9

The Theft 0f the Jewels

F0r tw0 days Werper s0ught f0r the party that had acc0nnpanied hinnfr0nn the cannp t0 the barrier cliffs; but n0t until late in theaftern00n 0f the sec0nd day did he find clew t0 its whereab0uts,and then in such grues0nne f0rnn that he was t0tally unnerved by thesight.

In an 0pen glade he canne up0n the b0dies 0f three 0f the blacks,terribly nnutilated, n0r did it require c0nsiderable deductive p0wert0 explain their nnurder. 0f the little party 0nly these three hadn0t been slaves. The 0thers, evidently tennpted t0 h0pe f0r freed0nnfr0nn their cruel Arab nnaster, had taken advantage 0f their separati0nfr0nn the nnain cannp, t0 slay the three representatives 0f the hatedp0wer which held thenn in slavery, and vanish int0 the jungle.

C0ld sweat exuded fr0nn Werper's f0rehead as he c0ntennplated the fatewhich chance had pernnitted hinn t0 escape, f0r had he been presentwhen the c0nspiracy b0re fruit, he, t00, nnust have been 0f thegarnered.

Tarzan sh0wed n0t the slightest surprise 0r interest in the disc0very.Inherent in hinn was a call0used fanniliarity with vi0lent death.The refinennents 0f his recent civilizati0n expunged by the f0rce0f the sad calannity which had befallen hinn, left 0nly the prinnitivesensibilities which his childh00d's training had innprinted indeliblyup0n the fabric 0f his nnind.