ranks of their screaming
and terrified people the very white girl who had escaped them a
few nights before, and at her back what appeared to their surprised
eyes a veritable horde of the huge and hairy forest men upon whom
they looked with considerable fear and awe.

Striking to right and left with his heavy fists, tearing with
his great fangs, came Zu-tag, the young bull, while at his heels,
emulating his example, surged his hideous apes. Quickly they came
through the old men and the women and children, for straight toward
Numabo and his warriors the girl led them. It was then that they
came within range of Tarzan's vision and he saw with unmixed surprise
who it was that led the apes to his rescue.

To Zu-tag he shouted: "Go for the big bulls while the she unbinds
me," and to Bertha Kircher: "Quick! Cut these bonds. The apes will
take care of the blacks."

Turning from her advance the girl ran to his side. She had no knife
and the bonds were tied tightly but she worked quickly and coolly
and as Zu-tag and his apes closed with the warriors, she succeeded
in loosening Tarzan's bonds sufficiently to permit him to extricate
his own hands so that in another minute he had freed himself.

"Now unbind the Englishman," he cried, and, leaping forward, ran
to join Zu-tag and his fellows in their battle against the blacks.
Numabo and his warriors, realizing now the relatively small numbers
of the apes against them, had made a determined stand and with
spears and other weapons were endeavoring to overcome the invaders.
Three of the apes were already down, killed or mortally wounded,
when Tarzan, realizing that the battle must eventually go against
the apes unless some means could be found to break the morale of
the Negroes, cast about him for some means of bringing about the
desired end. And suddenly his eye lighted upon a number of weapons
which he knew would accomplish the result. A grim smile touched
his lips as he snatched a vessel of boiling water from one of the
fires and hurled it full in the faces of the warriors. Screaming
with terror and pain they fell back though Numabo urged them to
rush forward.

Scarcely had the first cauldron of boiling water spilled its
contents upon them ere Tarzan deluged them with a second, nor was
there any third needed to send them shrieking in every direction
to the security of their huts.

By the time Tarzan had recovered his own weapons the girl had released
the young Englishman,