feigning a headache as an excuse, nor had the Hindu made any attempt to invade her privacy. Thus passed the first day. Upon the morning of the second Jafar summoned the head man of the askaris that had been left to guard them and to procure meat.
'Today,' said Raghunath Jafar, 'would be a good day to hunt. The signs are propitious. Go, therefore, into the forest, taking all your men, and do not return until the sun is low in the west. If you do this there will be presents for you, besides all the meat you can eat from the carcasses of your kills. Do you understand?'
'Yes, Bwana,' replied the black.
'Take with you the boy of the woman. He will not be needed here. My boy will remain to cook for us.'
'Perhaps he will not come,' suggested the Negro.
'You are many, he is only one; but do not let the woman know that you are taking him.'
'What are the presents?' demanded the head man.
'A piece of cloth and cartridges,' replied Jafar.
'And the curved sword that you carry when we are on the march.'
'No,' said Jafar.
'This is not a good day to hunt,' replied the black, turning away.
'Two pieces of cloth and fifty cartridges,' suggested Jafar.
'And the curved sword,' and thus, after much haggling, the bargain was made.
The head man gathered his askaris and bade them prepare for the hunt, saying that the brown bwana had so ordered, but he said nothing about any presents. When they were ready, he dispatched one to summon the white woman's servant.
'You are to accompany us on the hunt,' he said to the boy.
'Who said so?' demanded Wamala.
'The brown bwana,' replied Kahiya, the head man.
Wamala laughed. 'I take my orders from my mistress-not from the brown bwana.'
Kahiya leaped upon him and clapped a rough palm across his mouth as two of his men seized Wamala upon either side. 'You take your orders from Kahiya,' he said. Hunting spears were pressed against the boy's trembling body. 'Will you go upon the hunt with us?' demanded Kahiya.
'I go,' replied Wamala. 'I did but joke.'
As Zveri led his expedition toward Opar, Wayne Colt, impatient to join the main body of the conspirators, urged his men to greater speed in their search for the camp. The principal conspirators had entered Africa at different points that they might not arouse too much attention by their numbers. Pursuant to this plan Colt had landed on the west coast and had travelled inland a short distance by train to railhead, from which point he had had a long and arduous journey on foot; so that now, with his destination almost in sight, he was anxious to put a period to this part of his adventure. Then, too, he was curious to meet the other principals in this hazardous undertaking, Peter Zveri being the only one with whom he was acquainted.
The young American was not unmindful of the great risks he was inviting in affiliating himself with an expedition which aimed at the peace of Europe and at the ultimate control of a large section of Northeastern Africa through the disaffection by propaganda of large and warlike native tribes, especially in view of the fact that much of their operation must be carried on within British territory, where British power was considerably more than a mere gesture. But, being young and enthusiastic, however misguided, these contingencies did not weigh heavily upon his spirits, which, far from being depressed, were upon the contrary eager and restless for action.
The tedium of the journey from the coast had been unrelieved by pleasurable or adequate companionship, since the childish mentality of Tony could not rise above a muddy conception of Philippine independence and a consideration of the fine clothes he was going to buy when, by some vaguely visualized economic process, he was to obtain his share of the Ford and Rockefeller fortunes.
However, notwithstanding Tony's mental shortcomings, Colt was genuinely fond of the youth and as between the companionship of the Filipino or Zveri, he would have chosen the former, his brief acquaintance with the Russian in New York and San Francisco having convinced him that as a playfellow he left everything to be desired; nor had he any reason to anticipate that he would find any more congenial associates among the conspirators.
Plodding doggedly onward, Colt was only vaguely aware of the now familiar sights and sounds of the jungle, both of which by this time, it must be admitted, had considerably palled upon him. Even had he taken particular note of the latter, it is to be doubted that his untrained ear would have caught the persistent chatter of a little monkey that followed in the trees behind him; nor would this have particularly impressed him, unless he had been able to know that this particular little monkey rode upon the shoulder of a bronzed Apollo of the forest, who moved silently in his wake along a leafy highway of the lower terraces.
Tarzan had guessed that perhaps this white man, upon whose trail he had come unexpectedly, was making his way toward the main camp of the party of strangers for which the Lord of the Jungle was searching; and so, with the persistence and patience of the savage stalker of the jungle, he followed Wayne Colt; while little Nkima, riding upon his shoulder, berated his master for not immediately destroying the Tarmangani and all his party, for little Nkima was a bloodthirsty soul when the spilling of blood was to be accomplished by someone else.
And while Colt impatiently urged his men to greater speed and Tarzan followed and Nkima scolded, Raghunath Jafar approached the tent of Zora Drinov. As his figure darkened the entrance, casting a shadow across the book she was reading, the girl looked up from the cot upon which she was lying.
The Hindu smiled his oily, ingratiating smile. 'I came to see if your headache was better,' he said.
'Thank you, no,' said the girl coldly; 'but perhaps with undisturbed rest I may be better soon.'
Ignoring the suggestion, Jafar entered the tent and seated himself in a camp chair. 'I find it lonely,' he said, 'since the others have gone. Do you not also?'
'No,' replied Zora. 'I am quite content to be alone and resting.'
'Your headache developed very suddenly,' said Jafar. 'A short time ago you seemed quite well and animated.'
The girl made no reply. She was wondering what had become of her boy, Wamala, and why he had disregarded her explicit instructions to permit no one to disturb her.
Perhaps Raghunath Jafar read her thoughts, for to East Indians are often attributed uncanny powers, however little warranted such a belief may be. However that may be, his next words suggested the possibility.
'Wamala has gone hunting with the askaris,' he said.
'I gave him no such permission,' said Zora.
'I took the liberty of doing so,' said Jafar.
'You had no right,' said the girl angrily, sitting up upon the edge of her cot. 'You have presumed altogether too far, Comrade Jafar.'
'Wait a moment, my dear,' said the Hindu soothingly. 'Let us not quarrel. As you know, I love you and love does not find confirmation in crowds. Perhaps I have presumed, but it was only for the purpose of giving me an opportunity to plead my cause without interruption; and then, too, as you know, all is fair in love and war.'
'Then we may consider this as war,' said the girl, 'for it certainly is not love, either upon your side or upon mine. There is another word to describe what animates you, Comrade Jafar, and that which animates me now is loathing. I could not abide you if you were the last man on earth, and when Zveri returns, I promise you that there shall be an accounting.'
'Long before Zveri returns I shall have taught you to love me,' said the Hindu, passionately. He arose and came toward her. The girl leaped to her feet, looking about quickly for a weapon of defense. Her cartridge belt and revolver hung over the chair in which Jafar had been sitting, and her rifle was upon the opposite side of the tent.
'You are quite unarmed,' said the Hindu; 'I took particular note of that when I entered the tent. Nor will it do you any good to call for help; for there is no one in camp but you, and me, and my boy and he knows that, if he values his life, he is not to come here unless I call him.'
'You are a beast,' said the girl.
'Why not be reasonable, Zora?' demanded Jafar. 'It would not harm you any to be kind to me, and it will make it very much easier for you. Zveri need know nothing of it, and once we are back in civilization again, if you still feel that you do not wish to remain with me I shall not try to hold you; but I am sure that I can teach you to love me and that we shall be very happy together.'
'Get out!' ordered the girl. There was neither fear nor hysteria in her voice. It was very calm and level and
