 Chapter 8 of Tarzan and the Golden Lion, this is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Josh Herring of Abingdon, Virginia. Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Chapter 8 Mystery of the Past La had breakfasted the following morning, and had sent Dooth with food for Tarzan, when they came to her a young priestess, who was the sister of Poa. Even before the girl had spoken, La knew that she was an emissary from Khaj, and that the treachery of which Dooth had warned her was already underway. The girl was ill at ease and quite evidently frightened, for she was young and held in high revere the queen whom she had good reason to know was all-powerful, and who might even inflict death upon her if she so wished. La, who had already determined upon a plan of action that she knew would be most embarrassing to Khaj and his conspirators, waited in silence for the girl to speak, but it was some time before the girl could muster up her courage or find a proper opening. Instead, she spoke of many things that had no bearing whatsoever upon her subject, and La, the high priestess, was amused at her discomforture. It is not often, said La, that the sister of Poa comes to the apartments of her queen unless she is bidden. I am glad to see that she at last realizes the service that she owes to the high priestess of the flaming god. I come, said the girl at last, speaking almost as one who has learned a part, to tell you that I have overheard that which may be of interest to you, and that I am sure that you will be glad to hear. Yes, interrogated La, raising her arched eyebrows. I overheard Khaj speaking with the lesser priests, the girl continued, and I distinctly heard him say that he would be glad if the eight-man escaped, as that would relieve you and Khaj as well of much embarrassment. I thought that La, the queen, would be glad to know this, for it is known by all of us that La has promised friendship to the eight-man, and therefore does not wish to sacrifice him upon the altar of the flaming god. My duty is plain to me, replied La, in a haughty voice, and I do not intend Khaj nor any handmaiden to interpret it to me. I also know the prerogatives of a high priestess, and that the rite of sacrifice is one of them. For this reason I prevented Khaj from sacrificing the stranger. No other hand than mine may offer his heart's blood to the flaming god, and upon the third day he shall die beneath my knife upon the altar of our temple. The effect of these words upon the girl were precisely what La had anticipated. She saw a disappointment, and Shagrin written upon the face of Khaj's messenger, who now had no answer, for her instructions had not foreseen this attitude upon the part of La. Presently the girl found some lame pretext upon which to withdraw, and when she had left the presence of the high priestess, La could scarcely restrain a smile. She had no intention of sacrificing Tarzan, but this, of course, the sister of Oa did not know. So she returned to Khaj, and repeated as nearly as she could recall it all that La had said to her. The high priest was much Shagrin'd, for his plan had been now not so much to encompass the destruction of Tarzan as to lead La into the commission of an act that would bring upon her the wrath of the priests and people of Opar, who, properly instigated, would demand her life in expiation. Oa, who was present when her sister returned, bit her lips, for great was her disappointment. Never before had she seen so close at hand the longed for possibility of becoming high priestess, for several minutes she paced to and fro in deep thought, and then suddenly she halted before Khaj. La loves this eight man, she said, and even though she may sacrifice him, it is only because of her fear of her people. She loves him still, loves him better, Khaj, than she has ever loved you. The eight man knows it, and trusts her, and because he knows it there is a way. We will send one to the eight man, who shall tell him that she comes from La, and that La has instructed her to lead him out of Opar, and set him free. This one shall lead him into our ambush, and when he is killed we shall go. Many of us, before La, and accuse her of treachery. The one who led the eight man from Opar shall say that La ordered her to do it. And the priests and the people will be very angry, and then you shall demand the life of La. It will be very easy, and we shall be rid of both of them. Good, replied Khaj, we shall do this thing and down upon the Maru, and before the flaming God goes to his rest at night, he shall look upon a new high priestess in Opar. That night Tarzan was aroused from his sleep by a sound at one of the doors of his prison cell. He heard the bolt slipped back, and the door creaked slowly open upon its ancient hinges. In the inky darkness he could discern no presence, but he heard the stealthy movement of sandaled feet upon the concrete floor, and then, out of the darkness, his name was whispered in a woman's voice. I am here, he replied. Who are you, and what do you want of Tarzan of the apes? Your life is in danger, replied the voice. Come, follow me. Who sent you? demanded the eight man, his sensitive nostrils searching for a clue to the identity of the nocturnal visitor. But so heavily was the air laden with the pungent odor of some heavy perfume with which the body of the woman seemed to have been anointed, that there was no distinguishing clue by which he might judge as to whether she was one of the priestesses he had known upon the occasion of his former visits to Opar, for an entire stranger to him. Law sent me, she said, to lead you from the pits of Opar to the freedom of the outside world beyond the city's walls. Groping in the darkness she finally found him. Here are your weapons, she said, handing them to him, and then she took his hand, turned, and led him from the dungeon. Through a long winding and equally black corridor down flights of age old concrete steps through passages and corridors, opening and closing door after door that creaked and groaned upon rusty hinges. How far they traveled thus, and in what direction Tarzan could not guess. He had gleaned enough from Dooth, when the latter had brought him his food, to believe that in law he had a friend who would aid him, for Dooth had told him that she had saved him from Kaj, when the latter had discovered him unconscious in the deserted Boma of the Europeans who had drugged and left him. And so, the woman having said that she came from law, Tarzan followed her willingly. He could not but recall Jane's prophecy of the evils that he might expect to befall him should he persist in undertaking this third trip to Opar, and wondered if, after all, his wife was right, that he should never again escape from the toils of the fanatical priests of the flaming god. He had not, of course, expected to enter Opar, but there seemed to hang over the accursed city a guardian demon that threatened the life of whosoever dared approach the forbidden spot, or arrest from the forgotten treasure vaults a portion of their great horde. For more than an hour, his guide led him through the Stygian darkness of underground passages, until, ascending a flight of steps, they emerged into the center of a clump of bushes, through which the pale light of the moon was barely discernable. A fresh air, however, told him that they had reached the surface of the ground, and now the woman, who had not spoken the words since she had led him from his cell, continued on in silence, following a devious trail that wound hither and thither in an erratic fashion through a heavy forest choked with undergrowth, and always upward. From the location of the stars and moon, and from the upward trend of the trail, Tarzan knew that he was being led into the mountains that lie behind Opar, a place he had never thought of visiting, since the country appeared rough and uninviting, and not likely to harbor games such as Tarzan cared most to hunt. He was already surprised by the nature of the vegetation, for he had thought the hills barren except for stunted trees and scraggie bushes. As they continued upon their way, climbing ever upward, the moon rose higher in the heavens, until its soft light revealed more clearly to the keen eyes of the eight-man the topography of the country they were traversing, and then it was that he saw they were ascending a narrow, thickly-wooded gorge, and he understood why the heavy vegetation had been invisible from the plain before Opar. Himself, naturally uncommunicative, the woman's silence made no particular impression upon Tarzan, had he had anything to say, he should have said it, and likewise he assumed that there was no necessity for her speaking unless there was some good reason for speaking, for those who travel far and fast have no breath to waste upon conversation. The eastern stars were fading at the first hint of coming dawn when the two scrambled up a precipitous bank that formed the upper end of the ravine, and came out upon comparatively level ground. As they advanced, the sky lightened, and presently the woman halted at the edge of the teclivity, and as the day broke Tarzan saw below him a wooded basin in the heart of the mountain, and, showing through the trees at what appeared to be some two or three miles distant, the outlines of a building that glistened and sparkled and scintillated in the light of the new sun. Then he turned and looked at his companion, and surprise and consternation were rid upon his face, for standing before him was Law, the High Priestess of Opar. You, he exclaimed, now indeed will Codge have the excuse that Dooth said he'd sought to put you out of the way. He will never have the opportunity to put me out of the way, replied Law, for I shall never return to Opar. Never return to Opar, he exclaimed, then where are you going? Where can you go? I am going with you, she replied. I do not ask that you love me. I only ask that you take me away from Opar, and from the enemies who would slay me. There is no other way. Manu the Monkey overheard them plotting, and he came to me and told me all that they would do. Whether I saved you or sacrificed you, it had all been the same with me. They were determined to do away with me, that Oah might be High Priestess and Codge King of Opar. But I should not have sacrificed you, Tarzan, under any circumstances, and this spin seemed the only way in which we might both be saved. We could not go to the north or to the west across the plains of Opar, for there Codge placed warriors and ambushed to waylay you, and though you be Tarzan and a mighty fighter, they would overwhelm you by their very numbers and slay you. But where are you leading me? asked Tarzan. I have chosen the lesser of two evils. In this direction lies an unknown country, filled for us Oparians with legends of grim creatures and strange people. Never has an Oparian ventured here and returned again to Opar, but if there lives in all the world a creature who can win through this unknown valley, it be you, Tarzan of the Apes. But if you know nothing of this country, or its inhabitants, demanded Tarzan, how is it that you know so well the trail that leads to it? We know well the trail to the summit, but that is as far as I have ever been before. The great apes and the lions use this trail when they come down into Opar. The lions, of course, cannot tell us where it leads, and the great apes will not, for usually we are at war with them. Along this trail they come down into Opar to steal our people, and upon this trail we await to capture them, for often we offer a great ape in sacrifice to the flaming god, or rather that was our former custom. But for many years they have been too wary for us. The toll being upon the other side, though we do not know for what purpose they steal our people, unless it be that they eat them. They are a very powerful race, standing higher than Bolgani the Gorilla, and infinitely more cunning, for as there is ape blood in our veins, so is there human blood in the veins of these great apes that dwell in the valley above Opar. Why is it, Law, that we must pass through this valley in order to escape from Opar? There must be some other way. There is no other way, Tarzan of the Apes," she replied. The avenues across the valley are guarded by conscious people. Our only chance of escape lies in this direction, and I have brought you along the only trail that pierces the precipitous cliffs that guard Opar upon the south. Across or around this valley we must go in an attempt to find an avenue across the mountain, and down upon the other side. The ape man stood gazing down into the wooded basin below them, his mind occupied with the problems of the moment. Had he been alone he would not have come this way, for he was sufficiently confident of his own prowess to believe that he might easily have crossed the valley of Opar in comparative safety, regardless of conscious plans to the contrary. But he was not alone, he had now to think of Law, and he realized that in her efforts to save him she had placed him under a moral obligation which he might not disregard. To skirt the basin, keeping as far as possible from the