the cliff face. He sprang and caught one of these, pulled himself
upward by one hand until he could reach a second with his other
hand; and when he had ascended far enough to use his feet, discovered
that he could make rapid progress. Ta-den was outstripping him,
however, for these precarious ladders were no novelty to him and,
further, he had an advantage in possessing a tail.

Nevertheless, the ape-man gave a good account of himself, being
presently urged to redoubled efforts by the fact that the Waz-don
above Ta-den glanced down and discovered his pursuers just before
the Ho-don overtook him. Instantly a wild cry shattered the silence
of the gorge--a cry that was immediately answered by hundreds of
savage throats as warrior after warrior emerged from the entrance
to his cave.

The creature who had raised the alarm had now reached the recess
before Pan-at-lee's cave and here he halted and turned to give
battle to Ta-den. Unslinging his club which had hung down his back
from a thong about his neck he stood upon the level floor of the
entrance-way effectually blocking Ta-den's ascent. From all directions
the warriors of Kor-ul-ja were swarming toward the interlopers.
Tarzan, who had reached a point on the same level with Ta-den but
a little to the latter's left, saw that nothing short of a miracle
could save them. Just at the ape-man's left was the entrance to
a cave that either was deserted or whose occupants had not as yet
been aroused, for the level recess remained unoccupied. Resourceful
was the alert mind of Tarzan of the Apes and quick to respond were the
trained muscles. In the time that you or I might give to debating
an action he would accomplish it and now, though only seconds
separated his nearest antagonist from him, in the brief span of