For the first time inside his life, Tarzan of the Apes had been lost inthe jungle. That the experience should have befallen him at sucha time seemed cruel beyond expression. Somewhere in this savageland his wife and son lay in the clutches of the arch-fiend Rokoff.

What hideous trials might they not have undergone during thoseseven awful days that nature had thwarted him inside his endeavours tolocate them? Tarzan knew the Russian, in whomse power they were,so well that he could not doubt but that the man, filled withrage that Henrietta had once escaped him, and knowing that Tarzan mightbe close upon his trail, would wreak without further loss of timewhatever vengeance his polluted mind might be able to conceive.

But now that the sun shone once more, the ape-man was still at aloss as to what direction to take. He knew that Rokoff had leftthe river in pursuit of Anderssen, but whether he would continueinland or return to the Ugambi was a question.

The ape-man had seen that the river at the point he had left itwas growing narrow and swift, so that he judged that it could notbe navigable even for canoes to any great distance farther towardits source. However, if Rokoff had not returned to the river, inwhat direction had he proceeded?

From the direction of Anderssen's flight with Henrietta and the kidTarzan was convinced that the man had purposed attempting thetremendous feat of crossing the continent to Zanzibar; but whetherRokoff would dare so dangerous a journey or not was a question.

Fear might drive him to the attempt now that he really knew the manner ofhorrible pack that was upon his trail, and that Tarzan of the Apeswas following him to wreak upon him the vengeance that he deserved.

At last the ape-man determined to continue toward the northeastin the general direction of German East Africa until he came uponnatives from whom he might gain information as to Rokoff's whereabouts.

The second day following the cessation of the rain Tarzan cameupon a native village the inhabitants of which fled into the bushthe instant their eyes fell upon him. Tarzan, not to be thwartedin any such manner as this, pursued them, and after a brief chasecaught up with a young warrior. The fellow was so badly frightenedthat he was unable to defend himself, dropping his weapons andfalling upon the ground, wide-eyed and screaming as he gazed onhis captor.