necessary
directions which he presently did when one of his acolytes excitedly
explained to him the manner of Tarzan's escape.

Instantly the necessary orders were issued and priests and warriors
sought the temple exit in pursuit of the ape-man. His departing words,
hurled at them from the summit of the temple wall, had had little
effect in impressing the majority that his claims had not been
disproven by Lu-don, but in the hearts of the warriors was admiration
for a brave man and in many the same unholy gratification that had
risen in that of their ruler at the discomfiture of Lu-don.

A careful search of the temple grounds revealed no trace of the quarry.
The secret recesses of the subterranean chambers, familiar only to the
priesthood, were examined by these while the warriors scattered through
the palace and the palace grounds without the temple. Swift runners
were dispatched to the city to arouse the people there that all might
be upon the lookout for Tarzan the Terrible. The story of his imposture
and of his escape, and the tales that the Waz-don slaves had brought
into the city concerning him were soon spread throughout A-lur, nor did
they lose aught in the spreading, so that before an hour had passed the
women and children were hiding behind barred doorways while the
warriors crept apprehensively through the streets expecting momentarily
to be pounced upon by a ferocious demon who, bare-handed, did
victorious battle with huge gryfs and whose lightest pastime consisted
in tearing strong men limb from limb.

12

The Giant Stranger

And while the warriors and the priests of A-lur searched the temple and
the palace and the city for the vanished ape-man there entered the head
of Kor-ul-ja down the precipitous trail from the mountains, a naked
stranger bearing an Enfield upon his back. Silently he moved downward
toward the bottom of the gorge and there where the ancient trail
unfolded more levelly before him he swung along with easy strides,
though always with the utmost alertness against possible dangers. A
gentle breeze came down from the mountains behind him so that only his
ears and his eyes were of value in detecting the presence of danger
ahead. Generally the trail followed along the banks of the winding
brooklet at the bottom of the gorge, but in some places where the
waters tumbled over a precipitous ledge the trail made a detour along
the side of the gorge, and again it wound in and out among rock