The great cat wheeled and bounded away, disappearing in the tall grass that the 'Gunner' could now see waving along the path of the panther's retreat. 'Well, what do you know about that?' ejaculated Danny. 'I done it! Geeze, these lions aint so much.'
His hunger now claimed his attention as his returning memory suggested a means of appeasing it. 'I wonder could I do it?' he mused, as he hunted around on the ground until he had found a thin fragment of rock, with which he commenced to scrape away the dirt from a loose heap that rose a few inches above the contour of the surrounding ground. 'I wonder could I!'
His digging soon revealed the remains of the boar Tarzan had cached against their possible return. With his pocket knife the 'Gunner' hacked off several pieces, after which he scraped the dirt back over the body and busied himself in the preparation of a fire, where he grilled the meat in a sketchy fashion that produced culinary results which ordinarily would have caused him to turn up his nose in disgust. But today he was far from particular and bolted the partially cooked and partially charred morsels like a ravenous woli.
His memory had returned now up to the point of the meal he had eaten at this same spot with Tarzan—from there on until he had regained consciousness a short time before, it was a blank. He knew now that he could find his way back to camp from the point above the raiders' village where he and Obambi had lunched, and so he turned his footsteps in that direction.
When he had found the place, he crept on down to the edge of the cliff where it overlooked the village; and here he lay down to rest and to spy upon the raiders, for he was very tired.
'The lousy bums!' he ejaculated beneath his breath, as he saw the
He saw Stabutch emerge from a hut and walk down to the horses. He watched him while he talked to the blacks there and to the headman. Then he saw the Russian leading two saddled horses back to the hut.
'That guy don't know it,' he muttered, 'but the finger is sure on him. I'll get him on the spot some day if it takes the rest of my natural life. Geeze, glom the broad!' Stabutch had summoned Jezebel from the hut. Suddenly a strange thing happened inside the head of Danny 'Gunner' Patrick. It was as though someone had suddenly raised a window shade and let in a flood of light. He saw everything perfectly now in retrospection. With the sight of Jezebel his memory had returned!
It was with difficulty that he restrained an urge to call out and tell her that he was there; but caution stilled his tongue, and he lay watching while the two mounted and rode out of the gateway.
He rose to his feet and ran along the ridge toward the north, parallel to the course they were taking. It was already dusk. In a few minutes it would be dark. If he could only keep them in sight until he knew in what direction they finally went!
Exhaustion was forgotten as he ran through the approaching night. Dimly now he could see them. They rode for a short distance upward toward the cliffs; and then, just before the darkness swallowed them, he saw them turn and gallop away toward the northwest and the great forest that lay in that direction.
Reckless of life and limb, the 'Gunner' half stumbled, half fell down the cliffs that here had crumbled away and spilled their fragments out upon the slope below.
'I gotta catch 'em, I gotta catch 'em,' he kept repeating to himself. 'The poor kid! The poor little kid! So help me God, if I catch 'em, what I won't do to that————if be's hurt her!'
On through the night he stumbled, falling time and again only to pick himself up and continue his frantic and hopeless search for the little golden haired Jezebel who had come into his life for a few brief hours to leave a mark upon his heart that might never be erased.
Gradually the realization of it crept upon him as he groped blindly into the unknown, and it gave him strength to go on in the face of such physical exhaustion as he had never known before.
'Geeze,' he muttered, 'I sure must of fell hard for that kid.'
Chapter 22
By a Lonely Pool
Night had fallen; and Tarzan of the Apes, leading Lady Barbara Collis and Lafayette Smith from the valley of the land of Midian , did not see the spoor of Jezebel and the 'Gunner.'
His two charges were upon the verge of exhaustion, but the ape-man led them on through the night in accordance with a plan he had decided upon. He knew that there were two more whites missing—Jezebel and Danny Patrick—and he wanted to get Lady Barbara and Smith to a place of safety that he might be free to pursue his search for these others.
To Lady Barbara and Smith the journey seemed interminable, yet they made no complaint, for the ape-man had explained the purpose of this forced march to them; and they were even more anxious than he concerning the fate of their friends.
Smith supported the girl as best he could; but his own strength was almost spent, and sometimes his desire to assist her tended more to impede than to aid her. Finally she stumbled and fell; and when Tarzan, striding in advance, heard and returned to them he found Smith vainly endeavoring to lift Lady Barbara.
This was the first intimation the ape-man had received that his charges were upon the verge of exhaustion, for neither had voiced a single complaint; and when he realized it he lifted Lady Barbara in his arms and carried her, while Smith, relieved at least of further anxiety concerning her, was able to keep going, though he moved like an automaton, apparently without conscious volition. Nor may his state be wondered at, when one considers what he had passed through during the preceding three days.
With Lady Barbara, be marvelled at the strength and endurance of the ape-man, which, because of his own weakened state, seemed unbelievable even as he witnessed it.
'It is not much farther,' said Tarzan, guessing that the man needed encouragement.
'You are sure the hunter you told us of has not moved his camp?' asked Lady Barbara.
'He was there day before yesterday,' replied the apeman. 'I think we shall find him there tonight.'
'He will take us in?' asked Smith.
'Certainly, just as you would, under similar circumstances, take in anyone who needed assistance,' replied the Lord of the Jungle. 'He is an Englishman,' he added, as though that fact in itself were a sufficient answer to their doubts.
They were in a dense forest now, following an ancient game trail; and presently they saw lights flickering ahead.
'That must be the camp,' exclaimed Lady Barbara.
'Yes,' replied Tarzan, and a moment later he called out in a native dialect.
Instantly came an answering voice; and a moment later Tarzan halted upon the edge of the camp, just outside the circle of beast-fires.
Several askaris were on guard, and with them Tarzan conversed for a few moments; then he advanced and lowered Lady Barbara to her feet.
'I have told them not to disturb their bwana,' the apeman explained. 'There is another tent that Lady Barbara may occupy, and the headman will arrange to have a shelter thrown up for Smith. You will be perfectly safe here. The men tell me their bwana is Lord Passmore. He will doubtless arrange to get you out to rail head. In the meantime I shall try to locate your friends.'
That was all—the ape-man turned and melted into the black night before they could voice any thanks.
'Why he's gone!' exclaimed the girl. 'I didn't even thank him.'
'I thought he would remain here until morning,' said Smith. 'He must be tired.'
'He seems tireless,' replied Lady Barbara. 'He is a superman, if ever there was one.'
'Come,' said the headman, 'your tent is over here. The boys are arranging a shelter for the bwana.'
'Good night, Mr. Smith,' said the girl. 'I hope you sleep well.'
'Good night, Lady Barbara,' replied Smith. 'I hope we wake up sometime.'
And as they prepared for this welcome rest Stabutch and Jezebel were riding through the night, the man completely confused and lost.
Toward morning they drew rein at the edge of a great forest, after riding in wide circles during the greater
