
where none might see it, he looked at Jane Porter. He did not dare open his
hand.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Quick!&rdquo; hissed Spider. &ldquo;My Gawd, let&rsquo;s see it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton opened his fingers. Spider was the first to see the date, and ere any
knew what his intention was he raised himself to his feet, and lunged over the
side of the boat, to disappear forever into the green depths beneath&mdash;the
coin had not been the 1875 piece.
</p>

<p>
The strain had exhausted those who remained to such an extent that they lay
half unconscious for the balance of the day, nor was the subject referred to
again for several days. Horrible days of increasing weakness and hopelessness.
At length Monsieur Thuran crawled to where Clayton lay.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We must draw once more before we are too weak even to eat,&rdquo; he
whispered.
</p>

<p>
Clayton was in such a state that he was scarcely master of his own will. Jane
Porter had not spoken for three days. He knew that she was dying. Horrible as
the thought was, he hoped that the sacrifice of either Thuran or himself might
be the means of giving her renewed strength, and so he immediately agreed to
the Russian&rsquo;s proposal.
</p>

<p>
They drew under the same plan as before, but there could be but one
result&mdash;Clayton drew the 1875 piece.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When shall it be?&rdquo; he asked Thuran.
</p>

<p>
The Russian had already drawn a pocketknife from his trousers, and was weakly
attempting to open it.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; he muttered, and his greedy eyes gloated upon the
Englishman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you wait until dark?&rdquo; asked Clayton. &ldquo;Miss
Porter must not see this thing done. We were to have been married, you
know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
A look of disappointment came over Monsieur Thuran&rsquo;s face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; he replied hesitatingly. &ldquo;It will not be long
until night. I have waited for many days&mdash;I can wait a few hours
longer.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thank you, my friend,&rdquo; murmured Clayton. &ldquo;Now I shall go to
her side and remain with her until it is time. I would like to have an hour or
two with her before I die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When Clayton reached the girl&rsquo;s side she was unconscious&mdash;he knew
that she was dying, and he was glad that she should not have to see or know the
awful tragedy that was shortly to be enacted. He took her hand and raised it to
his cracked and swollen lips. For a long time he lay caressing the emaciated,
clawlike thing that had once been the beautiful, shapely white hand of the
young Baltimore belle.
</p>

<p>
It was quite dark before he knew it, but he was recalled to himself by a voice
out of the night. It was the Russian calling him to his doom.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am coming, Monsieur Thuran,&rdquo; he hastened to reply.
</p>

<p>
Thrice he attempted to turn himself upon his hands and knees, that he might
crawl back to his death, but in the few hours that he had lain there he had
become too weak to return to Thuran&rsquo;s side.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will have to come to me, monsieur,&rdquo; he called weakly. &ldquo;I
have not sufficient strength to gain my hands and knees.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Sapristi!</i>&rdquo; muttered Monsieur Thuran. &ldquo;You are
attempting to cheat me out of my winnings.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton heard the man shuffling about in the bottom of the boat. Finally there
was a despairing groan. &ldquo;I cannot crawl,&rdquo; he heard the Russian
wail. &ldquo;It is too late. You have tricked me, you dirty English dog.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have not tricked you, monsieur,&rdquo; replied Clayton. &ldquo;I have
done my best to rise, but I shall try again, and if you will try possibly each
of us can crawl halfway, and then you shall have your
&lsquo;winnings.&rsquo;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Again Clayton exerted his remaining strength to the utmost, and he heard Thuran
apparently doing the same. Nearly an hour later the Englishman succeeded in
raising himself to his hands and knees, but at the first forward movement he
pitched upon his face.
</p>

<p>
A moment later he heard an exclamation of relief from Monsieur Thuran.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am coming,&rdquo; whispered the Russian.
</p>

<p>
Again Clayton essayed to stagger on to meet his fate, but once more he pitched
headlong to the boat&rsquo;s bottom, nor, try as he would, could he again rise.
His last effort caused him to roll over on his back, and there he lay looking
up at the stars, while behind him, coming ever nearer and nearer, he could hear
the laborious shuffling, and the stertorous breathing of the Russian.
</p>

<p>
It seemed that he must have lain thus an hour waiting for the thing to crawl
out of the dark and end his misery. It was quite close now, but there were
longer and longer pauses between its efforts to advance, and each forward
movement seemed to the waiting Englishman to be almost imperceptible.
</p>

<p>
Finally he knew that Thuran was quite close beside him. He heard a cackling
laugh, something touched his face, and he lost consciousness.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap19"></a>Chapter XIX<br/>
The City of Gold</h2>

<p>
The very night that Tarzan of the Apes became chief of the Waziri the woman he
loved lay dying in a tiny boat two hundred miles west of him upon the Atlantic.
As he danced among his naked fellow savages, the firelight gleaming against his
great, rolling muscles, the personification of physical perfection and
strength, the woman who loved him lay thin and emaciated in the last coma that
precedes death by thirst and starvation.
</p>

<p>
The week following the induction of Tarzan into the kingship of the Waziri was
occupied in escorting the Manyuema of the Arab raiders to the northern boundary
of Waziri in accordance with the promise which Tarzan had made them. Before he
left them he exacted a pledge from them that they would not lead any
expeditions against the Waziri in the future, nor was it a difficult promise to
obtain. They had had sufficient experience with the fighting tactics of the new
Waziri chief not to have the slightest desire to accompany another predatory
force within the boundaries of his domain.
</p>

<p>
Almost immediately upon his return to the village Tarzan commenced making
preparations for leading an expedition in search of the ruined city of gold
which old Waziri had described to him. He selected fifty of the sturdiest
warriors of his tribe, choosing only men who seemed anxious to accompany him on
the arduous march, and share the dangers of a new and hostile country.
</p>

<p>
The fabulous wealth of the fabled city had been almost constantly in his mind
since Waziri had recounted the strange adventures of the former expedition
which had stumbled upon the vast ruins by chance. The lure of adventure may
have been quite as powerful a factor in urging Tarzan of the Apes to undertake
the journey as the lure of gold, but the lure of gold was there, too, for he
had learned among civilized men something of the miracles that may be wrought
by the possessor of the magic yellow metal. What he would do with a golden
fortune in the heart of savage Africa it had not occurred to him to
consider&mdash;it would be enough to possess the power to work wonders, even
though he never had an opportunity to employ it.
</p>

<p>
So one glorious tropical morning Waziri, chief of the Waziri, set out at the
head of fifty clean-limbed ebon warriors in quest of adventure and of riches.
They followed the course which old Waziri had described to Tarzan. For days
they marched&mdash;up one river, across a low divide; down another river; up a
third, until at the end of the twenty-fifth day they camped upon a
mountainside, from the summit of which they hoped to catch their first view of
the marvelous city of treasure.
</p>

<p>
Early the next morning they were climbing the almost perpendicular crags which
formed the last, but greatest, natural barrier between them and their
destination. It was nearly noon before Tarzan, who headed the thin line of
climbing warriors, scrambled over the top of the last cliff and stood upon the
little flat table-land of the mountaintop.
</p>

<p>
On either hand towered mighty peaks thousands of feet higher than the pass
through which they were entering the forbidden valley. Behind him stretched the
wooded valley across which they had marched for many days, and at the opposite
side the low range which marked the boundary of their own country.
</p>

<p>
But before him was the view that centered his attention. Here lay a desolate
valley&mdash;a shallow, narrow valley dotted with stunted trees and covered
with many great bowlders. And on the far side of the valley lay what appeared
to be a mighty city, its great walls, its lofty spires, its turrets, minarets,
and domes showing red and yellow in the sunlight. Tarzan was yet too far away
to note the marks of ruin&mdash;to him it appeared a wonderful city of
magnificent beauty, and in imagination he peopled its broad avenues and its
huge temples with a throng of happy, active people.
</p>

<p>
For an hour the little expedition rested upon the mountain-top, and then Tarzan
led them down into the valley below. There was no trail, but the way was less
arduous than the ascent of the opposite face of the mountain had been. Once in
the valley their progress was rapid, so that it was still light when they
halted before the towering walls of the ancient city.
</p>

<p>
The outer wall was fifty feet in height where it had not fallen into ruin, but
nowhere as far as they could see had more than ten or twenty feet of the upper
courses fallen away. It was still a formidable defense. On several occasions
Tarzan had thought that he discerned things moving behind the ruined portions
of the wall near to them, as though creatures were watching them from behind
the bulwarks of the ancient pile. And often he felt the sensation of unseen
eyes upon him, but not once could he be sure that it was more than imagination.
</p>

<p>
That night they camped outside the city. Once, at midnight, they were awakened
by a shrill scream from beyond the great wall. It was very high at first,
descending gradually until it ended in a series of dismal moans. It had a
strange effect upon the blacks, almost paralyzing them with terror while it
lasted, and it was an hour before the camp settled down to sleep once more. In
the morning the effects of it were still visible in the fearful, sidelong
glances that the Waziri continually cast at the massive and forbidding
structure which loomed above them.
</p>

<p>
It required considerable encouragement and urging on Tarzan&rsquo;s part to
prevent the blacks from abandoning the venture on the spot and hastening back
across the valley toward the cliffs they had scaled the day before. But at
length, by dint of commands, and threats that he would enter the city alone,
they agreed to accompany him.
</p>

<p>
For fifteen minutes they marched along the face of the wall before they
discovered a means of ingress. Then they came to a narrow cleft about twenty
inches wide. Within, a flight of concrete steps, worn hollow by centuries of
use, rose before them, to disappear at a sharp turning of the passage a few
yards ahead.
</p>

<p>
Into this narrow alley Tarzan made his way, turning his giant shoulders
sideways that they might enter at all. Behind him trailed his black warriors.
At the turn in the cleft the stairs ended, and the path was level; but it wound
and twisted in a serpentine fashion, until suddenly at a sharp angle it
debouched upon a narrow court, across which loomed an inner wall equally as
high as the outer. This inner wall was set with little round towers alternating
along its entire summit with pointed monoliths. In places these had fallen, and
the wall was ruined, but it was in a much better state of preservation than the
outer wall.
</p>

<p>
Another narrow passage led through this wall, and at its end Tarzan and his
warriors found themselves in a broad avenue, on the opposite side of which
crumbling edifices of hewn granite loomed dark and forbidding. Upon the
crumbling debris along the face of the buildings trees had grown, and vines
wound in and out of the hollow, staring windows; but the building directly
opposite them seemed less overgrown than the others, and in a much better state
of preservation. It was a massive pile, surmounted by an enormous dome. At
either side of its great entrance stood rows of tall pillars, each capped by a
huge, grotesque bird carved from the solid rock of the monoliths.
</p>

<p>
As the ape-man and his companions stood gazing in varying degrees of wonderment
at this ancient city in the midst of savage Africa, several of them became
aware of movement within the structure at which they were looking. Dim, shadowy
shapes appeared to be moving about in the semi-darkness of the interior. There
was nothing tangible that the eye could grasp&mdash;only an uncanny suggestion
of life where it seemed that there should be no life, for living things seemed
out of place in this weird, dead city of the long-dead past.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan recalled something that he had read in the library at Paris of a lost
race of white men that native legend described as living in the heart of
Africa. He wondered if he were not looking upon the ruins of the civilization
that this strange people had wrought amid the savage surroundings of their
strange and savage home. Could it be possible that even now a remnant of that
lost race inhabited the ruined grandeur that had once been their progenitor?
Again he became conscious of a stealthy movement within the great temple before
him. &ldquo;Come!&rdquo; he said, to his Waziri. &ldquo;Let us have a look at
what lies behind those ruined walls.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
His men were loath to follow him, but when they saw that he was bravely
entering the frowning portal they trailed a few paces behind in a huddled group
that seemed the personification of nervous terror. A single shriek such as they
had heard the night before would have been sufficient to have sent them all
racing madly for the narrow cleft that led through the great walls to the outer
world.
</p>

<p>
As Tarzan entered the building he was distinctly aware of many eyes upon him.
There was a rustling in the shadows of a near-by corridor, and he could have
sworn that he saw a human hand withdrawn from an embrasure that opened above
him into the domelike rotunda in which he found himself.
</p>

<p>
The floor of the chamber was of concrete, the walls of smooth granite, upon
which strange figures of men and beasts were carved. In places tablets of
yellow metal had been set in the solid masonry of the walls.
</p>

<p>
When he approached closer to one of these tablets he saw that it was of gold,
and bore many hieroglyphics. Beyond this first chamber there were others, and
back of them the building branched out into enormous wings. Tarzan passed
through several of these chambers, finding many evidences of the fabulous
wealth of the original builders. In one room were seven pillars of solid gold,
and in another the floor itself was of the precious metal. And all the while
that he explored, his blacks huddled close together at his back, and strange
shapes hovered upon either hand and before them and behind, yet never close
enough that any might say that they were not alone.
</p>

<p>
The strain, however, was telling upon the nerves of the Waziri. They begged
Tarzan to return to the sunlight. They said that no good could come of such an
expedition, for the ruins were haunted by the spirits of the dead who had once
inhabited them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are watching us, O king,&rdquo; whispered Busuli. &ldquo;They are
waiting until they have led us into the innermost recesses of their stronghold,
and then they will fall upon us and tear us to pieces with their teeth. That is
the way with spirits. My mother&rsquo;s uncle, who is a great witch doctor, has
told me all about it many times.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan laughed. &ldquo;Run back into the sunlight, my children,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;I will join you when I have searched this old ruin from top to bottom,
and found the gold, or found that there is none. At least we may take the
tablets from the walls, though the pillars are too heavy for us to handle; but
there should be great storerooms filled with gold&mdash;gold that we can carry
away upon our backs with ease. Run on now, out into the fresh air where you may
breathe easier.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Some of the warriors started to obey their chief with alacrity, but Busuli and
several others hesitated to leave him&mdash;hesitated between love and loyalty
for their king, and superstitious fear of the unknown. And then, quite
unexpectedly, that occurred which decided the question without the necessity
for further discussion. Out of the silence of the ruined temple there rang,
close to their ears, the same hideous shriek they had heard the previous night,
and with horrified cries the black warriors turned and fled through the empty
halls of the age-old edifice.
</p>

<p>
Behind them stood Tarzan of the Apes where they had left him, a grim smile upon
his lips&mdash;waiting for the enemy he fully expected was about to pounce upon
him. But again silence reigned, except for the faint suggestion of the sound of
naked feet moving stealthily in near-by places.
</p>

<p>
Then Tarzan wheeled and passed on into the depths of the temple. From room to
room he went, until he came to one at which a rude, barred door still stood,
and as he put his shoulder against it to push it in, again the shriek of
warning rang out almost beside him. It was evident that he was being warned to
refrain from desecrating this particular room. Or could it be that within lay
the secret to the treasure stores?
</p>

<p>
At any rate, the very fact that the strange, invisible guardians of this weird
place had some reason for wishing him not to enter this particular chamber was
sufficient to treble Tarzan&rsquo;s desire to do so, and though the shrieking
was repeated continuously, he kept his shoulder to the door until it gave
before his giant strength to swing open upon creaking wooden hinges.
</p>

<p>
Within all was black as the tomb. There was no window to let in the faintest
ray of light, and as the corridor upon which it opened was itself in
semi-darkness, even the open door shed no relieving rays within. Feeling before
him upon the floor with the butt of his spear, Tarzan entered the Stygian
gloom. Suddenly the door behind him closed, and at the same time hands clutched
him from every direction out of the darkness.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man fought with all the savage fury of self-preservation backed by the
herculean strength that was his. But though he felt his blows land, and his
teeth sink into soft flesh, there seemed always two new hands to take the place
of those that he fought off. At last they dragged him down, and slowly, very
slowly, they overcame him by the mere weight of their numbers. And then they
bound him&mdash;his hands behind his back and his feet trussed up to meet them.
He had heard no sound except the heavy breathing of his antagonists, and the
noise of the battle. He knew not what manner of creatures had captured him, but
that they were human seemed evident from the fact that they had bound him.
</p>

<p>
Presently they lifted him from the floor, and half dragging, half pushing him,
they brought him out of the black chamber through another doorway into an inner
courtyard of the temple. Here he saw his captors. There must have been a
hundred of them&mdash;short, stocky men, with great beards that covered their
faces and fell upon their hairy breasts.
</p>

