man.

Chapter 10

Through the Valley of the Shadow

As Tarzan walked down the wild canon beneath the brilliant African moon
the call of the jungle was strong upon him. The solitude and the
savage freedom filled his heart with life and buoyancy. Again he was
Tarzan of the Apes--every sense alert against the chance of surprise by
some jungle enemy--yet treading lightly and with head erect, in proud
consciousness of his might.

The nocturnal sounds of the mountains were new to him, yet they fell
upon his ears like the soft voice of a half-forgotten love. Many he
intuitively sensed--ah, there was one that was familiar indeed; the
distant coughing of Sheeta, the leopard; but there was a strange note
in the final wail which made him doubt. It was a panther he heard.

Presently a new sound--a soft, stealthy sound--obtruded itself among
the others. No human ears other than the ape-man's would have detected
it. At first he did not translate it, but finally he realized that it
came from the bare feet of a number of human beings. They were behind
him, and they were coming toward him quietly. He was being stalked.

In a flash he knew why he had been left in that little valley by
Gernois; but there had been a hitch in the arrangements--the men had
come too late. Closer and closer came the footsteps. Tarzan halted
and faced them, his rifle ready in his hand. Now he caught a fleeting
glimpse of a white burnoose. He called aloud in French, asking what
they would of him. His reply was the flash of a long gun, and with the
sound of the shot Tarzan of the Apes plunged forward upon his face.

The Arabs did not rush out immediately; instead, they waited to be sure
that their victim did not rise. Then they came rapidly from their
concealment, and bent over him. It was soon apparent that he was not
dead. One of the men put the muzzle of his gun to the back of Tarzan's
head to finish him, but another waved him aside. "If we bring him
alive the reward is to be greater," explained the latter. So they
bound his hands and feet, and, picking him up, placed him on the
shoulders of four of their number. Then the march was resumed toward
the desert. When they had come out of the mountains they turned toward
the south, and about daylight came to the spot where their horses stood
in care of two of their number.

From here on their progress was more rapid. Tarzan, who had regained
consciousness, was tied to a spare