that sentence would have filled her with delight, now it
depressed her.

She wished she had never met Clayton. She was sorry that she had ever
seen the forest god. No, she was glad. And there was that other note
she had found in the grass before the cabin the day after her return
from the jungle, the love note signed by Tarzan of the Apes.

Who could be this new suitor? If he were another of the wild denizens
of this terrible forest what might he not do to claim her?

"Esmeralda! Wake up," she cried.

"You make me so irritable, sleeping there peacefully when you know
perfectly well that the world is filled with sorrow."

"Gaberelle!" screamed Esmeralda, sitting up. "What is it now? A
hipponocerous? Where is he, Miss Jane?"

"Nonsense, Esmeralda, there is nothing. Go back to sleep. You are bad
enough asleep, but you are infinitely worse awake."

"Yes honey, but what's the matter with you, precious? You acts sort of
disgranulated this evening."

"Oh, Esmeralda, I'm just plain ugly to-night," said the girl. "Don't
pay any attention to me--that's a dear."

"Yes, honey; now you go right to sleep. Your nerves are all on edge.
What with all these ripotamuses and man eating geniuses that Mister
Philander been telling about--Lord, it ain't no wonder we all get
nervous prosecution."

Jane crossed the little room, laughing, and kissing the faithful woman,
bid Esmeralda good night.

Chapter XXIII

Brother Men.

When D'Arnot regained consciousness, he found himself lying upon a bed
of soft ferns and grasses beneath a little "A" shaped shelter of boughs.

At his feet an opening looked out upon a green sward, and at a little
distance beyond was the dense wall of jungle and forest.

He was very lame and sore and weak, and as full consciousness returned
he felt the sharp torture of many cruel wounds and the dull aching of
every bone and muscle in his body as a result of the hideous beating he
had received.

Even the turning of his head caused him such excruciating agony that he
lay still with closed eyes for a long time.

He tried to piece out the details of his adventure prior to the time he
lost consciousness to see if they would explain his present
whereabouts--he wondered if he were among friends or foes.

At length he recollected the whole hideous scene at the stake, and
finally recalled the strange white figure in whose arms he had sunk
into oblivion.

D'Arnot wondered what fate lay i