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to arise； but for many days the girl could only shake her
head to indicate that she was too weak。
But eventually she was able to gain her feet； and then to
stagger a few steps by supporting herself with one hand
upon the wall。 Her captors now watched her with
increasing interest。 The day was approaching； and the
victim was gaining in strength。
Presently the day came； and a young woman whom Jane Porter
had not seen before came with several others to her dungeon。
Here some sort of ceremony was performedthat it was of
a religious nature the girl was sure； and so she took
new heart； and rejoiced that she had fallen among people
upon whom the refining and softening influences of religion
evidently had fallen。 They would treat her humanelyof
that she was now quite sure。
And so when they led her from her dungeon； through long；
dark corridors； and up a flight of concrete steps to a brilliant
courtyard； she went willingly； even gladlyfor was she not
among the servants of God？ It might be； of course； that their
interpretation of the supreme being differed from her own；
but that they owned a god was sufficient evidence to her that
they were kind and good。
But when she saw a stone altar in the center of the courtyard；
and dark…brown stains upon it and the nearby concrete of
the floor； she began to wonder and to doubt。 And as they
stooped and bound her ankles； and secured her wrists
behind her； her doubts were turned to fear。 A moment later；
as she was lifted and placed supine across the altar's top；
hope left her entirely； and she trembled in an agony of fright。
During the grotesque dance of the votaries which followed；
she lay frozen in horror； nor did she require the sight
of the thin blade in the hands of the high priestess as it
rose slowly above her to enlighten her further as to her doom。
As the hand began its descent； Jane Porter closed her eyes
and sent up a silent prayer to the Maker she was so soon to
facethen she succumbed to the strain upon her tired
nerves； and swooned。
Day and night Tarzan of the Apes raced through the primeval
forest toward the ruined city in which he was positive
the woman he loved lay either a prisoner or dead。
In a day and a night he covered the same distance that
the fifty frightful men had taken the better part of a week to
traverse； for Tarzan of the Apes traveled along the middle
terrace high above the tangled obstacles that impede
progress upon the ground。
The story the young bull ape had told made it clear to him
that the girl captive had been Jane Porter； for there was not
another small white 〃she〃 in all the jungle。 The 〃bulls〃 he
had recognized from the ape's crude description as the
grotesque parodies upon humanity who inhabit the ruins of Opar。
And the girl's fate he could picture as plainly as though
he were an eyewitness to it。 When they would lay her across
that trim altar he could not guess； but that her dear； frail
body would eventually find its way there he was confident。
But； finally； after what seemed long ages to the impatient
ape…man； he topped the barrier cliffs that hemmed the desolate
valley； and below him lay the grim and awful ruins of
the now hideous city of Opar。 At a rapid trot he started
across the dry and dusty； bowlder…strewn ground toward the
goal of his desires。
Would he be in time to rescue？ He hoped against hope。
At least he could be revenged； and in his wrath it seemed
to him that he was equal to the task of wiping out the entire
population of that terrible city。 It was nearly noon when he
reached the great bowlder at the top of which terminated the
secret passage to the pits beneath the city。 Like a cat he scaled
the precipitous sides of the frowning granite KOPJE。
A moment later he was running through the darkness of the
long； straight tunnel that led to the treasure vault。
Through this he passed； then on and on until at last he
came to the well…like shaft upon the opposite side of which
lay the dungeon with the false wall。
As he paused a moment upon the brink of the well a faint
sound came to him through the opening above。 His quick
ears caught and translated itit was the dance of death that
preceded a sacrifice； and the singsong ritual of the
high priestess。 He could even recognize the woman's voice。
Could it be that the ceremony marked the very thing he
had so hastened to prevent？ A wave of horror swept over him。
Was he； after all； to be just a moment too late？ Like a
frightened deer he leaped across the narrow chasm to the
continuation of the passage beyond。 At the false wall he
tore like one possessed to demolish the barrier that
confronted himwith giant muscles he forced the opening；
thrusting his head and shoulders through the first small
hole he made； and carrying the balance of the wall with him；
to clatter resoundingly upon the cement floor of the dungeon。
With a single leap he cleared the length of the chamber and
threw himself against the ancient door。 But here he stopped。
The mighty bars upon the other side were proof even against
such muscles as his。 It needed but a moment's effort to
convince him of the futility of endeavoring to force that
impregnable barrier。 There was but one other way； and that
led back through the long tunnels to the bowlder a mile
beyond the city's walls； and then back across the open as
he had come to the city first with his Waziri。
He realized that to retrace his steps and enter the city
from above ground would mean that he would be too late to
save the girl； if it were indeed she who lay upon the sacrificial
altar above him。 But there seemed no other way； and so he
turned and ran swiftly back into the passageway beyond the
broken wall。 At the well he heard again the monotonous
voice of the high priestess； and； as he glanced aloft； the
opening； twenty feet above； seemed so near that he was
tempted to leap for it in a mad endeavor to reach the inner
courtyard that lay so near。
If he could but get one end of his grass rope caught upon
some projection at the top of that tantalizing aperture！
In the instant's pause and thought an idea occurred to him。
He would attempt it。 Turning back to the tumbled wall；
he seized one of the large； flat slabs that had composed it。
Hastily making one end of his rope fast to the piece of granite；
he returned to the shaft； and； coiling the balance of the rope on
the floor beside him； the ape…man took the heavy slab in both
hands； and； swinging it several times to get the distance and
the direction fixed； he let the weight fly up at a slight angle；
so that； instead of falling straight back into the shaft again；
it grazed the far edge； tumbling over into the court beyond。
Tarzan dragged for a moment upon the slack end of the
rope until he felt that the stone was lodged with fair
security at the shaft's top； then he swung out over the black
depths beneath。 T