Part 8 (2/2)

Tarzan was much elated by the discovery, as he knew that in the vicinity of a large watercourse he should find natives, and from some of these he had little doubt but that he should obtain news of Rokoff and the child, for he felt reasonably certain that the Russian would rid hi disposed of Tarzan

He and Mugah it was a most difficult feat in the face of the surf which rolled continuously in upon the beach; but at last they were successful, and soon after were paddling up the coast toward the a an entrance against the coe of eddies close in to shore they came about dusk to a point nearly opposite the spot where they had left the pack asleep

Making the craft fast to an overhanging bough, the twoupon so upon fruit a little beyond the reeds where the buffalo had fallen Sheeta was not anywhere to be seen, nor did he return that night, so that Tarzan came to believe that he had wandered away in search of his own kind

Early the nextthe ape-ave vent to a series of shrill cries Presently fro scream, and a half-hour later the lithe form of Sheeta bounded into viehere the others of the pack were clareat beast, with arched back and purring like a contented tabby, rubbed his sides against the ape-htly to his forout

When all were in place it was discovered that two of the apes of Akut wereape and Tarzan called to them for the better part of an hour, there was no response, and finally the boat put off without the ones were the very same who had evinced the least desire to accompany the expedition fro the voyage, Tarzan was quite sure that they had absented theain enter the canoe

As the party were putting in for the shore shortly after noon to search for food a slender, naked savage watched them for a moment from behind the dense screen of verdure which lined the river's bank, then he melted away up-stream before any of those in the canoe discovered hi the narrow trail until, filled with the excitee several miles above the point at which Tarzan and his pack had stopped to hunt

”Another white !” he cried to the chief who squatted before the entrance to his circular hut ”Another white reat war-canoe to kill and rob as did the black-bearded one who has just left us”

Kaviri leaped to his feet He had but recently had a taste of the white e heart was filled with bitterness and hate In another e, calling in the hunters from the forest and the tillers from the fields

Seven war-canoes were launched andspears bristled from the rude battle-shi+ps, as they slid noiselessly over the bosolistening, ebony hides

There was no beating of tom-toms now, nor blare of native horn, for Kaviri was a crafty warrior, and it was in his mind to take no chances, if they could be avoided He would swoop noiselessly doith his seven canoes upon the single one of the white uns of the latter could inflict e upon his people he would have overwhelmed the enemy by force of numbers

Kaviri's own canoe went in advance of the others a short distance, and as it rounded a sharp bend in the river where the swift current bore it rapidly on its way it caht

So close were the two canoes to one another that the black had only an opportunity to note the white face in the bow of the onco craft before the two touched and his ownlikespears at the occupants of the other canoe

But a moment later, when Kaviri was able to realize the nature of the crew that iven all the beads and iron wire that he possessed to have been safely within his distant village Scarcely had the two craft co and barking, fro, hairy ar spears from the hands of Kaviri's warriors

The blacks were overcoht Now came the other war-canoes rapidly down upon the two craft Their occupants were eager to join the battle, for they thought that their foes hite men and their native porters

They swarmed about Tarzan's craft; but when they saw the nature of the enemy all but one turned and paddled swiftly up-river That one came too close to the ape-man's craft before its occupants realized that their felloere pitted against demons instead of men As it touched Tarzan spoke a feords to Sheeta and Akut, so that before the attacking warriors could draay there sprang upon thee panther, and into the other end of their canoe claht fearful havoc with his s, while Akut at the other buried his yellow canines in the necks of those that ca the terror-stricken blacks overboard as he made his way toward the centre of the canoe

Kaviri was so busily engaged with the demons that had entered his own craft that he could offer no assistance to his warriors in the other A giant of a white devil had wrested his spear frohty Kaviri, had been but a new-born babe Hairyshoulder to shoulder with the hideous pack that opposed hionist, for he felt that death had already claimed him, and so the least that he could do would be to sell his life as dearly as possible; but it was soon evident that his best was quite futile when pitted against the superhuility of the creature that at last found his throat and bent him back into the bottoan to whirl-objects becareat pain in his chest as he struggled for the breath of life that the thing upon hi off for ever Then he lost consciousness

When he opened his eyes once more he found, much to his surprise, that he was not dead He lay, securely bound, in the bottoreat panther sat upon its haunches, looking down upon hi for the ferocious creature to spring upon him and put him out of his s having buried theain ventured to open his eyes Beyond the panther kneeled the white giant who had overco a paddle, while directly behind hied Back of theain squatted several of the hairy apes