<p>
The thick, matted hair upon their heads grew low over their receding brows, and
hung about their shoulders and their backs. Their crooked legs were short and
heavy, their arms long and muscular. About their loins they wore the skins of
leopards and lions, and great necklaces of the claws of these same animals
depended upon their breasts. Massive circlets of virgin gold adorned their arms
and legs. For weapons they carried heavy, knotted bludgeons, and in the belts
that confined their single garments each had a long, wicked-looking knife.
</p>

<p>
But the feature of them that made the most startling impression upon their
prisoner was their white skins&mdash;neither in color nor feature was there a
trace of the negroid about them. Yet, with their receding foreheads, wicked
little close-set eyes, and yellow fangs, they were far from prepossessing in
appearance.
</p>

<p>
During the fight within the dark chamber, and while they had been dragging
Tarzan to the inner court, no word had been spoken, but now several of them
exchanged grunting, monosyllabic conversation in a language unfamiliar to the
ape-man, and presently they left him lying upon the concrete floor while they
trooped off on their short legs into another part of the temple beyond the
court.
</p>

<p>
As Tarzan lay there upon his back he saw that the temple entirely surrounded
the little inclosure, and that on all sides its lofty walls rose high above
him. At the top a little patch of blue sky was visible, and, in one direction,
through an embrasure, he could see foliage, but whether it was beyond or within
the temple he did not know.
</p>

<p>
About the court, from the ground to the top of the temple, were series of open
galleries, and now and then the captive caught glimpses of bright eyes gleaming
from beneath masses of tumbling hair, peering down upon him from above.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man gently tested the strength of the bonds that held him, and while he
could not be sure it seemed that they were of insufficient strength to
withstand the strain of his mighty muscles when the time came to make a break
for freedom; but he did not dare to put them to the crucial test until darkness
had fallen, or he felt that no spying eyes were upon him.
</p>

<p>
He had lain within the court for several hours before the first rays of
sunlight penetrated the vertical shaft; almost simultaneously he heard the
pattering of bare feet in the corridors about him, and a moment later saw the
galleries above fill with crafty faces as a score or more entered the
courtyard.
</p>

<p>
For a moment every eye was bent upon the noonday sun, and then in unison the
people in the galleries and those in the court below took up the refrain of a
low, weird chant. Presently those about Tarzan began to dance to the cadence of
their solemn song. They circled him slowly, resembling in their manner of
dancing a number of clumsy, shuffling bears; but as yet they did not look at
him, keeping their little eyes fixed upon the sun.
</p>

<p>
For ten minutes or more they kept up their monotonous chant and steps, and then
suddenly, and in perfect unison, they turned toward their victim with upraised
bludgeons and emitting fearful howls, the while they contorted their features
into the most diabolical expressions, they rushed upon him.
</p>

<p>
At the same instant a female figure dashed into the midst of the bloodthirsty
horde, and, with a bludgeon similar to their own, except that it was wrought
from gold, beat back the advancing men.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap20"></a>Chapter XX<br/>
La</h2>

<p>
For a moment Tarzan thought that by some strange freak of fate a miracle had
saved him, but when he realized the ease with which the girl had,
single-handed, beaten off twenty gorilla-like males, and an instant later, as
he saw them again take up their dance about him while she addressed them in a
singsong monotone, which bore every evidence of rote, he came to the conclusion
that it was all but a part of the ceremony of which he was the central figure.
</p>

<p>
After a moment or two the girl drew a knife from her girdle, and, leaning over
Tarzan, cut the bonds from his legs. Then, as the men stopped their dance, and
approached, she motioned to him to rise. Placing the rope that had been about
his legs around his neck, she led him across the courtyard, the men following
in twos.
</p>

<p>
Through winding corridors she led, farther and farther into the remoter
precincts of the temple, until they came to a great chamber in the center of
which stood an altar. Then it was that Tarzan translated the strange ceremony
that had preceded his introduction into this holy of holies.
</p>

<p>
He had fallen into the hands of descendants of the ancient sun worshippers. His
seeming rescue by a votaress of the high priestess of the sun had been but a
part of the mimicry of their heathen ceremony&mdash;the sun looking down upon
him through the opening at the top of the court had claimed him as his own, and
the priestess had come from the inner temple to save him from the polluting
hands of worldlings&mdash;to save him as a human offering to their flaming
deity.
</p>

<p>
And had he needed further assurance as to the correctness of his theory he had
only to cast his eyes upon the brownish-red stains that caked the stone altar
and covered the floor in its immediate vicinity, or to the human skulls which
grinned from countless niches in the towering walls.
</p>

<p>
The priestess led the victim to the altar steps. Again the galleries above
filled with watchers, while from an arched doorway at the east end of the
chamber a procession of females filed slowly into the room. They wore, like the
men, only skins of wild animals caught about their waists with rawhide belts or
chains of gold; but the black masses of their hair were incrusted with golden
headgear composed of many circular and oval pieces of gold ingeniously held
together to form a metal cap from which depended at each side of the head, long
strings of oval pieces falling to the waist.
</p>

<p>
The females were more symmetrically proportioned than the males, their features
were much more perfect, the shapes of their heads and their large, soft, black
eyes denoting far greater intelligence and humanity than was possessed by their
lords and masters.
</p>

<p>
Each priestess bore two golden cups, and as they formed in line along one side
of the altar the men formed opposite them, advancing and taking each a cup from
the female opposite. Then the chant began once more, and presently from a dark
passageway beyond the altar another female emerged from the cavernous depths
beneath the chamber.
</p>

<p>
The high priestess, thought Tarzan. She was a young woman with a rather
intelligent and shapely face. Her ornaments were similar to those worn by her
votaries, but much more elaborate, many being set with diamonds. Her bare arms
and legs were almost concealed by the massive, bejeweled ornaments which
covered them, while her single leopard skin was supported by a close-fitting
girdle of golden rings set in strange designs with innumerable small diamonds.
In the girdle she carried a long, jeweled knife, and in her hand a slender wand
in lieu of a bludgeon.
</p>

<p>
As she advanced to the opposite side of the altar she halted, and the chanting
ceased. The priests and priestesses knelt before her, while with wand extended
above them she recited a long and tiresome prayer. Her voice was soft and
musical&mdash;Tarzan could scarce realize that its possessor in a moment more
would be transformed by the fanatical ecstasy of religious zeal into a
wild-eyed and bloodthirsty executioner, who, with dripping knife, would be the
first to drink her victim&rsquo;s red, warm blood from the little golden cup
that stood upon the altar.
</p>

<p>
As she finished her prayer she let her eyes rest for the first time upon
Tarzan. With every indication of considerable curiosity she examined him from
head to foot. Then she addressed him, and when she had finished stood waiting,
as though she expected a reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not understand your language,&rdquo; said Tarzan. &ldquo;Possibly
we may speak together in another tongue?&rdquo; But she could not understand
him, though he tried French, English, Arab, Waziri, and, as a last resort, the
mongrel tongue of the West Coast.
</p>

<p>
She shook her head, and it seemed that there was a note of weariness in her
voice as she motioned to the priests to continue with the rites. These now
circled in a repetition of their idiotic dance, which was terminated finally at
a command from the priestess, who had stood throughout, still looking intently
upon Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
At her signal the priests rushed upon the ape-man, and, lifting him bodily,
laid him upon his back across the altar, his head hanging over one edge, his
legs over the opposite. Then they and the priestesses formed in two lines, with
their little golden cups in readiness to capture a share of the victim&rsquo;s
lifeblood after the sacrificial knife had accomplished its work.
</p>

<p>
In the line of priests an altercation arose as to who should have first place.
A burly brute with all the refined intelligence of a gorilla stamped upon his
bestial face was attempting to push a smaller man to second place, but the
smaller one appealed to the high priestess, who in a cold peremptory voice sent
the larger to the extreme end of the line. Tarzan could hear him growling and
rumbling as he went slowly to the inferior station.
</p>

<p>
Then the priestess, standing above him, began reciting what Tarzan took to be
an invocation, the while she slowly raised her thin, sharp knife aloft. It
seemed ages to the ape-man before her arm ceased its upward progress and the
knife halted high above his unprotected breast.
</p>

<p>
Then it started downward, slowly at first, but as the incantation increased in
rapidity, with greater speed. At the end of the line Tarzan could still hear
the grumbling of the disgruntled priest. The man&rsquo;s voice rose louder and
louder. A priestess near him spoke in sharp tones of rebuke. The knife was
quite near to Tarzan&rsquo;s breast now, but it halted for an instant as the
high priestess raised her eyes to shoot her swift displeasure at the instigator
of this sacrilegious interruption.
</p>

<p>
There was a sudden commotion in the direction of the disputants, and Tarzan
rolled his head in their direction in time to see the burly brute of a priest
leap upon the woman opposite him, dashing out her brains with a single blow of
his heavy cudgel. Then that happened which Tarzan had witnessed a hundred times
before among the wild denizens of his own savage jungle. He had seen the thing
fall upon Kerchak, and Tublat, and Terkoz; upon a dozen of the other mighty
bull apes of his tribe; and upon Tantor, the elephant; there was scarce any of
the males of the forest that did not at times fall prey to it. The priest went
mad, and with his heavy bludgeon ran amuck among his fellows.
</p>

<p>
His screams of rage were frightful as he dashed hither and thither, dealing
terrific blows with his giant weapon, or sinking his yellow fangs into the
flesh of some luckless victim. And during it the priestess stood with poised
knife above Tarzan, her eyes fixed in horror upon the maniacal thing that was
dealing out death and destruction to her votaries.
</p>

<p>
Presently the room was emptied except for the dead and dying on the floor, the
victim upon the altar, the high priestess, and the madman. As the cunning eyes
of the latter fell upon the woman they lighted with a new and sudden lust.
Slowly he crept toward her, and now he spoke; but this time there fell upon
Tarzan&rsquo;s surprised ears a language he could understand; the last one that
he would ever have thought of employing in attempting to converse with human
beings&mdash;the low guttural barking of the tribe of great
anthropoids&mdash;his own mother tongue. And the woman answered the man in the
same language.
</p>

<p>
He was threatening&mdash;she attempting to reason with him, for it was quite
evident that she saw that he was past her authority. The brute was quite close
now&mdash;creeping with clawlike hands extended toward her around the end of
the altar. Tarzan strained at the bonds which held his arms pinioned behind
him. The woman did not see&mdash;she had forgotten her prey in the horror of
the danger that threatened herself. As the brute leaped past Tarzan to clutch
his victim, the ape-man gave one superhuman wrench at the thongs that held him.
The effort sent him rolling from the altar to the stone floor on the opposite
side from that on which the priestess stood; but as he sprang to his feet the
thongs dropped from his freed arms, and at the same time he realized that he
was alone in the inner temple&mdash;the high priestess and the mad priest had
disappeared.
</p>

<p>
And then a muffled scream came from the cavernous mouth of the dark hole beyond
the sacrificial altar through which the priestess had entered the temple.
Without even a thought for his own safety, or the possibility for escape which
this rapid series of fortuitous circumstances had thrust upon him, Tarzan of
the Apes answered the call of the woman in danger. With a little bound he was
at the gaping entrance to the subterranean chamber, and a moment later was
running down a flight of age-old concrete steps that led he knew not where.
</p>

<p>
The faint light that filtered in from above showed him a large, low-ceiled
vault from which several doorways led off into inky darkness, but there was no
need to thread an unknown way, for there before him lay the objects of his
search&mdash;the mad brute had the girl upon the floor, and gorilla-like
fingers were clutching frantically at her throat as she struggled to escape the
fury of the awful thing upon her.
</p>

<p>
As Tarzan&rsquo;s heavy hand fell upon his shoulder the priest dropped his
victim, and turned upon her would-be rescuer. With foam-flecked lips and bared
fangs the mad sun-worshiper battled with the tenfold power of the maniac. In
the blood lust of his fury the creature had undergone a sudden reversion to
type, which left him a wild beast, forgetful of the dagger that projected from
his belt&mdash;thinking only of nature&rsquo;s weapons with which his brute
prototype had battled.
</p>

<p>
But if he could use his teeth and hands to advantage, he found one even better
versed in the school of savage warfare to which he had reverted, for Tarzan of
the Apes closed with him, and they fell to the floor tearing and rending at one
another like two bull apes; while the primitive priestess stood flattened
against the wall, watching with wide, fear-fascinated eyes the growling,
snapping beasts at her feet.
</p>

<p>
At last she saw the stranger close one mighty hand upon the throat of his
antagonist, and as he forced the bruteman&rsquo;s head far back rain blow after
blow upon the upturned face. A moment later he threw the still thing from him,
and, arising, shook himself like a lion. He placed a foot upon the carcass
before him, and raised his head to give the victory cry of his kind, but as his
eyes fell upon the opening above him leading into the temple of human sacrifice
he thought better of his intended act.
</p>

<p>
The girl, who had been half paralyzed by fear as the two men fought, had just
commenced to give thought to her probable fate now that, though released from
the clutches of a madman, she had fallen into the hands of one whom but a
moment before she had been upon the point of killing. She looked about for some
means of escape. The black mouth of a diverging corridor was near at hand, but
as she turned to dart into it the ape-man&rsquo;s eyes fell upon her, and with
a quick leap he was at her side, and a restraining hand was laid upon her arm.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wait!&rdquo; said Tarzan of the Apes, in the language of the tribe of
Kerchak.
</p>

<p>
The girl looked at him in astonishment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who are you,&rdquo; she whispered, &ldquo;who speaks the language of the
first man?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am Tarzan of the Apes,&rdquo; he answered in the vernacular of the
anthropoids.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you want of me?&rdquo; she continued. &ldquo;For what purpose
did you save me from Tha?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I could not see a woman murdered?&rdquo; It was a half question that
answered her.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But what do you intend to do with me now?&rdquo; she continued.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Nothing,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;but you can do something for
me&mdash;you can lead me out of this place to freedom.&rdquo; He made the
suggestion without the slightest thought that she would accede. He felt quite
sure that the sacrifice would go on from the point where it had been
interrupted if the high priestess had her way, though he was equally positive
that they would find Tarzan of the Apes unbound and with a long dagger in his
hand a much less tractable victim than Tarzan disarmed and bound.
</p>

