an of the Apes, racing through the jungle
forest with the speed and agility of a squirrel, for he had heard the
shouts of the warriors and had interpreted them correctly. Once he
uttered a piercing call that reverberated through the jungle; but
Tantor, in the panic of terror, either failed to hear, or hearing,
dared not pause to heed.

Now the giant pachyderm was but a few yards from the hidden death
lurking in his path, and the blacks, certain of success, were screaming
and dancing in his wake, waving their war spears and celebrating in
advance the acquisition of the splendid ivory carried by their prey and
the surfeit of elephant meat which would be theirs this night.

So intent were they upon their gratulations that they entirely failed
to note the silent passage of the man-beast above their heads, nor did
Tantor, either, see or hear him, even though Tarzan called to him to
stop.

A few more steps would precipitate Tantor upon the sharpened stakes;
Tarzan fairly flew through the trees until he had come abreast of the
fleeing animal and then had passed him. At the pit's verge the ape-man
dropped to the ground in the center of the trail. Tantor was almost
upon him before his weak eyes permitted him to recognize his old friend.

"Stop!" cried Tarzan, and the great beast halted to the upraised hand.

Tarzan turned and kicked aside some of the brush which hid the pit.
Instantly Tantor saw and understood.

"Fight!" growled Tarzan. "They are coming behind you." But Tantor, the
elephant, is a huge bunch of nerves, and now he was half panic-stricken
by terror.

Before him yawned the pit, how far he did not know, but to right and
left lay the primeval jungle untouched by man. With a squeal the great
beast turned suddenly at right angles and burst his noisy way through
the solid wall of matted vegetation that would have stopped any but him.

Tarzan, standing upon the edge of the pit, smiled as he watched
Tantor's undignified flight. Soon the blacks would come. It was best
that Tarzan of the Apes faded from the scene. He essayed a step from
the pit's edge, and as he threw the weight of his body upon his left
foot, the earth crumbled away. Tarzan made a single Herculean effort
to throw himself forward, but it was too late. Backward and downward
he went toward the sharpened stakes in the bottom of the pit.

When, a moment later, the blacks came they saw even from a distance
that Tantor had eluded them, for the