battle that was to be fought at A-lur.

The recruits were now gathering at the city and it was decided that the
next day Ja-don and Tarzan would return to the main body in the hidden
camp and immediately under cover of night the attack should be made in
force upon Lu-don's forces at A-lur. Word of this was sent to Ta-den
where he awaited with his warriors upon the north side of Jad-ben-lul,
only a few miles from A-lur.

In the carrying out of these plans it was necessary to leave Jane
behind in Ja-don's palace at Ja-lur, but O-lo-a and her women were with
her and there were many warriors to guard them, so Tarzan bid his mate
good-bye with no feelings of apprehension as to her safety, and again
seated upon the gryf made his way out of the city with Ja-don and his
warriors.

At the mouth of the gorge the ape-man abandoned his huge mount since it
had served its purpose and could be of no further value to him in their
attack upon A-lur, which was to be made just before dawn the following
day when, as he could not have been seen by the enemy, the effect of
his entry to the city upon the gryf would have been totally lost. A
couple of sharp blows with the spear sent the big animal rumbling and
growling in the direction of the Kor-ul-gryf nor was the ape-man sorry
to see it depart since he had never known at what instant its short
temper and insatiable appetite for flesh might turn it upon some of his
companions.

Immediately upon their arrival at the gorge the march on A-lur was
commenced.

23

Taken Alive

As night fell a warrior from the palace of Ja-lur slipped into the
temple grounds. He made his way to where the lesser priests were
quartered. His presence aroused no suspicion as it was not unusual for
warriors to have business within the temple. He came at last to a
chamber where several priests were congregated after the evening meal.
The rites and ceremonies of the sacrifice had been concluded and there
was nothing more of a religious nature to make call upon their time
until the rites at sunrise.

Now the warrior knew, as in fact nearly all Pal-ul-don knew, that there
was no strong bond between the temple and the palace at Ja-lur and that
Ja-don only suffered the presence of the priests and permitted their
cruel and abhorrent acts because of the fact that these things had been
the custom of the Ho-don of Pal-ul-don for countless ages, and rash
indeed must have been the man who would have attempted to in