 Having rescued Jeanette Burton from the Chamber of Serpents, Wong Tai has forced her against her will to accompany him to the subterranean treasure vault of Athea, White Queen of Tor. Led by the shan of Rattor and Paul Darno, the Rattorian army, moving rapidly through the jungle toward the walled city of Tor, is joined a short distance from their goal by Uka, who reports the death of Temur and Paul Tor. Meanwhile, following the killing of Mungo by Tarzan, Oruk, Kailuk and the ape man have stealthily entered the jewel pits under cover of darkness in an attempt to free the pit slaves and lead them in an attack upon the palace. As Tarzan and his two friends creep past the shelter of the sleeping guardsmen toward the nearest slave shed, one of the yellow men awakens sees them and rouses his companions. Tarzan, Oruk and Kailuk run for the slave shed followed by the awakened Torian. Get that key and release the slaves. Oh sure, and I'm doing just that. We'll be wedges in a minute. The guards yelling peendishly rush toward Tarzan and Kailuk brandishing their heavy swords. Kailuk grasping the sword he is taken from the wall of the Torian house, stands with his back to the wall of the slave shed awaiting the charge. A grim savage smile twists his yellow lips into a snarl of heat. A short distance from him, legs spread, feet gripping the rocky ground stands Tarzan. In his hands, the ape man grips the end of a ten foot length of heavy chain, which he swings round his head in a great swift arc. Coolly he watches the oncoming charge. Presently as the guards come close, the great muscles of his arms and back swell into corded ridges of steel. He whirls the heavy chain once, let's go! The impromptu weapon flashes through the air whirling in for end, crashes into the leading guards, flattening several of them to the ground. Ah, get out there ye yellow divils! Get out there and fight! Before the remaining guardsmen can gather themselves for a second charge, Tarzan leaps forward. Quickly he snatches up from the ground the swords dropped by the Torians knocked down by the whirling chain. Then, back beside Kailuk, he tosses the swords all but one behind him at the feet of the liberated slaves. Tell them to pick up those swords and follow us, Kailuk. Andakaraturi, andakaturi, hei! Tukwa labani! Take some of the slaves, Kailuk. Get between the guards and the gate. Don't let them open it. Give no quarter unless they join us. Aruk Tarzan, hei! Atari! How long does it take? Oh, no big early Tarzan, my lad. You have them on the run now. The rest of the slaves, you haven't released them all. Ah, jibble a bit. Pull out and stuck the key into the hands of one of the slaves. He's fleeing the rest of them. I'm here to help you. Eh, it's about all over. What's left of them have thrown down their arms. They'll be ready to come over to us. Sure, and it would be all over just when I'm putting on my fighting clothes. Don't worry, my friend. There'll be enough fighting to suit even you. It is finished, Tarzan, at the apes. We are in control of the pits. Rather than lose their lives, the guards have joined us. What now, friend? The palace. Arm the slaves with whatever they can find. When we open those gates, we're going to meet plenty of opposition. Oh, sure. And the noise we made must have arose the venerable ancestors of all these heathen divils. Let's go, Tarzan. We are ready, Tarzan, of the apes. Right. Open the gates. Come on, O'Rourke! Hi, Luke! Andakatari! Andakatari! Far beneath the palace of Torr in Artea's treasure cave, Jeanette Burton stands near the closed door of the vaulted dimly lit cavern. Fearfully, she watches Wong Tai as he moves oblivious to all but the vast treasure surrounding him, among the heaps of gold ingots and open caskets of precious and semi-precious stones. The flickering yellow light from two torches throws eerie, mysteriously creeping shadows upon walls and floor, as the Chinese plunges aberacious hands first into one gleaming heap then another. Oh, Jeanette, my dear, a treasure, a treasure! A treasure such as a gillie of a latin himself could not have produced. Oh, hurry, Dr. Wong, hurry! Let's get out of this place. Kill me to creep! Presently, presently, look, these rubies are like unfalmable blood-red eyes glittering, inscrutable. Yeah, take them. They are yours. No, Dr. Wong, they're Arteas. I don't want them, and you should. Artea, a savage who has no idea of their value. Then I will take them, and whatever else I can, and sometimes, sometimes we will return to this... What was that? Listen. Nothing, my child. You are permitting your imagination to get the better of you. No, we are alone, alone with the ransom of a hundred kings at our feet. But what if we were to be caught in this place? Eh, nonsense. Who is there to find us? Artea? The entire palace sleeps. But I'm sure that someone followed us through those damn corridors. I felt their presence. Artea thinks you're dead, my dear, killed by her pet executioner in the Chamber of Serpents. Come, select what you