<p>
The girl stood looking at him for a long moment before she spoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are a very wonderful man,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;You are such a man
as I have seen in my daydreams ever since I was a little girl. You are such a
man as I imagine the forbears of my people must have been&mdash;the great race
of people who built this mighty city in the heart of a savage world that they
might wrest from the bowels of the earth the fabulous wealth for which they had
sacrificed their far-distant civilization.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot understand why you came to my rescue in the first place, and
now I cannot understand why, having me within your power, you do not wish to be
revenged upon me for having sentenced you to death&mdash;for having almost put
you to death with my own hand.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I presume,&rdquo; replied the ape-man, &ldquo;that you but followed the
teachings of your religion. I cannot blame YOU for that, no matter what I may
think of your creed. But who are you&mdash;what people have I fallen
among?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am La, high priestess of the Temple of the Sun, in the city of Opar.
We are descendants of a people who came to this savage world more than ten
thousand years ago in search of gold. Their cities stretched from a great sea
under the rising sun to a great sea into which the sun descends at night to
cool his flaming brow. They were very rich and very powerful, but they lived
only a few months of the year in their magnificent palaces here; the rest of
the time they spent in their native land, far, far to the north.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Many ships went back and forth between this new world and the old.
During the rainy season there were but few of the inhabitants remained here,
only those who superintended the working of the mines by the black slaves, and
the merchants who had to stay to supply their wants, and the soldiers who
guarded the cities and the mines.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It was at one of these times that the great calamity occurred. When the
time came for the teeming thousands to return none came. For weeks the people
waited. Then they sent out a great galley to learn why no one came from the
mother country, but though they sailed about for many months, they were unable
to find any trace of the mighty land that had for countless ages borne their
ancient civilization&mdash;it had sunk into the sea.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From that day dated the downfall of my people. Disheartened and unhappy,
they soon became a prey to the black hordes of the north and the black hordes
of the south. One by one the cities were deserted or overcome. The last remnant
was finally forced to take shelter within this mighty mountain fortress. Slowly
we have dwindled in power, in civilization, in intellect, in numbers, until now
we are no more than a small tribe of savage apes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In fact, the apes live with us, and have for many ages. We call them the
first men&mdash;we speak their language quite as much as we do our own; only in
the rituals of the temple do we make any attempt to retain our mother tongue.
In time it will be forgotten, and we will speak only the language of the apes;
in time we will no longer banish those of our people who mate with apes, and so
in time we shall descend to the very beasts from which ages ago our progenitors
may have sprung.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But why are you more human than the others?&rdquo; asked the man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;For some reason the women have not reverted to savagery so rapidly as
the men. It may be because only the lower types of men remained here at the
time of the great catastrophe, while the temples were filled with the noblest
daughters of the race. My strain has remained clearer than the rest because for
countless ages my foremothers were high priestesses&mdash;the sacred office
descends from mother to daughter. Our husbands are chosen for us from the
noblest in the land. The most perfect man, mentally and physically, is selected
to be the husband of the high priestess.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;From what I saw of the gentlemen above,&rdquo; said Tarzan, with a grin,
&ldquo;there should be little trouble in choosing from among them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The girl looked at him quizzically for a moment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not be sacrilegious,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They are very holy
men&mdash;they are priests.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then there are others who are better to look upon?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The others are all more ugly than the priests,&rdquo; she replied.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan shuddered at her fate, for even in the dim light of the vault he was
impressed by her beauty.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But how about myself?&rdquo; he asked suddenly. &ldquo;Are you going to
lead me to liberty?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You have been chosen by The Flaming God as his own,&rdquo; she answered
solemnly. &ldquo;Not even I have the power to save you&mdash;should they find
you again. But I do not intend that they shall find you. You risked your life
to save mine. I may do no less for you. It will be no easy matter&mdash;it may
require days; but in the end I think that I can lead you beyond the walls.
Come, they will look here for me presently, and if they find us together we
shall both be lost&mdash;they would kill me did they think that I had proved
false to my god.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You must not take the risk, then,&rdquo; he said quickly. &ldquo;I will
return to the temple, and if I can fight my way to freedom there will be no
suspicion thrown upon you.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
But she would not have it so, and finally persuaded him to follow her, saying
that they had already remained in the vault too long to prevent suspicion from
falling upon her even if they returned to the temple.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will hide you, and then return alone,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;telling
them that I was long unconscious after you killed Tha, and that I do not know
whither you escaped.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And so she led him through winding corridors of gloom, until finally they came
to a small chamber into which a little light filtered through a stone grating
in the ceiling.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;This is the Chamber of the Dead,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;None will think
of searching here for you&mdash;they would not dare. I will return after it is
dark. By that time I may have found a plan to effect your escape.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She was gone, and Tarzan of the Apes was left alone in the Chamber of the Dead,
beneath the long-dead city of Opar.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap21"></a>Chapter XXI<br/>
The Castaways</h2>

<p>
Clayton dreamed that he was drinking his fill of water, pure, delightful drafts
of fresh water. With a start he gained consciousness to find himself wet
through by torrents of rain that were falling upon his body and his upturned
face. A heavy tropical shower was beating down upon them. He opened his mouth
and drank. Presently he was so revived and strengthened that he was enabled to
raise himself upon his hands. Across his legs lay Monsieur Thuran. A few feet
aft Jane Porter was huddled in a pitiful little heap in the bottom of the
boat&mdash;she was quite still. Clayton knew that she was dead.
</p>

<p>
After infinite labor he released himself from Thuran&rsquo;s pinioning body,
and with renewed strength crawled toward the girl. He raised her head from the
rough boards of the boat&rsquo;s bottom. There might be life in that poor,
starved frame even yet. He could not quite abandon all hope, and so he seized a
water-soaked rag and squeezed the precious drops between the swollen lips of
the hideous thing that had but a few short days before glowed with the
resplendent life of happy youth and glorious beauty.
</p>

<p>
For some time there was no sign of returning animation, but at last his efforts
were rewarded by a slight tremor of the half-closed lids. He chafed the thin
hands, and forced a few more drops of water into the parched throat. The girl
opened her eyes, looking up at him for a long time before she could recall her
surroundings.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Water?&rdquo; she whispered. &ldquo;Are we saved?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is raining,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;We may at least drink.
Already it has revived us both.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Monsieur Thuran?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;He did not kill you. Is he
dead?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not know,&rdquo; replied Clayton. &ldquo;If he lives and this rain
revives him&mdash;&rdquo; But he stopped there, remembering too late that he
must not add further to the horrors which the girl already had endured.
</p>

<p>
But she guessed what he would have said.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where is he?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
Clayton nodded his head toward the prostrate form of the Russian. For a time
neither spoke.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I will see if I can revive him,&rdquo; said Clayton at length.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;No,&rdquo; she whispered, extending a detaining hand toward him.
&ldquo;Do not do that&mdash;he will kill you when the water has given him
strength. If he is dying, let him die. Do not leave me alone in this boat with
that beast.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton hesitated. His honor demanded that he attempt to revive Thuran, and
there was the possibility, too, that the Russian was beyond human aid. It was
not dishonorable to hope so. As he sat fighting out his battle he presently
raised his eyes from the body of the man, and as they passed above the gunwale
of the boat he staggered weakly to his feet with a little cry of joy.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Land, Jane!&rdquo; he almost shouted through his cracked lips.
&ldquo;Thank God, land!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The girl looked, too, and there, not a hundred yards away, she saw a yellow
beach, and, beyond, the luxurious foliage of a tropical jungle.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Now you may revive him,&rdquo; said Jane Porter, for she, too, had been
haunted with the pangs of conscience which had resulted from her decision to
prevent Clayton from offering succor to their companion.
</p>

<p>
It required the better part of half an hour before the Russian evinced
sufficient symptoms of returning consciousness to open his eyes, and it was
some time later before they could bring him to a realization of their good
fortune. By this time the boat was scraping gently upon the sandy bottom.
</p>

<p>
Between the refreshing water that he had drunk and the stimulus of renewed
hope, Clayton found strength to stagger through the shallow water to the shore
with a line made fast to the boat&rsquo;s bow. This he fastened to a small tree
which grew at the top of a low bank, for the tide was at flood, and he feared
that the boat might carry them all out to sea again with the ebb, since it was
quite likely that it would be beyond his strength to get Jane Porter to the
shore for several hours. Next he managed to stagger and crawl toward the
near-by jungle, where he had seen evidences of profusion of tropical fruit. His
former experience in the jungle of Tarzan of the Apes had taught him which of
the many growing things were edible, and after nearly an hour of absence he
returned to the beach with a little armful of food.
</p>

<p>
The rain had ceased, and the hot sun was beating down so mercilessly upon her
that Jane Porter insisted on making an immediate attempt to gain the land.
Still further invigorated by the food Clayton had brought, the three were able
to reach the half shade of the small tree to which their boat was moored. Here,
thoroughly exhausted, they threw themselves down to rest, sleeping until dark.
</p>

<p>
For a month they lived upon the beach in comparative safety. As their strength
returned the two men constructed a rude shelter in the branches of a tree, high
enough from the ground to insure safety from the larger beasts of prey. By day
they gathered fruits and trapped small rodents; at night they lay cowering
within their frail shelter while savage denizens of the jungle made hideous the
hours of darkness.
</p>

<p>
They slept upon litters of jungle grasses, and for covering at night Jane
Porter had only an old ulster that belonged to Clayton, the same garment that
he had worn upon that memorable trip to the Wisconsin woods. Clayton had
erected a frail partition of boughs to divide their arboreal shelter into two
rooms&mdash;one for the girl and the other for Monsieur Thuran and himself.
</p>

<p>
From the first the Russian had exhibited every trait of his true
character&mdash;selfishness, boorishness, arrogance, cowardice, and lust. Twice
had he and Clayton come to blows because of Thuran&rsquo;s attitude toward the
girl. Clayton dared not leave her alone with him for an instant. The existence
of the Englishman and his fiancee was one continual nightmare of horror, and
yet they lived on in hope of ultimate rescue.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter&rsquo;s thoughts often reverted to her other experience on this
savage shore. Ah, if the invincible forest god of that dead past were but with
them now. No longer would there be aught to fear from prowling beasts, or from
the bestial Russian. She could not well refrain from comparing the scant
protection afforded her by Clayton with what she might have expected had Tarzan
of the Apes been for a single instant confronted by the sinister and menacing
attitude of Monsieur Thuran. Once, when Clayton had gone to the little stream
for water, and Thuran had spoken coarsely to her, she voiced her thoughts.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is well for you, Monsieur Thuran,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;that the
poor Monsieur Tarzan who was lost from the ship that brought you and Miss
Strong to Cape Town is not here now.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You knew the pig?&rdquo; asked Thuran, with a sneer.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I knew the man,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;The only real man, I think,
that I have ever known.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
There was something in her tone of voice that led the Russian to attribute to
her a deeper feeling for his enemy than friendship, and he grasped at the
suggestion to be further revenged upon the man whom he supposed dead by
besmirching his memory to the girl.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He was worse than a pig,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;He was a poltroon and a
coward. To save himself from the righteous wrath of the husband of a woman he
had wronged, he perjured his soul in an attempt to place the blame entirely
upon her. Not succeeding in this, he ran away from France to escape meeting the
husband upon the field of honor. That is why he was on board the ship that bore
Miss Strong and myself to Cape Town. I know whereof I speak, for the woman in
the case is my sister. Something more I know that I have never told
another&mdash;your brave Monsieur Tarzan leaped overboard in an agony of fear
because I recognized him, and insisted that he make reparation to me the
following morning&mdash;we could have fought with knives in my
stateroom.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter laughed. &ldquo;You do not for a moment imagine that one who has
known both Monsieur Tarzan and you could ever believe such an impossible
tale?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then why did he travel under an assumed name?&rdquo; asked Monsieur
Thuran.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I do not believe you,&rdquo; she cried, but nevertheless the seed of
suspicion was sown, for she knew that Hazel Strong had known her forest god
only as John Caldwell, of London.
</p>

<p>
A scant five miles north of their rude shelter, all unknown to them, and
practically as remote as though separated by thousands of miles of impenetrable
jungle, lay the snug little cabin of Tarzan of the Apes. While farther up the
coast, a few miles beyond the cabin, in crude but well-built shelters, lived a
little party of eighteen souls&mdash;the occupants of the three boats from the
<i>Lady Alice</i> from which Clayton&rsquo;s boat had become separated.
</p>

<p>
Over a smooth sea they had rowed to the mainland in less than three days. None
of the horrors of shipwreck had been theirs, and though depressed by sorrow,
and suffering from the shock of the catastrophe and the unaccustomed hardships
of their new existence there was none much the worse for the experience.
</p>

<p>
All were buoyed by the hope that the fourth boat had been picked up, and that a
thorough search of the coast would be quickly made. As all the firearms and
ammunition on the yacht had been placed in Lord Tennington&rsquo;s boat, the
party was well equipped for defense, and for hunting the larger game for food.
</p>

<p>
Professor Archimedes Q. Porter was their only immediate anxiety. Fully assured
in his own mind that his daughter had been picked up by a passing steamer, he
gave over the last vestige of apprehension concerning her welfare, and devoted
his giant intellect solely to the consideration of those momentous and abstruse
scientific problems which he considered the only proper food for thought in one
of his erudition. His mind appeared blank to the influence of all extraneous
matters.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Never,&rdquo; said the exhausted Mr. Samuel T. Philander, to Lord
Tennington, &ldquo;never has Professor Porter been more
difficult&mdash;er&mdash;I might say, impossible. Why, only this morning, after
I had been forced to relinquish my surveillance for a brief half hour he was
entirely missing upon my return. And, bless me, sir, where do you imagine I
discovered him? A half mile out in the ocean, sir, in one of the lifeboats,
rowing away for dear life. I do not know how he attained even that magnificent
distance from shore, for he had but a single oar, with which he was blissfully
rowing about in circles.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When one of the sailors had taken me out to him in another boat the
professor became quite indignant at my suggestion that we return at once to
land. &lsquo;Why, Mr. Philander,&rsquo; he said, &lsquo;I am surprised that
you, sir, a man of letters yourself, should have the temerity so to interrupt
the progress of science. I had about deduced from certain astronomic phenomena
I have had under minute observation during the past several tropic nights an
entirely new nebular hypothesis which will unquestionably startle the
scientific world. I wish to consult a very excellent monograph on
Laplace&rsquo;s hypothesis, which I understand is in a certain private
collection in New York City. Your interference, Mr. Philander, will result in
an irreparable delay, for I was just rowing over to obtain this
pamphlet.&rsquo; And it was with the greatest difficulty that I persuaded him
to return to shore, without resorting to force,&rdquo; concluded Mr. Philander.
</p>

<p>
Miss Strong and her mother were very brave under the strain of almost constant
apprehension of the attacks of savage beasts. Nor were they quite able to
accept so readily as the others the theory that Jane, Clayton, and Monsieur
Thuran had been picked up safely.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter&rsquo;s Esmeralda was in a constant state of tears at the cruel
fate which had separated her from her &ldquo;po, li&rsquo;le honey.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Lord Tennington&rsquo;s great-hearted good nature never deserted him for a
moment. He was still the jovial host, seeking always for the comfort and
pleasure of his guests. With the men of his yacht he remained the just but firm
commander&mdash;there was never any more question in the jungle than there had
been on board the <i>Lady Alice</i> as to who was the final authority in all
questions of importance, and in all emergencies requiring cool and intelligent
leadership.
</p>

<p>
Could this well-organized and comparatively secure party of castaways have seen
the ragged, fear-haunted trio a few miles south of them they would scarcely
have recognized in them the formerly immaculate members of the little company
that had laughed and played upon the <i>Lady Alice</i>. Clayton and Monsieur
Thuran were almost naked, so torn had their clothes been by the thorn bushes
and tangled vegetation of the matted jungle through which they had been
compelled to force their way in search of their ever more difficult food
supply.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter had of course not been subjected to these strenuous expeditions,
but her apparel was, nevertheless, in a sad state of disrepair.
</p>

<p>
Clayton, for lack of any better occupation, had carefully saved the skin of
every animal they had killed. By stretching them upon the stems of trees, and
diligently scraping them, he had managed to save them in a fair condition, and
now that his clothes were threatening to cover his nakedness no longer, he
commenced to fashion a rude garment of them, using a sharp thorn for a needle,
and bits of tough grass and animal tendons in lieu of thread.
</p>

<p>
The result when completed was a sleeveless garment which fell nearly to his
knees. As it was made up of numerous small pelts of different species of
rodents, it presented a rather strange and wonderful appearance, which,
together with the vile stench which permeated it, rendered it anything other
than a desirable addition to a wardrobe. But the time came when for the sake of
decency he was compelled to don it, and even the misery of their condition
could not prevent Jane Porter from laughing heartily at sight of him.
</p>

<p>
Later, Thuran also found it necessary to construct a similar primitive garment,
so that, with their bare legs and heavily bearded faces, they looked not unlike
reincarnations of two prehistoric progenitors of the human race. Thuran acted
like one.
</p>

<p>
Nearly two months of this existence had passed when the first great calamity
befell them. It was prefaced by an adventure which came near terminating
abruptly the sufferings of two of them&mdash;terminating them in the grim and
horrible manner of the jungle, forever.
</p>

<p>
Thuran, down with an attack of jungle fever, lay in the shelter among the
branches of their tree of refuge. Clayton had been into the jungle a few
hundred yards in search of food. As he returned Jane Porter walked to meet him.
Behind the man, cunning and crafty, crept an old and mangy lion. For three days
his ancient thews and sinews had proved insufficient for the task of providing
his cavernous belly with meat. For months he had eaten less and less
frequently, and farther and farther had he roamed from his accustomed haunts in
search of easier prey. At last he had found nature&rsquo;s weakest and most
defenseless creature&mdash;in a moment more Numa would dine.
</p>

<p>
Clayton, all unconscious of the lurking death behind him, strode out into the
open toward Jane. He had reached her side, a hundred feet from the tangled edge
of jungle when past his shoulder the girl saw the tawny head and the wicked
yellow eyes as the grasses parted, and the huge beast, nose to ground, stepped
softly into view.
</p>

