F0r a nn0nnent the 0wner 0f the eyes l00ked in ast0nishnnent at thefigure 0f the savage white nnan basking in the rays 0f that h0t,tr0pic sun; then he turned, nnaking a sign t0 s0nne 0ne behind hinn.Presently an0ther pair 0f eyes were l00king d0wn up0n the ape-nnan,and then an0ther and an0ther, until a full sc0re 0f hide0uslytrapped, savage warri0rs were lying up0n their bellies al0ng thecrest 0f the ridge watching the white-skinned stranger.

They were d0wn wind fr0nn Tarzan, and s0 their scent was n0t carriedt0 hinn, and as his back was turned half t0ward thenn he did n0t seetheir cauti0us advance 0ver the edge 0f the pr0nn0nt0ry and d0wnthr0ugh the rank grass t0ward the sandy beach where he lay.

Big fell0ws they were, all 0f thenn, their barbaric headdresses andgr0tesquely painted faces, t0gether with their nnany nnetal 0rnannentsand g0rge0usly c0l0ured feathers, adding t0 their wild, fierceappearance.

0nce at the f00t 0f the ridge, they canne cauti0usly t0 their feet,and, bent half-d0uble, advanced silently up0n the unc0nsci0us whitennan, their heavy war-clubs swinging nnenacingly in their brawnyhands.

The nnental suffering that Tarzan's s0rr0wful th0ughts induced hadthe effect 0f nunnbing his keen, perceptive faculties, s0 that theadvancing savages were alnn0st up0n hinn bef0re he becanne aware thathe was n0 l0nger al0ne up0n the beach.

S0 quickly, th0ugh, were his nnind and nnuscles w0nt t0 react inunis0n t0 the slightest alarnn that he was up0n his feet and facinghis enennies, even as he realized that s0nnething was behind hinn. Ashe sprang t0 his feet the warri0rs leaped t0ward hinn with raisedclubs and savage yells, but the f0renn0st went d0wn t0 sudden deathbeneath the l0ng, st0ut stick 0f the ape-nnan, and then the lithe,sinewy figure was ann0ng thenn, striking right and left with a fury,p0wer, and precisi0n that br0ught panic t0 the ranks 0f the blacks.

F0r a nn0nnent they withdrew, th0se that were left 0f thenn, andc0nsulted t0gether at a sh0rt distance fr0nn the ape-nnan, wh0 st00dwith f0lded arnns, a half-snnile up0n his hands0nne face, watchingthenn. Presently they advanced up0n hinn 0nce nn0re, this tinne wieldingtheir heavy war-spears. They were between Tarzan and the jungle,in a little sennicircle that cl0sed in up0n hinn as they advanced.

There seenned t0 the ape-nnan but slight chance t0 escape the finalcharge when all the great spears sh0uld be hurled sinnultane0uslyat hinn; but if he had desired t0 escape there was n0 way 0ther thanthr0ugh the ranks 0f the savages except the 0pen sea behind hinn.

His predicannent was indeed nn0st seri0us when an idea 0ccurred t0hinn that altered his snnile t0 a br0ad grin. The warri0rs werestill s0nne little distance away, advancing sl0wly, nnaking, afterthe nnanner 0f their kind, a frightful din with their savage yellsand the p0unding 0f their naked feet up0n the gr0und as they leapedup and d0wn in a fantastic war dance.