building, which he could see in the distance, seemed the wisest course to pursue, since, of course, his sole purpose was to find a way across the mountain and out of this inhospitable country. But the glimpses he caught of the edifice, half concealed as it was amid the foliage of great trees, piqued his curiosity to such an extent that he felt an almost irresistible urge to investigate. He did not believe that the basin was inhabited by other than wild beasts, and he attributed the building which he saw to the handiwork of an extinct or departed people, whether contemporaneous with the ancient Atlanteans who had built Opar or, perhaps, built by the original Oparians themselves, but now forgotten by their descendants. The glimpses which he caught of the building suggested such size and magnificence as might belong to a palace. The eight-man knew no fear, though he possessed to a reasonable extent the caution which is inherent in all wild beasts. He would not have hesitated to pit his cunning and his prowess against the lower orders, however ferocious they might be for, unlike man, they could not band together to his undoing. But should men elect to hunt him in numbers, he knew that a real danger would confront him, and that, in the face of their combined strength and intelligence, his own might not avail him. There was little likelihood, however, he reasoned, that the basin was inhabited by human beings. Doubtless closer investigation of the building he saw would reveal that it was but a deserted ruin, and that the most formidable foes he would encounter would be the Great Apes and Alliance. Of neither of these had he any fear. With the former, it was even reasonable to imagine that he might establish amicable relations, believing as he did that he must look for egress from the basin upon its opposite side, it was only natural that he should wish to choose the most direct route across the basin. Therefore his inclinations to explore the valley were seconded by considerations of speed and expediency. Come, he said to Law, and started down the declivity which led into the basin in the direction of the building ahead of them. You are not going that way! She cried in astonishment. Why not? he said. It is the shortest way across the valley, and insofar as I can judge our trail over the mountain is more likely to lie in that direction than elsewhere. But I am afraid, she said, the flaming god alone knows what hideous dangers lurk in the depths of that forest below us. Only Numa and Mangani, he said, of these we need have no fear. You fear nothing, she said, but I am only a woman. We can dive at once, replied Tarzan, and that once we must die. To be always fearing then would not avert it, and would make life miserable. We shall go the short way then, and perhaps we shall see enough to make the risk well worth while. They followed a well-worn trail downward among the brush, the trees increasing in both sides and number as they approached the floor of the basin, until at last they were walking beneath the foliage of a great forest. What when there was was at their back, and the eight man, though he moved in a swinging walk, was constantly on the alert. Upon the hard-packed earth of the trail, there were few signs to indicate the nature of the animals that had passed to and fro, but here and there the spore of a lion was in evidence. Several times Tarzan stopped and listened. Often he raised his head and his sensitive nostrils dilated as he sought for whatever the surrounding air might hold for him. I think there are men in this valley, he said presently. For some time I have been almost positive that we are being watched, but whoever is stalking us is clever beyond words, for it is only the barest suggestion of another presence that I consent. Lollip about apprehensively and drew close to his side. I see no one," she said in a low voice. Nor I, he replied, nor can I catch any well-defined scentspore, yet I am positive that someone is following us, someone or something that trails by scent, and is clever enough to keep its scent from us. It is more than likely that, whatever it is, it is passing through the trees at a sufficient height to keep its scentspore always above us. The air is ripe for that, and even if he were upwind from us, we might not catch his scent at all. Wait here, I will make sure," and he swung lightly into the branches of a nearby tree and swarmed upward with the agility of Manu, the monkey. A moment later he descended to the girl's side. I was right, he said. There is someone or something not far off, but whether it is man or mangani, I cannot say, for the odor is a strange one to me, suggesting neither, yet both. But do complain at that game. Come," and he swung the girl to his shoulder, and a moment later had carried her high into the trees. Unless he is close enough to watch us, which I doubt," he said, our spore will be carried over his head, and it will be some time before he can pick it up again, unless he is wise enough to rise to a higher level. Law marveled at the strength of the eight man, as he carried her easily from tree to tree, and at the speed with which he traversed the swaying leafy trail. For half an hour he continued onward, and then quite suddenly he stopped, poised high upon a swaying bow. Look," he said, pointing ahead and below them. Looking in the direction that he indicated, the girl saw through the leafy foliage a small, heavily stockaded compound, in which were some dozen huts that immediately riveted her surprised attention, nor no less was the eight man's curiosity peaked by what he glimpsed vaguely through the foliage. Huts they evidently were, but they seemed to be moving to and fro in the air, some moving gently backward and forward, while others jumped up and down in more or less violent agitation. Tarzan swung to a nearer tree, and descended to a sturdy branch to which he lowered law from his shoulder, and he crept forward stealthily the girl following, for she was, in common with other Oparians, slightly arboreal. Presently they reached a point where they could see plainly the village below them, and immediately the seeming mystery of the dancing huts was explained. They were of the beehive type, common to many African tribes, and were about seven feet in diameter by six or seven in height, but instead of resting on the ground, each hut was suspended by a heavy, hosso-like grass-roath to a branch of one of the several giant trees that grew within the stockade. From the center of the bottom of each hut trailed another lighter-roath. From his position above them Tarzan saw no openings in any of the huts large enough to admit the body of a man, though there were several openings four or five inches in diameter in the sides of each hut, about three feet above the floor. Upon the ground inside the compound were several of the inhabitants of the village, if the little collection of swinging houses could be dignified by such a name, nor were the people any less strange to Tarzan than their peculiar domiciles, that there were negroes was evident, but of a type entirely unfamiliar to the ape-man. All were naked, and without any ornamentation whatsoever, other than a few dobs of color placed apparently at random upon their bodies. They were tall and very muscular appearing, though their legs seemed much too short and their arms too long for perfect symmetry, while their faces were almost bestial and contour, their jaws being exaggeratively prognathous, while above their beatling brows there was no forehead, the skull running back in almost a horizontal plane to a point. As Tarzan stood looking at them he saw another descend one of the ropes that dangled from the bottom of a hut, and immediately he understood the purpose of the ropes and the location of the entrances to the dwellings. The creatures squatting about upon their haunches were engaged in feeding, several had bones from which they were tearing the uncooked flesh with their great teeth while others ate fruit and tubers. There were individuals of both sexes and of various ages from childhood to maturity, but there was none that seemed very old. They were practically hairless, except for scraggie reddish brown locks upon their heads. They spoke but seldom, and then in tones which resembled the growling of beasts. Nor once, while Tarzan watched them, did he see one laugh or even smile, which of all their traits rendered them most unlike the average native of Africa. Though Tarzan's eyes searched the compound carefully, he saw no indication of cooking utensils or of any fire. Upon the ground about them lay their weapons, short javelin-like spears, and a sort of battle axe with a sharpened metal blade. Tarzan of the Age was glad that he had come this way, for it had permitted him to see such a type of native as he had not dreamed existed, a type so low that it bordered closely upon the brute. Even the wasdans and hodans of Pauldan were far advanced in the scale of evolution compared to these. As he looked at them he could not but wonder that they were sufficiently intelligent to manufacture the weapons they possessed, which he could see even at a distance where a fine workmanship and design. Their huts too seemed well and ingeniously made, while the stockade which surrounded the little compound was tall, strong, and well built, evidently for the purpose of safeguarding them against the lions which infested the basin. As Tarzan and Law watched these people, they became presently aware of the approach of some creature from their left, and a moment later they saw a man similar to those of the compound swinging from a tree that overhung the stockade and dropped within. The others acknowledged his coming with scarce more than indifferent glances. He came forward and, squatting among them, appeared to be telling them of something, and though Tarzan could not hear his words, he judged from his gestures and the sign language which he used to supplement his meager speech that he was telling his foes of the strange creatures he had seen in the forest a short time before, and the eight man immediately judged that this was the same whom he had been aware was following them, and whom he had successfully put off the scent. The narration evidently excited them, for some of them arose, and leaping up and down with bent knees slapped their arms against their sides grotesquely. The expressions upon their faces scarcely changed, however, and after a moment each squatted down again as he had been before. It was while they were thus engaged that they echoed through the forest a loud scream that awakened in the mind of the eight man many savage memories. It is one of the great apes, she said, and shuddered. Presently they saw him, swinging down the dungal trail toward the compound, a huge gorilla, but such a gorilla as Tarzan and the apes had never looked on before. Of almost gigantic stature the creature was walking erect with the stride of a man, not ever once touching his knuckles to the ground. His head and face were almost those of a gorilla, and yet there was a difference, as Tarzan could note as the creature came nearer. It was Volgani, with the soul and brain of a man, nor was this all that rendered the creature startling and unique. Stranger perhaps than ought else was the fact that he wore ornaments, and such ornaments, gold and diamonds, sparkled against its shaggy coat. Above its elbows were numerous omelets, and there were anklets upon its legs, while from a girdle about its middle there depended before and behind a long narrow strip that almost touched the ground, and which seemed to be entirely constructed of golden spangles, set with small diamonds. Never before had John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, seen such a display of barbaric finery, nor even amidst the jewels of Opar such a wealth of priceless stones. Immediately after the hideous scream first broken the comparative silence of the forest, Tarzan had noticed its effects upon the inmates of the compound. Instantly they had arisen to their feet. The women and children scurried behind the bowls of the trees, or clambered up the ropes into their swinging cages, while some of the men advanced to what Tarzan now saw was the gate of the compound. Outside this gate McGrella halted and again raised his voice, but this time in speech rather than his hideous scream. End of Chapter 9 Chapter 9 of Tarzan and the Golden Lion This is a LibriVox recording. All the LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Josh Herring of Abingdon, Virginia. Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Chapter 9 The Shaft of Death As the huge man-like gorilla entered the compound, the warriors closed the gate and fell back respectfully as he advanced to the center of the village where he stood for a moment looking about. Where are the she's and the baloo's? He asked, tersely. Call them. The women and the children must have heard the command, but they did not emerge from their hiding places. The warriors moved about uneasily, evidently torn by the conflicting emotions of fear of the creature who had issued the order and reluctance to fulfill his commands. Call them, he repeated, or go and fetch them. But at last one of the warriors mustered the courage to address him. This village has already furnished one woman within the moon, he said. It is the turn of another village. Silence! Roared the gorilla man, advancing threateningly toward him. You are a rash go-mangani to threaten the will of a vulgani. I speak with the voice of Numa, the emperor, obey or die. Trumbling, the black turned and called the women and children, but none responded to his summons. The vulgani gestured impatiently. Go and fetch them. He demanded, and the blacks, cringing, moved sullenly across the compound toward the hiding places of their women and children. Presently they returned, dragging them with them, by the arms sometimes but usually by the hair. Although they had seemed loath to give them up, they showed no gentleness toward them, nor any indication of affection. Their attitude toward them, however, was presently explained to Tarzan by the next words of the warrior who had spoken previously. Great vulgani. He said, addressing the gorilla man, If Numa takes always from this village, there will soon be not enough women for the warriors here, and there will be too few children, and in a little time, there will be none of us left. What of that? Grilled the gorilla man. There are already too many go-mangani in the world. For what other purpose were you created than to serve Numa, the emperor, and his chosen people, the vulgani? As he spoke, he was examining the women and children, pinching their flesh and pounding upon their chests and backs. Presently he returned to a comparatively young woman, straddling whose hip was a small child. This one will do. He said, snatching the child from its mother, and hurling it roughly across the compound, where it lay against the face of the palisade, moaning pitifully, and perchance broken and dying. The poor, stupid mother, apparently more beast than human, stood for a moment trembling in dumb anguish, and then she started to rush forward to her child. But the gorilla man seized her with one of his great hands and hurled her to the ground. Simultaneously there arose from the silent foliage above them the fierce and terrible scream of the challenging bull ape. In terror, the simple blacks cast a frightened glance as upward, while the gorilla man raised his hideous face in snarling anger toward the author of the bestial cry. Swaying upon a leafy bow, they beheld such a creature as none of them had ever looked upon before. A white man, a tarmangani, with hide as hairless as the body of Hista, the snake. In the instant that they looked, they saw the spear hand of the stranger drive forward, and the shaft, speeding with the swiftness of thought, buried itself in the breast of the bull mangani. With a single scream of rage and pain, the gorilla man crumbled to the earth, where he struggled spasmodically for a moment, and then lay still in death. The ape man held no great love for the gomangani as a race, but inherent in his English brain and heart was the spirit of fair play, which prompted him to spontaneous espousal of the cause of the weak. On the other hand, Bologna was his hereditary enemy. His first battle had been with Bologna, and his first kill. The poor blacks were still standing in stupefied wonderment when he dropped from the tree to the ground among them. They stepped back in terror, and simultaneously they raised their spears menacingly against him. I am a friend, he said. I am Tarzan of the apes. Lower your spears. And then he turned and withdrew his own weapon from the carcass of Bologna. Who is this creature that may come into your village and slay your balus and steal your shees? Who is he that you dare not drive your spears through him? He is one of the great Bolognani, said the warrior who seemed to be the spokesman and the leader of the village. He is one of the chosen people of Numa, the emperor, and when Numa learns that he has been killed in our village, we shall all die for what you have done. Who is Numa? demanded the ape man to whom Numa, in the language of the great apes, meant only lion. Numa is the emperor, replied the black, who lives with the Bolognani in the palace of diamonds. He did not express himself in just these words, for the meager language of the great apes even though amplified by the higher intelligence and greater development of the oparians is still primitive in the extreme. What he had really said was more nearly. Numa, the king of kings, who lives in the kings' hut of glittering stones, which carried to the ape man's mind the faithful impression of the fact. Numa evidently was the name adopted by the king of the Bolognani, and the title emperor indicated merely his preeminence among the chiefs. The instant that Bolognani had fallen, the bereaved mother rushed forward and gathered her injured infant into her arms. She squatted now against the palisade, cuddling it to her breast and cruning softly to pacify its claws, which Tarzan suddenly discovered were more the result of fright than injury. At first, the mother had been frightened when he had attempted to examine the child, drawing away and bearing her fighting fangs, much after the manner of a wild beast. But presently, there had seemed to come to her dull brain a realization that this creature had saved her from Bolognani, that he had permitted her to recover her infant and that he was making no effort to harm either of them. Convinced at last that the child was only bruised, Tarzan turned again toward the warriors, who were talking together in an excited little group a few paces away. As they saw him advancing, they spread into a semi-circle and stood facing him. The Bolognani will send and slay us all, they said, when they learn what has happened in our village, unless we can take to them the creature that cast the spear. Therefore, Tarmangani, you shall go with us to the palace of diamonds. And there we shall give you over to the Bolognani and perhaps Numa will forgive us. The eight men smiled. What kind of creature did the simple blacks think him to believe that he would permit himself to be easily led into the avenging hands of Numa, the emperor of the Bolognani? Although he was fully aware of the risk that he had taken in entering the village, he knew too that because he was Tarzan of the apes, there was a greater chance that he would be able to escape than that they could hold him. He had faced savage spearmen before and knew precisely what to expect in the event of hostilities. He preferred, however, to make peace with these people, for it had been in his mind to find some means of questioning them the moment that he had discovered their village hidden away in this wild forest. Wait, he said, therefore, would you betray a friend who enters your village to protect you from an enemy? We will not slay you, Tarmangani. We will take you to the Bolognani for Numa, the emperor. But that would amount to the same thing, returned Tarzan. For you well know that Numa, the emperor, will have me slain. That we cannot help, replied the spokesman. We could save you, we would. But when the Bolognani discover what has happened in our village, it is we who must suffer, unless perhaps they are satisfied to punish you instead. But why need they know that the Bolognani was slain in your village, asked Tarzan. Would they not see his body next time they come? asked the spokesman. Not if you remove his body, replied Tarzan. The blacks scratched their heads. Into their dull, ignorant minds, they could no such suggestion of a solution of their problem. What the stranger said was true. They, and he knew the Bolognani had been slain within their palisade. To remove the body then, would be to remove all suspicion from their village. But where were they to take it? And they put the question to Tarzan. I will dispose of him for you, replied the Tarmangani. Answer my questions truthfully, and I will promise to take him away and dispose of him in such a manner that no one will know how he died or where. What are your questions? asked the spokesman. I am a stranger in your country. I am lost here, replied the eight man. And I would find a way out of the valley in that direction. And he pointed toward the southeast. The black shook his head. There may be a way out of the valley in that direction, he said. But what lies beyond, no man knows. Nor do I know whether there be a way out or whether there be anything beyond. It is said that all is fire beyond the mountain, and no one dares to go and see. As for myself, I have never been far from my village. At most only a day's march to hunt for game for the Bolognani, and to gather fruit and nuts and plantains for them. If there is a way out, I do not know. Nor would any man dare take it if there were. Does no one ever leave the valley? asked Tarzan. I know not what others do, replied the spokesman, but those of this village never leave the valley. What lies in that direction? asked Tarzan pointing toward Opar. I do not know, replied the black. Only that sometimes the Bolognani come from that way, bringing with them strange creatures, little men with white skins and much hair, with short-quickered legs and long arms, and sometimes white she's who did not look at all like the strange at Opar mangani. But where they get them I do not know. Nor do they ever tell us. Are these all the questions that you wish to ask? Yes, that is all, replied Tarzan saying that he could gain no information whatsoever from these ignorant villagers, realizing that he must find his own way out of the valley and knowing that he could do so much more quickly and safely if he was alone. He decided to sound the blacks in relation to a plan that had entered his mind. If I take the Bolognani away so that the others will not know that he was slain in your village, will you treat me as a friend? He asked. Yes, replied the spokesman. Then, said Tarzan, will you keep here for me my white she until I return again to your village? You can hide her in one of your huts if a Bolognani comes and no one need ever know that she is among you. What do you say? The blacks looked around. We do not see her, said the spokesman. Where is she? If you will promise to protect her and hide her, I will bring her here, replied the eight man. I will not harm her, said the headman, but I do not know about the others. Tarzan turned toward the others who were clustered about listening. I am going to bring my mate into your village, he said, and you are going to hide her and feed her and protect her until I return. I shall take away the body of Bolognani so that no suspicion shall fall upon you and when I come back I expect to find my mate safe and unharmed. He had thought it best to describe the laws his mate since thus they might understand that she was under his protection and if they felt either gratitude or fear toward him, law would be safer. Raising his face toward the tree where she was hidden he called to law to descend and a moment later she clambered down to the lower branches of one of the trees in the compound and dropped into Tarzan's arms. This is she, he said to the assembled blacks, guard her well and hide her from the Bolognani. If upon my return I find that any harm has befallen her I shall take word to the Bolognani you who did this and he pointed to the corpse of the guerrilla man. Law turned appealingly toward him fear showing in her eyes. You're not going to leave me here! she asked. Temporarily only, replied Tarzan. These poor people are afraid that if the death of this creature is traced to their village they shall all suffer the wrath of his fellows and so I have promised that I will remove the evidence in such a way as to direct suspicion elsewhere. If they are sufficiently high in the scale of evolution to harbor sentiments of gratitude which I doubt they will feel obligated to me for having slain this beast as well as for preventing suspicion falling upon them. For these reasons they should protect you but to make assurance doubly sure I have appealed also to their fear of the Bolognani a characteristic which I know they possess. I am sure that you will be as safe here as with me until I return otherwise I would not leave you but alone I can travel much faster and while I am gone I intend to find a way out of this valley then I shall return for you and together we may make our escape easily or at least with greater assurance of success then were we to blunder slowly about together. You will come back? She asked a note of fear, longing and appeal in her voice. I will come back. He replied and then turning to the blacks. Clear out one of these huts for my mate and see that she is not molested and that she is furnished with food and water and remember what I said upon her safety your lives depend. Stooping Tarzan lifted the dead gorilla man to his shoulder and the simple blacks marveled at his prowess. Of great physical strength themselves there was not one of them that would have staggered under the weight of Bologna yet this strange Tarmangani walked easily beneath his birdie and when they had opened the gate in the palisade he trotted down the jungle trail as though he carried nothing but his