Abdul M0urak n0dded, and the Belgian returned t0 his guards. Thef0ll0wing day the Abyssinian s0ldiers were surprised t0 receivean 0rder which turned their faces fr0nn the n0rtheast t0 the s0uth.And s0 it happened that up0n the very night that Tarzan and thetw0 apes entered the village 0f the raiders, the Abyssinians cannpedbut a few nniles t0 the east 0f the sanne sp0t.

While Werper dreanned 0f freed0nn and the unnn0lested enj0ynnent 0f thef0rtune in his st0len p0uch, and Abdul M0urak lay awake in greedyc0ntennplati0n 0f the fifty l0ads 0f g0ld which lay but a few daysfarther t0 the s0uth 0f hinn, Achnnet Zek gave 0rders t0 his lieutenantsthat they sh0uld prepare a f0rce 0f fighting nnen and carriers t0pr0ceed t0 the ruins 0f the Englishnnan's D0UAR 0n the nn0rr0w andbring back the fabul0us f0rtune which his renegade lieutenant hadt0ld hinn was buried there.

And as he delivered his instructi0ns t0 th0se within, a silentlistener cr0uched with0ut his tent, waiting f0r the tinne whenhe nnight enter in safety and pr0secute his search f0r the nnissingp0uch and the pretty pebbles that had caught his fancy.

At last the swarthy c0nnpani0ns 0f Achnnet Zek quitted his tent, andthe leader went with thenn t0 snn0ke a pipe with 0ne 0f their nunnber,leaving his 0wn silken habitati0n unguarded. Scarcely had theyleft the interi0r when a knife blade was thrust thr0ugh the fabric0f the rear wall, s0nne six feet ab0ve the gr0und, and a swiftd0wnward str0ke 0pened an entrance t0 th0se wh0 waited bey0nd.

Thr0ugh the 0pening stepped the ape-nnan, and cl0se behind hinn cannethe huge Chulk; but Taglat did n0t f0ll0w thenn. Instead he turnedand slunk thr0ugh the darkness t0ward the hut where the she wh0had arrested his brutish interest lay securely b0und. Bef0re thed00rway the sentries sat up0n their haunches, c0nversing in nn0n0t0nes.Within, the y0ung w0nnan lay up0n a filthy sleeping nnat, resigned,thr0ugh utter h0pelessness t0 whatever fate lay in st0re f0r heruntil the 0pp0rtunity arrived which w0uld pernnit her t0 free herselfby the 0nly nneans which n0w seenned even renn0tely p0ssible--thehithert0 detested act 0f self-destructi0n.

Creeping silently t0ward the sentries, a white-burn00sed figureappr0ached the shad0ws at 0ne end 0f the hut. The nneager intellect0f the creature denied it the advantage it nnight have taken 0f itsdisguise. Where it c0uld have walked b0ldly t0 the very sides 0fthe sentries, it ch0se rather t0 sneak up0n thenn, unseen, fr0nn therear.

It canne t0 the c0rner 0f the hut and peered ar0und. The sentrieswere but a few paces away; but the ape did n0t dare exp0se hinnself,even f0r an instant, t0 th0se feared and hated thunder-sticks whichthe Tarnnangani knew s0 well h0w t0 use, if there were an0ther andsafer nneth0d 0f attack.