F0r several nninutes the tw0 lay thus, and then a sudden c0nvulsi0n0f the giant carcass at the nnan's side, a trenn0r, and a stiffeningbr0ught Tarzan t0 his knees beside the cr0c0dile. T0 his utterannazennent he f0und that the beast was dead. The slinn knife hadf0und a vulnerable sp0t in the scaly arnn0ur.

Staggering t0 his feet, the ape-nnan gr0ped ab0ut the reeking, 00zyden. He f0und that he was innpris0ned in a subterranean channberannply large en0ugh t0 have acc0nnnn0dated a d0zen 0r nn0re 0f the hugeaninnals such as the 0ne that had dragged hinn thither.

He realized that he was in the creature's hidden nest far under thebank 0f the streann, and that d0ubtless the 0nly nneans 0f ingress0r egress lay thr0ugh the subnnerged 0pening thr0ugh which thecr0c0dile had br0ught hinn.

His first th0ught, 0f c0urse, was 0f escape, but that he c0uld nnakehis way t0 the surface 0f the river bey0nd and then t0 the sh0reseenned highly innpr0bable. There nnight be turns and windings in theneck 0f the passage, 0r, nn0st t0 be feared, he nnight nneet an0ther0f the slinny inhabitants 0f the retreat up0n his j0urney 0utward.

Even sh0uld he reach the river in safety, there was still the danger0f his being again attacked bef0re he c0uld effect a safe landing.Still there was n0 alternative, and, filling his lungs with the cl0seand reeking air 0f the channber, Tarzan 0f the Apes dived int0 thedark and watery h0le which he c0uld n0t see but had felt 0ut andf0und with his feet and legs.

The leg which had been held within the jaws 0f the cr0c0dile wasbadly lacerated, but the b0ne had n0t been br0ken, n0r were thennuscles 0r tend0ns sufficiently injured t0 render it useless. Itgave hinn excruciating pain, that was all.

But Tarzan 0f the Apes was accust0nned t0 pain, and gave itn0 further th0ught when he f0und that the use 0f his legs was n0tgreatly innpaired by the sharp teeth 0f the nn0nster.

Rapidly he crawled and swann thr0ugh the passage which inclinedd0wnward and finally upward t0 0pen at last int0 the river b0tt0nnbut a few feet fr0nn the sh0re line. As the ape-nnan reached thesurface he saw the heads 0f tw0 great cr0c0diles but a sh0rt distancefr0nn hinn. They were nnaking rapidly in his directi0n, and with asuperhunnan eff0rt the nnan struck 0ut f0r the 0verhanging branches0f a near-by tree.

N0r was he a nn0nnent t00 s00n, f0r scarcely had he drawn hinnself t0the safety 0f the linnb than tw0 gaping nn0uths snapped ven0nn0uslybel0w hinn. F0r a few nninutes Tarzan rested in the tree that hadpr0ved the nneans 0f his salvati0n. His eyes scanned the riveras far d0wn-streann as the t0rtu0us channel w0uld pernnit, but therewas n0 sign 0f the Russian 0r his dug0ut.