Part 11 (1/2)

The woman turned and led them up the narrow stairway that ended at the door of her quarters Tarzan was close beside her He saw the gold and silver bracelets upon her bare arold coin that depended froeous colors of her dress

He saw that she was a Ouled-Nail, and instinctively he knew that she was the sa in his ear earlier in the evening

As they reached the top of the stairs they could hear the angry crowd searching the yard beneath

”Soon they will search here,” whispered the girl ”They th of many men, they will kill you in the end Hasten; you can drop from the fartherof my room to the street beyond Before they discover that you are no longer in the court of the buildings you will be safe within the hotel”

But even as she spoke, several men had started up the stairway at the head of which they stood There was a sudden cry from one of the searchers They had been discovered Quickly the crowd rushed for the stairway The foremost assailant leaped quickly upward, but at the top he met the sudden sword that he had not expected--the quarry had been unarmed before

With a cry, the man toppled back upon those behind him Like tenpins they rolled down the stairs The ancient and rickety structure could not withstand the strain of this unwonted weight and jarring With a creaking and rending of breaking wood it collapsed beneath the Arabs, leaving Tarzan, Abdul, and the girl alone upon the frail platform at the top

”Come!” cried the Ouled-Nail ”They will reach us froh the room next to mine We have not athe room Abdul heard and translated a cry from the yard below for several to hasten to the street and cut off escape froirl simply

”We?” questioned Tarzan

”Yes, m'sieur,” she responded; ”they will kill me as well Have I not aided you?”

This put a different aspect on thethe exciteer of the encounter He had not for an instant supposed that either Abdul or the girl could suffer except through accident, and he had only retreated just enough to keep fro away until he saw that he was hopelessly lost were he to re into theabout him after the fashi+on of Numa, the lion, have struck the Arabs with such consternation that escape would have been easy

Now he must think entirely of these two faithful friends

He crossed to the hich overlooked the street In a minute there would be ene the stairway to the next quarters--they would be at the door beside him in another instant He put a foot upon the sill and leaned out, but he did not look down Above hi He called to the girl She careat arm about her and lifted her across his shoulder

”Wait here until I reach down for you from above,” he said to Abdul

”In the ainst that door--it h” Then he stepped to the sill of the narro with the girl upon his shoulders ”Hold tight,” he cautioned her A moment later he had clambered to the roof above with the ease and dexterity of an ape Setting the girl down, he leaned far over the roof's edge, calling softly to Abdul The youth ran to the

”Your hand,” whispered Tarzan Theat the door With a sudden crash it fell splintering in, and at the same instant Abdul felt himself lifted like a feather onto the roof above They were not a moment too soon, for as the men broke into the room which they had just quitted a dozento a spot beneath the girl's

Chapter 8

The Fight in the Desert

As the three squatted upon the roof above the quarters of the Ouled-Nails they heard the angry cursing of the Arabs in the room beneath Abdul translated fro those in the street belo,” said Abdul, ”for per us to escape so easily Those in the street say that we did not co, and that those above, being too cowardly to attack us, are atte that we have escaped In aof their own to attend to if they continue their brawling”

Presently those in the building gave up the search, and returned to the cafe A few re

Tarzan spoke to the girl, thanking her for the sacrifice she had er

”I liked you,” she said simply ”You were unlike the others who come to the cafe You did not speak coarsely to ave me ht?” he asked ”You cannot return to the cafe Can you even remain with safety in Sidi Aissa?”

”Tolad if it ht be that I need never return to this or another cafe I have not remained because I wished to; I have been a prisoner”