<p>
So frozen with horror was she that she could utter no sound, but the fixed and
terrified gaze of her fear-widened eyes spoke as plainly to Clayton as words. A
quick glance behind him revealed the hopelessness of their situation. The lion
was scarce thirty paces from them, and they were equally as far from the
shelter. The man was armed with a stout stick&mdash;as efficacious against a
hungry lion, he realized, as a toy pop-gun charged with a tethered cork.
</p>

<p>
Numa, ravenous with hunger, had long since learned the futility of roaring and
moaning as he searched for prey, but now that it was as surely his as though
already he had felt the soft flesh beneath his still mighty paw, he opened his
huge jaws, and gave vent to his long-pent rage in a series of deafening roars
that made the air tremble.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Run, Jane!&rdquo; cried Clayton. &ldquo;Quick! Run for the
shelter!&rdquo; But her paralyzed muscles refused to respond, and she stood
mute and rigid, staring with ghastly countenance at the living death creeping
toward them.
</p>

<p>
Thuran, at the sound of that awful roar, had come to the opening of the
shelter, and as he saw the tableau below him he hopped up and down, shrieking
to them in Russian.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Run! Run!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Run, or I shall be left all alone in
this horrible place,&rdquo; and then he broke down and commenced to weep. For a
moment this new voice distracted the attention of the lion, who halted to cast
an inquiring glance in the direction of the tree. Clayton could endure the
strain no longer. Turning his back upon the beast, he buried his head in his
arms and waited.
</p>

<p>
The girl looked at him in horror. Why did he not do something? If he must die,
why not die like a man&mdash;bravely; beating at that terrible face with his
puny stick, no matter how futile it might be. Would Tarzan of the Apes have
done thus? Would he not at least have gone down to his death fighting
heroically to the last?
</p>

<p>
Now the lion was crouching for the spring that would end their young lives
beneath cruel, rending, yellow fangs. Jane Porter sank to her knees in prayer,
closing her eyes to shut out the last hideous instant. Thuran, weak from fever,
fainted.
</p>

<p>
Seconds dragged into minutes, long minutes into an eternity, and yet the beast
did not spring. Clayton was almost unconscious from the prolonged agony of
fright&mdash;his knees trembled&mdash;a moment more and he would collapse.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter could endure it no longer. She opened her eyes. Could she be
dreaming?
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;William,&rdquo; she whispered; &ldquo;look!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton mastered himself sufficiently to raise his head and turn toward the
lion. An ejaculation of surprise burst from his lips. At their very feet the
beast lay crumpled in death. A heavy war spear protruded from the tawny hide.
It had entered the great back above the right shoulder, and, passing entirely
through the body, had pierced the savage heart.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter had risen to her feet; as Clayton turned back to her she staggered
in weakness. He put out his arms to save her from falling, and then drew her
close to him&mdash;pressing her head against his shoulder, he stooped to kiss
her in thanksgiving.
</p>

<p>
Gently the girl pushed him away.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Please do not do that, William,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I have lived a
thousand years in the past brief moments. I have learned in the face of death
how to live. I do not wish to hurt you more than is necessary; but I can no
longer bear to live out the impossible position I have attempted because of a
false sense of loyalty to an impulsive promise I made you.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The last few seconds of my life have taught me that it would be hideous
to attempt further to deceive myself and you, or to entertain for an instant
longer the possibility of ever becoming your wife, should we regain
civilization.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why, Jane,&rdquo; he cried, &ldquo;what do you mean? What has our
providential rescue to do with altering your feelings toward me? You are but
unstrung&mdash;tomorrow you will be yourself again.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am more nearly myself this minute than I have been for over a
year,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;The thing that has just happened has again
forced to my memory the fact that the bravest man that ever lived honored me
with his love. Until it was too late I did not realize that I returned it, and
so I sent him away. He is dead now, and I shall never marry. I certainly could
not wed another less brave than he without harboring constantly a feeling of
contempt for the relative cowardice of my husband. Do you understand me?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he answered, with bowed head, his face mantling with the
flush of shame.
</p>

<p>
And it was the next day that the great calamity befell.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap22"></a>Chapter XXII<br/>
The Treasure Vaults of Opar</h2>

<p>
It was quite dark before La, the high priestess, returned to the Chamber of the
Dead with food and drink for Tarzan. She bore no light, feeling with her hands
along the crumbling walls until she gained the chamber. Through the stone
grating above, a tropic moon served dimly to illuminate the interior.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan, crouching in the shadows at the far side of the room as the first sound
of approaching footsteps reached him, came forth to meet the girl as he
recognized that it was she.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are furious,&rdquo; were her first words. &ldquo;Never before has a
human sacrifice escaped the altar. Already fifty have gone forth to track you
down. They have searched the temple&mdash;all save this single room.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why do they fear to come here?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is the Chamber of the Dead. Here the dead return to worship. See this
ancient altar? It is here that the dead sacrifice the living&mdash;if they find
a victim here. That is the reason our people shun this chamber. Were one to
enter he knows that the waiting dead would seize him for their
sacrifice.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But you?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am high priestess&mdash;I alone am safe from the dead. It is I who at
rare intervals bring them a human sacrifice from the world above. I alone may
enter here in safety.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Why have they not seized me?&rdquo; he asked, humoring her grotesque
belief.
</p>

<p>
She looked at him quizzically for a moment. Then she replied:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It is the duty of a high priestess to instruct, to
interpret&mdash;according to the creed that others, wiser than herself, have
laid down; but there is nothing in the creed which says that she must believe.
The more one knows of one&rsquo;s religion the less one believes&mdash;no one
living knows more of mine than I.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then your only fear in aiding me to escape is that your fellow mortals
may discover your duplicity?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;That is all&mdash;the dead are dead; they cannot harm&mdash;or help. We
must therefore depend entirely upon ourselves, and the sooner we act the better
it will be. I had difficulty in eluding their vigilance but now in bringing you
this morsel of food. To attempt to repeat the thing daily would be the height
of folly. Come, let us see how far we may go toward liberty before I must
return.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She led him back to the chamber beneath the altar room. Here she turned into
one of the several corridors leading from it. In the darkness Tarzan could not
see which one. For ten minutes they groped slowly along a winding passage,
until at length they came to a closed door. Here he heard her fumbling with a
key, and presently came the sound of a metal bolt grating against metal. The
door swung in on scraping hinges, and they entered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You will be safe here until tomorrow night,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
Then she went out, and, closing the door, locked it behind her.
</p>

<p>
Where Tarzan stood it was dark as Erebus. Not even his trained eyes could
penetrate the utter blackness. Cautiously he moved forward until his
out-stretched hand touched a wall, then very slowly he traveled around the four
walls of the chamber.
</p>

<p>
Apparently it was about twenty feet square. The floor was of concrete, the
walls of the dry masonry that marked the method of construction above ground.
Small pieces of granite of various sizes were ingeniously laid together without
mortar to construct these ancient foundations.
</p>

<p>
The first time around the walls Tarzan thought he detected a strange phenomenon
for a room with no windows but a single door. Again he crept carefully around
close to the wall. No, he could not be mistaken! He paused before the center of
the wall opposite the door. For a moment he stood quite motionless, then he
moved a few feet to one side. Again he returned, only to move a few feet to the
other side.
</p>

<p>
Once more he made the entire circuit of the room, feeling carefully every foot
of the walls. Finally he stopped again before the particular section that had
aroused his curiosity. There was no doubt of it! A distinct draft of fresh air
was blowing into the chamber through the intersection of the masonry at that
particular point&mdash;and nowhere else.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan tested several pieces of the granite which made up the wall at this
spot, and finally was rewarded by finding one which lifted out readily. It was
about ten inches wide, with a face some three by six inches showing within the
chamber. One by one the ape-man lifted out similarly shaped stones. The wall at
this point was constructed entirely, it seemed, of these almost perfect slabs.
In a short time he had removed some dozen, when he reached in to test the next
layer of masonry. To his surprise, he felt nothing behind the masonry he had
removed as far as his long arm could reach.
</p>

<p>
It was a matter of but a few minutes to remove enough of the wall to permit his
body to pass through the aperture. Directly ahead of him he thought he
discerned a faint glow&mdash;scarcely more than a less impenetrable darkness.
Cautiously he moved forward on hands and knees, until at about fifteen feet, or
the average thickness of the foundation walls, the floor ended abruptly in a
sudden drop. As far out as he could reach he felt nothing, nor could he find
the bottom of the black abyss that yawned before him, though, clinging to the
edge of the floor, he lowered his body into the darkness to its full length.
</p>

<p>
Finally it occurred to him to look up, and there above him he saw through a
round opening a tiny circular patch of starry sky. Feeling up along the sides
of the shaft as far as he could reach, the ape-man discovered that so much of
the wall as he could feel converged toward the center of the shaft as it rose.
This fact precluded possibility of escape in that direction.
</p>

<p>
As he sat speculating on the nature and uses of this strange passage and its
terminal shaft, the moon topped the opening above, letting a flood of soft,
silvery light into the shadowy place. Instantly the nature of the shaft became
apparent to Tarzan, for far below him he saw the shimmering surface of water.
He had come upon an ancient well&mdash;but what was the purpose of the
connection between the well and the dungeon in which he had been hidden?
</p>

<p>
As the moon crossed the opening of the shaft its light flooded the whole
interior, and then Tarzan saw directly across from him another opening in the
opposite wall. He wondered if this might not be the mouth of a passage leading
to possible escape. It would be worth investigating, at least, and this he
determined to do.
</p>

<p>
Quickly returning to the wall he had demolished to explore what lay beyond it,
he carried the stones into the passageway and replaced them from that side. The
deep deposit of dust which he had noticed upon the blocks as he had first
removed them from the wall had convinced him that even if the present occupants
of the ancient pile had knowledge of this hidden passage they had made no use
of it for perhaps generations.
</p>

<p>
The wall replaced, Tarzan turned to the shaft, which was some fifteen feet wide
at this point. To leap across the intervening space was a small matter to the
ape-man, and a moment later he was proceeding along a narrow tunnel, moving
cautiously for fear of being precipitated into another shaft such as he had
just crossed.
</p>

<p>
He had advanced some hundred feet when he came to a flight of steps leading
downward into Stygian gloom. Some twenty feet below, the level floor of the
tunnel recommenced, and shortly afterward his progress was stopped by a heavy
wooden door which was secured by massive wooden bars upon the side of
Tarzan&rsquo;s approach. This fact suggested to the ape-man that he might
surely be in a passageway leading to the outer world, for the bolts, barring
progress from the opposite side, tended to substantiate this hypothesis, unless
it were merely a prison to which it led.
</p>

<p>
Along the tops of the bars were deep layers of dust&mdash;a further indication
that the passage had lain long unused. As he pushed the massive obstacle aside,
its great hinges shrieked out in weird protest against this unaccustomed
disturbance. For a moment Tarzan paused to listen for any responsive note which
might indicate that the unusual night noise had alarmed the inmates of the
temple; but as he heard nothing he advanced beyond the doorway.
</p>

<p>
Carefully feeling about, he found himself within a large chamber, along the
walls of which, and down the length of the floor, were piled many tiers of
metal ingots of an odd though uniform shape. To his groping hands they felt not
unlike double-headed bootjacks. The ingots were quite heavy, and but for the
enormous number of them he would have been positive that they were gold; but
the thought of the fabulous wealth these thousands of pounds of metal would
have represented were they in reality gold, almost convinced him that they must
be of some baser metal.
</p>

<p>
At the far end of the chamber he discovered another barred door, and again the
bars upon the inside renewed the hope that he was traversing an ancient and
forgotten passageway to liberty. Beyond the door the passage ran straight as a
war spear, and it soon became evident to the ape-man that it had already led
him beyond the outer walls of the temple. If he but knew the direction it was
leading him! If toward the west, then he must also be beyond the city&rsquo;s
outer walls.
</p>

<p>
With increasing hopes he forged ahead as rapidly as he dared, until at the end
of half an hour he came to another flight of steps leading upward. At the
bottom this flight was of concrete, but as he ascended his naked feet felt a
sudden change in the substance they were treading. The steps of concrete had
given place to steps of granite. Feeling with his hands, the ape-man discovered
that these latter were evidently hewed from rock, for there was no crack to
indicate a joint.
</p>

<p>
For a hundred feet the steps wound spirally up, until at a sudden turning
Tarzan came into a narrow cleft between two rocky walls. Above him shone the
starry sky, and before him a steep incline replaced the steps that had
terminated at its foot. Up this pathway Tarzan hastened, and at its upper end
came out upon the rough top of a huge granite bowlder.
</p>

<p>
A mile away lay the ruined city of Opar, its domes and turrets bathed in the
soft light of the equatorial moon. Tarzan dropped his eyes to the ingot he had
brought away with him. For a moment he examined it by the moon&rsquo;s bright
rays, then he raised his head to look out upon the ancient piles of crumbling
grandeur in the distance.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Opar,&rdquo; he mused, &ldquo;Opar, the enchanted city of a dead and
forgotten past. The city of the beauties and the beasts. City of horrors and
death; but&mdash;city of fabulous riches.&rdquo; The ingot was of virgin gold.
</p>

<p>
The bowlder on which Tarzan found himself lay well out in the plain between the
city and the distant cliffs he and his black warriors had scaled the morning
previous. To descend its rough and precipitous face was a task of infinite
labor and considerable peril even to the ape-man; but at last he felt the soft
soil of the valley beneath his feet, and without a backward glance at Opar he
turned his face toward the guardian cliffs, and at a rapid trot set off across
the valley.
</p>

<p>
The sun was just rising as he gained the summit of the flat mountain at the
valley&rsquo;s western boundary. Far beneath him he saw smoke arising above the
tree-tops of the forest at the base of the foothills.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Man,&rdquo; he murmured. &ldquo;And there were fifty who went forth to
track me down. Can it be they?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Swiftly he descended the face of the cliff, and, dropping into a narrow ravine
which led down to the far forest, he hastened onward in the direction of the
smoke. Striking the forest&rsquo;s edge about a quarter of a mile from the
point at which the slender column arose into the still air, he took to the
trees. Cautiously he approached until there suddenly burst upon his view a rude
<i>boma</i>, in the center of which, squatted about their tiny fires, sat his
fifty black Waziri. He called to them in their own tongue:
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Arise, my children, and greet thy king!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
With exclamations of surprise and fear the warriors leaped to their feet,
scarcely knowing whether to flee or not. Then Tarzan dropped lightly from an
overhanging branch into their midst. When they realized that it was indeed
their chief in the flesh, and no materialized spirit, they went mad with joy.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We were cowards, oh, Waziri,&rdquo; cried Busuli. &ldquo;We ran away and
left you to your fate; but when our panic was over we swore to return and save
you, or at least take revenge upon your murderers. We were but now preparing to
scale the heights once more and cross the desolate valley to the terrible
city.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Have you seen fifty frightful men pass down from the cliffs into this
forest, my children?&rdquo; asked Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, Waziri,&rdquo; replied Busuli. &ldquo;They passed us late
yesterday, as we were about to turn back after you. They had no woodcraft. We
heard them coming for a mile before we saw them, and as we had other business
in hand we withdrew into the forest and let them pass. They were waddling
rapidly along upon short legs, and now and then one would go upon all fours
like Bolgani, the gorilla. They were indeed fifty frightful men, Waziri.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When Tarzan had related his adventures and told them of the yellow metal he had
found, not one demurred when he outlined a plan to return by night and bring
away what they could carry of the vast treasure; and so it was that as dusk
fell across the desolate valley of Opar fifty ebon warriors trailed at a smart
trot over the dry and dusty ground toward the giant bowlder that loomed before
the city.
</p>

<p>
If it had seemed a difficult task to descend the face of the bowlder, Tarzan
soon found that it would be next to impossible to get his fifty warriors to the
summit. Finally the feat was accomplished by dint of herculean efforts upon the
part of the ape-man. Ten spears were fastened end to end, and with one end of
this remarkable chain attached to his waist, Tarzan at last succeeded in
reaching the summit.
</p>

<p>
Once there, he drew up one of his blacks, and in this way the entire party was
finally landed in safety upon the bowlder&rsquo;s top. Immediately Tarzan led
them to the treasure chamber, where to each was allotted a load of two ingots,
for each about eighty pounds.
</p>

