of Mbonga, the chief, had cast his unfortunate
spear at Kala, the ape-man's foster mother.

The last man, who must have stopped for some purpose, was fully a
quarter of a mile in rear of the party. He was hurrying to catch
up when Tarzan saw him, and as he passed beneath the tree in which
the ape-man perched above the trail, a silent noose dropped deftly
about his neck. The main body still was in plain sight, and as the
frightened man voiced a piercing shriek of terror, they looked back
to see his body rise as though by magic straight into the air and
disappear amidst the leafy foliage above.

For a moment the blacks stood paralyzed by astonishment and fear;
but presently the burly sergeant, Usanga, who led them, started
back along the trail at a run, calling to the others to follow
him. Loading their guns as they came the blacks ran to succor their
fellow, and at Usanga's command they spread into a thin line that
presently entirely surrounded the tree into which their comrade
had vanished.

Usanga called but received no reply; then he advanced slowly with
rifle at the ready, peering up into the tree. He could see no
one--nothing. The circle closed in until fifty blacks were searching
among the branches with their keen eyes. What had become of their
fellow? They had seen him rise into the tree and since then many
eyes had been fastened upon the spot, yet there was no sign of him.
One, more venturesome than his fellows, volunteered to climb into
the tree and investigate. He was gone but a minute or two and
when he dropped to earth again he swore that there was no sign of
a creature there.

Perplexed, and by this time a bit awed, the blacks drew slowly
away from the spot and with many backward glances and less laughing
continued upon their journey until, when about a mile beyond the
spot at which their fellow had disappeared, those in the lead saw
him peering from behind a tree at one side of the trail just in
front of them. With shouts to their companions that he had been
found they ran forwards; but those who were first to reach the
tree stopped suddenly and shrank back, their eyes rolling fearfully
first in one direction and then in another as though they expected
some nameless horror to leap out upon them.

Nor was their terror without foundation. Impaled upon the end of
a broken branch the head of their companion was propped behind the
tree so that it appeared to be looking out at them from the opposite
side