“That you are our prisoners,” cried the ape-man, leaping past them and placing himself before the door, his iron rod in readiness.
A sneer twisted the mouth of each of the two Veltopismakusians as they whipped out their rapiers and leaped toward the ape-man, ignoring for the moment the Trohanadalmakusian, who, seizing upon the opportunity thus afforded him, threw aside his iron rod and snatched a rapier from the side of one of the drunken nobles—a substitution of weapons that would render Komodoflorensal a dangerous opponent anywhere in Minuni, for there was no better swordsman among all the warlike clans of Trohanadalmakus, whose blades were famed throughout Minuni.
Facing, with only an iron rod, two skilled swordsmen placed Tarzan of the Apes at a disadvantage that might have proved his undoing had it not been for the presence of Komodoflorensal, who, no sooner than he had appropriated a weapon, leaped forward and engaged one of the warriors. The other pressed Tarzan fiercely.
“Your prisoner, eh, slave?” he sneered as he lunged for his opponent; but though less skilled, perhaps, in sword play than his antagonist, the Lord of the Jungle had not faced Bolgani and Numa for nothing. His movements were as lightning, his strength as great as before Zoanthrohago had reduced his stature. At the first onslaught of the warriors he had leaped to one side to avoid the thrust of a blade, and as much to his own astonishment as to theirs, what he had intended but for a nimble sidestep had carried him the length of the room, and then the man had been at him again, while the other was having his time well occupied with the Zertolosto of Trohanadalmakus.
Twice Tarzan parried cuts with his cumbersome bar and then a thrust but missed him by a hair’s breadth, his side step coming but in the nick of time. It was a close call, for the man had lunged at his abdomen—a close call for Tarzan and death for his opponent, for as the point slipped harmlessly by him the ape-man swung his rod upon the unguarded head of the Veltopismakusian, and with a grunt the fellow slumped to the floor, his skull crushed to the bridge of his nose.
Then Tarzan turned to aid Komodoflorensal, but the son of Adendrohahkis needed no aid. He had his man against the wall and was running him through the heart as Tarzan turned in their direction. As he fell, Komodoflorensal swung toward the center of the room and as his eye fell upon the ape-man a smile crossed his face.
“With an iron bar you bested a swordsman of Minuni!” he cried. “I would not have believed it possible and so I hastened to dispatch my man that I might come to your rescue before it was too late.”
Tarzan laughed. “I had the same thought in mind concerning you,” he said.
“And you could have well held it had I not been able to secure this rapier,” Komodoflorensal assured him. “But what now? We have again come much farther than it seems possible we can have. Naught will surprise me hereafter.”
“We are going to trade apparel with these two unfortunate gentlemen,” said Tarzan, divesting himself of the green tunic as he spoke.
Komodoflorensal chuckled as he followed the example of his companion.
“There are other peoples as great as the Minunians,” he declared, “though until I met you, my friend, I should never have believed it.”
A few moments later the two stood garbed in the habiliments of Veltopismakusian warriors and Tarzan was slipping his green tunic upon the corpse of him whom he had slain.
“But why are you doing that?” asked the prince.
“Do likewise with yours and you will see, presently,” Tarzan replied.
Komodoflorensal did as the other bid him and when the change had been completed the ape-man threw one of the corpses across his shoulder and carried it into the storeroom, followed closely by Komodoflorensal with the other. Walking through the window embrasure to the edge of the shaft Tarzan hurled his burden out into space, and reaching back took Komodoflorensal’s from him and pitched it after the first.
“If they do not examine them too closely,” he said, “the ruse may serve to convince them that we died attempting to escape.” As he spoke he detached two of the hooks from the ladder down which they had clambered from the window of their dungeon and dropped them after the corpses. “These will lend color to the suggestion,” he added, in explanation.
Together they returned to the room where the drunken nobles lay, where Komodoflorensal began to rifle the fat money pouches of the unconscious men.
“We shall need all of this that we can get if we are to pose as Veltopismakusian warriors for any length of time,” he said. “I know these people by reputation and that gold will buy many of the things that we may require—the blindness of guards and the complaisance of officials, if they do not guess too close to the truth concerning us.”
“That part of it you must attend to, Komodoflorensal,” said Tarzan, “for I am unfamiliar with the ways of your people; but we may not remain here. These gentlemen have served us well, and themselves, too, for their faithlessness and debauchery saved their lives, while the two who followed in sobriety the path of duty were destroyed.”
“Matters are strangely ordered,” commented Komodoflorensal.
“In Minuni as elsewhere,” agreed Tarzan, leading the way to the door of the chamber which they found opened into a corridor instead of into another chamber as they had rather expected would be the fact at a point thus close to the central shaft.
In silence they proceeded along the passageway, which, at this hour of the morning, was deserted. They passed lighted chambers, where men and women were sleeping peacefully in the glare of many candles. They saw a sentry asleep before the door of a noble’s quarters. No one discovered them and thus they passed down a series of inclined runways and along
