 Because of their refusal to expose the plot for revolt among the dual-pit slaves, Artea, White Queen of Tor, orders Tarzan, Oruc, and Kailuuk to be publicly whipped. In the Sean's Palace in Rator, Darno overhears Timur and Poltar, Ratorian traitors, conspiring to betray the Sean's war plans to Artea. The Frenchman is trapped by the conspirators. In the crowded square before Artea's palace in Tor, Tarzan, Oruc, and Kailuuk are bound to stakes. In a line of elephants ridden by the palace guards, Tarzan recognizes Black Maluk, an elephant he had befriended in the Torian paddocks, and riding him, Mungo, Artea's chief of warriors. At Tarzan's call, Black Maluk jerks Mungo from his back and dashes him to the ground. Followed by the other elephants who have tossed their riders aside, the jungle titan lunges through the screaming panic-stricken crowd toward the ape man. The elephants, they will trample us to death. Holy Saint Patrick, look at them brutes come through that crowd, or if we would only loose from these stakes. With the crowd fleeing in every direction, the great jungle beasts tossing and thrusting aside all who failed to get out of their path and converging upon Tarzan, Wong Tai, who has stood his ground, whips a long night from his sleeve and springs to the side of Oruc. Ah, ye venerable ancestors are protecting ye, ye cowardly chink. With me hands tied, there's nothing I can do to protect myself. Gone, use your knife then. With a grim smile, the Chinese lifts the weapon. As Oruc looks him coolly in the face, he cuts the Irishman's bonds with one quick slash, then thrusts the knife into the astonished Oruc's hands. It's my compliments, Oruc, my friend, for you make good use of this blade. Well, for the love of... Hey, ye crazy chink, come back here, Wong Tai. Never mind him, Oruc. Here. Cut Kailuk and me loose from these stakes. Hurry. Oh, but did ye see that? I thought... Never mind what you thought. Now, free Kailuk. Tantor! Tantor! Tantor! Over here, Oruc. Kailuk. The elephants won't hurt you. Kailuk, don't run. Them brutal tillies stand here with us via a chore that they completely surround us. Now stand still, both of you. You're going to be lifted to the back of one of them. Tantor! Tantor! Kailuk! Tantor! Tantor! At the eight-man's command, Kalu, the mate of Black Maluk, moves forward out of the close-packed circle of huge beasts, gently slips her trunk around Oruc's waist, and swings him lightly to her broad back. A second swing of the sensitive trunk and Kailuk is deposited behind the Irishman. A moment later, Black Maluk lifts the eight-man to a seat astride his own huge neck. The big fellows made a clean sweep of the square. There ain't a yellow skin in sight. Even the royal platforms deserted. Yet those killed and wounded by the elephants in the rush across the square are many Terranso Rook. Begurri, you're right. The lanes scattered all over the place. Look, Tarzan of the Apes, entering the square from those streets beside the palace. Warriors! Yes, you've got to get away from here. Come on, Kalu! Come on, Kalu! Them soldiers are coming from all directions. Where did the devil have we gone? The elephant paddocks if we can make it. Come on, Kalu! Come on, Kalu! Come on, Kalu! Meanwhile, in the Shan's palace in Rathore, Temur, the traitor, has left Darno gagged and presumably securely bound hand and foot in the former's own quarters. With the Frenchman's blood-spattered clothing, he presents himself to the Shan, Uka and the Council of Chiefs in the Great Audience Chamber. Almighty Shan, I fear disaster has overtaken our friend and ally, Paul Darno. Disaster? What mean you, Temur? When I left the Council chamber to transmit your orders to the Tar Captains, I passed the small lion pits at the end of the balcony. As it was not time for the beast to be fed, I was surprised to see them snarling and fighting over. Well, continue. Upon closer inspection, I found this torn and blood-stained shirt in the arena. It is... Let me see the shirt. You are right, Temur. It is that of my friend Paul Darno. Strange that he who knows the ways of hungry lion should fall into a wild pit. Truly strange, Uka. Yet, it is as I have said, the mangled and blood-stained cloth in your hands is convincing proof. I shall examine the lion pit myself and find... And you will find only what I found. Clean bones. It is unfortunate that we have lost so good a friend. And you, O'Shawn, so wise a counsellor. Unfortunate indeed. It saddens me as it will his friends and tore when we tell them of it. When we tell them, O'Shawn, you intend carrying out your plans against Artea since this stranger has gone? His death releases the word of Uka, or Ba'Shawn. Word of Uka was not given to Paul Darno, Temur. But be quite strange, your death. Enough. My plans will be carried out to the latter. There is one held prisoner in tow to whom we owe debt. That debt shall be paid. Then, O'Shawn, I, Temur, request the honor of commanding the advanced scout guard. The request is granted. You will ride one hour in advance of all