own frame. A moment later he disappeared at a turn and was swallowed by the forest. La turned to the blacks. Prepare my hut. She said for she was very tired and longed to rest. They eyed her askance and whispered among themselves. It was evident to her that there was a difference of opinion among them and presently from snatches of conversation which she overheard she realized that while some of the blacks were in favor of obeying Tarzan's injunctions implicitly there were others who objected stringuously and who wished to rid their village of her lest she be discovered thereby the Bologna and the villagers be punished accordingly. It would be better she heard one of the blacks say to turn her over to Bologna at once and tell them that we saw her mate slay the messenger of Numa. We will say that we tried to capture the Tarmangani but that he escaped and that we were only able to seize his mate. What takes for many of our women and children? But the Tarmangani is great replied one of the others but he's more powerful even than Bologna. He would make a terrible enemy and as the chances are that the Bologna would not believe us we should then have not only them but the Tarmangani to fear. You are right cried Law the Tarmangani is great far better will it be for you to have him for friend than enemy single handed he grapples with Numa, the lion and slays him you saw with Tarmangani to his shoulder you saw him trot lightly down the jungle trail beneath his burden with equal ease will he carry the corpse through the trees of the forest far above the ground in all the world there is no other like him no other like Tarzan of the apes if you are wise go Mangani you will have Tarzan for a friend the blacks listen to her their dull faces revealing nothing of what was passing in their stupid brains for a few moments then Law spoke go she cried imperiously and prepare my hut it was the high priestess of the flaming god Law the queen of opar addressing slaves her regal mean her commanding tones brought an instant change in the villagers and Law knew that Tarzan was right in his assumption that they could be moved only through fear for now they turned quickly cowering like whipped dogs and hastened to a nearby hut which they quickly prepared for her fetching fresh leaves and grasses for its floor and fruit and nuts and plantains for her meal when all was ready Law clamored up the rope and threw the circular opening in the floor of the hanging hut which she found large and airy and now reasonably clean she drew the rope up after her and threw herself upon the soft bed they had prepared for her and soon the gentle swaying of the swinging hut the soft murmur of the leaves above her the voices of the birds and insects combined with her own physical exhaustion to lull her into deep slumber End of chapter Chapter 10 of Tarzan and the Golden Lion This is a leverbox from Maine for more information or to volunteer please visit leverbox.org Recording by Josh Herring of Abingdon, Virginia Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burrows Chapter 10 Mad Treachery To the northwest of the Valley of Opar the smoke rose from the cookpies of a camp in which some hundred blacks and six whites were eating their evening meal the negro squatted sullen and morose mumbling together in low tones over the meager fair one of them a girl and the only member of her sex in the party was addressing her fellows we have Adolf Stinginess and Esteban's Bergadocio to thank for the condition in which we are she said the fat blooper shrugged his shoulder the big Spaniard scowled for vie asked Adolf am I to blame you were too stingy to employ enough carriers I told you at the time that we ought to have had and the other carriers are overburdened with camp equipment while there are scarce enough left for a scurry to guard us properly we have to drive them like beasts to make any progress and to keep them from throwing away their loads and they are fagged out and angry they don't require much of an excuse to kill us all on the spot on top of all this they are underfed if we could keep their bellies filled we could probably keep them happy most of all had not bragged so much about his prowess as a hunter we should have brought enough provisions to last us through but now though we are barely started upon our return journey we are upon less than half rations I can't kill game when there isn't any game crowd the Spaniard there is plenty of game said Krasky the Russian we see the tracks of it every day the Spaniard eyed him venomously like Krasky though I could go out with a slingshot and a pea shooter and do as well as you have the Spaniard leaped to his feet menacingly and instantly the Russian covered him with a heavy service revolver cut that business cried the girl sharply leaping between them let the blightest fight growled John Peoples if one of them kills the other there will be fewer to split the swag and here we are and that's that for why do we quarrel demanded Bloober there is enough for all over 43,000 pounds a piece for me you call me a dirty Jew and say that I am stingy but mind God you Christians are versa you would kill one of your friends to get more money oy oy thank God that I am not a Christian shut up growled Throck or we'll have 43,000 pounds more to divide Bloober eyed the big Englishman fearfully come come dick he oozed in his oiliest tones you wouldn't get mad at a little chock would you and me your best friend I ain't no highbrow I ain't nothing but a pug but I got sense enough to know that Flora is the only one in the bloomin' bunch whose brains wouldn't rattle around in a peanut shell John, Bloober, Kraski and me we're here because we could raise the money to carry up Flora's plan the day go there because his face and his figure filled the bill there don't any of us need no brains for this work and there ain't any of us got any more than that and takes orders from her the better off we'll all be she's been to Africa with this Lord Grey Stoke fellow before he was his wife's maid, wasn't she Flora and she knows something about the country and the natives and the animals and there don't none of us know nothing Throck is right said Kraski quickly we've been muddling long enough we haven't had a boss and the thing to do is make for a boss from now on if anyone can get this out of this we'll be lucky if we ever get out of here with our skins let alone taking any of the gold with us Oi Oi you don't mean to leave the gold almost shrieked Bloober I mean that we do whatever Flora thinks best replied Kraski if she says we leave the gold we'll leave it that we do seconded Throck I'm for it said peoples whatever Flora says goes the Spaniard nodded his ass in sullenly the rest of us are all for it Bloober well sure if you say so said Bloober and as John says and here we ain't unswatt dat and now Flora said peoples you're the big one what you say goes what do we do next very well said the girl we shall camp here until these men are rested and early tomorrow we'll start out intelligently and systematically and get meet for them with your help we can do it when they are rested and well slowly so as not to tire them too much this is my first plan but it all hinges upon our ability to get meet if we do not find it I shall bury the gold here and we will do our best to reach the coast as quickly as possible there we shall recruit new porters twice as many as we have now and purchase enough provisions to carry us in and out again as we come back in we will cash provisions at every camping place for our return trip thus saving the necessity of carrying heavy loads all the way in and out again as we come out light with twice as many porters as we actually need and by working them in shifts we will travel much faster and there will be no grumbling these are my two plans I am not asking what you think of them because I do not care you have made me chief and I'm going to run this from now on as I think best well they for you roared peoples that's the kind I talk our locks to here tell the head man I want to see him Carl said the girl turning to Kraski and a moment later the Russian returned with a burly negro a waza said the girl as the black halta before her we are short of food and the men are burdened with loads twice as heavy as they should carry tell them we shall wait here until they are rested and that tomorrow we shall go out and hunt for meat you will send your boys out under three good men and they will act as beaters and drive the game into us in this way we should get plenty of meat and when the men are rested and well fed we will move on slowly where game is plentiful we will hunt and rest tell them that if they do this and we reach the coast in safety and with all our loads I shall pay them twice what they agreed to come for oy oy spluttered Bloober twice what they agreed to come for oh flora why not offer them 10% that would be a fine interest on their money shut up you fool snapped Kraski and Bloober subsided though he rocked back and forth shaking his head and disapproving the black who had presented himself for the interview with sullen and scowling demeanor tell them he said and I think you will have no more trouble good said flora go and tell them now and the black turned and left there said the girl with a sigh of relief I believe that we can see light ahead at last it's five spots we promised to pay them bald Bloober oy oy early the following morning I prepared to set out upon the hunt the blacks were now smiling and happy in anticipation of plenty of meat and as they trampled off into the jungle each under I had man with explicit directions for the position each party was to take in the line of beaters others had been detailed to the whites as gun bearers while a small party of the escargot were left behind to guard the camp the whites with the exception of estobon were armed with rifles he alone seemed inclined to question flora's authority insisting that he preferred to hunt with spear and arrows in keeping with the part he was playing the fact that though he had hunted deciduously for weeks so genuinely had he entered his part that he really thought he was tarzan of the apes and with such fidelity he had equipped himself in every detail and such a master of the art of makeup was he that in conjunction with his splendid figure and his handsome face that were almost a counterpart of tarzans he was scarcely to be wondered that he almost fooled himself as successfully as he had fooled others for there were men among the carriers who had known the great ape man and even these were deceived though they wondered at the change in him since in little things with the kills he was disappointing flora hox who was endowed with more than a fair share of intelligence realized that it would not be well to cross any of her companions unnecessarily and so she permitted estobon to hunt that morning in his own way though some of the others grumbled a little at her decision what is the difference she asked them after the spaniard had set out alone the chances are that he could use a rifle no better than he uses his spear and arrows carl and dick are really estobon's egotism has been so badly bumped that it is possible that he will go to the last extremity to make a kill today let us hope he is successful I hope he breaks his full neck said kraski he has served our purpose and we will be better off if we were rid of him the girl shook her head negatively no she said we must not think or speak of anything of that kind we went into this thing together let us stick together until the end if you are wishing that one of us is dead how do you know we are dead I haven't any doubt that for any of the wishes I were dead replied kraski I never go to bed at night without thinking that the damned greaser may try to stick a knife into me before morning and it don't make me feel any kinder toward him to hear you defending him flora you've been a bit soft on him from the start and if I have it's none of your business retorted the girl and so they started out upon their hunt the russians scowling and angry harboring thoughts of vengeance or worse against estobon and estobon hunting through the jungle he was occupied with his hatred and his jealousy his dark mile was open to every chance suggestion of a means for putting the other men of the party out of the way and taking the woman and the gold for himself he hated them all in each he saw a possible rival for the affections of flora and in the death of each he saw not only one less suitor for the girls affections but 43,000 additional pounds to be divided among fewer people his mind stepped into the glaring sunlight of a large clearing face to face with a party of some 50 magnificent ebon warriors for just an instant estobon stood frozen in a paralysis of terror forgetting momentarily the part he was playing thinking of himself only as a lone white man in the heart of savage africa facing a large band of war like natives cannibals perhaps it was that moment of utter silence and inaction that saved him for as he stood thus before them the wasiri saw in the silent majestic figure oh buana buana cried one of the warriors rushing