phant some miles away. By
climbing trees they had had a fairly good view of the herd, which they
described as numbering several large tuskers, a great many cows and
calves, and full-grown bulls whose ivory would be worth having.

The balance of the day and evening was filled with preparation for a
great hunt--spears were overhauled, quivers were replenished, bows were
restrung; and all the while the village witch doctor passed through the
busy throngs disposing of various charms and amulets designed to
protect the possessor from hurt, or bring him good fortune in the
morrow's hunt.

At dawn the hunters were off. There were fifty sleek, black warriors,
and in their midst, lithe and active as a young forest god, strode
Tarzan of the Apes, his brown skin contrasting oddly with the ebony of
his companions. Except for color he was one of them. His ornaments
and weapons were the same as theirs--he spoke their language--he
laughed and joked with them, and leaped and shouted in the brief wild
dance that preceded their departure from the village, to all intent and
purpose a savage among savages. Nor, had he questioned himself, is it
to be doubted that he would have admitted that he was far more closely
allied to these people and their life than to the Parisian friends
whose ways, apelike, he had successfully mimicked for a few short
months.

But he did think of D'Arnot, and a grin of amusement showed his strong
white teeth as he pictured the immaculate Frenchman's expression could
he by some means see Tarzan as he was that minute. Poor Paul, who had
prided himself on having eradicated from his friend the last traces of
wild savagery. "How quickly have I fallen!" thought Tarzan; but in his
heart he did not consider it a fall--rather, he pitied the poor
creatures of Paris, penned up like prisoners in their silly clothes,
and watched by policemen all their poor lives, that they might do
nothing that was not entirely artificial and tiresome.

A two hours' march brought them close to the vicinity in which the
elephants had been seen the previous day. From there on they moved
very quietly indeed searching for the spoor of the great beasts. At
length they found the well-marked trail along which the herd had passed
not many hours before. In single file they followed it for about half
an hour. It was Tarzan who first raised his hand in signal that the
quarry was at hand--his sensitive nose had warned him that the
elephant