Part 20 (2/2)
At the s, the warrior threw O-lo-a viciously to the ground and seizing Pan-at-lee by the hair drew his knife and raised it above her head Casting the encu headdress of the dead priest fro space and seizing the brute frole terrible blow
As the nized Tarzan simultaneously Pan-at-lee fell upon her knees and would have bowed her head upon his feet had he not, with an iesture, commanded her to rise He had no tiratitude or answer the nu froues
”Tell me,” he cried, ”where is the woht here froone,” cried O-lo-a ”Mo-sar, the father of this thing here,” and she indicated the body of Bu-lot with a scornful finger, ”seized her and carried her away”
”Which way?” he cried ”Tell me quickly, in what direction he took her”
”That way,” cried Pan-at-lee, pointing to the doorway through which Mo-sar had passed ”They would have taken the princess and the stranger woo to find her,” he said to Pan-at-lee, ”she is my mate And if I survive I shall find means to liberate you too and return you to Oirl could reply he had disappeared behind the hangings of the door near the foot of the dais The corridor through which he ran was illy lighted and like nearly all its kind in the Ho-don city wound in and out and up and down, but at last it terht him into a courtyard filled arriors, a portion of the palace guard that had just been summoned by one of the lesser palace chiefs to join the warriors of Ko-tan in the battle that was raging in the banquet hall
At sight of Tarzan, who in his haste had forgotten to recover his disguising headdress, a great shout arose ”Blasphee throats, andwith these were a feho cried, ”Dor-ul-Otho!” evidencing the fact that there were a to their belief in his divinity
To cross the courtyard ar of savage fightingimpossible of achievement Heupon hih the corridor but flight now even in the face of dire necessity would but delay him in his pursuit of Mo-sar and his ainst them ”I am the Dor-ul-Otho and I come to you with a word fro now that Ko-tan is slain Lu-don, the high priest, has planned to seize the palace and destroy the loyal warriors that Mo-sar -Mo-sar ill be the tool and creature of Lu-don Follow me There is no time to lose if you would prevent the traitors who the palace by a secret way and overpowering Ja-don and the faithful band within”
For a uarantee have we,” he de us noay froht at Ja-don's side to be defeated?”
”My life will be your guarantee,” replied Tarzan ”If you find that I have not spoken the truth you are sufficient in numbers to execute whatever penalty you choose But come, there is not ti their warriors in the city below,” and without waiting for any further parley he strode directly toward theate upon the opposite side of the courtyard which led toward the principal entrance to the palace ground
Slower in wit than he, they were swept away by his greater initiative and that co pohich is inherent to all natural leaders And so they followed hiround behind him-a demi-God where another would have been ridiculous Out into the city he led the that hid Lu-don's secret passageway from the city to the temple, and as they rounded the last turn they saw before themented from all directions as the traitors of A-lur mobilized at the call of the priesthood
”You spoke the truth, stranger,” said the chief who marched at Tarzan's side, ”for there are the warriors with the priests a them, even as you told us”
”And now,” replied the ape-oTell Ja-don that Jad-ben-Otho is upon his side, nor do you forget to tell him also that it was the Dor-ul-Otho who thwarted Lu-don's plan to seize the palace”
”I will not forget,” replied the chief ”Go your way We are enough to overpower the traitors”
”Tell me,” asked Tarzan, ”how I may know this city of Tu-lur?”
”It lies upon the south shore of the second lake below A-lur,” replied the chief, ”the lake that is called Jad-in-lul”
They were now approaching the band of traitors, who evidently thought that this was another contingent of their own party since they made no effort either toward defense or retreat Suddenly the chief raised his voice in a savage war cry that was immediately taken up by his followers, and sih the cry were a coe upon the surprised rebels
Satisfied with the outcome of his suddenly conceived plan and sure that it would work to the disadvantage of Lu-don, Tarzan turned into a side street and pointed his steps toward the outskirts of the city in search of the trail that led southward toward Tu-lur
17
By Jad-bal-lul