His entrance into the camp caused a mild sensation. The men stopped their work to stare at him. Some came and questioned those who accompanied him.
'What you got there?' asked one. 'The Wild Man of Borneo ?'
'He says he's an RAF colonel, but I've got two guesses. He's either a harmless half-wit or a German spy. I'm inclined to believe the latter. He doesn't talk like a half-wit.'
'Does he speak German?'
'Don't know.'
'I'll try him.' He spoke to Tarzan in German; and the latter, impelled by the ridiculousness of the situation, rattled off a reply in impeccable German.
'I told you so,' said the two-guesser.
Then Tarzan turned to de Lettenhove. 'I told you that I had no means of identification,' he said. 'I haven't any with me, but I have friends who can identify me—three Americans and two Dutch. You may know the latter.'
'Who are they?'
'Corrie van der Meer and Tak van der Bos. Do you know them?'
'I knew them very well, but they have both been re-ported dead.'
'They were not dead yesterday,' said Tarzan.
'Tell me,' said de Lettenhove. 'How do you happen to be in Sumatra anyway? How could an English colonel get to Sumatra in wartime? And what are Americans doing here?'
'An American bomber was supposed to have crashed here some time ago,' one of the men reminded de Lettenhove in Dutch. 'This fellow, if he is working with the Japs, would have known this. He would also have been able to get the names of Miss van der Meer and Tak. Let the damn fool go on. He's digging his own grave.'
'Ask him how he knew our camp was here,' suggested another.
'How did you know where to find us?' demanded de Lettenhove.
'I'll answer all your questions,' said Tarzan. 'I was aboard the bomber that was shot down. That's how I happen to be here. The three Americans I have mentioned were also survivors from that plane. I learned in a native village yesterday about the general location of your camp. These villagers have been collaborating with the Japs. There was a Jap outpost garrisoned there. We had an engagement with them yesterday, and wiped out the entire garrison.'
'You speak excellent German,' said one of the men accusingly.
'I speak several languages,' said Tarzan, 'including Dutch.' He smiled.
De Lettenhove flushed. 'Why didn't you tell me all these things in the first place?' he demanded.
'I wished first to assure myself that I was among potential friends. You might have been collaborationists. I just had an experience with a band of armed Dutchmen who work with the Japs.'
'What decided you that we were all right?'
'The appearance of this camp. It is not the camp of a band of undisciplined outlaws. Then, too, I understood all that you said in Dutch. You would not have feared that I might be a spy had you been on friendly terms with the Japs. I am convinced that I can trust you. I am sorry that you do not trust me. You probably could have been of great assistance to me and my friends.'
'I should like to believe you,' said de Lettenhove. 'We'll let the matter rest until Capt. van Prins returns.'
'If he can describe Corrie van der Meer and Tak van der Bos, I'll believe him,' said one of the men. 'If they're dead, as we've heard, he can't ever have seen them, for Corrie was killed with her father and mother over two years ago way up in the mountains, and Tak was captured and killed by the Japs after he escaped from the concentration camp. They couldn't possibly have been seen by this man unless they are still alive and together.'
Tarzan described them both minutely, and told much of what had befallen them during the past two years.
De Lettenhove offered Tarzan his hand. 'I believe you now,' he said, 'but you must understand that we have to be suspicious of everyone.'
'So am I,' replied the Englishman.
'Forgive me if I appear to be rude,' said the Dutchman, 'but I'd really like to know why you go about nearly naked like a regular Tarzan.'
'Because I am Tarzan.' He saw incredulity and returning suspicion in de Lettenhove's face. 'Possibly some of you may recall that Tarzan is an Englishman and that his name is Clayton. That is the name I gave you, you will recall.'
'That's right,' exclaimed one of the men. 'John Clayton, Lord Greystoke.'
'And there's the scar on his forehead that he got in his fight with the gorilla when he was a boy,' exclaimed another.
'I guess that settles it,' said de Lettenhove.
The men crowded around, asking Tarzan innumerable questions. They were more than friendly now, trying to make amends for their former suspicions.
'Am I still a prisoner?' he asked de Lettenhove.
'No, but I wish you would remain until the captain gets back. I know that he'll be more than anxious to be of assistance to you.'
Chapter 16
AS Corrie entered the forest she saw a man standing in the trail about a hundred feet from her. It was Hooft. He removed his hat and bowed, smiling. 'Thank you for coming,' he said. 'I was afraid to go down into the village until I was sure the people there were friendly.'
Corrie advanced toward him. She did not recognize him. Even though smiling, his appearance was most unprepossessing; so she kept her rifle at ready. 'If you are a loyal Dutchman,' she said, 'you will find the white men in this village friendly. What do you want of them?'
She had advanced about fifty feet when suddenly men leaped from the underbrush on both sides of the trail. The muzzle of her rifle was struck up and the weapon seized and wrenched from her grasp.
'Don't make no noise and you won't be hurt,' said one of the men.
Pistols were levelled at her as a warning of what would happen to her if she cried out for help. She saw that the men surrounding her were Dutchmen, and realized that they were probably of the same band of outlaws from which Tak and Tarzan had escaped. She reproached herself for having stupidly put herself in their power.
'What do you want of me?' she demanded.
'We ain't goin' to hurt you,' said Hooft. 'Just come along quietly, and we won't keep you long.' They were already moving along the trail, men in front of her and behind her. She realized that escape now was impossible.
'But what are you going to do with me?' she insisted.
'You'll find that out in a couple of days.'
'My friends will follow, and when they catch up with you you'll wish that you never had seen me.'
'They won't never catch up,' said Hooft. 'Even if they should, there are only four of them. We'd wipe 'em out in no time.'
'You don't know them,' said Corrie. 'They have killed forty Japs today, and they'll find you no matter where you hide. You had better let me go back; because you will certainly pay if you don't.'
'Shut up,' said Hooft.
They hurried on. Night fell, but they did not stop. Corrie thought of Jerry and the others. Most of all, she thought of Jerry. She wondered if they had missed her yet. She didn't wonder what they would do when they did miss her. She knew. She knew that the search for her would start immediately. Probably it already had started. She lagged, pretending to be tired. She wanted to delay her captors; but they pushed her roughly on, swearing at her.
