n Ja-don's forces
from the rear while those at the gate hammered them in front.

Attacked on two sides by a vastly superior force the result was
inevitable and finally the last remnant of Ja-don's little army
capitulated and the old chief was taken a prisoner before Lu-don. "Take
him to the temple court," cried the high priest. "He shall witness the
death of his accomplice and perhaps Jad-ben-Otho shall pass a similar
sentence upon him as well."

The inner temple court was packed with humanity. At either end of the
western altar stood Tarzan and his mate, bound and helpless. The sounds
of battle had ceased and presently the ape-man saw Ja-don being led
into the inner court, his wrists bound tightly together before him.
Tarzan turned his eyes toward Jane and nodded in the direction of
Ja-don. "This looks like the end," he said quietly. "He was our last
and only hope."

"We have at least found each other, John," she replied, "and our last
days have been spent together. My only prayer now is that if they take
you they do not leave me."

Tarzan made no reply for in his heart was the same bitter thought that
her own contained--not the fear that they would kill him but the fear
that they would not kill her. The ape-man strained at his bonds but
they were too many and too strong. A priest near him saw and with a
jeering laugh struck the defenseless ape-man in the face.

"The brute!" cried Jane Clayton.

Tarzan smiled. "I have been struck thus before, Jane," he said, "and
always has the striker died."

"You still have hope?" she asked.

"I am still alive," he said as though that were sufficient answer. She
was a woman and she did not have the courage of this man who knew no
fear. In her heart of hearts she knew that he would die upon the altar
at high noon for he had told her, after he had been brought to the
inner court, of the sentence of death that Obergatz had pronounced upon
him, and she knew too that Tarzan knew that he would die, but that he
was too courageous to admit it even to himself.

As she looked upon him standing there so straight and wonderful and
brave among his savage captors her heart cried out against the cruelty
of the fate that had overtaken him. It seemed a gross and hideous wrong
that that wonderful creature, now so quick with exuberant life and
strength and purpose should be presently naught but a bleeding lump of
clay--and all so uselessly and wantonly. Gladly would she have offered
her lif