gle.

When the remainder of the warriors had gathered, the hunt was again
taken up and the stalking of the retreating herd once more begun; but
they had covered a bare hundred yards when from behind them, at a great
distance, sounded faintly a strange popping.

For an instant they stood like a group of statuary, intently listening.
Then Tarzan spoke.

"Guns!" he said. "The village is being attacked."

"Come!" cried Waziri. "The Arab raiders have returned with their
cannibal slaves for our ivory and our women!"

Chapter 16

The Ivory Raiders

Waziri's warriors marched at a rapid trot through the jungle in the
direction of the village. For a few minutes, the sharp cracking of
guns ahead warned them to haste, but finally the reports dwindled to an
occasional shot, presently ceasing altogether. Nor was this less
ominous than the rattle of musketry, for it suggested but a single
solution to the little band of rescuers--that the illy garrisoned
village had already succumbed to the onslaught of a superior force.

The returning hunters had covered a little more than three miles of the
five that had separated them from the village when they met the first
of the fugitives who had escaped the bullets and clutches of the foe.
There were a dozen women, youths, and girls in the party, and so
excited were they that they could scarce make themselves understood as
they tried to relate to Waziri the calamity that had befallen his
people.

"They are as many as the leaves of the forest," cried one of the women,
in attempting to explain the enemy's force. "There are many Arabs and
countless Manyuema, and they all have guns. They crept close to the
village before we knew that they were about, and then, with many
shouts, they rushed in upon us, shooting down men, and women, and
children. Those of us who could fled in all directions into the
jungle, but more were killed. I do not know whether they took any
prisoners or not--they seemed only bent upon killing us all. The
Manyuema called us many names, saying that they would eat us all before
they left our country--that this was our punishment for killing their
friends last year. I did not hear much, for I ran away quickly."

The march toward the village was now resumed, more slowly and with
greater stealth, for Waziri knew that it was too late to rescue--their
only mission could be one of revenge. Inside the next mile a hundred
more fugitives were met. There wer