The next morning they set out upon the short journey toTarzan's cabin. Four Waziri bore the body of the dead Englishman.It had been the ape-man's suggestion that Clayton be buriedbeside the former Lord Greystoke near the edge of thejungle against the cabin that the older man had built.

Jane Porter was glad that it was to be so, and in herheart of hearts she wondered at the marvelous fineness ofcharacter of this wondrous man, who, though raised by brutesand among brutes, had the true chivalry and tenderness whichonly associates with the refinements of the highest civilization.

They had proceeded some three miles of the five thathad separated them from Tarzan's own beach when theWaziri who were ahead stopped suddenly, pointing inamazement at a strange figure approaching them along the beach.It was a man with a shiny silk hat, who walked slowly withbent head, and hands clasped behind him underneath thetails of his long, black coat.

At sight of him Jane Porter uttered a little cry of surpriseand joy, and ran quickly ahead to meet him. At the sound ofher voice the old man looked up, and when he saw who it wasconfronting him he, too, cried out in relief and happiness.As Professor Archimedes Q. Porter folded his daughter in hisarms tears streamed down his seamed old face, and it was severalminutes before he could control himself sufficiently to speak.

When a moment later he recognized Tarzan it was withdifficulty that they could convince him that his sorrow hadnot unbalanced his mind, for with the other members of theparty he had been so thoroughly convinced that the ape-manwas dead it was a problem to reconcile the conviction withthe very lifelike appearance of Jane's "forest god." The oldman was deeply touched at the news of Clayton's death.

"I cannot understand it," he said. "Monsieur Thuranassured us that Clayton passed away many days ago."

"Thuran is with you?" asked Tarzan.

"Yes; he but recently found us and led us to your cabin.We were camped but a short distance north of it. Bless me,but he will be delighted to see you both."

"And surprised," commented Tarzan.

A short time later the strange party came to the clearingin which stood the ape-man's cabin. It was filled with peoplecoming and going, and almost the first whom Tarzan sawwas D'Arnot.

"Paul!" he cried. "In the name of sanity what are youdoing here? Or are we all insane?"

It was quickly explained, however, as were many otherseemingly strange things. D'Arnot's ship had been cruisingalong the coast, on patrol duty, when at the lieutenant'ssuggestion they had anchored off the little landlocked harborto have another look at the cabin and the jungle in whichmany of the officers and men had taken part in excitingadventures two years before. On landing they had found LordTennington's party, and arrangements were being made totake them all on board the following morning, and carrythem back to civilization.

Hazel Strong and her mother, Esmeralda, and Mr. SamuelT. Philander were almost overcome by happiness at JanePorter's safe return. Her escape seemed to them little shortof miraculous, and it was the consensus of opinion that itcould have been achieved by no other man than Tarzan ofthe Apes. They loaded the uncomfortable ape-man witheulogies and attentions until he wished himself back in theamphitheater of the apes.

All were interested in his savage Waziri, and many werethe gifts the black men received from these friends of theirking, but when they learned that he might sail away fromthem upon the great canoe that lay at anchor a mile offshore they became very sad.

As yet the newcomers had seen nothing of Lord Tenningtonand Monsieur Thuran. They had gone out for freshmeat early in the day, and had not yet returned.

"How surprised this man, whose name you say is Rokoff,will be to see you," said Jane Porter to Tarzan.

"His surprise will be short-lived," replied the ape-mangrimly, and there was that in his tone that made her look upinto his face in alarm. What she read there evidentlyconfirmed her fears, for she put her hand upon his arm, andpleaded with him to leave the Russian to the laws of France.

"In the heart of the jungle, dear," she said, "with noother form of right or justice to appeal to other than yourown mighty muscles, you would be warranted in executingupon this man the sentence he deserves; but with the strongarm of a civilized government at your disposal it would bemurder to kill him now. Even your friends would have tosubmit to your arrest, or if you resisted it would plungeus all into misery and unhappiness again. I cannot bear tolose you again, my Tarzan. Promise me that you will butturn him over to Captain Dufranne, and let the law take itscourse--the beast is not worth risking our happiness for."

He saw the wisdom of her appeal, and promised. A halfhour later Rokoff and Tennington emerged from the jungle.They were walking side by side. Tennington was the first tonote the presence of strangers in the camp. He saw theblack warriors palavering with the sailors from the cruiser,and then he saw a lithe, brown giant talking with LieutenantD'Arnot and Captain Dufranne.