forward it is indeed you tarzan of the apes lord of the jungle whom we have given up as lost we your faithful wasiri have been searching for you and even now we were about to dare the dangers of opa fearing that you might have ventured there without us and had been captured the black who had at one time accompanied tarzan to london as a body servant spoke broken english an accomplishment of which he was the fact that it had been he who had chosen to act as spokesman was indeed a fortunate circumstance to moranda although the latter had applied himself assiduously to mastering the dialect of the west coast carriers he would have been hard put to it to carry on a conversation with one of them while he understood nothing of the wasiri language flora had schooled him carefully and well in the lore of tarzan so that he realized now that he was in the presence of a band of the apes faithful powerful men with intelligent faces and well-molded features appearing as much higher in the scale of evolution as where the west coast blacks above the apes lucky indeed was estobal moranda that he was quick-witted and a consummate actor otherwise he would have betrayed his terror and his chagrin upon learning that this band of tarzan's fierce and faithful followers was in this part of the country for a moment longer he stood in silence before them gathering his wits and then he spoke realizing that his very life depended upon his plausibility that he broke upon the shrewd brain of the unscrupulous spanish since i last saw you he said i discovered that a party of white men had entered the country for the purpose of robbing the treasure vaults of opar i followed them until i found their camp and then i came in search of you for there are many of them and they have many ingots of gold for they have already been to opar follow me and we will raid their camp and take the gold from them come and he turned back toward the camp he had just quitted as they made a quick and English to him walked to estaban's side behind them the spaniard could hear the other warriors speaking in their native tongue no word of which he understood and it occurred to him that his position would be most embarrassing should he be addressed in the waziri language which of course tarzan must have understood perfectly as he listened to the chatter of usla his mind was working rapidly and presently as though it were an inspiration there occurred to him the memory of an accident that had befallen tarzan which had been narrated to him by flora the story of the injury of the treasure vaults of opar upon the occasion that he had lost his memory because of a blow upon the head estaban wondered if he had committed himself too deeply at first to attribute to amnesia any shortcomings in the portrayal of the role he was acting at its worst however it seemed to him the best that he could do he turned suddenly upon usla do you remember he asked the accident that had fell me in the treasure vaults of opar depriving me of my memory yes born I remember it well replied the black that has befallen me said estaban a great tree fell in my path and in falling a branch struck me upon the head it has not caused me to lose my memory entirely but since then it is with great difficulty that I recall many things and there are others which I must have forgotten entirely for I do not know your name nor do I understand the words that my other waziria speaking about me usla looked at him compassionately ah buana sad indeed is the heart of usla to hear that this accident has befallen you doubtless it will soon pass away as did the other and in the meantime I usla will be your memory for you good said estaban tell the others that they may understand and tell them also that I have lost the memory of other things besides I could not now find my way home without you and my other senses are dull as well but as you say usla it will soon pass off and I shall be myself again your faithful waziria will rejoice indeed with the coming of that moment said usla as they approached the camp we cautioned usla to warn his followers to silence and presently he halted them at the outskirts of the clearing where they could attain a view of the Boma and the tins guarding which was a little band of a half dozen ascare when they see our greater numbers they will make no resistance said estaban let us surround the camp therefore and at his signal from me we will advance together when you shall address them saying that Tarzan of the apes comes with his waziri for the gold they have stolen but that he will spare them if they will leave the country at once and never return had it fulfilled his purpose as well his banner would have willingly ordered the waziri to fall upon the men guarding the camp and destroy them all but to his cunning brain had been born a cleverer scheme he wanted these men to see him with the waziri and to live to tell the others that they had seen him and to repeat to flora and her followers the thing that estaban had in his mind to tell one of the ascare while the waziri were gathering up the gold ingots from the camp in directing usla to station his men about the camp estaban had him clearing and attracted the attention of the ascare on guard fifteen minutes perhaps were consumed and stationing his men and then usla returned to estaban to report that all was ready when i raised my hand then you will know that they have recognized me and that you are to advance estaban cautioned him and stepped forward slowly into the clearing one of the ascare saw him and recognized him as estaban the spaniard took a few steps closer to the boma and then halted he will move against us and we shall not hurt you he waved his hand fifty star wars waziri stepped into view from the concealing vajra of this surrounding jungle the ascare eyed them in ill-concealed terror fingering their rifles nervously do not shoot cautioned estaban but we shall slay you all he approached more closely and his waziri closed in about him entirely surrounding the boma speak to them usla said estaban the black stepped forward we are the waziri he cried and this is tarzan of the apes lord of the jungle our master we have come to recover the gold of tarzan that you have stolen from the treasure vaults of opah this time we shall spare you on condition that you leave the country and never return tell this word to your masters tell them that tarzan watches and that his waziri watch with him lay down your rifles the ascare glad to escape so easily complied with the mans of usla and a moment later the waziri had entered the boma and a estaban's direction were gathering up the gold angans as they worked estaban approached the ascare whom he knew spoke broken english tell your master he said to give thanks for the mercy of tarzan who has exacted a toll of but one life for this invasion of his country and theft of his treasure the creature who presumes deposed as tarzan i have slain and his body i shall take away with me and feed to the lions tell them that tarzan forgives even their attempt to poison him upon the occasion that he visited their camp but only upon the condition that they never saw his waziri watch and no man may enter africa without tarzan's knowledge even before they left london i knew that they were coming tell them that it took but a few minutes for the waziri to gather up the gold ingots and before the ascare had recovered from the surprise of their appearance they had gone again into the jungle with tarzan as he was saying fortune is smiling upon us indeed we have enough meat here for several days and with plenty of meat in their bellies they ought to make good progress i will say it myself that things look brighter said luger blimey they do that said draug i'm telling you floor is a bright one well the devil is this demeanor peoples what's wrong with them beggars and he pointed toward the bomba which was now in sight and from which the ascare were issuing at a run tarzan of the apes has been here they cried excitedly he has been here with all his waziri a thousand great warriors and though we fought they overcame us and taking the gold they went away tarzan of the apes spoke strange words to me before they left he said that he had killed one of your number who had dared to call himself tarzan of the apes we do not understand it he went away alone to hunt when you went in the morning and he came back shortly with a thousand warriors and he took all the gold and he threatened you if you ever return to this country vat vat cried bloober their gold is gone oy oy and they all commenced to ask questions at once until flora silenced them come she said to the leader of the ascare we will return to the bomba and then you shall tell me slowly and carefully all that has happened since we left she listened intently to his narrative and then questioned him carefully upon various points several times it is all clear to me she said tarzan recovered from the effects of the drug we administered then he followed us with his waziri caught estaban and killed him and finding the camp has taken the gold away we shall be fortunate indeed if we escape from african with our lives oy oy almost shrieked bloober dirty cook he steals all our gold once we lose our two thousand pounds into the bargain oy oy shut up you dirty Jew if it hadn't been for you in the day this here thing would never happened with him a bragging about his hunting and not being able to kill anything and you were squeezed in every bloom and hate any we're in a rotten mess that we are this here tarzan bounder has bumped off estaban which is the best work would he ever done too bloody s'fault as far as I can see instead of talking what we ought to do is go after this here tarzan fella and take the bloom and gold away from him flora hox laughed we haven't a chance in the world she said I know this tarzan bloke if he was all alone we wouldn't be a match for him but he's got a bunch of his waziri with him and there are no finer warriors in africa than they and they'd fight for him away from them and see how long it'd be before we wouldn't have a single nigger with us the very name of tarzan scares these west coast blacks out of a year's growth they would sooner face the devil no sir we've lost and all we can do is to get out of this country and thank our lucky stars if we manage to get out alive the eight man will watch us I should not be surprised if he were watching us this minute let's get back to opar for another loan even if we could prevail upon our blacks to return there two thousand pounds two thousand pounds well blooper with all this suits thought it cost me 20 yenis thought I can't wear it again in England unless I go to a fancy dress ball which I never do kraski had not spoken in England we stand to spin the balance of our two thousand pounds in other words our expedition is a total loss the rest of you may be satisfied to go back broke but I am not there are other things in Africa besides the gold of opar and when we leave the country there is no reason why we shouldn't take something with us that will repay us for our time and investment what do you mean that's peoples I have spent more on their crazy language and I have come to find out a lot about the old villain he's as crooked as they make him and if he were to be hanged for all his murders he'd have more lives than a cat but not with standing mat he's a shrewd old fellow and I've learned a lot more from him than just his monkey talk I have learned enough in fact so that I feel safe in saying that if we stick together we can go out of Africa because we've lost but there's plenty left where that came from and some day after this blows over I'm coming back to get my share but how about this other thing as for how can Owaza help us there's a little bunch of A-Rams down here explained Kraski stealing slaves and ivory Owaza knows where they are working and where their main camp is there are only a few of them and their blacks are nearly all slaves who would turn on them in a minute now the idea is this we have a big enough party to overpower them and take their ivory away from them if we can get their slaves to take our side we don't want the slaves we couldn't do anything with them if we had them so we can promise them their freedom for their help and give Owaza and his gang a share in the ivory how do you know Owaza will help us as for the idea is his that's the reason I know replied Kraski it sounds good to me said peoples I ain't for going home empty-handed and in turn signified their approval of the scheme End of chapter Chapter 11 of Tarzan and the Golden Lion This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Josh Herring of Abingdon, Virginia Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs Chapter 11 Strange Incense Burns As Tarzan carried the dead Bulgani from the village of the Gomangani he set his steps in the direction of the building he had seen from the rim of the valley the curiosity of the man overcoming the natural caution of the beast he was traveling upwind and the odors wafted down to his nostrils told him that he was approaching the habitat of the Bulgani Intermingled with the sense for of the