The mountains arehoneycombed with their shafts and
tunnels.
Perhaps you are right, said Tarzan, but at least we
shallhave a bully fight.
This tunnel and the trail leading down intoOpar are
the only means of ingress to the valley.
I did nothing of the kind, replied the
other.
I am an old man, replied the other, and I have been
hereever since I was a boy.
There is a way, but it is always guarded. It is the
same question that I asked you, replied the oldman. Look,he said, the terrace and
the gardens are filled withBolgani.
Then we canreturn and hire porters to carry it from
village tovillage. The very silence of the gorilla-men was moreterrible than the din
of actual assault.
She will be safe until tomorrowor the next day,
replied the old man. In the corridors without theycould hear the main body of the
gorilla-men in argument.
Hurry, that we may have manywarriors here before
the Bolgani return in force.
Straight for the throat of the nearest leaped
Jad-bal-ja. I am expecting that, but Iam gaining time, and that is what we need
most.
If escape had been possible I should have been away
fromhere long ago. She is La, queen of Opar, HighPriestess of the Flaming
God.
The other blacks upon the dais cried out
excitedly:They come! Here at last is the true Numa, King of Beasts, and ruler ofall
creation. There was no one in sightwithin the chamber, and Tarzan crossed
immediately to thestairway.