elephant-tars. It is an order, O'Shawn. I go to choose my men. A grim smile twisting his lips, Temur hurries from the council chamber and down the corridor leading to his own quarters. He enters and quickly crosses the little ante room to open the door to his private chamber. Ah, still resting comfortably, Paul Darno? You will be interested to know how well the explanation of your death was received by the Shahn and... Pirator. What? In startled amazement, Temur watches as Darno coolly tosses aside the cords, which had apparently so securely bound him. Frenchman jerks the gag from his mouth and, springing up from the couch where he had reclined, grasps a long slender sword which his body had concealed. You are surprised, Monsieur Temur, at seeing me free in his bath. Ah, but do not excite yourself, Monsieur. But how? Who freed you? Who? Your own callousness, mon ami, in binding my hands before and still behind me. Ah. Exactement ça. And it did not take me long to cut my bonds with this so very excellent blade from among your collection there on the wall. I was on the point of leaving when I heard you returning. So, Paul Darno, because you did not go when you had the opportunity, you will never leave this room alive. Peut-etre, perhaps. The shan's lions will yet taste your blood, but not until I, Temur, have passed my sword through your body. Au revoir Monsieur, but that is a game which I will understand how to play. Let us see then how well you fare against the blessed swordsman in Rator. Whipping the great double-edged sword from the scabbard at his side, the Torian war chief leaps toward Darno. Meanwhile in the city of Tor, Tarzan, O'Rourke and Kailuk, mounted upon the backs of Black Maluk and Kalu, are being swiftly borne out of the great square before the palace toward the elephant paddocks, yelling fiendishly a horde of giant warriors like yellow waves of storm water sweeping up a rocky slope, compouring toward them from the surrounding streets. Hathen will never out-distance them hathen devils. Why not take a chance at storm in the palace, in Jeanette and making for the jungle. Part is the chance of a lifetime we have known to escape. Not yet, O'Rourke. We're not ready to leave Tor. Okay, then I'm ready any time. The sooner the better. I have given my word to free the pit slaves. They're going to have the chance to fight for their lives and freedom. Well spoken, Tarzan of the Apes. Word of what you have done this day will long since have reached the slaves. If you can free them, they will follow you to the last man. Holy Saint Patrick! Look, they're ahead of us. Coming from the paddocks. Oh, more soldiers. Oh, big garrie. We'll talk front and back. Not yet. We'll turn into the side street. Get out of sight. Tandoor. Go, Malook. Kaloo. Oh, Tandoor. Tandoor. A deep man's command that two huge beasts, Kaloo and Black Malook, swing into a narrow crossroad. Momentarily concealed from the pursuing Torians by buildings and high walls, Tarzan slips down from the back of Black Malook. Down. Drop off both of them. Into the storeway. Never mind the elephants. They'll go on. The wet ones. If we chance to meet armed men. Inside, quick. That's a chance we'll have to take, Kaloo. Close that door, O'Loch. Come on. Up these stairs. Oh, big garrie. I-I don't hear a sound. The place seems deserted. The tenants were probably with the crowd in the square. May have taken refuge from the elephants in some other building. Well, anyway, they're not here. We seem to have the place to ourselves. Let me have that knife, O'Roch. Oh, oh, oh, fierce, and I didn't know he had it. Forgot all about it in the excitement. Here you are, Milad. Wait, friends. Look. This room. Weapons hanging on the walls. Ah, now we can arm and defend ourselves. Holy Saint Patrick. The owner of the place must be a fighting man. He certainly has a fine collection of thick stickers. Take what you need. I'll keep long ties, knife. Ah, that reminds me. I'm wondering what got into the chink, helping us out of that tough spot the way he did. When he came at me out there with his knife, and with me hands tied to that steak, I thought he was going to cut me throat. How do you figure him ties and? I don't. He turned against us, and yet there are times when I wondered if he really hasn't tried to help us. Oh, you mean... The time he shot you. Remember? He could easily have killed you. Yes. He's deadly with a rifle or pistol he is. You're right. He could have killed me. And again, when he came to the pits and told us about Jeanette going to the winner of the fight with Mungo, and the escape of Garno and Uka, hmm, and we were waiting for that news, too. Dino, I've often wondered what he said to Major Ashley just before the Major died in that fight in the Arsenal, you know. So have I, or what I... Listen, someone's coming down below. Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo, Mungo. Out of here. Come on. There's another stairway, laid into an upper floor. Yes, maybe we can find a way to the roof. Come on, up these stairs fast. They see us.