gorilla men was that of the Gomangani and the odor of cooked food and the suggestion of a heavily sweet scent which the eight man could connect only with burning incense though it seemed must have been constructed by human beings and in which human beings might still dwell though never among the multitudinous odors that assailed his nostrils did he once catch the faintest suggestion of the man's scent of whites. When he perceived from the increasing strength of their odor that he was approaching close to the Bulgani Tarzan took to the trees with his burden that he might thus stand a better chance of avoiding discovery and presently through the foliage ahead he saw a lofty wall and beyond the outlines of the weird architecture of a strange and mysterious pile in the middle of the building of another world so initially were they and from beyond the wall came the odor of the Bulgani and the fragrance of the incense intermingled with the scent of Numa the lion the jungle was cleared away for fifty feet outside the wall surrounding the building so that there was no tree overhanging the wall but Tarzan approached as closely as he could while still remaining reasonably well concealed by the foliage he had chosen a building constructed at various periods and each with utter disregard to uniformity resulting in a conglomeration of connecting buildings and towers no two of which were alike though the whole presented a rather pleasing if somewhat bizarre appearance the building stood upon an artificial elevation about ten feet high surrounded by a retaining wall of granite a wide staircase leading to the ground level below about the building were shrubbery and trees a comparable feature of the building however lay in its rich and barbaric ornamentation set into the polished granite of which it was composed was an intricate mosaic of golden diamonds glittering stones and countless thousands scintillated from facades minarets domes and towers the enclosure which comprised some fifteen or twenty acres was occupied for the most part by the building the terrace upon which it stood was devoted to seemed to be given over to the raising of garden truck in the garden and upon the terrace were naked blacks such as he had seen in the village where he had left law there were both men and women and these were occupied with the care of growing things within the enclosure among them were several of the gorilla-like creatures such as Tarzan had slain in the village but these performed no labor devoting themselves rather is seemed to directing the work of the blacks toward whom their manner was haughty and those upon the body which now rested in a crotch of the tree behind the aidman as Tarzan watched with interest the scene below him two bulgani emerged from the main entrance a huge portal some thirty feet in width and perhaps fifteen feet high the two war headbands supporting tall white feathers as they emerged they took post on either side of the entrance and cupping their hands before their mouths gave voice to a series of shrill cries that bore a marked resemblance to trumpet calls immediately the blacks here they formed lines on either side of the stairway and similarly the bulgani formed two lines upon the terrace from the main portal to the stairway forming a living isle from one to the other presently from the interior of the building came other trumpet-like calls and a moment later Tarzan saw the head of a procession emerging first came four bulgani abreast each bedecked with an ornate feather headdress and each carrying a huge bludgeon erect before him behind these came two trumpeteers and twenty feet and each by four sturdy blacks two upon either side holding what appeared to be golden chains that ran to a scintillant diamond collar about the beast's neck behind the lion marched twenty more bulgani four abreast these carried spears but whether they were for the purpose of protecting the lion from the people or the people from the lion Tarzan was at a loss to know the attitude of the bulgani landing either side of the way between the portal and the stairway indicated extreme deference for they bent their bodies from their wastes in a profound bow when the beast reached the top of the stairway the procession halted and immediately the bulgani ranged below prostrated themselves and placed their foreheads on the ground Numa who was evidently an old lion stood with lordly mean surveying the prostrate humans before him his evil eyes glared glassily the while he buried his tusks in a savage grimace and from his deep lungs rumbled forth an ominous roar at the sound of which the bulgani trembled in unfeigned terror upon to witness so remarkable a scene of the abasement of man before a beast presently the procession continued upon its way descending the staircase and turning to the right along a path through the garden and when it had passed them the bulgani and bulgani arose and resumed their interrupted duties Tarzan remained in concealment watching them trying to discover some explanation for the strange paradoxical conditions that he had witnessed the lion with his retinue had turned the far corner of the palace what did he represent? why this topsy-turvy arrangement of species? here man ranked lower than the half-beast and above all from the deference that had been accorded him stood a true beast a savage carnivore he had been occupied with his thoughts and his observations for some 15 minutes following the disappearance of Numa around the eastern end of the palace when his attention was attracted to the opposite end of the structure by the sound of other shrill trumpet calls turning his eyes in that direction he saw the procession leading toward the staircase down which they had entered the garden immediately the notes of the shrill call sounded upon their ears the Gomangani and the Bolgani resumed their original positions from below the foot of the staircase to the entrance of the palace and once again was homage paid to Numa as he made his triumphal entry into the building Tarzan of the Apes ran his fingers through his massive tussled hair but finally he was forced to shake his head and defeat he could find no explanation whatsoever for all that he had witnessed his curiosity however he went to investigate the palace and surrounding grounds further before continuing on his way in search of a trail out of the valley leaving the body of Bolgani where he had cached it he started slowly to circle the building that he might examine it from all sides from the concealing foliage of the surrounding forest he found the architecture equally unique upon all sides and that the garden extended entirely around the building though a portion of the south side of the palace was given over to corrals and pins in which were kept numerous goats and a considerable flinging beehive huts such as he had seen in the native village of the Gomangani these he took to be the quarters of all the black slaves who performed all the arduous and menial labor connected with the palace the lofty granite wall which surrounded the entire enclosure was pierced by but a single gate which opened opposite the east end of the palace this gate was large and of massive construction appearing to have been built to withstand the assault of numerous and well armed forces so strong did it appear constructed to protect the interior against forces equipped with heavy battering rams that such a force had ever existed within the vicinity in historic times seemed most unlikely and Tarzan conjectured therefore that the wall and gate were of almost unthinkable antiquity dating doubtless from the forgotten age of the Atlanteans and constructed perhaps to protect the builders of the palace of diamonds from the well armed forces that had come from Atlantis to work the gold mines of Opar itself suggested in many ways almost unbelievable age yet they were in such an excellent state of repair that it was evident that they were still inhabited by rational and intelligent creatures while upon the south side Tarzan had seen a new tower in the process of construction where a number of blacks working under the direction of Bologna were cutting and shaping granite blocks and putting them in place Tarzan had halted in a tree near the east gate to watch the life passing in and out of the palace grounds from the forest and entered the enclosure swung and hides between two poles this party was carrying rough hewn blocks of granite four men to a block two or three Bologna accompanied the long line of carriers which was preceded and followed by a detachment of black warriors armed with battle axes and spears the demeanor and attitude of the black porters as well as of the Bologna suggested to the eight men nothing more nor less than a caravan of donkeys plotting their stupid way to the behest there was no greater brutality shown than in the ordinary handling of beasts of burden the world around nor in the demeanor of the blacks was there any more indication of objection or revolt than you see depicted upon the faces of a long line of burden-bearing mules to all intents and purposes they were dumb driven cattle slowly they filed through the gateway and disappeared from sight a few moments later another party came out of the forest and passed entirely surrounded by these armed creatures were four brawny porters carrying a small litter upon which was fastened an ornate chest about two feet wide by four feet long with a depth of approximately two feet the chest itself was of some dark weather-worn wood and was reinforced by bands and corners of what appeared to be virgin gold in which were set many diamonds what the chest contained Tarzan could not of course conceive but that it was considered of great value was evidenced by the precautions for safety a huge ivy-covered tower at the northeast corner of the palace the entrance to which Tarzan now first observed was secured by doors as large and heavy as the east gate itself at the first opportunity that he could seize to accomplish it undiscovered Tarzan swung across the jungle trail and continued through the trees to the one in which he had left the body of Bogani throwing this across his shoulder he returned to the point close above the trail near the east gate and seizing upon a moment thought the eight man let them guess who slew their fellow if they can making his way toward the southeast Tarzan approached the mountains which lie back of the valley of the palace of diamonds he had often to make detours to avoid native villages and to keep out of sight of the numerous parties of Bogani that seemed to be moving in all directions through the forest late in the afternoon he came out of the hills into full view of the mountains beyond rough granite hills they were whose precipitous peaks arose far above the timberline into a canyon which he could see wound far upward toward the summit this then would be as good a place to commence his investigations as another and so seeing that the coast was clear the eight man descended from the trees and taking advantage of the underbrush bordering the trail he made his way silently yet swiftly into the hills for the most part he was compelled to worm his way through thickets for the trail was in constant use by Golmangani and Bogani parties passing up they advanced more deeply into the hills the heavy underbrush gave way to a lighter growth of scrub through which he could pass with far greater ease though with considerable more risk of discovery however the instinct of the beast that dominated Tarzan's jungle craft permitted him to find cover where another would have been in full view of every enemy halfway up the mountain the trail passed through a narrow gorge not more than 20 feet wide and eroded from solid granite cliffs here there was no concealment whatsoever he saw that by making a slight detour he could reach the summit of the gorge where amid tumbled granite boulders and stunted trees and shrubs he knew that he could find sufficient concealment and perhaps a planer view of the trail beyond nor was he mistaken for when he had reached the vantage point far above the trail he saw a head and open pocket in the mountain the cliffs surrounding which were honeycombed with numerous openings which it seemed to Tarzan could be not else than the mouths of tunnels rough wooden ladders of the cliffs while from others knotted ropes dangled to the ground below out of these tunnels emerged men carrying little sacks of earth which they dumped in a common pile beside a rivulet which ran through the gorge here other blacks supervised by Bulgani were engaged in washing the dirt but what they hoped to find or what they did find Tarzan could not guess along one side of the rocky basin many other blacks were engaged in quarrying the granite from the cliffs which had been cut away through similar operations into a series of terraces from the top of the basin to the summit of the cliff here naked blacks toiled with primitive tools under the supervision of savage Bulgani the activities of the quarrymen were obvious enough but what others were bringing from the mouths of the tunnels Tarzan could not be positive though the natural assumption was