, followed by several others, all of whom examined
Tarzan with every sign of curiosity as they approached.

The leader of the party halted before the ape-man. "Who are you?" he
asked, "and what do you want of Ko-tan, the king?"

"I am a friend," replied the ape-man, "and I have come from the country
of Jad-ben-Otho to visit Ko-tan of Pal-ul-don."

The warrior and his followers seemed impressed. Tarzan could see the
latter whispering among themselves.

"How come you here," asked the spokesman, "and what do you want of
Ko-tan?"

Tarzan drew himself to his full height. "Enough!" he cried. "Must the
messenger of Jad-ben-Otho be subjected to the treatment that might be
accorded to a wandering Waz-don? Take me to the king at once lest the
wrath of Jad-ben-Otho fall upon you."

There was some question in the mind of the ape-man as to how far he
might carry his unwarranted show of assurance, and he waited therefore
with amused interest the result of his demand. He did not, however,
have long to wait for almost immediately the attitude of his questioner
changed. He whitened, cast an apprehensive glance toward the eastern
sky and then extended his right palm toward Tarzan, placing his left
over his own heart in the sign of amity that was common among the
peoples of Pal-ul-don.

Tarzan stepped quickly back as though from a profaning hand, a feigned
expression of horror and disgust upon his face.

"Stop!" he cried, "who would dare touch the sacred person of the
messenger of Jad-ben-Otho? Only as a special mark of favor from
Jad-ben-Otho may even Ko-tan himself receive this honor from me.
Hasten! Already now have I waited too long! What manner of reception
the Ho-don of A-lur would extend to the son of my father!"

At first Tarzan had been inclined to adopt the role of Jad-ben-Otho
himself but it occurred to him that it might prove embarrassing and
considerable of a bore to be compelled constantly to portray the
character of a god, but with the growing success of his scheme it had
suddenly occurred to him that the authority of the son of Jad-ben-Otho
would be far greater than that of an ordinary messenger of a god, while
at the same time giving him some leeway in the matter of his acts and
demeanor, the ape-man reasoning that a young god would not be held so
strictly accountable in the matter of his dignity and bearing as an
older and greater god.

This time the effect of his words was immediately and painfully
noticea