knows? Anyhow, they were very angry; and leaped high in air in vain efforts to reach him, which only made them angrier. But Tarzan had no time to waste upon them; and, keeping to the trees, he swung away toward the north and Athne.
He had timed himself to reach the city while it slept, and knew how to approach it from information given him by Gemnon and Thudos who had often visited Athne during the yearly truces when the two cities traded with one another. He passed half way around the city to the north side, which was less well guarded than the south.
Here he faced the greatest danger of discovery, for he must scale the wall in the light of a full moon. He chose a place far from the north gate, and crept toward the city on his belly through the garden stuff growing in the cultivated fields. He stopped often to look and listen, but he saw no sign of life on the city wall.
When he had come to within about a hundred feet of the wall, he arose and ran toward it at top speed, scaling it like a cat until his fingers closed upon the coping; then he drew himself up; and, lying flat, looked down upon the other side. A shedlike building abutted against the wall, and beyond this was a narrow street. Tarzan slipped to the roof of the shed, and a moment later dropped into the street.
Instantly a head was thrust from an open window and a man's voice demanded, 'What are you doing there? Who are you?'
'I am Daimon,' replied Tarzan in a husky whisper. Instantly the head was withdrawn and the window slammed shut. Tarzan, quick witted, had profited by something that Gemnon had told him-that the Athneans believed in a bad spirit that was abroad at night seeking whom it might kill. To Daimon they attributed all unexplained deaths, especially those that occurred at night.
Following the directions he had received, Tarzan moved through the narrow, shadowed streets toward the center of the city, coming at last to the walled enclosure where the palace stood. He had been told that here he would find guards only at the north and south gates. Other gates, if there were any, were securely fastened and seldom used.
As Tarzan approached the enclosure from the west, he encountered no gate and no guards. The wall was low compared with that which surrounded the city, and so proved no obstacle to the ape-man. Once over the wall he found himself in a garden of trees, shrubs, and flowers, a lovely place of soft, sweet fragrances; but for these he had no senses at the moment-he was searching for other scents than those of flowers.
Winding among small buildings and other gardens he came to a large building that he knew must be the palace; and here, to his surprise, he saw several rooms brilliantly lighted. He had thought that all would be asleep with the exception of the guards.
A number of old trees grew in the garden court that flanked this side of the palace, and in the security of their shadows Tarzan crossed to the building and looked in at one of the windows. Here he saw a large banquet hall down the length of which ran a long table at which a hundred or more men were seated, most of them in various stages of drunkenness.
There was much loud talk and laughter, and a couple of fights were in progress in which no one took any interest except the contestants. The men were, for the most part, coarse, common appearing fellows, not at all like the nobles of Cathne. The man at the head of the table was quite bestial in appearance. He pounded on the table with a great ham of a fist, and bellowed more like a bull than a man.
Slaves were coming and going, bringing more drink and removing empty goblets and dishes. Some of the guests were still eating, but most of them concentrated their energies and their talents upon the principal business of the evening –drinking.
'Didn't I tell you to fetch her?' shouted the large man at the head of the table, addressing the assemblage in general.
'Told who to bring what?' inquired another seated farther toward the foot of the table.
'The girl,' shouted the large man.
'What girl, Photos?'
'THE girl,' replied Phoros drunkenly.
'Oh THE girl,' said some one.
'Well, why don't you bring her?'
'Bring who?'
'Bring THE girl,' repeated Phoros.
'Who bring her?' asked another.
'You bring her,' ordered Phoros.
The fellow addressed shook his head. 'Not me,' he said. 'Menofra'd have the hide off me.'
'She won't know. She's gone to bed,' Phoros assured him.
'I ain't takin' any chances. Send a slave.'
'You'd better not send anyone,' counselled a man sitting next to Phoros, one who did not seem as drunk as the others. 'Menofra would cut her heart out and yours too.'
'Who's king?' demanded Phoros.
'Ask Menofra,' suggested the other.
'I'm king,' asserted Phoros. He turned to a slave. The fellow happened to be looking in another direction. Phoros threw a heavy goblet at him, which barely missed his head. 'Here, you! Go fetch the girl.'
'What girl, master?' asked the trembling slave.
'There's only one girl in Athne, you son of a wart hog! Go get her!'
The slave hurried from the room. Then there ensued a discussion as to what Menofra would do if she found out. Phoros announced that he was tired of Menofra, and that if she didn't mind her own business he'd take her apart and forget to put her together again. He thought this such a good joke that he laughed immoderately and fell off his bench, but some of the others seemed nervous and looked apprehensively toward the doorway.
Tarzan watched and listened. He felt disgust and shame –shame, because he belonged to the same species as these creatures. Since infancy he had been fellow of the beasts of the forest and the plain, the lower orders; yet he had never seen them sink to the level of man. Most of them had courage and dignity of a sort; seldom did they stoop to buffoonery, with the possible exception of the lesser monkeys, who were most closely allied to man. Had he been impelled to theorize he would doubtless have reversed Darwin's theory of evolution. But his mind was occupied with another thought –who was 'THE girl'? He wondered if she might not be Gonfala, but further speculation was discouraged by the coming of a large, masculine looking woman who strode into the room followed by the slave who had just been dispatched to bring the girl. So this was the girl! Tarzan looked at her in mild astonishment. She had large, red hands, a whiskered mole on her chin, and quite a noticeable mustache. In other respects she was quite as unlovely.
'What's the meaning of this?' she demanded, glaring at Phoros. 'Why did you send for me at this time in the morning, you drunken lout?'
Phoros' jaw dropped; he looked wildly about at his companions as though seeking help; but he got none. Each of those who had not passed out completely was engaged in trying to appear dignified and sober.
'My dear,' explained Phoros ingratiatingly, 'we wanted you to join us and help celebrate.'
' 'My dear' nothing!' snapped the woman; then her eyes narrowed. 'Celebrate what?' she demanded.
Phoros looked about him helplessly. Bleary eyed and belching, he looked foolishly at the man sitting next him. 'What were we celebrating, Kandos?'
Kandos fidgeted, and moistened his dry lips with his tongue.
'Don't lie to me!' screamed the woman. 'The truth is that you never intended to send for me.'
'Now, Menofra!' exclaimed Phoros in what was intended to be a soothing tone.
The woman wheeled on the frightened slave behind her. 'Were you told to fetch me?' she demanded.
'Oh, great queen! I thought he meant you,' whimpered the slave, dropping to his knees.
'What did he say to you?' Menofra's voice was raised almost to a shriek.
'He said 'Go fetch the girl!' and when I asked him what girl, he said, 'There's only one girl in Athne, you son of a wart hog!''
Menofra's eyes narrowed menacingly. 'The only girl in Athne, eh? I know who you sent for-it's that yellow haired hussy that was brought in with the two men. You think you been fooling me, don't you? Well, you haven't. You just been waiting for your chance, and tonight you got drunk enough to muster up a little courage. Well, I'll attend to you; and when I get through with you, I'll fix the only girl in Athne. I'll send her to you, if there's anything left of you-I'll send her to you in pieces.' She wheeled on the subdued and frightened company. 'Get out of here,
