if, in fact, they
should ever do so.

There was one exception, however, and he was Akut. Almost from the
first he showed an interest in this new sport that revealed a much
higher plane of intelligence than that attained by any of his tribe.
He seemed to grasp the purpose of the paddles, and when Tarzan saw that
this was so he took much pains to explain in the meagre language of the
anthropoid how they might be used to the best advantage.

From Mugambi Tarzan learned that the mainland lay but a short distance
from the island. It seemed that the Wagambi warriors had ventured too
far out in their frail craft, and when caught by a heavy tide and a
high wind from off-shore they had been driven out of sight of land.
After paddling for a whole night, thinking that they were headed for
home, they had seen this land at sunrise, and, still taking it for the
mainland, had hailed it with joy, nor had Mugambi been aware that it
was an island until Tarzan had told him that this was the fact.

The Wagambi chief was quite dubious as to the sail, for he had never
seen such a contrivance used. His country lay far up the broad Ugambi
River, and this was the first occasion that any of his people had found
their way to the ocean.

Tarzan, however, was confident that with a good west wind he could
navigate the little craft to the mainland. At any rate, he decided, it
would be preferable to perish on the way than to remain indefinitely
upon this evidently uncharted island to which no ships might ever be
expected to come.

And so it was that when the first fair wind rose he embarked upon his
cruise, and with him he took as strange and fearsome a crew as ever
sailed under a savage master.

Mugambi and Akut went with him, and Sheeta, the panther, and a dozen
great males of the tribe of Akut.

Chapter 6

A Hideous Crew

The war-canoe with its savage load moved slowly toward the break in the
reef through which it must pass to gain the open sea. Tarzan, Mugambi,
and Akut wielded the paddles, for the shore kept the west wind from the
little sail.

Sheeta crouched in the bow at the ape-man's feet, for it had seemed
best to Tarzan always to keep the wicked beast as far from the other
members of the party as possible, since it would require little or no
provocation to send him at the throat of any than the white man, whom
he evidently now looked upon as his master.

In the stern was Mugambi, and just in front of him squatte