<p>
By midnight the entire party stood once more at the foot of the bowlder, but
with their heavy loads it was mid-forenoon ere they reached the summit of the
cliffs. From there on the homeward journey was slow, as these proud fighting
men were unaccustomed to the duties of porters. But they bore their burdens
uncomplainingly, and at the end of thirty days entered their own country.
</p>

<p>
Here, instead of continuing on toward the northwest and their village, Tarzan
guided them almost directly west, until on the morning of the thirty-third day
he bade them break camp and return to their own village, leaving the gold where
they had stacked it the previous night.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And you, Waziri?&rdquo; they asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I shall remain here for a few days, my children,&rdquo; he replied.
&ldquo;Now hasten back to thy wives and children.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When they had gone Tarzan gathered up two of the ingots and, springing into a
tree, ran lightly above the tangled and impenetrable mass of undergrowth for a
couple of hundred yards, to emerge suddenly upon a circular clearing about
which the giants of the jungle forest towered like a guardian host. In the
center of this natural amphitheater, was a little flat-topped mound of hard
earth.
</p>

<p>
Hundreds of times before had Tarzan been to this secluded spot, which was so
densely surrounded by thorn bushes and tangled vines and creepers of huge girth
that not even Sheeta, the leopard, could worm his sinuous way within, nor
Tantor, with his giant strength, force the barriers which protected the council
chamber of the great apes from all but the harmless denizens of the savage
jungle.
</p>

<p>
Fifty trips Tarzan made before he had deposited all the ingots within the
precincts of the amphitheater. Then from the hollow of an ancient,
lightning-blasted tree he produced the very spade with which he had uncovered
the chest of Professor Archimedes Q. Porter which he had once, apelike, buried
in this selfsame spot. With this he dug a long trench, into which he laid the
fortune that his blacks had carried from the forgotten treasure vaults of the
city of Opar.
</p>

<p>
That night he slept within the amphitheater, and early the next morning set out
to revisit his cabin before returning to his Waziri. Finding things as he had
left them, he went forth into the jungle to hunt, intending to bring his prey
to the cabin where he might feast in comfort, spending the night upon a
comfortable couch.
</p>

<p>
For five miles toward the south he roamed, toward the banks of a fair-sized
river that flowed into the sea about six miles from his cabin. He had gone
inland about half a mile when there came suddenly to his trained nostrils the
one scent that sets the whole savage jungle aquiver&mdash;Tarzan smelled man.
</p>

<p>
The wind was blowing off the ocean, so Tarzan knew that the authors of the
scent were west of him. Mixed with the man scent was the scent of Numa. Man and
lion. &ldquo;I had better hasten,&rdquo; thought the ape-man, for he had
recognized the scent of whites. &ldquo;Numa may be a-hunting.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When he came through the trees to the edge of the jungle he saw a woman
kneeling in prayer, and before her stood a wild, primitive-looking white man,
his face buried in his arms. Behind the man a mangy lion was advancing slowly
toward this easy prey. The man&rsquo;s face was averted; the woman&rsquo;s
bowed in prayer. He could not see the features of either.
</p>

<p>
Already Numa was about to spring. There was not a second to spare. Tarzan could
not even unsling his bow and fit an arrow in time to send one of his deadly
poisoned shafts into the yellow hide. He was too far away to reach the beast in
time with his knife. There was but a single hope&mdash;a lone alternative. And
with the quickness of thought the ape-man acted.
</p>

<p>
A brawny arm flew back&mdash;for the briefest fraction of an instant a huge
spear poised above the giant&rsquo;s shoulder&mdash;and then the mighty arm
shot out, and swift death tore through the intervening leaves to bury itself in
the heart of the leaping lion. Without a sound he rolled over at the very feet
of his intended victims&mdash;dead.
</p>

<p>
For a moment neither the man nor the woman moved. Then the latter opened her
eyes to look with wonder upon the dead beast behind her companion. As that
beautiful head went up Tarzan of the Apes gave a gasp of incredulous
astonishment. Was he mad? It could not be the woman he loved! But, indeed, it
was none other.
</p>

<p>
And the woman rose, and the man took her in his arms to kiss her, and of a
sudden the ape-man saw red through a bloody mist of murder, and the old scar
upon his forehead burned scarlet against his brown hide.
</p>

<p>
There was a terrible expression upon his savage face as he fitted a poisoned
shaft to his bow. An ugly light gleamed in those gray eyes as he sighted full
at the back of the unsuspecting man beneath him.
</p>

<p>
For an instant he glanced along the polished shaft, drawing the bowstring far
back, that the arrow might pierce through the heart for which it was aimed.
</p>

<p>
But he did not release the fatal messenger. Slowly the point of the arrow
drooped; the scar upon the brown forehead faded; the bowstring relaxed; and
Tarzan of the Apes, with bowed head, turned sadly into the jungle toward the
village of the Waziri.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap23"></a>Chapter XXIII<br/>
The Fifty Frightful Men</h2>

<p>
For several long minutes Jane Porter and William Cecil Clayton stood silently
looking at the dead body of the beast whose prey they had so narrowly escaped
becoming.
</p>

<p>
The girl was the first to speak again after her outbreak of impulsive avowal.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who could it have been?&rdquo; she whispered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;God knows!&rdquo; was the man&rsquo;s only reply.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If it is a friend, why does he not show himself?&rdquo; continued Jane.
&ldquo;Wouldn&rsquo;t it be well to call out to him, and at least thank
him?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Mechanically Clayton did her bidding, but there was no response.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter shuddered. &ldquo;The mysterious jungle,&rdquo; she murmured.
&ldquo;The terrible jungle. It renders even the manifestations of friendship
terrifying.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;We had best return to the shelter,&rdquo; said Clayton. &ldquo;You will
be at least a little safer there. I am no protection whatever,&rdquo; he added
bitterly.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Do not say that, William,&rdquo; she hastened to urge, acutely sorry for
the wound her words had caused. &ldquo;You have done the best you could. You
have been noble, and self-sacrificing, and brave. It is no fault of yours that
you are not a superman. There is only one other man I have ever known who could
have done more than you. My words were ill chosen in the excitement of the
reaction&mdash;I did not wish to wound you. All that I wish is that we may both
understand once and for all that I can never marry you&mdash;that such a
marriage would be wicked.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I think I understand,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;Let us not speak of it
again&mdash;at least until we are back in civilization.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The next day Thuran was worse. Almost constantly he was in a state of delirium.
They could do nothing to relieve him, nor was Clayton over-anxious to attempt
anything. On the girl&rsquo;s account he feared the Russian&mdash;in the bottom
of his heart he hoped the man would die. The thought that something might
befall him that would leave her entirely at the mercy of this beast caused him
greater anxiety than the probability that almost certain death awaited her
should she be left entirely alone upon the outskirts of the cruel forest.
</p>

<p>
The Englishman had extracted the heavy spear from the body of the lion, so that
when he went into the forest to hunt that morning he had a feeling of much
greater security than at any time since they had been cast upon the savage
shore. The result was that he penetrated farther from the shelter than ever
before.
</p>

<p>
To escape as far as possible from the mad ravings of the fever-stricken
Russian, Jane Porter had descended from the shelter to the foot of the
tree&mdash;she dared not venture farther. Here, beside the crude ladder Clayton
had constructed for her, she sat looking out to sea, in the always surviving
hope that a vessel might be sighted.
</p>

<p>
Her back was toward the jungle, and so she did not see the grasses part, or the
savage face that peered from between. Little, bloodshot, close-set eyes scanned
her intently, roving from time to time about the open beach for indications of
the presence of others than herself. Presently another head appeared, and then
another and another. The man in the shelter commenced to rave again, and the
heads disappeared as silently and as suddenly as they had come. But soon they
were thrust forth once more, as the girl gave no sign of perturbation at the
continued wailing of the man above.
</p>

<p>
One by one grotesque forms emerged from the jungle to creep stealthily upon the
unsuspecting woman. A faint rustling of the grasses attracted her attention.
She turned, and at the sight that confronted her staggered to her feet with a
little shriek of fear. Then they closed upon her with a rush. Lifting her
bodily in his long, gorilla-like arms, one of the creatures turned and bore her
into the jungle. A filthy paw covered her mouth to stifle her screams. Added to
the weeks of torture she had already undergone, the shock was more than she
could withstand. Shattered nerves collapsed, and she lost consciousness. When
she regained her senses she found herself in the thick of the primeval forest.
It was night. A huge fire burned brightly in the little clearing in which she
lay. About it squatted fifty frightful men. Their heads and faces were covered
with matted hair. Their long arms rested upon the bent knees of their short,
crooked legs. They were gnawing, like beasts, upon unclean food. A pot boiled
upon the edge of the fire, and out of it one of the creatures would
occasionally drag a hunk of meat with a sharpened stick.
</p>

<p>
When they discovered that their captive had regained consciousness, a piece of
this repulsive stew was tossed to her from the foul hand of a nearby feaster.
It rolled close to her side, but she only closed her eyes as a qualm of nausea
surged through her.
</p>

<p>
For many days they traveled through the dense forest. The girl, footsore and
exhausted, was half dragged, half pushed through the long, hot, tedious days.
Occasionally, when she would stumble and fall, she was cuffed and kicked by the
nearest of the frightful men. Long before they reached their journey&rsquo;s
end her shoes had been discarded&mdash;the soles entirely gone. Her clothes
were torn to mere shreds and tatters, and through the pitiful rags her once
white and tender skin showed raw and bleeding from contact with the thousand
pitiless thorns and brambles through which she had been dragged.
</p>

<p>
The last two days of the journey found her in such utter exhaustion that no
amount of kicking and abuse could force her to her poor, bleeding feet.
Outraged nature had reached the limit of endurance, and the girl was physically
powerless to raise herself even to her knees.
</p>

<p>
As the beasts surrounded her, chattering threateningly the while they goaded
her with their cudgels and beat and kicked her with their fists and feet, she
lay with closed eyes, praying for the merciful death that she knew alone could
give her surcease from suffering; but it did not come, and presently the fifty
frightful men realized that their victim was no longer able to walk, and so
they picked her up and carried her the balance of the journey.
</p>

<p>
Late one afternoon she saw the ruined walls of a mighty city looming before
them, but so weak and sick was she that it inspired not the faintest shadow of
interest. Wherever they were bearing her, there could be but one end to her
captivity among these fierce half brutes.
</p>

<p>
At last they passed through two great walls and came to the ruined city within.
Into a crumbling pile they bore her, and here she was surrounded by hundreds
more of the same creatures that had brought her; but among them were females
who looked less horrible. At sight of them the first faint hope that she had
entertained came to mitigate her misery. But it was short-lived, for the women
offered her no sympathy, though, on the other hand, neither did they abuse her.
</p>

<p>
After she had been inspected to the entire satisfaction of the inmates of the
building she was borne to a dark chamber in the vaults beneath, and here upon
the bare floor she was left, with a metal bowl of water and another of food.
</p>

<p>
For a week she saw only some of the women whose duty it was to bring her food
and water. Slowly her strength was returning&mdash;soon she would be in fit
condition to offer as a sacrifice to The Flaming God. Fortunate indeed it was
that she could not know the fate for which she was destined.
</p>

<p class="p2">
As Tarzan of the Apes moved slowly through the jungle after casting the spear
that saved Clayton and Jane Porter from the fangs of Numa, his mind was filled
with all the sorrow that belongs to a freshly opened heart wound.
</p>

<p>
He was glad that he had stayed his hand in time to prevent the consummation of
the thing that in the first mad wave of jealous wrath he had contemplated. Only
the fraction of a second had stood between Clayton and death at the hands of
the ape-man. In the short moment that had elapsed after he had recognized the
girl and her companion and the relaxing of the taut muscles that held the
poisoned shaft directed at the Englishman&rsquo;s heart, Tarzan had been swayed
by the swift and savage impulses of brute life.
</p>

<p>
He had seen the woman he craved&mdash;his woman&mdash;his mate&mdash;in the
arms of another. There had been but one course open to him, according to the
fierce jungle code that guided him in this other existence; but just before it
had become too late the softer sentiments of his inherent chivalry had risen
above the flaming fires of his passion and saved him. A thousand times he gave
thanks that they had triumphed before his fingers had released that polished
arrow.
</p>

<p>
As he contemplated his return to the Waziri the idea became repugnant. He did
not wish to see a human being again. At least he would range alone through the
jungle for a time, until the sharp edge of his sorrow had become blunted. Like
his fellow beasts, he preferred to suffer in silence and alone.
</p>

<p>
That night he slept again in the amphitheater of the apes, and for several days
he hunted from there, returning at night. On the afternoon of the third day he
returned early. He had lain stretched upon the soft grass of the circular
clearing for but a few moments when he heard far to the south a familiar sound.
It was the passing through the jungle of a band of great apes&mdash;he could
not mistake that. For several minutes he lay listening. They were coming in the
direction of the amphitheater.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan arose lazily and stretched himself. His keen ears followed every
movement of the advancing tribe. They were upwind, and presently he caught
their scent, though he had not needed this added evidence to assure him that he
was right.
</p>

<p>
As they came closer to the amphitheater Tarzan of the Apes melted into the
branches upon the other side of the arena. There he waited to inspect the
newcomers. Nor had he long to wait.
</p>

<p>
Presently a fierce, hairy face appeared among the lower branches opposite him.
The cruel little eyes took in the clearing at a glance, then there was a
chattered report returned to those behind. Tarzan could hear the words. The
scout was telling the other members of the tribe that the coast was clear and
that they might enter the amphitheater in safety.
</p>

<p>
First the leader dropped lightly upon the soft carpet of the grassy floor, and
then, one by one, nearly a hundred anthropoids followed him. There were the
huge adults and several young. A few nursing babes clung close to the shaggy
necks of their savage mothers.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan recognized many members of the tribe. It was the same into which he had
come as a tiny babe. Many of the adults had been little apes during his
boyhood. He had frolicked and played about this very jungle with them during
their brief childhood. He wondered if they would remember him&mdash;the memory
of some apes is not overlong, and two years may be an eternity to them.
</p>

<p>
From the talk which he overheard he learned that they had come to choose a new
king&mdash;their late chief had fallen a hundred feet beneath a broken limb to
an untimely end.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan walked to the end of an overhanging limb in plain view of them. The
quick eyes of a female caught sight of him first. With a barking guttural she
called the attention of the others. Several huge bulls stood erect to get a
better view of the intruder. With bared fangs and bristling necks they advanced
slowly toward him, with deep-throated, ominous growls.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Karnath, I am Tarzan of the Apes,&rdquo; said the ape-man in the
vernacular of the tribe. &ldquo;You remember me. Together we teased Numa when
we were still little apes, throwing sticks and nuts at him from the safety of
high branches.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The brute he had addressed stopped with a look of half-comprehending, dull
wonderment upon his savage face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And Magor,&rdquo; continued Tarzan, addressing another, &ldquo;do you
not recall your former king&mdash;he who slew the mighty Kerchak? Look at me!
Am I not the same Tarzan&mdash;mighty hunter&mdash;invincible
fighter&mdash;that you all knew for many seasons?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The apes all crowded forward now, but more in curiosity than threatening. They
muttered among themselves for a few moments.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;What do you want among us now?&rdquo; asked Karnath.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Only peace,&rdquo; answered the ape-man.
</p>

<p>
Again the apes conferred. At length Karnath spoke again.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Come in peace, then, Tarzan of the Apes,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
And so Tarzan of the Apes dropped lightly to the turf into the midst of the
fierce and hideous horde&mdash;he had completed the cycle of evolution, and had
returned to be once again a brute among brutes.
</p>

<p>
There were no greetings such as would have taken place among men after a
separation of two years. The majority of the apes went on about the little
activities that the advent of the ape-man had interrupted, paying no further
attention to him than as though he had not been gone from the tribe at all.
</p>

<p>
One or two young bulls who had not been old enough to remember him sidled up on
all fours to sniff at him, and one bared his fangs and growled
threateningly&mdash;he wished to put Tarzan immediately into his proper place.
Had Tarzan backed off, growling, the young bull would quite probably have been
satisfied, but always after Tarzan&rsquo;s station among his fellow apes would
have been beneath that of the bull which had made him step aside.
</p>