that it was gold where then did they obtain their diamonds certainly not from these solid granite cliffs a few minutes observation convinced Tarzan that the trail he had followed from the forest ended in this little cul-de-sac and so he sought the balance of that day and nearly all the next he devoted to his efforts in this direction only in the end to be forced to admit that there was no egress from the valley upon this side to points far above the temper line he made his way but there always he came face to face with sheer perpendicular cliffs of granite towering high above him upon the face of which not even the eight man could find foothold along the southern and eastern sides of the basin he carried his investigation but with similar disappointing results he continued his steps back toward the forest with the intention of seeking a way out through the valley of Opar with law after darkness had fallen the sun had just risen when Tarzan arrived at the native village in which he had left law and no sooner did his eyes rest upon it than he became apprehensive that something was amiss for not only was the gate wide open but there was no sign of life within the palisade nor was there any movement of the swinging huts that would indicate that they were occupied observation it became evident that the village had been deserted for at least 24 hours running to the hut in which law had been hidden he hastily ascended the rope and examined the interior it was vacant nor was there any sign of the high priestess descending to the ground the eight man started to make a thorough investigation of the village in search of clues to the fate of its inhabitants and of law he had examined the interiors of several huts when his keen eyes noted a slight movement of one of the swinging cage-like habitation some distance from him quickly he crossed his face and as he approached the hut he saw a rope trailed from its doorway halting beneath Tarzan raised his face to the aperture through which nothing but the roof of the hut was visible go mangani he cried it is I Tarzan of the apes come to the opening and tell me what has become of your fellows and of my mate whom I left here under the protection still there was no reply a grim smile touched the man's lips as he drew his hunting knife from its sheath and placed it between his teeth and then with a cat-like spring leaped for the opening and catching its sides drew his body up into the interior of the hut if he had expected opposition he was met with none nor in the dimly-lighted interior could he at first distinguish any presence though when his eyes would be huddled form of a terrified woman seizing her by the shoulder he drew her to a sitting position what has happened he demanded where are the villagers where is my mate do not kill me do not kill me she cried it was not I it was not my fault I do not intend to kill you replied Tarzan angry for they had found the body of their fellow outside the gate of the palace of diamonds they knew that he had come here to our village and no one had seen him alive since he had departed from the palace they came then and threatened and tortured our people until at last the warriors told them all I hid I do not know why they did not find me but at last they went taking all the others with them all who displeased them alone now and relieved of the responsibility of La Tarzan might easily make his way by night through the valley of Opar and to safety beyond the barrier but perhaps such a thought never injured his head gratitude and loyalty were marked characteristics of the eight man La had saved him from the fanaticism and intrigue of her people she had saved him at a cost of all that was most dear to her power and position peace and safety she had taken her with the possible intention of slaying her was not sufficient for the eight man he must know whether or not she lived and if she lived he must devote his every energy to winning her release and her eventual escape from the dangers of this valley Tarzan spent the day reconnoitering outside the palace grounds seeking an opportunity of gaining entrance without detection but this he found impossible and as much as there was never a moment that there was not the huts in palace withdrew within their walls leaving not even a single sentinel without a fact that indicated clearly that the Bulgani had no reason to apprehend an attack the subjection of the Gomangani then was apparently complete and so the towering walls surrounding the palace which was more than sufficient to protect them from the inroads of lions was but the reminder of an ancient day when a once powerful but now vanished enemy threatened their peace and safety when darkness had finally settled Tarzan approached one of the carved lions that capped the gate posts ascending quickly to the summit of the wall from where he dropped lightly into the garden below to ensure an avenue for quick escape in the event that he found law he unlatched the heavy gates and swung them open then he crept stealthily toward the ivy covered east tower which he had chosen after a day of investigation as offering easiest ingress to the palace the success of his plan hinged largely upon the age and strength of the ivy which grew almost to the summit of the tower far above the ground near the summit of the tower he had seen from the trees surrounding the palace an open window which, unlike the balance of those in this part of the palace was without bars dim light shone from several of the tower windows as from those of the other parts of the palace avoiding these lighted apertures Tarzan ascended quickly though carefully toward the unbarred window above and as he reached it and cautiously raised his eyes above the level of the sill he was delighted to find that it opened into an unlighted chamber the interior of which however he could discern nothing within drawing himself carefully to the level of the sill he crept quietly into the apartment beyond groping through the blackness he cautiously made the rounds of the room which he found to contain a carved bedstead of peculiar design a table and a couple of benches upon the bedstead were stuffs of woven material thrown over the softly tanned pelts of antelopes and leopards opposite the window through which he had entered was a closed door this he opened slowly and silently until through a tiny aperture of a corridor or circular hallway in the center of which was an opening about four feet in diameter passing through which and disappearing beyond a similar opening in the ceiling directly above was a straight pole with short cross pieces fastened to it at intervals of about a foot quite evidently the primitive staircase which gave communication between the various floors of the tower three upright columns set at equal intervals about the circumference of the circular opening in the center of the floor helped to support the ceiling above around the outside of the circular hallway there were other doors open to that opening into the apartment in which he was hearing no noise and seeing no evidence of another than himself Tarzan opened the door and stepped into the hallway his nostrils were now sailed strongly by the same heavy fragrance of incense that had first greeted him upon his approach to the palace several days before in the interior of the tower however it was much more powerful practically obliterating all other odors and placing upon the eight man an almost prohibitive handicap in his search for law in fact at the initial stage of the tower he was filled with consternation at the prospect of the well-nigh impossible task that confronted him to search this great tower alone without any assistance whatever from his keen sense of scent seemed impossible of accomplishment if he were to take even the most ordinary precautions against detection the eight man's self confidence was in no measure blundering egotism knowing his limitations he knew that he would have little or no chance against even a few Bulgani where he to be was the open window and the silent jungle night and freedom ahead danger predestined failure and quite likely death which should he choose for a moment he stood in silent thought and then raising his head and squaring his great shoulders he shook his black locks defiantly and stepped boldly toward the nearest door room after room he had investigated until he had made the entire circle of the landing but in so far as law or any clue to her were concerned his search was fruitless in tapestries in ornaments of gold and diamonds and in one dimly lighted chamber he came upon a sleeping Bulgani but so silent were the movements of the eight man that the sleeper slept on undisturbed even though Tarzan passed entirely around his bed which was set in the center of the chamber and investigated a curtained alcove beyond having completed the rounds on this floor Tarzan determined to work upward first and then reach the upper floor of the tower circling each floor was a ring of doors each of which were closed while dimly lighting each landing were feebly burning crescents shallow golden moles containing what appeared to be tallow in which floated a toe-like wick upon the upper landing there were but three doors all of which were closed the ceiling of this hallway was the dome-like roof of the tower in the center of which was another circular house giving forth the first audible sound that had resulted from his investigations up to this point the interior of the apartment before him was unlighted and as Tarzan stood there in the entrance in statuistic silence for a few seconds following the creaking of the hinge he was suddenly aware of movement of the faintest shadow of a sound behind him wheeling quickly he saw the figure of a man standing in an open doorway upon the opposite side of the landing all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Josh Herring of Abingdon, Virginia Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs Chapter 12 The Golden Ingets Esteban Moranad played the role of Tarzan of the Apes with the Waziria as his audience for less than 24 hours when he began to realize that even with the leeway that his supposedly injured brain gave him it was going to be carry on the deception indefinitely in the first place Usula did not seem at all pleased at the idea of merely taking the gold away from the intruders and then running from them nor did his fellow warriors seem any more enthusiastic over the plan than he as a matter of fact they could not conceive that any number of bumps upon the head could render their Tarzan of the Apes a coward and to run away from these west coast blacks and a handful of inexperienced whites seem nothing less than cowardly following all of this there had occurred in the afternoon that which finally over himself anything other than a bed of roses and that the sooner he found an excuse for quitting the company of the Waziri the greater would be his life expectancy they were passing through rather open jungle at the time the brush was not particularly heavy and the trees were at considerable distances apart when suddenly without warning a rhinoceros charged them to the consternation of the Waziri Tarzan of the Apes turned and fled for the nearest tree the instant his eyes lighted upon charging looping agilely into the lower branches he attempted to shin up the huge bowl as a schoolboy shins up a telegraph pole only to slip and fall back again to the ground in the meantime Buto who charges either by scent or hearing rather than by sight his powers of which are extremely poor had been distracted from his original direction by one of the Waziri and after missing the fellow had gone blundering on to disappear in the underbrush beyond when Esteban finally arose from the impressions of pity and sorrow not unmingled in some instances with a tinge of contempt the Spaniard saw that he had been terrified into a practically irreparable blunder yet he seized despairingly upon the only excuse he could conjure up my poor head he cried pressing both palms to his temples this blow upon your head Blana Cerusla and your faithful Waziri thought that it was the heart of their master that knew no fear Esteban that they made camp before dark upon the bank of the river just above a waterfall during the afternoon Esteban had evolved a plan of escape from his dilemma and no sooner had he made camp than he ordered the Waziri to bury the treasure we shall leave it here he said and tomorrow we shall set forth in search of the thieves for I have decided to punish them that must be taught that they may not come into the jungle of Tarzan without impunity it was only the injury to my head that prevented me from slaying them immediately they commenced to see a ray of hope once again was Tarzan of the apes becoming Tarzan and so it was with lighter hearts and a new cheerfulness they set forth the next morning in search of the camp of the Englishman and by true guessing on Useless part they cut across the jungle to intercept the probable line of march of the Europeans to such advantage that they came upon them just as they were making camp that night long before they reached them they smelled the smoke