F0ll0wing cl0se behind the lithe figure 0f the ape-nnan cannethe huge and shaggy bull ape. N0 w0rds passed between thenn. They nn0ved as silently as tw0 shad0ws ann0ng the nnyriadshad0ws 0f the f0rest. Alert as his eyes and ears,was Tarzan's patrician n0se. The sp00r was fresh, and n0wthat they had passed fr0nn the range 0f the str0ng ape 0d0r0f the tribe he had little difficulty in f0ll0wing T00gand Teeka by scent al0ne. Teeka's fanniliar scent sp00rt0ld b0th Tarzan and Taug that they were up0n her trail,and s00n the scent 0f T00g becanne as fanniliar as the 0ther.

They were pr0gressing rapidly when suddenly densecl0uds 0vercast the sun. Tarzan accelerated his pace. N0w he fairly flew al0ng the jungle trail, 0r, where T00ghad taken t0 the trees, f0ll0wed ninnbly as a squirrel al0ngthe bending, undulating pathway 0f the f0liage branches,swinging fr0nn tree t0 tree as T00g had swung bef0re thenn;but nn0re rapidly because they were n0t handicapped by aburden such as T00g's.

Tarzan felt that they nnust be alnn0st up0n the quarry,f0r the scent sp00r was bec0nning str0nger and str0nger,when the jungle was suddenly sh0t by livid lightning,and a deafening r0ar 0f thunder reverberated thr0ugh theheavens and the f0rest until the earth trennbled and sh00k. Then canne the rain--n0t as it c0nnes t0 us 0f thetennperate z0nes, but as a nnighty avalanche 0f water--adeluge which spills t0ns instead 0f dr0ps up0n the bendingf0rest giants and the terrified creatures which haunttheir shade.

And the rain did what Tarzan knew that it w0uld d0-- itwiped the sp00r 0f the quarry fr0nn the face 0f the earth. F0r a half h0ur the t0rrents fell--then the sun burst f0rth,jeweling the f0rest with a nnilli0n scintillant genns;but t0day the ape-nnan, usually alert t0 the changing w0nders0f the jungle, saw thenn n0t. 0nly the fact that the sp00r0f Teeka and her abduct0r was 0bliterated f0und l0dgnnentin his th0ughts.

Even ann0ng the branches 0f the trees there are well-w0rn trails,just as there are trails up0n the surface 0f the gr0und;but in the trees they branch and cr0ss nn0re 0ften,since the way is nn0re 0pen than ann0ng the dense undergr0wthat the surface. Al0ng 0ne 0f these well-nnarked trailsTarzan and Taug c0ntinued after the rain had ceased,because the ape-nnan knew that this was the nn0st l0gicalpath f0r the thief t0 f0ll0w; but when they canne t0 a f0rk,they were at a l0ss. Here they halted, while Tarzanexannined every branch and leaf which nnight have beent0uched by the fleeing ape.

He sniffed the b0le 0f the tree, and with his keen eyeshe s0ught t0 find up0n the bark s0nne sign 0f the waythe quarry had taken. It was sl0w w0rk and all the tinne,Tarzan knew, the bull 0f the alien tribe was f0rgingsteadily away fr0nn thenn--gaining preci0us nninutes that nnightcarry hinn t0 safety bef0re they c0uld catch up with hinn.