"Lowest of the low!" growled Akamen. "You betrayed us. But for you, I should be King of Ashair."
"There is The Father of Diamonds!" whispered Atan Thome.
"Dog!" cried Taask. "For years I have served you faithfully, and now you have sacrificed me!"
"There lies The Father of Diamonds," droned Thorne. "For that, I would betray my mother or my god."
A ptome approached, bearing a wriggling fish upon a trident. "Here is your dinner, damned ones!" he cried.
"It is not cooked!" exclaimed Atan Thome. "Take it away!"
"Sure, I'll take it away," said the ptome; "but then you'll go hungry. We do not cook the fish for such as you."
"Give me the fish!" screamed Lal Taask; "and let him starve, but not too much—he must be saved for my dagger."
"It is I who should have the right to kill him," growled Akamen— "he who kept me from being a king."
"You are both fools," cried Atan Thome. "Nothing matters but The Father of Diamonds. Help me get that, and I shall make us all rich. Think, Taask, what it would buy in the capitals of Europe! I would give my soul for it."
"You have no soul, you beast!" screamed Taask. "Only let me get my dagger into you!"
Tarzan and Thetan came with a warrior to the cell where Gregory and Lavac were chained. "Herat has reprieved you," explained Tarzan, while the warrior removed their chains. "You are to have freedom within the city until I return from Ashair."
"Why are you going to Ashair?" asked Gregory.
"I want to find out if your daughter and d'Arnot are there, and ascertain if there is any way in which they may be rescued, if they are there; then there is the matter of Brulor and The Father of Diamonds. To win freedom for all of us, they must be brought to Herat."
"The other conditions have been fulfilled?" asked Lavac. "You have killed the lions?"
"They are both dead," replied Tarzan.
"I shall go to Ashair with you." said Lavac.
"And I," said Gregory.
"It is better that I go alone," said Tarzan.
"But I must go," insisted Lavac. "I must do something to atone for my beastliness to d'Arnot. Please let me go with you."
"I must go, too," insisted Gregory.
"I can take one of you," replied Tarzan. "Herat insists that one of us remain here as a hostage. You may come, Lavac."
The morning was still young as Thetan bid Tarzan and Lavac farewell as they were setting out for Ashair. "I have told you all that I know of Ashair and the Temple of Brulor at the bottom of Lake Horus," said the Thobotian. "May the gods be with you!"
"I need no gods," said Tarzan.
"Tarzan is enough," added Lavac.
All night the nine fugitives had tramped from their last hiding place, and they were foot sore and weary. There had been no indication of pursuit, but Herkuf knew his own people well enough to know that they would not be allowed to escape so easily.
"Now that it is light," he said, "it is time that we found another hiding place."
"We are only a few hours from Thobos," said the Thobotian, "and before that I can show you the trail out of Tuen-Baka."
"Nevertheless, I think it better that we hide through the day," insisted Herkuf. "I have no wish to be caught and taken back to the cages."
"What is another day, if by hiding we can escape?" asked Brian.
"I think Herkuf is right," said d'Arnot. "We should not take a single risk, however small it may seem."
"Listen!" whispered Helen. "I hear voices. Some one is coming behind us."
"It can be no one but the Asharians who are looking for us," said Herkuf. "Quick! We'll turn off the trail here, and hide. Make no noise—just follow me. I know this place."
They moved silently along a narrow trail for a quarter of a mile, coming at last to a little clearing. "This is the place," said Herkuf. "I do not think they will look here for us. They will think that we kept on straight up the valley."
"I don't hear them any more," said Helen.
"The trouble with this," said d'Arnot, "is that now they'll be between us and where we want to go."
"I don't think so," replied Herkuf. "They won't dare go too near Thobos; so, if they don't find us, they'll have to turn around and come back. They'll pass us again later in the day, and tonight we can go on in safety."
"I hope you're right," said Brian.
Six Asharian warriors, following the trail of the fugitives, came to the place at which they had turned off. "Their tracks are plain here," said the leader. "Here's where they turned off the main trail, and not so long ago. We should soon have them—remember to take the woman and the strange men alive."
Half crouching, the six crept along the trail of their quarry—a trail as plain as a board walk. They did not speak now, for they felt that the fugitives were not far ahead; but moved with the utmost quiet and stealth. Each was thinking of what Atka would do to them if they failed.
As Tarzan and Lavac followed a forest trail toward Ashair, the ape-man suddenly stopped and tested the air with his keen nostrils. "There are men ahead," he said. "You stay here; I'll take to the trees and investigate."
"They must be men from Ashair," said Lavac, and Tarzan nodded and was off into the trees.
Lavac watched him until he disappeared among the foliage, marvelling at his strength and agility. Though he had seen him take to the trees many times, it never ceased to thrill him; but when Tarzan was gone, he felt strangely alone and helpless.
As the ape-man swung through the trees, the scent spoor became plainer; and among that of many men he detected the delicate aroma of a white woman. It was faintly familiar but still too tenuous to identify—just a suggestion of familiarity, but it spurred him to greater speed; and while he swung silently through the lower terrace of the forest, the six Asharian warriors broke into the clearing upon the fugitives with shouts of triumph. Some of the nine started to run, bringing a shower of spears upon them; but d'Arnot, Helen, Brian, and Herkuf stood still, knowing that there could be no escape now. A spear drove through one of the fleeing men; and, as he fell, screaming, the others gave up hope and stopped.
Tarzan heard the shouts of the Asharians as they broke into the clearing and the scream of him who had received the spear. The sounds were close, now. In another moment he would be on the scene.
The Asharians, having recovered their spears, rounded up the fugitives and commenced to belabor them with the hafts of their weapons. They struck indiscriminately, venting their hatred on all; but when one of them threatened Helen, d'Arnot knocked him down; and instantly another raised his spear to drive it through the Frenchman's back. It was this scene upon which Tarzan looked as he reached the edge of the clearing.
As Helen screamed in horror and warning, an arrow pierced the warrior's heart; and, shrieking, he fell dead. Instantly the other Asharians looked about, but they saw no one who could have sped the missile. They knew that it could not have come from any of the unarmed prisoners, and they were frightened and mystified. Only d'Arnot could even hazard a guess as to the identity of the bowman.
"It seems incredible," he whispered to Helen, "but who in the world but Tarzan could have shot that arrow?"
"Oh, if it only were!" she exclaimed.
None knew better than Tarzan of the Apes how to harass and mystify an enemy. He had seen the surprise that the mysterious messenger of death had caused in the clearing below. A grim half- smile touched his lips as he drew his bow again and selected another victim; then he sped the arrow.
Once again the mysterious killer had struck, and as another Asharian screamed and fell the others looked about in consternation.