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issuing orders to them。
Presently the entire company filed on across the clearing
and disappeared in the jungle upon the opposite side。
With a gasp of mingled incredulity and relief Jane Clayton
staggered to her feet and fled on away from the terrible horde
that had just passed her； while a half…mile behind her another
individual； following the same trail as she； lay frozen with
terror behind an ant…hill as the hideous band passed quite
close to him。
This one was Rokoff； but he had recognized the members
of the awful aggregation as allies of Tarzan of the Apes。
No sooner； therefore； had the beasts passed him than he rose and
raced through the jungle as fast as he could go； in order that
he might put as much distance as possible between himself
and these frightful beasts。
So it happened that as Jane Clayton came to the bank of the river；
down which she hoped to float to the ocean and eventual rescue；
Nikolas Rokoff was but a short distance in her rear。
Upon the bank the girl saw a great dugout drawn half…way
from the water and tied securely to a near…by tree。
This； she felt； would solve the question of transportation
to the sea could she but launch the huge； unwieldy craft。
Unfastening the rope that had moored it to the tree； Jane
pushed frantically upon the bow of the heavy canoe； but for
all the results that were apparent she might as well have been
attempting to shove the earth out of its orbit。
She was about winded when it occurred to her to try working
the dugout into the stream by loading the stern with ballast
and then rocking the bow back and forth along the bank
until the craft eventually worked itself into the river。
There were no stones or rocks available； but along the
shore she found quantities of driftwood deposited by the river
at a slightly higher stage。 These she gathered and piled far
in the stern of the boat； until at last； to her immense relief；
she saw the bow rise gently from the mud of the bank and
the stern drift slowly with the current until it again lodged a
few feet farther down…stream。
Jane found that by running back and forth between the
bow and stern she could alternately raise and lower each end
of the boat as she shifted her weight from one end to the
other； with the result that each time she leaped to the stern
the canoe moved a few inches farther into the river。
As the success of her plan approached more closely to
fruition she became so wrapped in her efforts that she failed
to note the figure of a man standing beneath a huge tree at
the edge of the jungle from which he had just emerged。
He watched her and her labours with a cruel and malicious
grin upon his swarthy countenance。
The boat at last became so nearly free of the retarding
mud and of the bank that Jane felt positive that she could
pole it off into deeper water with one of the paddles which
lay in the bottom of the rude craft。 With this end in view she
seized upon one of these implements and had just plunged it
into the river bottom close to the shore when her eyes
happened to rise to the edge of the jungle。
As her gaze fell upon the figure of the man a little cry of
terror rose to her lips。 It was Rokoff。
He was running toward her now and shouting to her to
wait or he would shootthough he was entirely unarmed it
was difficult to discover just how he intended making good
his threat。
Jane Clayton knew nothing of the various misfortunes that
had befallen the Russian since she had escaped from his tent；
so she believed that his followers must be close at hand。
However； she had no intention of falling again into the
man's clutches。 She would rather die at once than that that
should happen to her。 Another minute and the boat would be free。
Once in the current of the river she would be beyond Rokoff's
power to stop her； for there was no other boat upon
the shore； and no man； and certainly not the cowardly Rokoff；
would dare to attempt to swim the crocodile…infested
water in an effort to overtake her。
Rokoff； on his part； was bent more upon escape than aught else。
He would gladly have forgone any designs he might have
had upon Jane Clayton would she but permit him to share
this means of escape that she had discovered。 He would
promise anything if she would let him come aboard the dugout；
but he did not think that it was necessary to do so。
He saw that he could easily reach the bow of the boat
before it cleared the shore； and then it would not be
necessary to make promises of any sort。 Not that Rokoff would
have felt the slightest compunction in ignoring any promises
he might have made the girl； but he disliked the idea of having
to sue for favour with one who had so recently assaulted
and escaped him。
Already he was gloating over the days and nights of revenge
that would be his while the heavy dugout drifted its
slow way to the ocean。
Jane Clayton； working furiously to shove the boat beyond
his reach； suddenly realized that she was to be successful；
for with a little lurch the dugout swung quickly into the
current； just as the Russian reached out to place his hand
upon its bow。
His fingers did not miss their goal by a half…dozen inches。
The girl almost collapsed with the reaction from the terrific
mental； physical； and nervous strain under which she had
been labouring for the past few minutes。 But； thank Heaven；
at last she was safe！
Even as she breathed a silent prayer of thanksgiving； she
saw a sudden expression of triumph lighten the features of
the cursing Russian； and at the same instant he dropped
suddenly to the ground； grasping firmly upon something which
wriggled through the mud toward the water。
Jane Clayton crouched； wide…eyed and horror…stricken； in
the bottom of the boat as she realized that at the last instant
success had been turned to failure； and that she was indeed
again in the power of the malignant Rokoff。
For the thing that the man had seen and grasped was the
end of the trailing rope with which the dugout had been
moored to the tree。
Chapter 15
Down the Ugambi
Halfway between the Ugambi and the village of the Waganwazam；
Tarzan came upon the pack moving slowly along his old spoor。
Mugambi could scarce believe that the trail of the Russian
and the mate of his savage master had passed so close to
that of the pack。
It seemed incredible that two human beings should have
come so close to them without having been detected by some
of the marvellously keen and alert beasts； but Tarzan pointed
out the spoor of the two he trailed； and at certain points the
black could see that the man and the woman must have been
in hiding as the pack passed them； watching every move of
the ferocious creatures。
It had been apparent to Tarzan from the first that Jane and
Rokoff were not travelling together。 The spoor showed