<p>
But Tarzan of the Apes did not back off. Instead, he swung his giant palm with
all the force of his mighty muscles, and, catching the young bull alongside the
head, sent him sprawling across the turf. The ape was up and at him again in a
second, and this time they closed with tearing fingers and rending
fangs&mdash;or at least that had been the intention of the young bull; but
scarcely had they gone down, growling and snapping, than the ape-man&rsquo;s
fingers found the throat of his antagonist.
</p>

<p>
Presently the young bull ceased to struggle, and lay quite still. Then Tarzan
released his hold and arose&mdash;he did not wish to kill, only to teach the
young ape, and others who might be watching, that Tarzan of the Apes was still
master.
</p>

<p>
The lesson served its purpose&mdash;the young apes kept out of his way, as
young apes should when their betters were about, and the old bulls made no
attempt to encroach upon his prerogatives. For several days the she-apes with
young remained suspicious of him, and when he ventured too near rushed upon him
with wide mouths and hideous roars. Then Tarzan discreetly skipped out of
harm&rsquo;s way, for that also is a custom among the apes&mdash;only mad bulls
will attack a mother. But after a while even they became accustomed to him.
</p>

<p>
He hunted with them as in days gone by, and when they found that his superior
reason guided him to the best food sources, and that his cunning rope ensnared
toothsome game that they seldom if ever tasted, they came again to look up to
him as they had in the past after he had become their king. And so it was that
before they left the amphitheater to return to their wanderings they had once
more chosen him as their leader.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man felt quite contented with his new lot. He was not happy&mdash;that
he never could be again, but he was at least as far from everything that might
remind him of his past misery as he could be. Long since he had given up every
intention of returning to civilization, and now he had decided to see no more
his black friends of the Waziri. He had foresworn humanity forever. He had
started life an ape&mdash;as an ape he would die.
</p>

<p>
He could not, however, erase from his memory the fact that the woman he loved
was within a short journey of the stamping-ground of his tribe; nor could he
banish the haunting fear that she might be constantly in danger. That she was
illy protected he had seen in the brief instant that had witnessed
Clayton&rsquo;s inefficiency. The more Tarzan thought of it, the more keenly
his conscience pricked him.
</p>

<p>
Finally he came to loathe himself for permitting his own selfish sorrow and
jealousy to stand between Jane Porter and safety. As the days passed the thing
preyed more and more upon his mind, and he had about determined to return to
the coast and place himself on guard over Jane Porter and Clayton, when news
reached him that altered all his plans and sent him dashing madly toward the
east in reckless disregard of accident and death.
</p>

<p>
Before Tarzan had returned to the tribe, a certain young bull, not being able
to secure a mate from among his own people, had, according to custom, fared
forth through the wild jungle, like some knight-errant of old, to win a fair
lady from some neighboring community.
</p>

<p>
He had but just returned with his bride, and was narrating his adventures
quickly before he should forget them. Among other things he told of seeing a
great tribe of strange-looking apes.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They were all hairy-faced bulls but one,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and that
one was a she, lighter in color even than this stranger,&rdquo; and he chucked
a thumb at Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
The ape-man was all attention in an instant. He asked questions as rapidly as
the slow-witted anthropoid could answer them.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Were the bulls short, with crooked legs?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They were.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did they wear the skins of Numa and Sheeta about their loins, and carry
sticks and knives?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They did.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And were there many yellow rings about their arms and legs?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And the she one&mdash;was she small and slender, and very white?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Did she seem to be one of the tribe, or was she a prisoner?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They dragged her along&mdash;sometimes by an arm&mdash;sometimes by the
long hair that grew upon her head; and always they kicked and beat her. Oh, but
it was great fun to watch them.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;God!&rdquo; muttered Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where were they when you saw them, and which way were they going?&rdquo;
continued the ape-man.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They were beside the second water back there,&rdquo; and he pointed to
the south. &ldquo;When they passed me they were going toward the morning,
upward along the edge of the water.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When was this?&rdquo; asked Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Half a moon since.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Without another word the ape-man sprang into the trees and fled like a
disembodied spirit eastward in the direction of the forgotten city of Opar.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap24"></a>Chapter XXIV<br/>
How Tarzan Came Again to Opar</h2>

<p>
When Clayton returned to the shelter and found Jane Porter was missing, he
became frantic with fear and grief. He found Monsieur Thuran quite rational,
the fever having left him with the surprising suddenness which is one of its
peculiarities. The Russian, weak and exhausted, still lay upon his bed of
grasses within the shelter.
</p>

<p>
When Clayton asked him about the girl he seemed surprised to know that she was
not there.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I have heard nothing unusual,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But then I have
been unconscious much of the time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Had it not been for the man&rsquo;s very evident weakness, Clayton should have
suspected him of having sinister knowledge of the girl&rsquo;s whereabouts; but
he could see that Thuran lacked sufficient vitality even to descend, unaided,
from the shelter. He could not, in his present physical condition, have harmed
the girl, nor could he have climbed the rude ladder back to the shelter.
</p>

<p>
Until dark the Englishman searched the nearby jungle for a trace of the missing
one or a sign of the trail of her abductor. But though the spoor left by the
fifty frightful men, unversed in woodcraft as they were, would have been as
plain to the densest denizen of the jungle as a city street to the Englishman,
yet he crossed and recrossed it twenty times without observing the slightest
indication that many men had passed that way but a few short hours since.
</p>

<p>
As he searched, Clayton continued to call the girl&rsquo;s name aloud, but the
only result of this was to attract Numa, the lion. Fortunately the man saw the
shadowy form worming its way toward him in time to climb into the branches of a
tree before the beast was close enough to reach him. This put an end to his
search for the balance of the afternoon, as the lion paced back and forth
beneath him until dark.
</p>

<p>
Even after the beast had left, Clayton dared not descend into the awful
blackness beneath him, and so he spent a terrifying and hideous night in the
tree. The next morning he returned to the beach, relinquishing the last hope of
succoring Jane Porter.
</p>

<p>
During the week that followed, Monsieur Thuran rapidly regained his strength,
lying in the shelter while Clayton hunted food for both. The men never spoke
except as necessity demanded. Clayton now occupied the section of the shelter
which had been reserved for Jane Porter, and only saw the Russian when he took
food or water to him, or performed the other kindly offices which common
humanity required.
</p>

<p>
When Thuran was again able to descend in search of food, Clayton was stricken
with fever. For days he lay tossing in delirium and suffering, but not once did
the Russian come near him. Food the Englishman could not have eaten, but his
craving for water amounted practically to torture. Between the recurrent
attacks of delirium, weak though he was, he managed to reach the brook once a
day and fill a tiny can that had been among the few appointments of the
lifeboat.
</p>

<p>
Thuran watched him on these occasions with an expression of malignant
pleasure&mdash;he seemed really to enjoy the suffering of the man who, despite
the just contempt in which he held him, had ministered to him to the best of
his ability while he lay suffering the same agonies. At last Clayton became so
weak that he was no longer able to descend from the shelter. For a day he
suffered for water without appealing to the Russian, but finally, unable to
endure it longer, he asked Thuran to fetch him a drink. The Russian came to the
entrance to Clayton&rsquo;s room, a dish of water in his hand. A nasty grin
contorted his features.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here is water,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But first let me remind you that
you maligned me before the girl&mdash;that you kept her to yourself, and would
not share her with me&mdash;&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Clayton interrupted him. &ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;Stop! What manner
of cur are you that you traduce the character of a good woman whom we believe
dead! God! I was a fool ever to let you live&mdash;you are not fit to live even
in this vile land.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Here is your water,&rdquo; said the Russian. &ldquo;All you will
get,&rdquo; and he raised the basin to his lips and drank; what was left he
threw out upon the ground below. Then he turned and left the sick man.
</p>

<p>
Clayton rolled over, and, burying his face in his arms, gave up the battle.
</p>

<p>
The next day Thuran determined to set out toward the north along the coast, for
he knew that eventually he must come to the habitations of civilized
men&mdash;at least he could be no worse off than he was here, and, furthermore,
the ravings of the dying Englishman were getting on his nerves. So he stole
Clayton&rsquo;s spear and set off upon his journey. He would have killed the
sick man before he left had it not occurred to him that it would really have
been a kindness to do so.
</p>

<p>
That same day he came to a little cabin by the beach, and his heart filled with
renewed hope as he saw this evidence of the proximity of civilization, for he
thought it but the outpost of a nearby settlement. Had he known to whom it
belonged, and that its owner was at that very moment but a few miles inland,
Nikolas Rokoff would have fled the place as he would a pestilence. But he did
not know, and so he remained for a few days to enjoy the security and
comparative comforts of the cabin. Then he took up his northward journey once
more.
</p>

<p>
In Lord Tennington&rsquo;s camp preparations were going forward to build
permanent quarters, and then to send out an expedition of a few men to the
north in search of relief.
</p>

<p>
As the days had passed without bringing the longed-for succor, hope that Jane
Porter, Clayton, and Monsieur Thuran had been rescued began to die. No one
spoke of the matter longer to Professor Porter, and he was so immersed in his
scientific dreaming that he was not aware of the elapse of time.
</p>

<p>
Occasionally he would remark that within a few days they should certainly see a
steamer drop anchor off their shore, and that then they should all be reunited
happily. Sometimes he spoke of it as a train, and wondered if it were being
delayed by snowstorms.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If I didn&rsquo;t know the dear old fellow so well by now,&rdquo;
Tennington remarked to Miss Strong, &ldquo;I should be quite certain that he
was&mdash;er&mdash;not quite right, don&rsquo;t you know.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If it were not so pathetic it would be ridiculous,&rdquo; said the girl,
sadly. &ldquo;I, who have known him all my life, know how he worships Jane; but
to others it must seem that he is perfectly callous to her fate. It is only
that he is so absolutely impractical that he cannot conceive of so real a thing
as death unless nearly certain proof of it is thrust upon him.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You&rsquo;d never guess what he was about yesterday,&rdquo; continued
Tennington. &ldquo;I was coming in alone from a little hunt when I met him
walking rapidly along the game trail that I was following back to camp. His
hands were clasped beneath the tails of his long black coat, and his top hat
was set firmly down upon his head, as with eyes bent upon the ground he
hastened on, probably to some sudden death had I not intercepted him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;&lsquo;Why, where in the world are you bound, professor?&rsquo; I asked
him. &lsquo;I am going into town, Lord Tennington,&rsquo; he said, as seriously
as possible, &lsquo;to complain to the postmaster about the rural free delivery
service we are suffering from here. Why, sir, I haven&rsquo;t had a piece of
mail in weeks. There should be several letters for me from Jane. The matter
must be reported to Washington at once.&rsquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And would you believe it, Miss Strong,&rdquo; continued Tennington,
&ldquo;I had the very deuce of a job to convince the old fellow that there was
not only no rural free delivery, but no town, and that he was not even on the
same continent as Washington, nor in the same hemisphere.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;When he did realize he commenced to worry about his daughter&mdash;I
think it is the first time that he really has appreciated our position here, or
the fact that Miss Porter may not have been rescued.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I hate to think about it,&rdquo; said the girl, &ldquo;and yet I can
think of nothing else than the absent members of our party.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Let us hope for the best,&rdquo; replied Tennington. &ldquo;You yourself
have set us each a splendid example of bravery, for in a way your loss has been
the greatest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she replied; &ldquo;I could have loved Jane Porter no more
had she been my own sister.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tennington did not show the surprise he felt. That was not at all what he
meant. He had been much with this fair daughter of Maryland since the wreck of
the <i>Lady Alice</i>, and it had recently come to him that he had grown much
more fond of her than would prove good for the peace of his mind, for he
recalled almost constantly now the confidence which Monsieur Thuran had
imparted to him that he and Miss Strong were engaged. He wondered if, after
all, Thuran had been quite accurate in his statement. He had never seen the
slightest indication on the girl&rsquo;s part of more than ordinary friendship.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And then in Monsieur Thuran&rsquo;s loss, if they are lost, you would
suffer a severe bereavement,&rdquo; he ventured.
</p>

<p>
She looked up at him quickly. &ldquo;Monsieur Thuran had become a very dear
friend,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I liked him very much, though I have known him
but a short time.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Then you were not engaged to marry him?&rdquo; he blurted out.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Heavens, no!&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;I did not care for him at all in
that way.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
There was something that Lord Tennington wanted to say to Hazel Strong&mdash;he
wanted very badly to say it, and to say it at once; but somehow the words stuck
in his throat. He started lamely a couple of times, cleared his throat, became
red in the face, and finally ended by remarking that he hoped the cabins would
be finished before the rainy season commenced.
</p>

<p>
But, though he did not know it, he had conveyed to the girl the very message he
intended, and it left her happy&mdash;happier than she had ever before been in
all her life.
</p>

<p>
Just then further conversation was interrupted by the sight of a strange and
terrible-looking figure which emerged from the jungle just south of the camp.
Tennington and the girl saw it at the same time. The Englishman reached for his
revolver, but when the half-naked, bearded creature called his name aloud and
came running toward them he dropped his hand and advanced to meet it.
</p>

<p>
None would have recognized in the filthy, emaciated creature, covered by a
single garment of small skins, the immaculate Monsieur Thuran the party had
last seen upon the deck of the <i>Lady Alice</i>.
</p>

<p>
Before the other members of the little community were apprised of his presence
Tennington and Miss Strong questioned him regarding the other occupants of the
missing boat.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;They are all dead,&rdquo; replied Thuran. &ldquo;The three sailors died
before we made land. Miss Porter was carried off into the jungle by some wild
animal while I was lying delirious with fever. Clayton died of the same fever
but a few days since. And to think that all this time we have been separated by
but a few miles&mdash;scarcely a day&rsquo;s march. It is terrible!&rdquo;
</p>

<p class="p2">
How long Jane Porter lay in the darkness of the vault beneath the temple in the
ancient city of Opar she did not know. For a time she was delirious with fever,
but after this passed she commenced slowly to regain her strength. Every day
the woman who brought her food beckoned to her to arise, but for many days the
girl could only shake her head to indicate that she was too weak.
</p>

<p>
But eventually she was able to gain her feet, and then to stagger a few steps
by supporting herself with one hand upon the wall. Her captors now watched her
with increasing interest. The day was approaching, and the victim was gaining
in strength.
</p>

<p>
Presently the day came, and a young woman whom Jane Porter had not seen before
came with several others to her dungeon. Here some sort of ceremony was
performed&mdash;that it was of a religious nature the girl was sure, and so she
took new heart, and rejoiced that she had fallen among people upon whom the
refining and softening influences of religion evidently had fallen. They would
treat her humanely&mdash;of that she was now quite sure.
</p>

<p>
And so when they led her from her dungeon, through long, dark corridors, and up
a flight of concrete steps to a brilliant courtyard, she went willingly, even
gladly&mdash;for was she not among the servants of God? It might be, of course,
that their interpretation of the supreme being differed from her own, but that
they owned a god was sufficient evidence to her that they were kind and good.
</p>

<p>
But when she saw a stone altar in the center of the courtyard, and dark-brown
stains upon it and the nearby concrete of the floor, she began to wonder and to
doubt. And as they stooped and bound her ankles, and secured her wrists behind
her, her doubts were turned to fear. A moment later, as she was lifted and
placed supine across the altar&rsquo;s top, hope left her entirely, and she
trembled in an agony of fright.
</p>

<p>
During the grotesque dance of the votaries which followed, she lay frozen in
horror, nor did she require the sight of the thin blade in the hands of the
high priestess as it rose slowly above her to enlighten her further as to her
doom.
</p>

<p>
As the hand began its descent, Jane Porter closed her eyes and sent up a silent
prayer to the Maker she was so soon to face&mdash;then she succumbed to the
strain upon her tired nerves, and swooned.
</p>

<p class="p2">
Day and night Tarzan of the Apes raced through the primeval forest toward the
ruined city in which he was positive the woman he loved lay either a prisoner
or dead.
</p>

<p>
In a day and a night he covered the same distance that the fifty frightful men
had taken the better part of a week to traverse, for Tarzan of the Apes
traveled along the middle terrace high above the tangled obstacles that impede
progress upon the ground.
</p>

