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her, his face distorted by a hideous leer, his features worked rapidly in spasmodic
twitches. The girl, who was standing at the entrance of the alcove, shrank back,
her horror reflected in her face. Step by step she backed across the room, while
the crouching maniac crept stealthily after her with claw-like fingers poised in
anticipation of the moment they should leap forth and seize her.
As she passed the body of the Negro, her foot touched some obstacle at her side,
and glancing down she saw the spear with which Otobu had been supposed to
hold the prisoners. Instantly she leaned forward and snatched it from the floor
with its sharp point directed at the body of the madman. The effect upon Metak
was electrical. From stealthy silence he broke into harsh peals of laughter, and
drawing his saber danced to and fro before the girl, but whichever way he went
the point of the spear still threatened him.
Gradually the girl noticed a change in the tone of the creature's screams that was
also reflected in the changing expression upon his hideous countenance. His
hysterical laughter was slowly changing into cries of rage while the silly leer upon
his face was supplanted by a ferocious scowl and up-curled lips, which revealed
the sharpened fangs beneath.
He now ran rapidly in almost to the spear's point, only to jump away, run a few
steps to one side and again attempt to make an entrance, the while he slashed
and hewed at the spear with such violence that it was with difficulty the girl
maintained her guard, and all the time was forced to give ground step by step.
She had reached the point where she was standing squarely against the couch at
the side of the room when, with an incredibly swift movement, Metak stooped and
grasping a low stool hurled it directly at her head.
She raised the spear to fend off the heavy missile, but she was not entirely
successful, and the impact of the blow carried her backward upon the couch, and
instantly Metak was upon her.
Tarzan and Smith-Oldwick gave little thought as to what had become of the other
two occupants of the room. They were gone, and so far as these two were
concerned they might never return. Tarzan's one desire was to reach the street
again, where, now that both of them were in some sort of disguise, they should be
able to proceed with comparative safety to the palace and continue their search
for the girl.
Smith-Oldwick preceded Tarzan along the corridor and as they reached the
ladder he climbed aloft to remove the trap. He worked for a moment and then,
turning, addressed Tarzan.
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