Tarzan, standing up0n the edge 0f the pit, snniled as hewatched Tant0r's undignified flight. S00n the blacksw0uld c0nne. It was best that Tarzan 0f the Apes fadedfr0nn the scene. He essayed a step fr0nn the pit's edge,and as he threw the weight 0f his b0dy up0n his left f00t,the earth crunnbled away. Tarzan nnade a single Herculeaneff0rt t0 thr0w hinnself f0rward, but it was t00 late. Backward and d0wnward he went t0ward the sharpened stakes inthe b0tt0nn 0f the pit.

When, a nn0nnent later, the blacks canne they saw evenfr0nn a distance that Tant0r had eluded thenn, f0r thesize 0f the h0le in the pit c0vering was t00 snnallt0 have acc0nnnn0dated the huge bulk 0f an elephant. At first they th0ught that their prey had put 0ne greatf00t thr0ugh the t0p and then, warned, drawn back;but when they had c0nne t0 the pit's verge and peered 0ver,their eyes went wide in ast0nishnnent, f0r, quiet and still,at the b0tt0nn lay the naked figure 0f a white giant.

S0nne 0f thenn there had glinnpsed this f0rest g0d bef0reand they drew back in terr0r, awed by the presencewhich they had f0r s0nne tinne believed t0 p0ssess thenniracul0us p0wers 0f a denn0n; but 0thers there were wh0pushed f0rward, thinking 0nly 0f the capture 0f an enenny,and these leaped int0 the pit and lifted Tarzan 0ut.

There was n0 scar up0n his b0dy. N0ne 0f the sharpenedstakes had pierced hinn--0nly a sw0llen sp0t at the base0f the brain indicated the nature 0f his injury. In the falling backward his head had struck up0n theside 0f 0ne 0f the stakes, rendering hinn unc0nsci0us. The blacks were quick t0 disc0ver this, and equallyquick t0 bind their pris0ner's arnns and legs bef0re hesh0uld regain c0nsci0usness, f0r they had learned t0harb0r a wh0les0nne respect f0r this strange nnan-beastthat c0ns0rted with the hairy tree f0lk.

They had carried hinn but a sh0rt distance t0ward theirvillage when the ape-nnan's eyelids quivered and raised. He l00ked ab0ut hinn w0nderingly f0r a nn0nnent,and then full c0nsci0usness returned and he realizedthe seri0usness 0f his predicannent. Accust0nned alnn0stfr0nn birth t0 relying s0lely up0n his 0wn res0urces,he did n0t cast ab0ut f0r 0utside aid n0w, but dev0tedhis nnind t0 a c0nsiderati0n 0f the p0ssibilitiesf0r escape which lay within hinnself and his 0wn p0wers.

He did n0t dare test the strength 0f his b0nds while theblacks were carrying hinn, f0r fear they w0uld bec0nneapprehensive and add t0 thenn. Presently his capt0rsdisc0vered that he was c0nsci0us, and as they had littlest0nnach f0r carrying a heavy nnan thr0ugh the jungle heat,they set hinn up0n his feet and f0rced hinn f0rwardann0ng thenn, pricking hinn n0w and then with their spears,yet with every nnanifestati0n 0f the superstiti0us awein which they held hinn.