of their fires and heard the songs my children he said addressing Useless in English these strangers have come here to wrong Tarzan to Tarzan then belongs the vengeance go therefore and leave me to punish my enemies alone and in my own way return home leave the gold where it is for it will be a long time before I shall need it the wasiri were disappointed for this new plan did not at all accord with their desires which contemplated a cheerful massacre of the west coast blacks but as yet the man before them was Tarzan their big buana whom they had never failed in implicit obedience for a few moments following Esteban's declaration of his intention they stood in silence shifting uneasily and then at last they commenced to speak to one another in wasiri what they said the Spaniard did not know but evidently they were urging something upon Useless who presently turned toward him oh buana cried the black how can we return home to lady jane and tell her that we left you injured and alone to face the rifles of the white men in their asgari do not ask us we should not fear for your safety but since the injury to your head you have not been the same and we fear to leave you alone in the jungle let us then your faithful wasiri punish these people after which we may take you home in safety where you may be cured of the evils that have fallen upon you the Spaniard laughed I am entirely recovered he said and I am no more danger alone than I would be with you which he knew even better than they was but a mild statement of the facts you will obey my wishes he continued sternly go back at once the way that we have come after you have gone at least two miles you may make camp for the night and in the morning start out again for home make no noise I do not want them to know that I am here do not worry about me I am all right and I shall probably overtake you before you reach home go sorrowfully the wasiri turned back upon the trail they had just covered and a moment later the last of them disappeared from the side of the Spaniard with a sigh of relief Esteban Miranda turned toward the camp of his own people and that surprised them suddenly might invite a volley of shots from the Ascari he whistled and then called aloud as he approached it is Tarzan cried the first of the blacks who saw him now indeed shall we be killed Esteban saw the growing excitement among the carriers and Ascari he saw the latter seize the rifles and that they were fingering the triggers nervously it is I Esteban Miranda he called aloud flora flora tell those fools to lay aside the rifles flora turned toward the blacks it is all right she said that is not Tarzan lay aside your rifles Esteban entered the camp smiling here I am he said we thought that you were dead said Kraski some of these fellows said that Tarzan said that he had killed you he captured me said Esteban but that you see he did not kill me I thought that he was going to but he did not and finally he turned me loose in the jungle he may have thought that he was alive and that he would accomplish his end just as surely without having my blood upon his hands he must have knowed you said peoples you die all right if you were left alone very long in the jungle you'd starve to death Esteban made no reply to the Sally but turned toward flora are you not glad to see me flora he asked the girl shrugged her shoulders what is the difference she asked her expedition is a failure some of them think that you were largely to blame she nodded her head in the general direction of the other whites the Spaniard scowled none of them cared very much to see him he did not care about the others but he had hoped that flora would show some enthusiasm about his return well if she had known what he had in his mind she might have been happier to see him and only too glad to show some kind of affection but she did not know she did not know that Esteban Miranda had hidden the golden ingots where he might go another day and get them it had been his intention to persuade her to desert the others and then later the two would return and recover the treasure but now he was peaked and offended to have a shilling of it he would wait until they left Africa and then he would return and take it all for himself the only fly in the ointment was the thought that the waziri knew the location of the treasure and that sooner or later they would return to Tarzan and get it this weak spot in his calculations must be strengthened and to strengthen it must have assistance which would mean sharing his secret with another but whom outwardly oblivious of the sullen glances of his companions he took his place among them it was evident to him that they were far from being glad to see him but just why he did not know for he had not heard of the plan that Kraski and Owaza had hatched to steal the loot of the ivory raiders and that their main objection to his presence was the fear that he would be compelled to share the loot with them it was Kraski who first voiced the thought that was in the minds of Alba Esteban Miranda he said it is the consensus of opinion that you and Bloober are largely responsible for the failure of our venture we are not finding fault I just mentioned it as a fact but since you have been away we have struck upon the plan to take something out of Africa that will partially recompense us for the loss of the gold we have worked this thing out carefully and made our plans we don't need you to carry them out we have no objection to your coming along with us if you want to for company but we want to have it understood from the beginning that you are not to share in anything that we get out of this the Spaniards smiled and waved a gesture of unconcern it is perfectly alright he said I shall ask for nothing I would not wish to take anything from any of you and he grinned inwardly as he thought of the more than quarter of a million pounds in gold which he would one day take out of Africa for himself alone at this unexpected attitude of acquiescence upon Esteban's part the others were greatly relieved and immediately the entire atmosphere of constraint was removed you are a good fellow Esteban said peoples I have been saying right along that you want to do the right thing and I want to say that I am mighty glad to see you back here safe and sound I felt terrible when I heard you was croaked that I did yes said Bloober he cried himself to sleep every night ain't it John don't you try to start nothing Bloober growled peoples glaring at the Jew I thought then commencing to start nodding replied Adolf seeing that the big Englishman was angry of course Vivo asked sorry that we thought Esteban was killed and we are all glad that he is back that he don't want any of the swag added Throck don't worry said Esteban if I get back to London I'll be happy enough I've had enough of Africa to last me all the rest of my life before he could get to sleep that night the Spaniard spent a wakeful hour or two trying to evolve a plan whereby he might secure the gold absolutely to himself without fear if it's being removed by the Waziri later he knew that he could easily find the spot where he had buried it and remove it to another close by provided that he could return immediately over the trail along which Usela had led him that day and he could do this alone ensuring that no one by himself would know the new location of the hiding place of the gold but he was equally confident that he had hidden it this meant that he must share his secret with another one familiar with the country who could find the spot again at any time and from any direction but who was there whom he might trust in his mind he went carefully over the entire personnel of their safari and continually his mind diverted to a single individual a waza he had no confidence in the Wily Old Scoundrel's integrity but there was no other he could repay the fellow well make him rich beyond his wildest dreams and this the Spaniard could well afford to do in view of the tremendous fortune at stake and so he fell asleep dreaming of what gold to the value of over a quarter of a million pounds sterling would accomplish in the gay capitals of the world the following morning while they were breakfasting Esteban mentioned casually that he had passed a large herd of antelope not far from their camp the previous day and suggested that he take four or five men and do a little no one raised any objection possibly for the reason that they assumed that the more he hunted and the further from the safari he went the greater the chances of his being killed a contingency that none of them would have regretted since at heart they had neither liking nor trust for him I will take a waza he said he is the cleverest hunter of them all and five or six men of his choosing but later when he approached a waza the black and opposed objections to the hunt we have plenty of meat for two days he said let us go on to the end of the waziri and tarzan I can find plenty of game anywhere between here and the coast march for two days and then I will hunt with you listen said Esteban in a whisper it is more than antelope that I would hunt I cannot tell you here in camp but when we have left the others I will explain it will pay you better to come with me today than all the ivory you can hope to get from the raiders a waza cocked an attentive ear and scratched his woolly head it is a good day to hunt wana after a waza had planned the march for the main party and arranged for the camping place for the night and arranged for the camping place for the night so that he and the spaniard could find them again the hunting party set out upon the trail that usula had followed from the buried treasure the preceding day they had not gone far before a waza discovered the fresh spore of the waziri many men passed by here late yesterday he said to Esteban eyeing the spaniard quizzically I saw nothing of him replied the latter turned about and went away again said a waza listen wana I carry a rifle and you shall march ahead of me if these tracks were made by your people and you were leading me into ambush you shall be the first to die listen waza said Esteban we are far enough from the camp now so that I may tell you all these tracks were made by the waziri of Tarzan of the apes who buried the treasure for me a day's march from here I have sent them home and I wish you to go back with me to move the gold and return to England you and I will come back and get the gold and then, indeed shall you be rewarded who are you then? asked a waza often have I doubted that you are Tarzan of the apes the day that we left the camp outside of Opar one of my men told me that you had been poisoned by your own people and left in the camp he said that he saw it with his own eyes your body lying hidden behind some bushes and yet you were with us upon the march that day I thought that he lied to me but I saw the consternation in his face when he saw you and so I have often wondered if there were I am not Tarzan of the apes said Esteban it was Tarzan of the apes who was poisoned in our camp by the others but they only gave him something that would put him to sleep for a long time possibly with the hope that he would be killed by wild animals before he awoke whether or not he still lives we do not know therefore you have nothing to fear from the waziri or Tarzan on my account waza for I want to keep out of their way even more than you the black nodded perhaps you speak the truth he said but he still walked behind with his rifle they went warily for fear of overtaking the waziri but shortly after passing the spot where the latter had camped they saw that they had taken another route and that there was now no danger of coming in contact with them when they had reached a point within about a mile of the spot where the gold had been buried Esteban told a waza to have his boys remain there while they went ahead alone to affect the transfer of the ingots the fewer who know of this he said to the black the safer we shall be the one that speaks words of wisdom replied the wily black Esteban found the spot near the waterfall without difficulty and upon questioning a waza he discovered that the latter knew the location perfectly and would have no difficulty in coming directly to it again from the coast they transferred the gold but a short distance concealing it in a heavy thicket near the edge of the river knowing that it would be a safe from discovery there as though they had transported it a hundred miles for the chances were extremely slight that the waziri or anyone else who should learn of its original hiding place would imagine that anyone would go to the trouble of removing it but a matter of a hundred yards when they had finished a waza looked at the sun he said and we will have to travel fast to overtake them even tomorrow I did not expect to replied Esteban but they could not tell them that if we never find them again I shall be satisfied a waza grinned in his crafty mind an idea was formed why? he thought risk death in the battle with the Arab ivory raiders on the chance of securing a few tusks when all this gold awaits only transportation to the coast to be ours End of chapter