cales. Pisah was coming. In a
moment he would be within reach and then with the swiftness of light
two strong, brown hands would plunge into the pool and seize him,
but, just at the moment that the fish was about to come within reach,
there was a great crashing in the underbrush behind the ape-man.
Instantly Pisah was gone and Tarzan, growling, had wheeled about
to face whatever creature might be menacing him. The moment that
he turned he saw that the author of the disturbance was Zu-tag.

"What does Zu-tag want?" asked the ape-man.

"Zu-tag comes to the water to drink," replied the ape.

"Where is the tribe?" asked Tarzan.

"They are hunting for pisangs and scimatines farther back in the
forest," replied Zu-tag.

"And the Tarmangani she and bull--" asked Tarzan, "are they safe?"

"They have gone away," replied Zu-tag. "Kudu has come out of his
lair twice since they left."

"Did the tribe chase them away?" asked Tarzan.

"No," replied the ape. "We did not see them go. We do not know why
they left."

Tarzan swung quickly through the trees toward the clearing. The
hut and boma were as he had left them, but there was no sign of
either the man or the woman. Crossing the clearing, he entered the
boma and then the hut. Both were empty, and his trained nostrils
told him that they had been gone for at least two days. As he was
about to leave the hut he saw a paper pinned upon the wall with a
sliver of wood and taking it down, he read:

After what you told me about Miss Kircher, and knowing that you
dislike her, I feel that it is not fair to her and to you that we
should impose longer upon you. I know that our presence is keeping
you from continuing your journey to the west coast, and so I
have decided that it is better for us to try and reach the white
settlements immediately without imposing further upon you. We both
thank you for your kindness and protection. If there was any way
that I might repay the obligation I feel, I should be only too glad
to do so.

It was signed by Lieutenant Harold Percy Smith-Oldwick.

Tarzan shrugged his shoulders, crumpled the note in his hand and
tossed it aside. He felt a certain sense of relief from responsibility
and was glad that they had taken the matter out of his hands. They
were gone and would forget, but somehow he could not forget. He
walked out across the boma and into the clearing. He felt uneasy
and restless. Once he started toward the north in response to
a