rm
her body, and at last she stood outside the enclosure.

Behind her lay a fate worse than death, at the hands of human beings.

Before her lay an almost certain fate--but it was only death--sudden,
merciful, and honourable death.

Without a tremor and without regret she darted away from the camp, and
a moment later the mysterious jungle had closed about her.

Chapter 14

Alone in the Jungle

Tambudza, leading Tarzan of the Apes toward the camp of the Russian,
moved very slowly along the winding jungle path, for she was old and
her legs stiff with rheumatism.

So it was that the runners dispatched by M'ganwazam to warn Rokoff that
the white giant was in his village and that he would be slain that
night reached the Russian's camp before Tarzan and his ancient guide
had covered half the distance.

The guides found the white man's camp in a turmoil. Rokoff had that
morning been discovered stunned and bleeding within his tent. When he
had recovered his senses and realized that Jane Clayton had escaped,
his rage was boundless.

Rushing about the camp with his rifle, he had sought to shoot down the
native sentries who had allowed the young woman to elude their
vigilance, but several of the other whites, realizing that they were
already in a precarious position owing to the numerous desertions that
Rokoff's cruelty had brought about, seized and disarmed him.

Then came the messengers from M'ganwazam, but scarce had they told
their story and Rokoff was preparing to depart with them for their
village when other runners, panting from the exertions of their swift
flight through the jungle, rushed breathless into the firelight, crying
that the great white giant had escaped from M'ganwazam and was already
on his way to wreak vengeance against his enemies.

Instantly confusion reigned within the encircling boma. The blacks
belonging to Rokoff's safari were terror-stricken at the thought of the
proximity of the white giant who hunted through the jungle with a
fierce pack of apes and panthers at his heels.

Before the whites realized what had happened the superstitious fears of
the natives had sent them scurrying into the bush--their own carriers
as well as the messengers from M'ganwazam--but even in their haste they
had not neglected to take with them every article of value upon which
they could lay their hands.

Thus Rokoff and the seven white sailors found themselves deserted and
robbed in the midst of