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his arms and shoulders； the veins stood out upon his
temples from the force of his exertionsa strand
parted； another and another； and one hand was free。
Then from the jungle came a low guttural； and the
ape…man became suddenly a silent； rigid statue； with ears
and nostrils straining to span the black void where his
eyesight could not reach。
Again came the uncanny sound from the thick verdure
beyond the camp。 A sentry halted abruptly； straining
his eyes into the gloom。 The kinky wool upon his head
stiffened and raised。 He called to his comrade in a
hoarse whisper。
〃Did you hear it？〃 he asked。
The other came closer； trembling。
〃Hear what？〃
Again was the weird sound repeated； followed almost
immediately by a similar and answering sound from the
camp。 The sentries drew close together； watching the
black spot from which the voice seemed to come。
Trees overhung the boma at this point which was upon
the opposite side of the camp from them。 They dared
not approach。 Their terror even prevented them from
arousing their fellowsthey could only stand in frozen
fear and watch for the fearsome apparition they
momentarily expected to see leap from the jungle。
Nor had they long to wait。 A dim； bulky form dropped
lightly from the branches of a tree into the camp。 At
sight of it one of the sentries recovered command of
his muscles and his voice。 Screaming loudly to awaken
the sleeping camp； he leaped toward the flickering
watch fire and threw a mass of brush upon it。
The white officer and the black soldiers sprang from
their blankets。 The flames leaped high upon the
rejuvenated fire； lighting the entire camp； and the
awakened men shrank back in superstitious terror from
the sight that met their frightened and astonished
vision。
A dozen huge and hairy forms loomed large beneath the
trees at the far side of the enclosure。 The white
giant； one hand freed； had struggled to his knees and
was calling to the frightful； nocturnal visitors in a
hideous medley of bestial gutturals； barkings and
growlings。
Werper had managed to sit up。 He； too； saw the savage
faces of the approaching anthropoids and scarcely knew
whether to be relieved or terror…stricken。
Growling； the great apes leaped forward toward Tarzan
and Werper。 Chulk led them。 The Belgian officer
called to his men to fire upon the intruders； but the
Negroes held back； filled as they were with
superstitious terror of the hairy treemen； and with the
conviction that the white giant who could thus summon
the beasts of the jungle to his aid was more than human。
Drawing his own weapon； the officer fired； and Tarzan
fearing the effect of the noise upon his really timid
friends called to them to hasten and fulfill his commands。
A couple of the apes turned and fled at the sound of
the firearm； but Chulk and a half dozen others waddled
rapidly forward； and； following the ape…man's
directions； seized both him and Werper and bore them
off toward the jungle。
By dint of threats； reproaches and profanity the
Belgian officer succeeded in persuading his trembling
command to fire a volley after the retreating apes。 A
ragged； straggling volley it was； but at least one of
its bullets found a mark； for as the jungle closed
about the hairy rescuers； Chulk； who bore Werper across
one broad shoulder； staggered and fell。
In an instant he was up again； but the Belgian guessed
from his unsteady gait that he was hard hit。 He lagged
far behind the others； and it was several minutes after
they had halted at Tarzan's command before he came
slowly up to them； reeling from side to side； and at
last falling again beneath the weight of his burden and
the shock of his wound。
As Chulk went down he dropped Werper； so that the
latter fell face downward with the body of the ape
lying half across him。 In this position the Belgian
felt something resting against his hands； which were
still bound at his backsomething that was not a part
of the hairy body of the ape。
Mechanically the man's fingers felt of the object
resting almost in their graspit was a soft pouch；
filled with small； hard particles。 Werper gasped in
wonderment as recognition filtered through the
incredulity of his mind。 It was impossible； and yet
it was true！
Feverishly he strove to remove the pouch from the ape
and transfer it to his own possession； but the
restricted radius to which his bonds held his hands
prevented this； though he did succeed in tucking the
pouch with its precious contents inside the waist band
of his trousers。
Tarzan； sitting at a short distance； was busy with the
remaining knots of the cords which bound him。
Presently he flung aside the last of them and rose to
his feet。 Approaching Werper he knelt beside him。 For
a moment he examined the ape。
〃Quite dead；〃 he announced。 〃It is too badhe was a
splendid creature；〃 and then he turned to the work of
liberating the Belgian。
He freed his hands first； and then commenced upon the
knots at his ankles。
〃I can do the rest；〃 said the Belgian。 〃I have a small
pocketknife which they overlooked when they searched
me；〃 and in this way he succeeded in ridding himself of
the ape…man's attentions that he might find and open
his little knife and cut the thong which fastened the
pouch about Chulk's shoulder； and transfer it from his
waist band to the breast of his shirt。 Then he rose
and approached Tarzan。
Once again had avarice claimed him。 Forgotten were the
good intentions which the confidence of Jane Clayton in
his honor had awakened。 What she had done； the little
pouch had undone。 How it had come upon the person of
the great ape； Werper could not imagine； unless it had
been that the anthropoid had witnessed his fight with
Achmet Zek； seen the Arab with the pouch and taken it
away from him； but that this pouch contained the jewels
of Opar； Werper was positive； and that was all that
interested him greatly。
〃Now；〃 said the ape…man； 〃keep your promise to me。
Lead me to the spot where you last saw my wife。〃
It was slow work pushing through the jungle in the dead
of night behind the slow…moving Belgian。 The ape…man
chafed at the delay； but the European could not swing
through the trees as could his more agile and muscular
companions； and so the speed of all was limited to that
of the slowest。
The apes trailed out behind the two white men for a
matter of a few miles； but presently their interest
lagged； the foremost of them halted in a little glade
and the others stopped at his side。 There they sat
peering from beneath their shaggy brows at the figures
of the two men forging steadily ahead； until the latter
disappeared in the leafy trail beyond the clearing。
Then an ape sought a comfortable couch beneath a tree；
and one by one the others followed his example； so that
Werper and Tarzan continued their journey alone； nor
was the latter either surprised or concerned。
The two had gone but a short distance beyond the glade
where the apes had deserted them； when the roaring of
distant lions fell upon their ears。 The ape…man paid
no attention to the familiar sounds until the crack of
a rifle came faintly from the same direction； and when
this was followed by the shrill neighing of horses； and
an almost continuous fusillade of shots intermingled
with increased and savage roaring of a large troop of
lions； he became immediately concerned。
〃Someone is having trouble over there；〃 he said；
turning toward Werper。 〃I'll have to go to themthey
may be friends。〃
〃Your wife might be among them；〃 suggested the Belgian；
for since he had again come into possession of the
pouch he had become fearful and suspicious of the
ape…man； and in his mind had constantly revolved many plans
for eluding this giant Englishman； who was at once his
savior and