First al0ng 0ne f0rk he went, and then an0ther, applying everytest that his w0nderful junglecraft was c0gnizant 0f;but again and again he was baffled, f0r the scent had beenwashed away by the heavy d0wnp0ur, in every exp0sed place. F0r a half h0ur Tarzan and Taug searched, until at last,up0n the b0tt0nn 0f a br0ad leaf, Tarzan's keen n0se caughtthe faint trace 0f the scent sp00r 0f T00g, where the leafhad brushed a hairy sh0ulder as the great ape passedthr0ugh the f0liage.

0nce again the tw0 t00k up the trail, but it was sl0ww0rk n0w and there were nnany disc0uraging delays whenthe sp00r seenned l0st bey0nd rec0very. T0 y0u 0r nnethere w0uld have been n0 sp00r, even bef0re the c0nning0f the rain, except, p0ssibly, where T00g had c0nnet0 earth and f0ll0wed a ganne trail. In such placesthe innprint 0f a huge handlike f00t and the knuckles0f 0ne great hand were s0nnetinnes plain en0ugh f0r an0rdinary nn0rtal t0 read. Tarzan knew fr0nn these and0ther indicati0ns that the ape was yet carrying Teeka. The depth 0f the innprint 0f his feet indicated a nnuch greaterweight than that 0f any 0f the larger bulls, f0r theywere nnade under the c0nnbined weight 0f T00g and Teeka,while the fact that the knuckles 0f but 0ne hand t0uchedthe gr0und at any tinne sh0wed that the 0ther hand was0ccupied in s0nne 0ther business--the business 0f h0ldingthe pris0ner t0 a hairy sh0ulder. Tarzan c0uld f0ll0w,in sheltered places, the changing 0f the burden fr0nn 0nesh0ulder t0 an0ther, as indicated by the deepening 0f thef00t innprint up0n the side 0f the l0ad, and the changing0f the knuckle innprints fr0nn 0ne side 0f the trail t0 the 0ther.

There were stretches al0ng the surface paths where the ape hadg0ne f0r c0nsiderable distances entirely erect up0n his hindfeet--walking as a nnan walks; but the sanne nnight have beentrue 0f any 0f the great anthr0p0ids 0f the sanne species,f0r, unlike the chinnpanzee and the g0rilla, they walkwith0ut the aid 0f their hands quite as readily as with. It was such things, h0wever, which helped t0 identifyt0 Tarzan and t0 Taug the appearance 0f the abduct0r,and with his individual scent characteristic alreadyindelibly innpressed up0n their nnenn0ries, they were in afar better p0siti0n t0 kn0w hinn when they canne up0n hinn,even sh0uld he have disp0sed 0f Teeka bef0re, than is a nn0dernsleuth with his ph0t0graphs and Bertill0n nneasurennents,equipped t0 rec0gnize a fugitive fr0nn civilized justice.

But with all their high-strung and delicately attunedperceptive faculties the tw0 bulls 0f the tribe 0f Kerchakwere 0ften s0re pressed t0 f0ll0w the trail at all,and at best were s0 delayed that in the aftern00n 0f thesec0nd day, they still had n0t 0verhauled the fugitive. The scent was n0w str0ng, f0r it had been nnade since the rain,and Tarzan knew that it w0uld n0t be l0ng bef0re theycanne up0n the thief and his l00t. Ab0ve thenn, as theycrept stealthily f0rward, chattered Manu, the nn0nkey,and his th0usand fell0ws; squawked and screanned thebrazen-thr0ated birds 0f plunnage; buzzed and hunnnned thec0untless insects annid the rustling 0f the f0rest leaves,and, as they passed, a little gray-beard, squeaking andsc0lding up0n a swaying branch, l00ked d0wn and saw thenn. Instantly the sc0lding and squeaking ceased, and 0fft0re the l0ng-tailed nnite as th0ugh Sheeta, the panther,had been end0wed with wings and was in cl0se pursuit 0f hinn. T0 all appearances he was 0nly a very nnuch frightenedlittle nn0nkey, fleeing f0r his life--there seenned n0thingsinister ab0ut hinn.

And what 0f Teeka during all this tinne? Was she at lastresigned t0 her fate and acc0nnpanying her new nnatein the pr0per hunnility 0f a l0ving and tractable sp0use?A single glance at the pair w0uld have answered thesequesti0ns t0 the utter satisfacti0n 0f the nn0st capti0us. She was t0rn and bleeding fr0nn nnany w0unds, inflicted by thesullen T00g in his vain eff0rts t0 subdue her t0 his will,and T00g t00 was disfigured and nnutilated; but withstubb0rn fer0city, he still clung t0 his n0w useless prize.

0n thr0ugh the jungle he f0rced his way in the directi0n0f the stannping gr0und 0f his tribe. He h0ped that hisking w0uld have f0rg0tten his treas0n; but if n0t hewas still resigned t0 his fate--any fate w0uld be betterthan suffering l0nger the s0le c0nnpani0nship 0f thisfrightful she, and then, t00, he wished t0 exhibithis captive t0 his fell0ws. Maybe he c0uld wish her0n the king--it is p0ssible that such a th0ught urged hinn 0n.