like, and we will return to my chamber. I have all I can carry. No, I don't want any of it. I only want to get away from here as quickly as possible. Ah, by the shadow of the great image. It is an evil play of fate that one must leave such treasure to yellow-skinned savages. I'd give it all ten times over to be a thousand miles from here. Ah, well, the beacon all has but one gate, though many real roads lead to it. And once we are out of this city, it should not be impossible with the assistance of our guiding ancestors to find a road leading back to this treasure. Oh, how can you even think of returning? The chances are all against our even leaving Tor alive. Oh, Artea's hatred of us all, excepting with Tarzan perhaps. It's so deep, so savage. I sure it may, my dear, but our immediate need is less to describe Artea's hatred in terms of classical analogy than to find a means of baffling its vellum. Well, which we certainly can't down here in this creepy dungeon. Very well, my dear. We will return to my chamber where we may lay our problem before the spirits of our distinguished ancestors and with a fitting request for their assistance. Come. Great heavens! Tanya and Artea! Ah. Okala dunka, panalok! Well, my wangtae, it seems that the missing key to the treasure cave has been found, or perhaps it has never been lost. The acumen of the illustrious daughter of Tor may be computed either by rule nor by measure. Her perceptions are sharper than the sword of a taiping. Is that all you have to say, my loyal wangtae? There are times heaven-born when the classical perfection of my venerable tongue is strangely inadequate to express emotion. And you, Janet Burton, how did you escape from the chamber of serpents? Wangtae followed the guards. When they left, he opened the door. And where, wangtae? Did you find the key to my treasure cave? He didn't find it, Artea. I didn't gave it to him. At his suggestion, perhaps. My watchful Tanya saw you leave the quarters of wangtae together and followed you here. Well, so be it. You shall die together immediately in the fires of Tor. Meanwhile, led by Tarzan, Oruk, and Kailuk, the horde of freed slaves armed with clubs, lengths of chain, and weapons taken from guards and warriors overpowered in the dark streets, are moving grimly onward toward the palace. Yes, Tarzan, taking the palace will not be easy. Look, down there in the square, the yellow devils are gathering for the main entrance and stairway. Keep to the side streets till we reach the square. Then a quick rush on the palace. Once inside, we can hold it against the warriors. If only Oukar and the Lieutenant were here with the Ratorians. Ah, well, it will be a fine brawl as it is. What of Artea Tarzan of the apes? What do you intend doing with her? We'll take her prisoner. Use her as a hostage for Jeanette. Faith, and why not hold the she-devil until we're all slaves included out of the city? A fine traveling companion she'd make. To capture the woman will be impossible, Tarzan. She can easily escape through any one of many secret passageways leading out of the palace. Well, we'll cry anyway and hope for the best. Know what? There's an awful lot of yelling and commotion going on up there on the walls beyond the palace. Keep the slaves from rushing the square, Kailuk, till we see what's going on. Antaluk, atari! The Torians are forming their towers there before the palace and marching toward the walls, only some of them. Plenty left to make it interesting for us. Antaluk, atari! What is it, Kailuk? Our fund, too, is good news, friend. Vishan, Rathor and Uka have arrived. They are attacking at the distant part of the wall. Oh, big garrie, they say hence be praised. Now we'll give these yellow devils a surprise of their lives. We'll take them front and rear. Come on, Tarzan Millan. Wait. If it's Darna and Uka, they're expecting us to open the gates for them. Why would they begin their attack at some other part of the wall? Perhaps they shan attack Tarzan to lead the Torians away from the main gate? You're right. That would be Darna's tactics. Listen, Kailuk, you lead the slaves. Get as close to the gates as you can from the south side. Then hit the Torians from the rear. Keep their attention from the gate if you can. And you, Tarzan? Don't worry about us. O'Rourke and I'll be there to open them. And you see the gates are open, make straight for the palace with your slaves. Don't let anything stop you. Understand? Tarzan. Hey, Tarry, take one knee. Power, power. All right, O'Rourke? Come on. We'll reach the gate from the other side. Ah, the heathen devils have seen us. They're trying to head us off. Sure, and it is a fine job we've cut out for ourselves. It'll be a race. I'll take care of the gate. You go back with Kailuk. Ah, just for that I'd take a fall out of yous myself. If I wasn't so sure you could lick me. Telling an O'Rourke to stay out of it indeed. Save your breath. Run. Ah, it is a race you want here. I'm right with yous. And the devil take the hindmost. Look out for them swords.