Part 11 (1/2)

Rightly, he inferred that thus had Lady Greystoke found the means to scale the wall, nor did he lose even a le he struck out directly eastward

A fewthe branches of a tree in which she had taken refuge frory lioness

Her escape froe had been much easier than she had anticipated The knife which she had used to cut her way through the brush wall of the hut to freedo in the wall of her prison, doubtless left there by accident when a former tenant had vacated the pre always in the densest shadows, had required but a few moments, and the fortunate circu so near the palisade had solved for her the probleh wall

For an hour she had followed the old game trail toward the south, until there fell upon her trained hearing the stealthy padding of a stalking beast behind her The nearest tree gave her instant sanctuary, for she was too wise in the ways of the jungle to chance her safety for ahunted

Werper, with better success, traveled slowly onward until dahen, to his chagrin, he discovered a mounted Arab upon his trail It was one of Achmet Zek's h the forest, searching for the fugitive Belgian

Jane Clayton's escape had not yet been discovered when Achmet Zek and his searchers set forth to overhaul Werper The only ian after his departure from his tent was the black sentry before the doorway of Lady Greystoke's prison hut, and he had been silenced by the discovery of the dead body of the ambi had dispatched

The bribe taker naturally inferred that Werper had slain his fellow and dared not ad as he did, the anger of Achmet Zek So, as chance directed that he should be the one to discover the body of the sentry when the first alar Achmet Zek's discovery that Werper had outwitted hied the dead body to the interior of a nearby tent, and himself resumed his station before the doorway of the hut in which he still believed the woman to be

With the discovery of the Arab close behind hie of a leafy bush Here the trail ran straight for a considerable distance, and down the shady forest aisle, beneath the overarching branches of the trees, rode the white-robed figure of the pursuer

Nearer and nearer he caround behind the leaves of his hiding place Across the trail a vine moved Werper's eyes instantly centered upon the spot There was no wind to stir the foliage in the depths of the jungle Again the vine ian only the presence of a sinister and malevolent force could account for the phenomenon

The man's eyes bored steadily into the screen of leaves upon the opposite side of the trail Gradually a forri fearsoht into his

Werper could have screaer of another death, equally sure and no less terrible He remained silent, almost paralyzed by fear The Arab approached Across the trail fro, when suddenly his attention was attracted toward the horseian saw the massive head turn in the direction of the raider and his heart all but ceased its beating as he awaited the result of this interruption At a walk the horseht at the odor of the carnivore, and, bolting, leave Werper still to theof beasts?

But he seereat cat On he ca at the bit between his teeth The Belgian turned his eyes again toward the lion The beast's whole attention now seemed riveted upon the horseman They were abreast the lion now, and still the brute did not spring Could he be but waiting for theinal prey? Werper shuddered and half rose At the sa from his place of concealh of terror, shrank sideways aled the helpless Arab from his saddle, and the horse leaped back into the trail and fled away toward the west

But he did not flee alone As the frightened beast had pressed in upon him, Werper had not been slow to note the quickly emptied saddle and the opportunity it presented Scarcely had the lion dragged the Arab down fro the pommel of the saddle and the horse's mane, leaped upon the horse's back fro easily through the lower branches of the trees, paused, and with raised head, and dilating nostrils sniffed theupon his senses, and iant cocked his head upon one side and listened

From a short distance up the trail ca of a lion The crunching of bones, the gulping of great pieces, the contented growling, all attested the nearness of the king at table

Tarzan approached the spot, still keeping to the branches of the trees He made no effort to conceal his approach, and presently he had evidence that Nu that broke fro upon a low branch just above the lion Tarzan looked down upon the grisly scene Could this unrecognizable thing be the ? The ape-man wondered From tiian had followed this game trail toward the east

Now he proceeded beyond the lion and his feast, again descended and exaround with his nose There was no scent spoor here of theTarzan returned to the tree With keen eyes he searched the ground about thepouch of pretty pebbles; but naught could he see of it

He scolded Nurowls rewarded his efforts He tore small branches from a nearby limb and hurled therinning hideously, but he did not rise from his kill

Then Tarzan fitted an arrow to his bow, and drawing the slih wood that only he could bend As the arrow sank deeply into his side, Nue and pain He leaped futilely at the grinning ape-ing into the trail, paced back and forth beneath his torain Tarzan loosed a swift bolt This tied in the lion's spine The great creature halted in its tracks, and lurched aardly forward upon its face, paralyzed

Tarzan dropped to the trail, ran quickly to the beast's side, and drove his spear deep into the fierce heart, then after recovering his arrows turned his attention to the mutilated remains of the anione The Arab garments aroused no doubt as to the man's identity, since he had trailed hiht easily have acquired the apparel So sure was Tarzan that the body was that of he who had robbed him that hethe congloreat carnivore and the fresh blood of the victim

He confined his attentions to a careful search for the pouch, but nowhere upon or about the corpse was any sign of thearticle or its contents The ape-man was disappointed-possibly not so much because of the loss of the colored pebbles as with Nue