<p>
The story the young bull ape had told made it clear to him that the girl
captive had been Jane Porter, for there was not another small white
&ldquo;she&rdquo; in all the jungle. The &ldquo;bulls&rdquo; he had recognized
from the ape&rsquo;s crude description as the grotesque parodies upon humanity
who inhabit the ruins of Opar. And the girl&rsquo;s fate he could picture as
plainly as though he were an eyewitness to it. When they would lay her across
that trim altar he could not guess, but that her dear, frail body would
eventually find its way there he was confident.
</p>

<p>
But, finally, after what seemed long ages to the impatient ape-man, he topped
the barrier cliffs that hemmed the desolate valley, and below him lay the grim
and awful ruins of the now hideous city of Opar. At a rapid trot he started
across the dry and dusty, bowlder-strewn ground toward the goal of his desires.
</p>

<p>
Would he be in time to rescue? He hoped against hope. At least he could be
revenged, and in his wrath it seemed to him that he was equal to the task of
wiping out the entire population of that terrible city. It was nearly noon when
he reached the great bowlder at the top of which terminated the secret passage
to the pits beneath the city. Like a cat he scaled the precipitous sides of the
frowning granite <i>kopje</i>. A moment later he was running through the
darkness of the long, straight tunnel that led to the treasure vault. Through
this he passed, then on and on until at last he came to the well-like shaft
upon the opposite side of which lay the dungeon with the false wall.
</p>

<p>
As he paused a moment upon the brink of the well a faint sound came to him
through the opening above. His quick ears caught and translated it&mdash;it was
the dance of death that preceded a sacrifice, and the singsong ritual of the
high priestess. He could even recognize the woman&rsquo;s voice. Could it be
that the ceremony marked the very thing he had so hastened to prevent? A wave
of horror swept over him. Was he, after all, to be just a moment too late? Like
a frightened deer he leaped across the narrow chasm to the continuation of the
passage beyond. At the false wall he tore like one possessed to demolish the
barrier that confronted him&mdash;with giant muscles he forced the opening,
thrusting his head and shoulders through the first small hole he made, and
carrying the balance of the wall with him, to clatter resoundingly upon the
cement floor of the dungeon.
</p>

<p>
With a single leap he cleared the length of the chamber and threw himself
against the ancient door. But here he stopped. The mighty bars upon the other
side were proof even against such muscles as his. It needed but a
moment&rsquo;s effort to convince him of the futility of endeavoring to force
that impregnable barrier. There was but one other way, and that led back
through the long tunnels to the bowlder a mile beyond the city&rsquo;s walls,
and then back across the open as he had come to the city first with his Waziri.
</p>

<p>
He realized that to retrace his steps and enter the city from above ground
would mean that he would be too late to save the girl, if it were indeed she
who lay upon the sacrificial altar above him. But there seemed no other way,
and so he turned and ran swiftly back into the passageway beyond the broken
wall. At the well he heard again the monotonous voice of the high priestess,
and, as he glanced aloft, the opening, twenty feet above, seemed so near that
he was tempted to leap for it in a mad endeavor to reach the inner courtyard
that lay so near.
</p>

<p>
If he could but get one end of his grass rope caught upon some projection at
the top of that tantalizing aperture! In the instant&rsquo;s pause and thought
an idea occurred to him. He would attempt it. Turning back to the tumbled wall,
he seized one of the large, flat slabs that had composed it. Hastily making one
end of his rope fast to the piece of granite, he returned to the shaft, and,
coiling the balance of the rope on the floor beside him, the ape-man took the
heavy slab in both hands, and, swinging it several times to get the distance
and the direction fixed, he let the weight fly up at a slight angle, so that,
instead of falling straight back into the shaft again, it grazed the far edge,
tumbling over into the court beyond.
</p>

<p>
Tarzan dragged for a moment upon the slack end of the rope until he felt that
the stone was lodged with fair security at the shaft&rsquo;s top, then he swung
out over the black depths beneath. The moment his full weight came upon the
rope he felt it slip from above. He waited there in awful suspense as it
dropped in little jerks, inch by inch. The stone was being dragged up the
outside of the masonry surrounding the top of the shaft&mdash;would it catch at
the very edge, or would his weight drag it over to fall upon him as he hurtled
into the unknown depths below?
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap25"></a>Chapter XXV<br/>
Through the Forest Primeval</h2>

<p>
For a brief, sickening moment Tarzan felt the slipping of the rope to which he
clung, and heard the scraping of the block of stone against the masonry above.
</p>

<p>
Then of a sudden the rope was still&mdash;the stone had caught at the very
edge. Gingerly the ape-man clambered up the frail rope. In a moment his head
was above the edge of the shaft. The court was empty. The inhabitants of Opar
were viewing the sacrifice. Tarzan could hear the voice of La from the nearby
sacrificial court. The dance had ceased. It must be almost time for the knife
to fall; but even as he thought these things he was running rapidly toward the
sound of the high priestess&rsquo; voice.
</p>

<p>
Fate guided him to the very doorway of the great roofless chamber. Between him
and the altar was the long row of priests and priestesses, awaiting with their
golden cups the spilling of the warm blood of their victim. La&rsquo;s hand was
descending slowly toward the bosom of the frail, quiet figure that lay
stretched upon the hard stone. Tarzan gave a gasp that was almost a sob as he
recognized the features of the girl he loved. And then the scar upon his
forehead turned to a flaming band of scarlet, a red mist floated before his
eyes, and, with the awful roar of the bull ape gone mad, he sprang like a huge
lion into the midst of the votaries.
</p>

<p>
Seizing a cudgel from the nearest priest, he laid about him like a veritable
demon as he forged his rapid way toward the altar. The hand of La had paused at
the first noise of interruption. When she saw who the author of it was she went
white. She had never been able to fathom the secret of the strange white
man&rsquo;s escape from the dungeon in which she had locked him. She had not
intended that he should ever leave Opar, for she had looked upon his giant
frame and handsome face with the eyes of a woman and not those of a priestess.
</p>

<p>
In her clever mind she had concocted a story of wonderful revelation from the
lips of the flaming god himself, in which she had been ordered to receive this
white stranger as a messenger from him to his people on earth. That would
satisfy the people of Opar, she knew. The man would be satisfied, she felt
quite sure, to remain and be her husband rather than to return to the
sacrificial altar.
</p>

<p>
But when she had gone to explain her plan to him he had disappeared, though the
door had been tightly locked as she had left it. And now he had
returned&mdash;materialized from thin air&mdash;and was killing her priests as
though they had been sheep. For the moment she forgot her victim, and before
she could gather her wits together again the huge white man was standing before
her, the woman who had lain upon the altar in his arms.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;One side, La,&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;You saved me once, and so I would
not harm you; but do not interfere or attempt to follow, or I shall have to
kill you also.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
As he spoke he stepped past her toward the entrance to the subterranean vaults.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is she?&rdquo; asked the high priestess, pointing at the unconscious
woman.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;She is mine,&rdquo; said Tarzan of the Apes.
</p>

<p>
For a moment the girl of Opar stood wide-eyed and staring. Then a look of
hopeless misery suffused her eyes&mdash;tears welled into them, and with a
little cry she sank to the cold floor, just as a swarm of frightful men dashed
past her to leap upon the ape-man.
</p>

<p>
But Tarzan of the Apes was not there when they reached out to seize him. With a
light bound he had disappeared into the passage leading to the pits below, and
when his pursuers came more cautiously after they found the chamber empty, they
but laughed and jabbered to one another, for they knew that there was no exit
from the pits other than the one through which he had entered. If he came out
at all he must come this way, and they would wait and watch for him above.
</p>

<p>
And so Tarzan of the Apes, carrying the unconscious Jane Porter, came through
the pits of Opar beneath the temple of The Flaming God without pursuit. But
when the men of Opar had talked further about the matter, they recalled to mind
that this very man had escaped once before into the pits, and, though they had
watched the entrance he had not come forth; and yet today he had come upon them
from the outside. They would again send fifty men out into the valley to find
and capture this desecrater of their temple.
</p>

<p>
After Tarzan reached the shaft beyond the broken wall, he felt so positive of
the successful issue of his flight that he stopped to replace the tumbled
stones, for he was not anxious that any of the inmates should discover this
forgotten passage, and through it come upon the treasure chamber. It was in his
mind to return again to Opar and bear away a still greater fortune than he had
already buried in the amphitheater of the apes.
</p>

<p>
On through the passageways he trotted, past the first door and through the
treasure vault; past the second door and into the long, straight tunnel that
led to the lofty hidden exit beyond the city. Jane Porter was still
unconscious.
</p>

<p>
At the crest of the great bowlder he halted to cast a backward glance toward
the city. Coming across the plain he saw a band of the hideous men of Opar. For
a moment he hesitated. Should he descend and make a race for the distant
cliffs, or should he hide here until night? And then a glance at the
girl&rsquo;s white face determined him. He could not keep her here and permit
her enemies to get between them and liberty. For aught he knew they might have
been followed through the tunnels, and to have foes before and behind would
result in almost certain capture, since he could not fight his way through the
enemy burdened as he was with the unconscious girl.
</p>

<p>
To descend the steep face of the bowlder with Jane Porter was no easy task, but
by binding her across his shoulders with the grass rope he succeeded in
reaching the ground in safety before the Oparians arrived at the great rock. As
the descent had been made upon the side away from the city, the searching party
saw nothing of it, nor did they dream that their prey was so close before them.
</p>

<p>
By keeping the <i>kopje</i> between them and their pursuers, Tarzan of the Apes
managed to cover nearly a mile before the men of Opar rounded the granite
sentinel and saw the fugitive before them. With loud cries of savage delight,
they broke into a mad run, thinking doubtless that they would soon overhaul the
burdened runner; but they both underestimated the powers of the ape-man and
overestimated the possibilities of their own short, crooked legs.
</p>

<p>
By maintaining an easy trot, Tarzan kept the distance between them always the
same. Occasionally he would glance at the face so near his own. Had it not been
for the faint beating of the heart pressed so close against his own, he would
not have known that she was alive, so white and drawn was the poor, tired face.
</p>

<p>
And thus they came to the flat-topped mountain and the barrier cliffs. During
the last mile Tarzan had let himself out, running like a deer that he might
have ample time to descend the face of the cliffs before the Oparians could
reach the summit and hurl rocks down upon them. And so it was that he was half
a mile down the mountainside ere the fierce little men came panting to the
edge.
</p>

<p>
With cries of rage and disappointment they ranged along the cliff top shaking
their cudgels, and dancing up and down in a perfect passion of anger. But this
time they did not pursue beyond the boundary of their own country. Whether it
was because they recalled the futility of their former long and irksome search,
or after witnessing the ease with which the ape-man swung along before them,
and the last burst of speed, they realized the utter hopelessness of further
pursuit, it is difficult to say; but as Tarzan reached the woods that began at
the base of the foothills which skirted the barrier cliffs they turned their
faces once more toward Opar.
</p>

<p>
Just within the forest&rsquo;s edge, where he could yet watch the cliff tops,
Tarzan laid his burden upon the grass, and going to the near-by rivulet brought
water with which he bathed her face and hands; but even this did not revive
her, and, greatly worried, he gathered the girl into his strong arms once more
and hurried on toward the west.
</p>

<p>
Late in the afternoon Jane Porter regained consciousness. She did not open her
eyes at once&mdash;she was trying to recall the scenes that she had last
witnessed. Ah, she remembered now. The altar, the terrible priestess, the
descending knife. She gave a little shudder, for she thought that either this
was death or that the knife had buried itself in her heart and she was
experiencing the brief delirium preceding death. And when finally she mustered
courage to open her eyes, the sight that met them confirmed her fears, for she
saw that she was being borne through a leafy paradise in the arms of her dead
love. &ldquo;If this be death,&rdquo; she murmured, &ldquo;thank God that I am
dead.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You spoke, Jane!&rdquo; cried Tarzan. &ldquo;You are regaining
consciousness!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes, Tarzan of the Apes,&rdquo; she replied, and for the first time in
months a smile of peace and happiness lighted her face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thank God!&rdquo; cried the ape-man, coming to the ground in a little
grassy clearing beside the stream. &ldquo;I was in time, after all.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In time? What do you mean?&rdquo; she questioned.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In time to save you from death upon the altar, dear,&rdquo; he replied.
&ldquo;Do you not remember?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Save me from death?&rdquo; she asked, in a puzzled tone. &ldquo;Are we
not both dead, my Tarzan?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He had placed her upon the grass by now, her back resting against the stem of a
huge tree. At her question he stepped back where he could the better see her
face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Dead!&rdquo; he repeated, and then he laughed. &ldquo;You are not, Jane;
and if you will return to the city of Opar and ask them who dwell there they
will tell you that I was not dead a few short hours ago. No, dear, we are both
very much alive.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But both Hazel and Monsieur Thuran told me that you had fallen into the
ocean many miles from land,&rdquo; she urged, as though trying to convince him
that he must indeed be dead. &ldquo;They said that there was no question but
that it must have been you, and less that you could have survived or been
picked up.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How can I convince you that I am no spirit?&rdquo; he asked, with a
laugh. &ldquo;It was I whom the delightful Monsieur Thuran pushed overboard,
but I did not drown&mdash;I will tell you all about it after a while&mdash;and
here I am very much the same wild man you first knew, Jane Porter.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The girl rose slowly to her feet and came toward him.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot even yet believe it,&rdquo; she murmured. &ldquo;It cannot be
that such happiness can be true after all the hideous things that I have passed
through these awful months since the <i>Lady Alice</i> went down.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
She came close to him and laid a hand, soft and trembling, upon his arm.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It must be that I am dreaming, and that I shall awaken in a moment to
see that awful knife descending toward my heart&mdash;kiss me, dear, just once
before I lose my dream forever.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Tarzan of the Apes needed no second invitation. He took the girl he loved in
his strong arms, and kissed her not once, but a hundred times, until she lay
there panting for breath; yet when he stopped she put her arms about his neck
and drew his lips down to hers once more.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Am I alive and a reality, or am I but a dream?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If you are not alive, my man,&rdquo; she answered, &ldquo;I pray that I
may die thus before I awaken to the terrible realities of my last waking
moments.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For a while both were silent&mdash;gazing into each others&rsquo; eyes as
though each still questioned the reality of the wonderful happiness that had
come to them. The past, with all its hideous disappointments and horrors, was
forgotten&mdash;the future did not belong to them; but the present&mdash;ah, it
was theirs; none could take it from them. It was the girl who first broke the
sweet silence.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where are we going, dear?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;What are we going to
do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where would you like best to go?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;What would you
like best to do?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;To go where you go, my man; to do whatever seems best to you,&rdquo; she
answered.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;But Clayton?&rdquo; he asked. For a moment he had forgotten that there
existed upon the earth other than they two. &ldquo;We have forgotten your
husband.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I am not married, Tarzan of the Apes,&rdquo; she cried. &ldquo;Nor am I
longer promised in marriage. The day before those awful creatures captured me I
spoke to Mr. Clayton of my love for you, and he understood then that I could
not keep the wicked promise that I had made. It was after we had been
miraculously saved from an attacking lion.&rdquo; She paused suddenly and
looked up at him, a questioning light in her eyes. &ldquo;Tarzan of the
Apes,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;it was you who did that thing? It could have
been no other.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He dropped his eyes, for he was ashamed.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How could you have gone away and left me?&rdquo; she cried
reproachfully.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t, Jane!&rdquo; he pleaded. &ldquo;Please don&rsquo;t! You
cannot know how I have suffered since for the cruelty of that act, or how I
suffered then, first in jealous rage, and then in bitter resentment against the
fate that I had not deserved. I went back to the apes after that, Jane,
intending never again to see a human being.&rdquo; He told her then of his life
since he had returned to the jungle&mdash;of how he had dropped like a plummet
from a civilized Parisian to a savage Waziri warrior, and from there back to
the brute that he had been raised.
</p>

<p>
She asked him many questions, and at last fearfully of the things that Monsieur
Thuran had told her&mdash;of the woman in Paris. He narrated every detail of
his civilized life to her, omitting nothing, for he felt no shame, since his
heart always had been true to her. When he had finished he sat looking at her,
as though waiting for her judgment, and his sentence.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I knew that he was not speaking the truth,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Oh,
what a horrible creature he is!&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;You are not angry with me, then?&rdquo; he asked.
</p>

