Werper was upon his feet now, gazing, white and trembling, at the fate which had overtaken him even in the fastness of the labyrinthine jungle.Instinctively he turned to flee; but Tarzan of the Apes reached out a strong hand and grasped him by the shoulder.
"Wait!" said the ape-man to his captive."This gentleman wishes you, and so do I.When I am through with you, he may have you.Tell me what has become of my wife."
The Belgian officer eyed the almost naked, white giant with curiosity.He noted the strange contrast of primitive weapons and apparel, and the easy, fluent French which the man spoke.The former denoted the lowest, the latter the highest type of culture.He could not quite determine the social status of this strange creature; but he knew that he did not relish the easy assurance with which the fellow presumed to dictate when he might take possession of the prisoner.
"Pardon me," he said, stepping forward and placing his hand on Werper's other shoulder; "but this gentleman is my prisoner.He must come with me."
"When I am through with him," replied Tarzan, quietly.
The officer turned and beckoned to the soldiers standing in the trail behind him.A company of uniformed blacks stepped quickly forward and pushing past the three, surrounded the ape-man and his captive.
"Both the law and the power to enforce it are upon my side," announced the officer."Let us have no trouble.
If you have a grievance against this man you may return with me and enter your charge regularly before an authorized tribunal."
"Your legal rights are not above suspicion, my friend,"
replied Tarzan, "and your power to enforce your commands are only apparent--not real.You have presumed to enter British territory with an armed force.Where is your authority for this invasion?
Where are the extradition papers which warrant the arrest of this man? And what assurance have you that I
cannot bring an armed force about you that will prevent your return to the Congo Free State?"
The Belgian lost his temper."I have no disposition to argue with a naked savage," he cried."Unless you wish to be hurt you will not interfere with me.Take the prisoner, Sergeant!"
Werper raised his lips close to Tarzan's ear."Keep me from them, and I can show you the very spot where I saw your wife last night," he whispered."She cannot be far from here at this very minute."
The soldiers, following the signal from their sergeant, closed in to seize Werper.Tarzan grabbed the Belgian about the waist, and bearing him beneath his arm as he might have borne a sack of flour, leaped forward in an attempt to break through the cordon.His right fist caught the nearest soldier upon the jaw and sent him hurtling backward upon his fellows.Clubbed rifles were torn from the hands of those who barred his way, and right and left the black soldiers stumbled aside in the face of the ape-man's savage break for liberty.
So completely did the blacks surround the two that they dared not fire for fear of hitting one of their own number, and Tarzan was already through them and upon the point of dodging into the concealing mazes of the jungle when one who had sneaked upon him from behind struck him a heavy blow upon the head with a rifle.