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swept to sea； finally succeeded in making the shore far down
the bay and upon the opposite side from that on which the
horde of beasts stood snarling and roaring。
Jane Clayton knew that the fellow could not alone and
unaided bring his heavy craft back up…stream to the
Kincaid； and so she had no further fear of an attack by him。
The hideous crew upon the shore she thought she recognized as
the same that had passed her in the jungle far up the Ugambi
several days before； for it seemed quite beyond reason that
there should be more than one such a strangely assorted pack；
but what had brought them down…stream to the mouth of the
river she could not imagine。
Toward the day's close the girl was suddenly alarmed by
the shouting of the Russian from the opposite bank of the
stream； and a moment later； following the direction of his
gaze； she was terrified to see a ship's boat approaching from
up…stream； in which； she felt assured； there could be only
members of the Kincaid's missing crewonly heartless
ruffians and enemies。
Chapter 16
In the Darkness of the Night
When Tarzan of the Apes realized that he was in the
grip of the great jaws of a crocodile he did not； as an
ordinary man might have done； give up all hope and resign
himself to his fate。
Instead； he filled his lungs with air before the huge reptile
dragged him beneath the surface； and then； with all the might
of his great muscles； fought bitterly for freedom。 But out of
his native element the ape…man was too greatly handicapped
to do more than excite the monster to greater speed as it
dragged its prey swiftly through the water。
Tarzan's lungs were bursting for a breath of pure fresh air。
He knew that he could survive but a moment more； and in
the last paroxysm of his suffering he did what he could to
avenge his own death。
His body trailed out beside the slimy carcass of his captor；
and into the tough armour the ape…man attempted to plunge
his stone knife as he was borne to the creature's horrid den。
His efforts but served to accelerate the speed of the crocodile；
and just as the ape…man realized that he had reached the limit
of his endurance he felt his body dragged to a muddy bed and
his nostrils rise above the water's surface。 All about him
was the blackness of the pitthe silence of the grave。
For a moment Tarzan of the Apes lay gasping for breath
upon the slimy； evil…smelling bed to which the animal had
borne him。 Close at his side he could feel the cold； hard
plates of the creatures coat rising and falling as though with
spasmodic efforts to breathe。
For several minutes the two lay thus； and then a sudden
convulsion of the giant carcass at the man's side； a tremor；
and a stiffening brought Tarzan to his knees beside the crocodile。
To his utter amazement he found that the beast was dead。
The slim knife had found a vulnerable spot in the scaly armour。
Staggering to his feet； the ape…man groped about the reeking；
oozy den。 He found that he was imprisoned in a subterranean
chamber amply large enough to have accommodated a dozen or
more of the huge animals such as the one that had
dragged him thither。
He realized that he was in the creature's hidden nest far
under the bank of the stream； and that doubtless the only
means of ingress or egress lay through the submerged opening
through which the crocodile had brought him。
His first thought； of course； was of escape； but that he
could make his way to the surface of the river beyond and
then to the shore seemed highly improbable。 There might be
turns and windings in the neck of the passage； or； most to
be feared； he might meet another of the slimy inhabitants of
the retreat upon his journey outward。
Even should he reach the river in safety； there was still the
danger of his being again attacked before he could effect a
safe landing。 Still there was no alternative； and； filling his
lungs with the close and reeking air of the chamber； Tarzan
of the Apes dived into the dark and watery hole which he
could not see but had felt out and found with his feet and legs。
The leg which had been held within the jaws of the crocodile
was badly lacerated； but the bone had not been broken；
nor were the muscles or tendons sufficiently injured to render
it useless。 It gave him excruciating pain； that was all。
But Tarzan of the Apes was accustomed to pain； and gave
it no further thought when he found that the use of his legs
was not greatly impaired by the sharp teeth of the monster。
Rapidly he crawled and swam through the passage which
inclined downward and finally upward to open at last into
the river bottom but a few feet from the shore line。 As the
ape…man reached the surface he saw the heads of two great
crocodiles but a short distance from him。 They were making
rapidly in his direction； and with a superhuman effort the
man struck out for the overhanging branches of a near…by tree。
Nor was he a moment too soon； for scarcely had he drawn
himself to the safety of the limb than two gaping mouths
snapped venomously below him。 For a few minutes Tarzan
rested in the tree that had proved the means of his salvation。
His eyes scanned the river as far down…stream as the tortuous
channel would permit； but there was no sign of the Russian
or his dugout。
When he had rested and bound up his wounded leg he started
on in pursuit of the drifting canoe。 He found himself
upon the opposite of the river to that at which he had
entered the stream； but as his quarry was upon the bosom
of the water it made little difference to the ape…man
upon which side he took up the pursuit。
To his intense chagrin he soon found that his leg was more
badly injured than he had thought； and that its condition
seriously impeded his progress。 It was only with the greatest
difficulty that he could proceed faster than a walk upon the
ground； and in the trees he discovered that it not only impeded
his progress； but rendered travelling distinctly dangerous。
From the old negress； Tambudza； Tarzan had gathered a suggestion
that now filled his mind with doubts and misgivings。 When the
old woman had told him of the child's death she had also added
that the white woman； though grief…stricken； had confided to her
that the baby was not hers。
Tarzan could see no reason for believing that Jane could
have found it advisable to deny her identity or that of the
child； the only explanation that he could put upon the matter
was that； after all； the white woman who had accompanied
his son and the Swede into the jungle fastness of the interior
had not been Jane at all。
The more he gave thought to the problem； the more firmly
convinced he became that his son was dead and his wife still
safe in London； and in ignorance of the terrible fate that had
overtaken her first…born。
After all； then； his interpretation of Rokoff's sinister taunt
had been erroneous； and he had been bearing the burden of a
double apprehension needlesslyat least so thought the ape…man。
From this belief he garnered some slight surcease from the
numbing grief that the death of his little son had thrust upon him。
And such a death！ Even the savage beast that was the real
Tarzan； inured to the sufferings and horrors of the grim jungle；
shuddered as he contemplated the hideous fate that had
overtaken the innocent child。
As he made his way painfully towards the coast； he let his
mind dwell so constantly upon the frightful crimes which the
Russian had perpetrated against his loved ones that the great
scar upon his forehead stood out almost continuously in the
vivid scarlet that marked the man's most relentless and bestial
moods of rage。 At times he startled even himself and sent the
lesser creatures of the wild jungle scampering to their hiding
places as involuntary roars and growls rumbled from his throat。
Could he but lay his hand upon the Russian！
Twice upon the way to the coast bellicose natives ran
threateningly from their villages to bar his further progress；
but when the awful cry of the bull…ape thundered upon their
affrighted ears； and the great white giant charged bellowing
upon them； they had turned and fled into the bush； nor ventured
thence until he had safely passed。
Though his progress seemed tantalizingly slow to the ape…man
whose idea of speed had been gained by such standards as the
lesser apes attain； he made； as a matter of fact； almost as
rapid progress as the drifting canoe that bore Rokoff on
ahead of him； so that he came to the bay and within sight of
the ocean just after darkness had fallen upon the same day that
Jane Clayton and the Russian ended their flights from the interior。
The darkness lowered so heavily upon the black river and
the encircling jungle that Tarzan； even with eyes accustomed
to much use aft