or, Tarzan of the Apes.

With a cry of anguish D'Arnot sprang to the ape-man's side, and
kneeling, lifted the latter's head in his arms--calling Tarzan's name
aloud.

There was no response, and then D'Arnot placed his ear above the man's
heart. To his joy he heard its steady beating beneath.

Carefully he lifted Tarzan to the cot, and then, after closing and
bolting the door, he lighted one of the lamps and examined the wound.

The bullet had struck a glancing blow upon the skull. There was an
ugly flesh wound, but no signs of a fracture of the skull.

D'Arnot breathed a sigh of relief, and went about bathing the blood
from Tarzan's face.

Soon the cool water revived him, and presently he opened his eyes to
look in questioning surprise at D'Arnot.

The latter had bound the wound with pieces of cloth, and as he saw that
Tarzan had regained consciousness he arose and going to the table wrote
a message, which he handed to the ape-man, explaining the terrible
mistake he had made and how thankful he was that the wound was not more
serious.

Tarzan, after reading the message, sat on the edge of the couch and
laughed.

"It is nothing," he said in French, and then, his vocabulary failing
him, he wrote:

You should have seen what Bolgani did to me, and Kerchak, and Terkoz,
before I killed them--then you would laugh at such a little scratch.

D'Arnot handed Tarzan the two messages that had been left for him.

Tarzan read the first one through with a look of sorrow on his face.
The second one he turned over and over, searching for an opening--he
had never seen a sealed envelope before. At length he handed it to
D'Arnot.

The Frenchman had been watching him, and knew that Tarzan was puzzled
over the envelope. How strange it seemed that to a full-grown white
man an envelope was a mystery. D'Arnot opened it and handed the letter
back to Tarzan.

Sitting on a camp stool the ape-man spread the written sheet before him
and read:

TO TARZAN OF THE APES:

Before I leave let me add my thanks to those of Mr. Clayton for the
kindness you have shown in permitting us the use of your cabin.

That you never came to make friends with us has been a great regret to
us. We should have liked so much to have seen and thanked our host.

There is another I should like to thank also, but he did not come back,
though I cannot believe that he is dead.

I do not know his name. He is the great white giant who wore the
dia