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was immediately set upon by the fifty hairy men or as
many of them as could swarm upon his person。 Instantly
the ape…man became the center of a whirling； striking；
biting maelstrom of horror。 He fought nobly but the
odds against him were too great。 Slowly they overcame
him though there was scarce one of them that did not
feel the weight of his mighty fist or the rending of
his fangs。
13
Condemned To Torture and Death
La had followed her company and when she saw them
clawing and biting at Tarzan； she raised her voice and
cautioned them not to kill him。 She saw that he was
weakening and that soon the greater numbers would
prevail over him； nor had she long to wait before the
mighty jungle creature lay helpless and bound at her
feet。
〃Bring him to the place at which we stopped；〃 she
commanded and they carried Tarzan back to the little
clearing and threw him down beneath a tree。
〃Build me a shelter！〃 ordered La。 〃We shall stop here
tonight and tomorrow in the face of the Flaming God； La
will offer up the heart of this defiler of the temple。
Where is the sacred knife？ Who took it from him？〃
But no one had seen it and each was positive in his
assurance that the sacrificial weapon had not been upon
Tarzan's person when they captured him。 The ape…man
looked upon the menacing creatures which surrounded him
and snarled his defiance。 He looked upon La and
smiled。 In the face of death he was unafraid。
〃Where is the knife？〃 La asked him。
〃I do not know；〃 replied Tarzan。 〃The man took it with
him when he slipped away during the night。 Since you
are so desirous for its return I would look for him and
get it back for you； did you not hold me prisoner； but
now that I am to die I cannot get it back。 Of what
good was your knife； anyway？ You can make another。
Did you follow us all this way for nothing more than a
knife？ Let me go and find him and I will bring it back
to you。〃
La laughed a bitter laugh； for in her heart she knew
that Tarzan's sin was greater than the purloining of
the sacrificial knife of Opar； yet as she looked at him
lying bound and helpless before her； tears rose to her
eyes so that she had to turn away to hide them； but she
remained inflexible in her determination to make him
pay in frightful suffering and in eventual death for
daring to spurn the love of La。
When the shelter was completed La had Tarzan
transferred to it。 〃All night I shall torture him；〃
she muttered to her priests； 〃and at the first streak
of dawn you may prepare the flaming altar upon which
his heart shall be offered up to the Flaming God。
Gather wood well filled with pitch； lay it in the form
and size of the altar at Opar in the center of the
clearing that the Flaming God may look down upon our
handiwork and be pleased。〃
During the balance of the day the priests of Opar were
busy erecting an altar in the center of the clearing；
and while they worked they chanted weird hymns in the
ancient tongue of that lost continent that lies at the
bottom of the Atlantic。 They knew not the meanings of
the words they mouthed； they but repeated the ritual
that had been handed down from preceptor to neophyte
since that long…gone day when the ancestors of the
Piltdown man still swung by their tails in the humid
jungles that are England now。
And in the shelter of the hut； La paced to and fro
beside the stoic ape…man。 Resigned to his fate was
Tarzan。 No hope of succor gleamed through the dead
black of the death sentence hanging over him。 He knew
that his giant muscles could not part the many strands
that bound his wrists and ankles； for he had strained
often； but ineffectually for release。 He had no hope
of outside help and only enemies surrounded him within
the camp； and yet he smiled at La as she paced
nervously back and forth the length of the shelter。
And La？ She fingered her knife and looked down upon her
captive。 She glared and muttered but she did not
strike。 〃Tonight！〃 she thought。 〃Tonight； when it is
dark I will torture him。〃 She looked upon his perfect；
godlike figure and upon his handsome； smiling face and
then she steeled her heart again by thoughts of her
love spurned； by religious thoughts that damned the
infidel who had desecrated the holy of holies； who had
taken from the blood…stained altar of Opar the offering
to the Flaming Godand not once but thrice。
Three times had Tarzan cheated the god of her fathers。
At the thought La paused and knelt at his side。 In her
hand was a sharp knife。 She placed its point against
the ape…man's side and pressed upon the hilt； but
Tarzan only smiled and shrugged his shoulders。
How beautiful he was！ La bent low over him； looking
into his eyes。 How perfect was his figure。 She
compared it with those of the knurled and knotted men
from whom she must choose a mate； and La shuddered at
the thought。 Dusk came and after dusk came night。
A great fire blazed within the little thorn boma about
the camp。 The flames played upon the new altar erected
in the center of the clearing； arousing in the mind of
the High Priestess of the Flaming God a picture of the
event of the coming dawn。 She saw this giant and
perfect form writhing amid the flames of the burning
pyre。 She saw those smiling lips； burned and
blackened； falling away from the strong； white teeth。
She saw the shock of black hair tousled upon Tarzan's
well…shaped head disappear in a spurt of flame。 She
saw these and many other frightful pictures as she
stood with closed eyes and clenched fists above the
object of her hateah！ was it hate that La of Opar
felt？
The darkness of the jungle night had settled down upon
the camp； relieved only by the fitful flarings of the
fire that was kept up to warn off the man…eaters。
Tarzan lay quietly in his bonds。 He suffered from
thirst and from the cutting of the tight strands about
his wrists and ankles； but he made no complaint。
A jungle beast was Tarzan with the stoicism of the beast
and the intelligence of man。 He knew that his doom was
sealedthat no supplications would avail to temper the
severity of his end and so he wasted no breath in
pleadings； but waited patiently in the firm conviction
that his sufferings could not endure forever。
In the darkness La stooped above him。 In her hand was
a sharp knife and in her mind the determination to
initiate his torture without further delay。 The knife
was pressed against his side and La's face was close to
his when a sudden burst of flame from new branches
thrown upon the fire without； lighted up the interior
of the shelter。 Close beneath her lips La saw the
perfect features of the forest god and into her woman's
heart welled all the great love she had felt for Tarzan
since first she had seen him； and all the accumulated
passion of the years that she had dreamed of him。
Dagger in hand； La； the H