d, he let the weight fly up at a slight angle, so
that, instead of falling straight back into the shaft again, it grazed
the far edge, tumbling over into the court beyond.

Tarzan dragged for a moment upon the slack end of the rope until he
felt that the stone was lodged with fair security at the shaft's top,
then he swung out over the black depths beneath. The moment his full
weight came upon the rope he felt it slip from above. He waited there
in awful suspense as it dropped in little jerks, inch by inch. The
stone was being dragged up the outside of the masonry surrounding the
top of the shaft--would it catch at the very edge, or would his weight
drag it over to fall upon him as he hurtled into the unknown depths
below?

Chapter 25

Through the Forest Primeval

For a brief, sickening moment Tarzan felt the slipping of the rope to
which he clung, and heard the scraping of the block of stone against
the masonry above.

Then of a sudden the rope was still--the stone had caught at the very
edge. Gingerly the ape-man clambered up the frail rope. In a moment
his head was above the edge of the shaft. The court was empty. The
inhabitants of Opar were viewing the sacrifice. Tarzan could hear the
voice of La from the nearby sacrificial court. The dance had ceased.
It must be almost time for the knife to fall; but even as he thought
these things he was running rapidly toward the sound of the high
priestess' voice.

Fate guided him to the very doorway of the great roofless chamber.
Between him and the altar was the long row of priests and priestesses,
awaiting with their golden cups the spilling of the warm blood of their
victim. La's hand was descending slowly toward the bosom of the frail,
quiet figure that lay stretched upon the hard stone. Tarzan gave a
gasp that was almost a sob as he recognized the features of the girl he
loved. And then the scar upon his forehead turned to a flaming band of
scarlet, a red mist floated before his eyes, and, with the awful roar
of the bull ape gone mad, he sprang like a huge lion into the midst of
the votaries.

Seizing a cudgel from the nearest priest, he laid about him like a
veritable demon as he forged his rapid way toward the altar. The hand
of La had paused at the first noise of interruption. When she saw who
the author of it was she went white. She had never been able to fathom
the secret of the strange white man's escape from the dungeon in which
she