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other's heart. Before he could drive it home the girl leveled Smith-Oldwick's pistol

and fired point-blank at the fiend's face.

Simultaneously there broke upon the astonished ears of both attackers and

attacked a volley of shots from the gorge. With the sweetness of the voice of an

angel from heaven the Europeans heard the sharp-barked commands of an

English noncom. Even above the roars of the lions and the screams of the

maniacs, those beloved tones reached the ears of Tarzan and the girl at the very

moment that even the ape-man had given up the last vestige of hope.

Rolling the body of the warrior to one side Tarzan struggled to his feet, the spear

still protruding from his shoulder. The girl rose too, and as Tarzan wrenched the

weapon from his flesh and stepped out from behind the concealment of their

refuge, she followed at his side. The skirmish that had resulted in their rescue

was soon over. Most of the lions escaped but all of the pursuing Xujans had been

slain. As Tarzan and the girl came into full view of the group, a British Tommy

leveled his rifle at the ape-man. Seeing the fellow's actions and realizing instantly

the natural error that Tarzan's yellow tunic had occasioned the girl sprang

between him and the soldier. "Don't shoot," she cried to the latter, "we are both

friends."

"Hold up your hands, you, then," he commanded Tarzan. "I ain't taking no

chances with any duffer with a yellow shirt."

At this juncture the British sergeant who had been in command of the advance

guard approached and when Tarzan and the girl spoke to him in English,

explaining their disguises, he accepted their word, since they were evidently not

of the same race as the creatures which lay dead about them. Ten minutes later

the main body of the expedition came into view. Smith-Oldwick's wounds were

dressed, as well as were those of the ape-man, and in half an hour they were on

their way to the camp of their rescuers.

That night it was arranged that the following day Smith-Oldwick and Bertha

Kircher should be transported to British headquarters near the coast by

aeroplane, the two planes attached to the expeditionary force being requisitioned

for the purpose. Tarzan and Otobu declined the offers of the British captain to

accompany his force overland on the return march as Tarzan explained that his

country lay to the west, as did Otobu's, and that they would travel together as far

as the country of the Wamabos.

"You are not going back with us, then?" asked the girl.

"No," replied the ape-man. "My home is upon the west coast. I will continue my

journey in that direction."

239

Tarzan the Untamed