t-black at the group of Arabs. In an
instant the camp was a cursing, howling mass of demons, fighting with
guns and knives and pistols. The Arabs stood together, and defended
their lives valiantly, but with the rain of lead that poured upon them
from their own slaves, and the shower of arrows and spears which now
leaped from the surrounding jungle aimed solely at them, there was
little question from the first what the outcome would be. In ten
minutes from the time the first porter had thrown down his load the
last of the Arabs lay dead.

When the firing had ceased Tarzan spoke again to the Manyuema:

"Take up our ivory, and return it to our village, from whence you stole
it. We shall not harm you."

For a moment the Manyuema hesitated. They had no stomach to retrace
that difficult three days' trail. They talked together in low
whispers, and one turned toward the jungle, calling aloud to the voice
that had spoken to them from out of the foliage.

"How do we know that when you have us in your village you will not kill
us all?" he asked.

"You do not know," replied Tarzan, "other than that we have promised
not to harm you if you will return our ivory to us. But this you do
know, that it lies within our power to kill you all if you do not
return as we direct, and are we not more likely to do so if you anger
us than if you do as we bid?"

"Who are you that speaks the tongue of our Arab masters?" cried the
Manyuema spokesman. "Let us see you, and then we shall give you our
answer."

Tarzan stepped out of the jungle a dozen paces from them.

"Look!" he said. When they saw that he was white they were filled with
awe, for never had they seen a white savage before, and at his great
muscles and giant frame they were struck with wonder and admiration.

"You may trust me," said Tarzan. "So long as you do as I tell you, and
harm none of my people, we shall do you no hurt. Will you take up our
ivory and return in peace to our village, or shall we follow along your
trail toward the north as we have followed for the past three days?"

The recollection of the horrid days that had just passed was the thing
that finally decided the Manyuema, and so, after a short conference,
they took up their burdens and set off to retrace their steps toward
the village of the Waziri. At the end of the third day they marched
into the village gate, and were greeted by the survivors of the recent
massacre, to whom Tarzan had sent a m