was solely the god of the Ho-don in every sense,
other than that other creatures were created by Jad-ben-Otho to serve
some useful purpose for the benefit of the Ho-don race. And now to be
told by the son of god that she stood no higher in divine esteem than
the black handmaiden at her side was indeed a shock to her pride, her
vanity, and her faith. But who could question the word of Dor-ul-Otho,
especially when she had with her own eyes seen him in actual communion
with god in heaven?

"The will of Jad-ben-Otho be done," said O-lo-a meekly, "if it lies
within my power. But it would be best, O Dor-ul-Otho, to communicate
your father's wish directly to the king."

"Then keep her with you," said Tarzan, "and see that no harm befalls
her."

O-lo-a looked ruefully at Pan-at-lee. "She was brought to me but
yesterday," she said, "and never have I had slave woman who pleased me
better. I shall hate to part with her."

"But there are others," said Tarzan.

"Yes," replied O-lo-a, "there are others, but there is only one
Pan-at-lee."

"Many slaves are brought to the city?" asked Tarzan.

"Yes," she replied.

"And many strangers come from other lands?" he asked.

She shook her head negatively. "Only the Ho-don from the other side of
the Valley of Jad-ben-Otho," she replied, "and they are not strangers."

"Am I then the first stranger to enter the gates of A-lur?" he asked.

"Can it be," she parried, "that the son of Jad-ben-Otho need question a
poor ignorant mortal like O-lo-a?"

"As I told you before," replied Tarzan, "Jad-ben-Otho alone is
all-knowing."

"Then if he wished you to know this thing," retorted O-lo-a quickly,
"you would know it."

Inwardly the ape-man smiled that this little heathen's astuteness
should beat him at his own game, yet in a measure her evasion of the
question might be an answer to it. "There have been other strangers
here then recently?" he persisted.

"I cannot tell you what I do not know," she replied. "Always is the
palace of Ko-tan filled with rumors, but how much fact and how much
fancy how may a woman of the palace know?"

"There has been such a rumor then?" he asked.

"It was only rumor that reached the Forbidden Garden," she replied.

"It described, perhaps, a woman of another race?" As he put the
question and awaited her answer he thought that his heart ceased to
beat, so grave to him was the issue at stake.

The girl hesitated before replying, and then. "No," she said