<p>
And her reply, though apparently most irrelevant, was truly feminine.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Is Olga de Coude very beautiful?&rdquo; she asked.
</p>

<p>
And Tarzan laughed and kissed her again. &ldquo;Not one-tenth so beautiful as
you, dear,&rdquo; he said.
</p>

<p>
She gave a contented little sigh, and let her head rest against his shoulder.
He knew that he was forgiven.
</p>

<p>
That night Tarzan built a snug little bower high among the swaying branches of
a giant tree, and there the tired girl slept, while in a crotch beneath her the
ape-man curled, ready, even in sleep, to protect her.
</p>

<p>
It took them many days to make the long journey to the coast. Where the way was
easy they walked hand in hand beneath the arching boughs of the mighty forest,
as might in a far-gone past have walked their primeval forbears. When the
underbrush was tangled he took her in his great arms, and bore her lightly
through the trees, and the days were all too short, for they were very happy.
Had it not been for their anxiety to reach and succor Clayton they would have
drawn out the sweet pleasure of that wonderful journey indefinitely.
</p>

<p>
On the last day before they reached the coast Tarzan caught the scent of men
ahead of them&mdash;the scent of black men. He told the girl, and cautioned her
to maintain silence. &ldquo;There are few friends in the jungle,&rdquo; he
remarked dryly.
</p>

<p>
In half an hour they came stealthily upon a small party of black warriors
filing toward the west. As Tarzan saw them he gave a cry of delight&mdash;it
was a band of his own Waziri. Busuli was there, and others who had accompanied
him to Opar. At sight of him they danced and cried out in exuberant joy. For
weeks they had been searching for him, they told him.
</p>

<p>
The blacks exhibited considerable wonderment at the presence of the white girl
with him, and when they found that she was to be his woman they vied with one
another to do her honor. With the happy Waziri laughing and dancing about them
they came to the rude shelter by the shore.
</p>

<p>
There was no sign of life, and no response to their calls. Tarzan clambered
quickly to the interior of the little tree hut, only to emerge a moment later
with an empty tin. Throwing it down to Busuli, he told him to fetch water, and
then he beckoned Jane Porter to come up.
</p>

<p>
Together they leaned over the emaciated thing that once had been an English
nobleman. Tears came to the girl&rsquo;s eyes as she saw the poor, sunken
cheeks and hollow eyes, and the lines of suffering upon the once young and
handsome face.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He still lives,&rdquo; said Tarzan. &ldquo;We will do all that can be
done for him, but I fear that we are too late.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
When Busuli had brought the water Tarzan forced a few drops between the cracked
and swollen lips. He wetted the hot forehead and bathed the pitiful limbs.
</p>

<p>
Presently Clayton opened his eyes. A faint, shadowy smile lighted his
countenance as he saw the girl leaning over him. At sight of Tarzan the
expression changed to one of wonderment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s all right, old fellow,&rdquo; said the ape-man.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve found you in time. Everything will be all right now, and
we&rsquo;ll have you on your feet again before you know it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The Englishman shook his head weakly. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s too late,&rdquo; he
whispered. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s just as well. I&rsquo;d rather die.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Where is Monsieur Thuran?&rdquo; asked the girl.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;He left me after the fever got bad. He is a devil. When I begged for the
water that I was too weak to get he drank before me, threw the rest out, and
laughed in my face.&rdquo; At the thought of it the man was suddenly animated
by a spark of vitality. He raised himself upon one elbow. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he
almost shouted; &ldquo;I will live. I will live long enough to find and kill
that beast!&rdquo; But the brief effort left him weaker than before, and he
sank back again upon the rotting grasses that, with his old ulster, had been
the bed of Jane Porter.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t worry about Thuran,&rdquo; said Tarzan of the Apes, laying a
reassuring hand on Clayton&rsquo;s forehead. &ldquo;He belongs to me, and I
shall get him in the end, never fear.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
For a long time Clayton lay very still. Several times Tarzan had to put his ear
quite close to the sunken chest to catch the faint beating of the worn-out
heart. Toward evening he aroused again for a brief moment.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Jane,&rdquo; he whispered. The girl bent her head closer to catch the
faint message. &ldquo;I have wronged you&mdash;and him,&rdquo; he nodded weakly
toward the ape-man. &ldquo;I loved you so&mdash;it is a poor excuse to offer
for injuring you; but I could not bear to think of giving you up. I do not ask
your forgiveness. I only wish to do now the thing I should have done over a
year ago.&rdquo; He fumbled in the pocket of the ulster beneath him for
something that he had discovered there while he lay between the paroxysms of
fever. Presently he found it&mdash;a crumpled bit of yellow paper. He handed it
to the girl, and as she took it his arm fell limply across his chest, his head
dropped back, and with a little gasp he stiffened and was still. Then Tarzan of
the Apes drew a fold of the ulster across the upturned face.
</p>

<p>
For a moment they remained kneeling there, the girl&rsquo;s lips moving in
silent prayer, and as they rose and stood on either side of the now peaceful
form, tears came to the ape-man&rsquo;s eyes, for through the anguish that his
own heart had suffered he had learned compassion for the suffering of others.
</p>

<p>
Through her own tears the girl read the message upon the bit of faded yellow
paper, and as she read her eyes went very wide. Twice she read those startling
words before she could fully comprehend their meaning.
</p>

<p class="letter">
Finger prints prove you Greystoke. Congratulations. <br/>
D&rsquo;A<small>RNOT</small>.
</p>

<p>
She handed the paper to Tarzan. &ldquo;And he has known it all this
time,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;and did not tell you?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I knew it first, Jane,&rdquo; replied the man. &ldquo;I did not know
that he knew it at all. I must have dropped this message that night in the
waiting room. It was there that I received it.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And afterward you told us that your mother was a she-ape, and that you
had never known your father?&rdquo; she asked incredulously.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;The title and the estates meant nothing to me without you, dear,&rdquo;
he replied. &ldquo;And if I had taken them away from him I should have been
robbing the woman I love&mdash;don&rsquo;t you understand, Jane?&rdquo; It was
as though he attempted to excuse a fault.
</p>

<p>
She extended her arms toward him across the body of the dead man, and took his
hands in hers.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And I would have thrown away a love like that!&rdquo; she said.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div class="chapter">

<h2><a name="chap26"></a>Chapter XXVI<br/>
The Passing of the Ape-Man</h2>

<p>
The next morning they set out upon the short journey to Tarzan&rsquo;s cabin.
Four Waziri bore the body of the dead Englishman. It had been the
ape-man&rsquo;s suggestion that Clayton be buried beside the former Lord
Greystoke near the edge of the jungle against the cabin that the older man had
built.
</p>

<p>
Jane Porter was glad that it was to be so, and in her heart of hearts she
wondered at the marvelous fineness of character of this wondrous man, who,
though raised by brutes and among brutes, had the true chivalry and tenderness
which only associates with the refinements of the highest civilization.
</p>

<p>
They had proceeded some three miles of the five that had separated them from
Tarzan&rsquo;s own beach when the Waziri who were ahead stopped suddenly,
pointing in amazement at a strange figure approaching them along the beach. It
was a man with a shiny silk hat, who walked slowly with bent head, and hands
clasped behind him underneath the tails of his long, black coat.
</p>

<p>
At sight of him Jane Porter uttered a little cry of surprise and joy, and ran
quickly ahead to meet him. At the sound of her voice the old man looked up, and
when he saw who it was confronting him he, too, cried out in relief and
happiness. As Professor Archimedes Q. Porter folded his daughter in his arms
tears streamed down his seamed old face, and it was several minutes before he
could control himself sufficiently to speak.
</p>

<p>
When a moment later he recognized Tarzan it was with difficulty that they could
convince him that his sorrow had not unbalanced his mind, for with the other
members of the party he had been so thoroughly convinced that the ape-man was
dead it was a problem to reconcile the conviction with the very lifelike
appearance of Jane&rsquo;s &ldquo;forest god.&rdquo; The old man was deeply
touched at the news of Clayton&rsquo;s death.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I cannot understand it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Monsieur Thuran assured
us that Clayton passed away many days ago.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Thuran is with you?&rdquo; asked Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Yes; he but recently found us and led us to your cabin. We were camped
but a short distance north of it. Bless me, but he will be delighted to see you
both.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;And surprised,&rdquo; commented Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
A short time later the strange party came to the clearing in which stood the
ape-man&rsquo;s cabin. It was filled with people coming and going, and almost
the first whom Tarzan saw was D&rsquo;Arnot.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Paul!&rdquo; he cried. &ldquo;In the name of sanity what are you doing
here? Or are we all insane?&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
It was quickly explained, however, as were many other seemingly strange things.
D&rsquo;Arnot&rsquo;s ship had been cruising along the coast, on patrol duty,
when at the lieutenant&rsquo;s suggestion they had anchored off the little
landlocked harbor to have another look at the cabin and the jungle in which
many of the officers and men had taken part in exciting adventures two years
before. On landing they had found Lord Tennington&rsquo;s party, and
arrangements were being made to take them all on board the following morning,
and carry them back to civilization.
</p>

<p>
Hazel Strong and her mother, Esmeralda, and Mr. Samuel T. Philander were almost
overcome by happiness at Jane Porter&rsquo;s safe return. Her escape seemed to
them little short of miraculous, and it was the consensus of opinion that it
could have been achieved by no other man than Tarzan of the Apes. They loaded
the uncomfortable ape-man with eulogies and attentions until he wished himself
back in the amphitheater of the apes.
</p>

<p>
All were interested in his savage Waziri, and many were the gifts the black men
received from these friends of their king, but when they learned that he might
sail away from them upon the great canoe that lay at anchor a mile off shore
they became very sad.
</p>

<p>
As yet the newcomers had seen nothing of Lord Tennington and Monsieur Thuran.
They had gone out for fresh meat early in the day, and had not yet returned.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;How surprised this man, whose name you say is Rokoff, will be to see
you,&rdquo; said Jane Porter to Tarzan.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;His surprise will be short-lived,&rdquo; replied the ape-man grimly, and
there was that in his tone that made her look up into his face in alarm. What
she read there evidently confirmed her fears, for she put her hand upon his
arm, and pleaded with him to leave the Russian to the laws of France.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;In the heart of the jungle, dear,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;with no other
form of right or justice to appeal to other than your own mighty muscles, you
would be warranted in executing upon this man the sentence he deserves; but
with the strong arm of a civilized government at your disposal it would be
murder to kill him now. Even your friends would have to submit to your arrest,
or if you resisted it would plunge us all into misery and unhappiness again. I
cannot bear to lose you again, my Tarzan. Promise me that you will but turn him
over to Captain Dufranne, and let the law take its course&mdash;the beast is
not worth risking our happiness for.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
He saw the wisdom of her appeal, and promised. A half hour later Rokoff and
Tennington emerged from the jungle. They were walking side by side. Tennington
was the first to note the presence of strangers in the camp. He saw the black
warriors palavering with the sailors from the cruiser, and then he saw a lithe,
brown giant talking with Lieutenant D&rsquo;Arnot and Captain Dufranne.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Who is that, I wonder,&rdquo; said Tennington to Rokoff, and as the
Russian raised his eyes and met those of the ape-man full upon him, he
staggered and went white.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;<i>Sapristi!</i>&rdquo; he cried, and before Tennington realized what he
intended he had thrown his gun to his shoulder, and aiming point-blank at
Tarzan pulled the trigger. But the Englishman was close to him&mdash;so close
that his hand reached the leveled barrel a fraction of a second before the
hammer fell upon the cartridge, and the bullet that was intended for
Tarzan&rsquo;s heart whirred harmlessly above his head.
</p>

<p>
Before the Russian could fire again the ape-man was upon him and had wrested
the firearm from his grasp. Captain Dufranne, Lieutenant D&rsquo;Arnot, and a
dozen sailors had rushed up at the sound of the shot, and now Tarzan turned the
Russian over to them without a word. He had explained the matter to the French
commander before Rokoff arrived, and the officer gave immediate orders to place
the Russian in irons and confine him on board the cruiser.
</p>

<p>
Just before the guard escorted the prisoner into the small boat that was to
transport him to his temporary prison Tarzan asked permission to search him,
and to his delight found the stolen papers concealed upon his person.
</p>

<p>
The shot had brought Jane Porter and the others from the cabin, and a moment
after the excitement had died down she greeted the surprised Lord Tennington.
Tarzan joined them after he had taken the papers from Rokoff, and, as he
approached, Jane Porter introduced him to Tennington.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, my lord,&rdquo; she said.
</p>

<p>
The Englishman looked his astonishment in spite of his most herculean efforts
to appear courteous, and it required many repetitions of the strange story of
the ape-man as told by himself, Jane Porter, and Lieutenant D&rsquo;Arnot to
convince Lord Tennington that they were not all quite mad.
</p>

<p>
At sunset they buried William Cecil Clayton beside the jungle graves of his
uncle and his aunt, the former Lord and Lady Greystoke. And it was at
Tarzan&rsquo;s request that three volleys were fired over the last resting
place of &ldquo;a brave man, who met his death bravely.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
Professor Porter, who in his younger days had been ordained a minister,
conducted the simple services for the dead. About the grave, with bowed heads,
stood as strange a company of mourners as the sun ever looked down upon. There
were French officers and sailors, two English lords, Americans, and a score of
savage African braves.
</p>

<p>
Following the funeral Tarzan asked Captain Dufranne to delay the sailing of the
cruiser a couple of days while he went inland a few miles to fetch his
&ldquo;belongings,&rdquo; and the officer gladly granted the favor.
</p>

<p>
Late the next afternoon Tarzan and his Waziri returned with the first load of
&ldquo;belongings,&rdquo; and when the party saw the ancient ingots of virgin
gold they swarmed upon the ape-man with a thousand questions; but he was
smilingly obdurate to their appeals&mdash;he declined to give them the
slightest clew as to the source of his immense treasure. &ldquo;There are a
thousand that I left behind,&rdquo; he explained, &ldquo;for every one that I
brought away, and when these are spent I may wish to return for more.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The next day he returned to camp with the balance of his ingots, and when they
were stored on board the cruiser Captain Dufranne said he felt like the
commander of an old-time Spanish galleon returning from the treasure cities of
the Aztecs. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what minute my crew will cut my throat,
and take over the ship,&rdquo; he added.
</p>

<p>
The next morning, as they were preparing to embark upon the cruiser, Tarzan
ventured a suggestion to Jane Porter.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Wild beasts are supposed to be devoid of sentiment,&rdquo; he said,
&ldquo;but nevertheless I should like to be married in the cabin where I was
born, beside the graves of my mother and my father, and surrounded by the
savage jungle that always has been my home.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;Would it be quite regular, dear?&rdquo; she asked. &ldquo;For if it
would I know of no other place in which I should rather be married to my forest
god than beneath the shade of his primeval forest.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
And when they spoke of it to the others they were assured that it would be
quite regular, and a most splendid termination of a remarkable romance. So the
entire party assembled within the little cabin and about the door to witness
the second ceremony that Professor Porter was to solemnize within three days.
</p>

<p>
D&rsquo;Arnot was to be best man, and Hazel Strong bridesmaid, until Tennington
upset all the arrangements by another of his marvelous &ldquo;ideas.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;If Mrs. Strong is agreeable,&rdquo; he said, taking the
bridesmaid&rsquo;s hand in his, &ldquo;Hazel and I think it would be ripping to
make it a double wedding.&rdquo;
</p>

<p>
The next day they sailed, and as the cruiser steamed slowly out to sea a tall
man, immaculate in white flannel, and a graceful girl leaned against her rail
to watch the receding shore line upon which danced twenty naked, black warriors
of the Waziri, waving their war spears above their savage heads, and shouting
farewells to their departing king.
</p>

<p>
&ldquo;I should hate to think that I am looking upon the jungle for the last
time, dear,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;were it not that I know that I am going to a
new world of happiness with you forever,&rdquo; and, bending down, Tarzan of
the Apes kissed his mate upon her lips.
</p>

</div><!--end chapter-->

<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RETURN OF TARZAN ***</div>
</body>

</html>
generated by cgit v1.2.3 (git 2.25.1) at 2026-02-08 02:37:45 +0000