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Everything about the occurrence, which in itself seemed trivial enough, aroused

in the mind of the Englishman a well-defined apprehension that something was

afoot that boded ill for him and for the girl. He could not free himself of the idea

and so he kept a still closer watch over the black although, as he was forced to

admit to himself, he was quite powerless to avert any fate that lay in store for

them. Even the spear that he had had when captured had been taken away from

him, so that now he was unarmed and absolutely at the mercy of the black

sergeant and his followers.

Lieutenant Harold Percy Smith-Oldwick did not have long to wait before

discovering something of Usanga's plan, for almost immediately after the sergeant

finished giving his instructions, a number of warriors approached the

Englishman, while three went directly to the girl.

Without a word of explanation the warriors seized the young officer and threw

him to the ground upon his face. For a moment he struggled to free himself and

succeeded in landing a few heavy blows among his assailants, but he was too

greatly outnumbered to hope to more than delay them in the accomplishment of

their object which he soon discovered was to bind him securely hand and foot.

When they had finally secured him to their satisfaction, they rolled him over on

his side and then it was he saw Bertha Kircher had been similarly trussed.

Smith-Oldwick lay in such a position that he could see nearly the entire expanse

of meadow and the aeroplane a short distance away. Usanga was talking to the

girl who was shaking her head in vehement negatives.

What is he saying?" called the Englishman.

He is going to take me away in the plane," the girl called back. "He is going to

take me farther inland to another country where he says that he will be king and

I am to be one of his wives," and then to the Englishman's surprise she turned a

smiling face toward him, "but there is no danger," she continued, "for we shall

both be dead within a few minutes--just give him time enough to get the machine

under way, and if he can rise a hundred feet from the

ground I shall never need fear him more."

God!" cried the man. "Is there no way that you can dissuade him? Promise him

anything. Anything that you want. I have money, more money than that poor fool

could imagine there was in the whole world. With it he can buy anything that

money will purchase, fine clothes and food and women, all the women he wants.

Tell him this and tell him that if he will spare you I give him my word that I will

fetch it all to him."

126

Tarzan the Untamed