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Pan-at-lee was brave, but as always with the primitive, the darkness held infinite terrors for her. Not alone the terrors of the known but more frightful ones as well those of the unknown. She had passed through much this night and her nerves were keyed to the highest pitch raw, taut nerves, they were, ready to react in an exaggerated form to the slightest shock. But this was no slight shock.
With a stifled scream she drew back and the ape-man rose and faced her. "Have no fear, Princess," he assured her. "It is the friend of Ta-den who salutes you," raising her fingers to his lips. Pan-at-lee came now excitedly forward. "O Jad-ben-Otho, it is he!" "And now that you have found me," queried Tarzan, "will you give me up to Lu-don, the high priest?"
Pan-at-lee shuddered; but there were caves and in them she would be safe even from the gryfs. She found a place where the stone pegs reached to the very summit of the cliff, left there no doubt in the final exodus of the tribe when there was no longer need of safeguarding the deserted caves against invasion. Pan-at-lee clambered slowly down toward the uppermost cave.
I would have them spread around my couch tonight that I may carry away with me in the morning the memory of the fragrance that I love best and which I know that I shall not find in the village of Mo-sar, the father of Bu-lot. I will help you, Pan-at-lee, and we will gather armfuls of them, for I love to gather them as I love nothing else they were Ta-den's favorite flowers."
The priests had scarce departed when there came the sound of feet running rapidly across the garden in the direction of the princess to an accompaniment of rapid breathing as of one almost spent, either from fatigue or excitement. "Pan-at-lee," exclaimed O-lo-a, "what has happened? You look as terrified as the doe for which you were named!"
They watched until Om-at was about to enter the cave of Pan-at-lee without seeing any indication that he had been observed and then, simultaneously, both saw a head appear in the mouth of one of the lower caves. It was quickly evident that its owner had discovered Om-at for immediately he started upward in pursuit. Without a word Tarzan and Ta-den sprang forward toward the foot of the cliff.
"First," whispered Om-at, "I will go to the cave of Pan-at-lee. Then will I seek the cave of my ancestors to have speech with my own blood. It will not take long. Wait here I shall return soon. Afterward shall we go together to Ta-den's people." He moved silently toward the foot of the cliff up which Tarzan could presently see him ascending like a great fly on a wall.
For answer she but pointed to the gryf. "Nonsense!" exclaimed the man. "It cannot climb. We can reach the cliff through the trees and be back in the cave before it knows what has become of us." "You do not know the gryf," replied Pan-at-lee gloomily. "Wherever we go it will follow and always it will be ready at the foot of each tree when we would descend. It will never give us up."
Of this there could be no doubt, but to die beneath the rending fangs of the carnivore, congenital terror of her kind it was unthinkable. But there was an alternative. The lion was almost upon her another instant and he would seize her. Pan-at-lee turned sharply to her left. Just a few steps she took in the new direction before she disappeared over the rim of Kor-ul-lul.
The Past basing its claims upon brute strength sought to reach the other and drag him down; but the loosed arrow sank deep into the savage heart and the Past sank back into the oblivion that had claimed his kind. "Tarzan-jad-guru!" murmured Pan-at-lee, unknowingly giving him out of the fullness of her admiration the same title that the warriors of her tribe had bestowed upon him.
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