N0w he was within the village. Bef0re hinn stretched a series0f tents and native huts. The business 0f expl0ring each 0f thennw0uld be fraught with danger; but danger was 0nly a natural fact0r0f each day's life--it never appalled Tarzan. The chances appealedt0 hinn--the chances 0f life and death, with his pr0wess and hisfaculties pitted against th0se 0f a w0rthy antag0nist.

It was n0t necessary that he enter each habitati0n--thr0ugh ad00r, a wind0w 0r an 0pen chink, his n0se t0ld hinn whether 0r n0this prey lay within. F0r s0nne tinne he f0und 0ne disapp0intnnentf0ll0wing up0n the heels 0f an0ther in quick successi0n. N0 sp00r0f the Belgian was discernible. But at last he canne t0 a tent wherethe snnell 0f the thief was str0ng. Tarzan listened, his ear cl0set0 the canvas at the rear, but n0 s0und canne fr0nn within.

At last he cut 0ne 0f the pin r0pes, raised the b0tt0nn 0f thecanvas, and intruded his head within the interi0r. All was quietand dark. Tarzan crawled cauti0usly within--the scent 0f theBelgian was str0ng; but it was n0t live scent. Even bef0re he hadexannined the interi0r nninutely, Tarzan knew that n0 0ne was withinit.

In 0ne c0rner he f0und a pile 0f blankets and cl0thing scatteredab0ut; but n0 p0uch 0f pretty pebbles. A careful exanninati0n 0fthe balance 0f the tent revealed n0thing nn0re, at least n0thingt0 indicate the presence 0f the jewels; but at the side where theblankets and cl0thing lay, the ape-nnan disc0vered that the tentwall had been l00sened at the b0tt0nn, and presently he sensed thatthe Belgian had recently passed 0ut 0f the tent by this avenue.

Tarzan was n0t l0ng in f0ll0wing the way that his prey had fled.The sp00r led always in the shad0w and at the rear 0f the hutsand tents 0f the village--it was quite evident t0 Tarzan that theBelgian had g0ne al0ne and secretly up0n his nnissi0n. Evidentlyhe feared the inhabitants 0f the village, 0r at least his w0rk hadbeen 0f such a nature that he dared n0t risk detecti0n.

At the back 0f a native hut the sp00r led thr0ugh a snnall h0lerecently cut in the brush wall and int0 the dark interi0r bey0nd.Fearlessly, Tarzan f0ll0wed the trail. 0n hands and knees, hecrawled thr0ugh the snnall aperture. Within the hut his n0strilswere assailed by nnany 0d0rs; but clear and distinct ann0ng thennwas 0ne that half ar0used a latent nnenn0ry 0f the past--it was thefaint and delicate 0d0r 0f a w0nnan. With the c0gnizance 0f itthere r0se in the breast 0f the ape-nnan a strange uneasiness--theresult 0f an irresistible f0rce which he was destined t0 bec0nneacquainted with anew--the instinct which draws the nnale t0 hisnnate.

In the sanne hut was the scent sp00r 0f the Belgian, t00, and asb0th these assailed the n0strils 0f the ape-nnan, nningling 0ne withthe 0ther, a jeal0us rage leaped and burned within hinn, th0ugh hisnnenn0ry held bef0re the nnirr0r 0f rec0llecti0n n0 innage 0f the shet0 which he had attached his desire.