"Who is that, I wonder," said Tennington to Rokoff, andas the Russian raised his eyes and met those of the ape-manfull upon him, he staggered and went white.

"SAPRISTI!" he cried, and before Tennington realized whathe intended he had thrown his gun to his shoulder, andaiming point-blank at Tarzan pulled the trigger. But theEnglishman was close to him--so close that his hand reachedthe leveled barrel a fraction of a second before the hammerfell upon the cartridge, and the bullet that was intended forTarzan's heart whirred harmlessly above his head.

Before the Russian could fire again the ape-man wasupon him and had wrested the firearm from his grasp.Captain Dufranne, Lieutenant D'Arnot, and a dozen sailors hadrushed up at the sound of the shot, and now Tarzan turnedthe Russian over to them without a word. He had explainedthe matter to the French commander before Rokoff arrived,and the officer gave immediate orders to place the Russianin irons and confine him on board the cruiser.

Just before the guard escorted the prisoner into the smallboat that was to transport him to his temporary prisonTarzan asked permission to search him, and to his delightfound the stolen papers concealed upon his person.

The shot had brought Jane Porter and the others fromthe cabin, and a moment after the excitement had dieddown she greeted the surprised Lord Tennington. Tarzan joinedthem after he had taken the papers from Rokoff, and, as heapproached, Jane Porter introduced him to Tennington.

"John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, my lord," she said.

The Englishman looked his astonishment in spite of hismost herculean efforts to appear courteous, and it requiredmany repetitions of the strange story of the ape-man as toldby himself, Jane Porter, and Lieutenant D'Arnot to convinceLord Tennington that they were not all quite mad.

At sunset they buried William Cecil Clayton beside thejungle graves of his uncle and his aunt, the former Lordand Lady Greystoke. And it was at Tarzan's request thatthree volleys were fired over the last resting place of"a brave man, who met his death bravely."

Professor Porter, who in his younger days had been ordaineda minister, conducted the simple services for the dead.About the grave, with bowed heads, stood as strangea company of mourners as the sun ever looked down upon.There were French officers and sailors, two English lords,Americans, and a score of savage African braves.

Following the funeral Tarzan asked Captain Dufranne todelay the sailing of the cruiser a couple of days while hewent inland a few miles to fetch his "belongings," and theofficer gladly granted the favor.

Late the next afternoon Tarzan and his Waziri returnedwith the first load of "belongings," and when the party sawthe ancient ingots of virgin gold they swarmed upon the ape-man with a thousand questions; but he was smilingly obdurateto their appeals--he declined to give them the slightestclew as to the source of his immense treasure. "There are athousand that I left behind," he explained, "for every onethat I brought away, and when these are spent I may wishto return for more."

The next day he returned to camp with the balance ofhis ingots, and when they were stored on board the cruiserCaptain Dufranne said he felt like the commander of an old-time Spanish galleon returning from the treasure cities ofthe Aztecs. "I don't know what minute my crew will cut mythroat, and take over the ship," he added.

The next morning, as they were preparing to embark uponthe cruiser, Tarzan ventured a suggestion to Jane Porter.

"Wild beasts are supposed to be devoid of sentiment," hesaid, "but nevertheless I should like to be married in thecabin where I was born, beside the graves of my mother andmy father, and surrounded by the savage jungle that alwayshas been my home."

"Would it be quite regular, dear?" she asked. "For if itwould I know of no other place in which I should rather bemarried to my forest god than beneath the shade of hisprimeval forest."

And when they spoke of it to the others they were assuredthat it would be quite regular, and a most splendidtermination of a remarkable romance. So the entire partyassembled within the little cabin and about the door towitness the second ceremony that Professor Porter was tosolemnize within three days.

D'Arnot was to be best man, and Hazel Strong bridesmaid,until Tennington upset all the arrangements by anotherof his marvelous "ideas."

"If Mrs. Strong is agreeable," he said, taking the bridesmaid'shand in his, "Hazel and I think it would be ripping to make ita double wedding."

The next day they sailed, and as the cruiser steamed slowlyout to sea a tall man, immaculate in white flannel, and agraceful girl leaned against her rail to watch the recedingshore line upon which danced twenty naked, black warriorsof the Waziri, waving their war spears above their savageheads, and shouting farewells to their departing king.

"I should hate to think that I am looking upon the junglefor the last time, dear," he said, "were it not that I knowthat I am going to a new world of happiness with you forever,"and, bending down, Tarzan of the Apes kissed hismate upon her lips.