"The stranger carried a knife," a keeper reminded him.
"Whoever killed the lion must have fought it hand to hand," reflected Pindes aloud.
"Then he must be lying nearby dead or wounded, master."
"He could have killed Phobeg with his bare hands that day that he threw him into the audience at the stadium," a keeper reminded the noble. "He carried him around as though Phobeg were a babe. He is very strong."
"What has that to do with the matter?" demanded Pindes irritably.
"I do not know, master. I was only thinking."
I did not tell you to think," snapped Pindes; "I told You to hunt for the man that killed the lion. He must be dying or dead nearby."
While they hunted, Xerstle and Gemnon were drawing Nearer. The latter was much concerned about the welfare of his charge. He trusted neither Xerstle nor Pindes, and now he commenced to suspect that he and Tarzan had been deliberately separated sinister purposes. He was walking a little behind Xerstle at the time: the keepers, with the lion lion, were just ahead of them. He felt a hand upon his shoulder and wheeled about. There stood Tarzan, a smile upon his lips. "Where did you drop from?" demanded Gemnon.
"We separated to search for the Galla. Pindes and I," explained the ape-man as Xerstle turned at the sound of Gemnon' s voice and discovered him.
"Did you hear that terrible scream a while ago?" demanded Xerstle. "We thought it possible that one of you was hurt, and we were hurrying to investigate."
"Did someone scream?" inquired Tarzan innocently.
"Perhaps it was Pindes, for I am not hurt."
Shortly after Tarzan had rejoined them, Xerstle and Gemnon came upon Pindes and his two lion keepers searching the underbrush and the surrounding forest.
As his eyes fell upon Tarzan, Pindes's eyes went wide in astonishment, and he paled a little.
"What has happened?" demanded Xerstle. "What are you looking for? Where is your lion?"
"He is dead," explained Pindes. "Someone or something stabbed him to death." He did not look at Tarzan; he feared to do so. "We have been looking for the man who did it, thinking that he must have been badly mauled and, doubtless, killed."
"Have you found him?" asked Tarzan.
"No".
"Shall I help you search for him? Suppose you and I, Pindes, go away alone and look for him!"
For a moment Pindes seemed choking as he sought for a reply. "No!" he exclaimed presently. "It would be useless; we have searched carefully. There is not even a sign of blood to indicate that he was wounded."
"And you found no trace of the quarry?" asked Xerstle.
"None," replied Pindes. "He has escaped, and we might as well return to the city. I have had enough hunting for today."
Xerstle only grunted and strode on moodily toward the city. When the party separated before the house of Gemnon's father, Tarzan stood close to Xerstle and whispered in a low voice, "My compliments to Erot, and may he have better luck next time!"
16. IN THE TEMPLE OF THOOS
As Tarzan sat with Gemnon and the latter's father and mother at dinner that evening, a slave entered the room to announce that a messenger had come from the house of Thudos, the father of Doria, with an important communication for Gemnon.
"Fetch him here," directed the young noble, and a moment later a tall slave was ushered into the apartment.
"Ah, Gemba!" exclaimed Gemnon in a kindly tone.
"You have a message for me?"
"Yes, master," replied the slave, "but it is important—and secret."
"You may speak before these others, Gemba," replied Gemnon. "What is it?"
"Doria, the daughter of Thudos, my master, has sent me to tell you that by a ruse the noble Erot gained entrance to her father's house and spoke with her today. What he said to her was of no importance; only the fact that he saw her is important."
"The jackal!" exclaimed Gemnon's father.
Gemnon paled. "That is all?" he inquired.
"That is all, master," replied Gemba.
Gemnon took a gold coin from his pocket pouch and handed it to the slave. "Return to your mistress, and tell her that I shall come and speak with her lather tomorrow. After the slave had withdrawn, Gemnon looked hopelessly at his father. "What can I do?" he asked. "What can Thudos do? What can anyone do? We are helpless."
"Perhaps I can do something," suggested Tarzan. "For the moment I seem to hold the confidence of your queen. When I see her I shall question her, and if it is necessary I shall intercede in your behalf."
A new hope sprang to Gemnon's eyes. "If you will!" he cried. "She will listen to you. I believe that you alone might save Doria. But remember that the queen must not see her."
Early the next morning a messenger from the palace brought a command to Tarzan to visit the queen at noon, with instructions to Gemnon to accompany Tarzan with a strong guard as she feared treachery on the part of Tarzan's enemies.
"They must be powerful enemies that dare attempt to thwart the wishes of Nemone," commented Gemnon's father.
"There is only one in all Cathne who dares do that," replied Gemnon, "and that is M'duze.
"Come," he continued, "we have the morning to ourselves. What shall we do in the meantime?"
"I should like to visit the mines of Cathne," replied Tarzan; "shall we have time?"
"Yes, we shall," replied Gemnon. "The Mine of the Rising Sun is not far, and as there is little to see after you get there, the trip will not take long."
On the road from Cathne to the mine, Gemnon pointed out the place where the war and hunting lions of Cathne were bred; but they did not stop to visit the place, and presently they were winding up the short mountain road to the Gold Mine of the Rising Sun.
As Gemnon had warned him, there was little of interest for Tarzan to see. The workings were open, the mother lode lying practically upon the surface of the ground. So rich was it that only a few slaves working with crude picks and bars were needed to supply the coffers of Cathne with vast quantities of the precious metal. But it was not the mines nor gold that had caused Tarzan to wish to visit the diggings. He had promised Hafim that he would carry a message to his brother Niaka, and it was for this purpose that he had suggested the visit.
As he moved about among the slaves, ostensibly inspecting the lode, he finally succeeded in separating himself sufficiently from Gemnon and the warriors who guarded the workers to permit him to speak unnoticed to one of the slaves.
"Which is Niaka?" he asked in Galla, lowering his voice to a whisper.
The man looked up in surprise, but at a warning gesture from Tarzan bent his head again and answered in a whisper, "Niaka is the big man at my right. He is headman; you see that he does not work."
Tarzan moved then in the direction of Niaka, and, when he was close, stopped beside him and leaned as though inspecting the lode that was uncovered at his feet.
"Listen," he whispered. "I bring you a message, but let no one know that I am talking to you. it is from your brother Hafim. He has escaped."
"How?" whispered Niaka.
Briefly, Tarzan explained.
"It was you, then, who saved him?"
The ape-man nodded.
"I am only a poor slave," said Niaka, "and you are a powerful noble, no doubt, so I can never repay you. But should you ever need any service that Niaka can render, you have but to command; with my life I would serve you. In that hut I live with my woman; because I am headman I am trusted and thus live alone. If you ever want me you will find me there." "I ask no return for what I did," replied Tarzan. "but I shall remember where you live; one never knows what the future holds." He moved away then and joined Gemnon, and presently the two turned back toward the city, while in the palace of the queen, Tomos entered the apartment of Nemone and knelt.