He did not know that two keen, cruel eyes were watching him. Nearer and nearer on padded feet crept a hungry lion. With a terrific roar, the lion sprang. Desperately Tarzan rolled out of the path of the lion's hurtling body. He stumbled to his feet and braced himself against a tree, his knife in his hand. Snarling, the lion leaped again. With one mighty effort, Tarzan sank his knife into the animal's heart. Then his dimming eyes saw two other tawny bodies, crouched in the bushes. With his last strength, Tarzan sent his call echoing through the jungle.

An elephant, feeding a short distance away, stopped to listen. Swiftly he turned and crashed through the underbrush toward his friend. Before the lions could spring, the huge elephant lumbered between them and their prey and stood threatening guard over Tarzan's motionless body. Growling with fright the lions slunk away into the jungle.

Gently the elephant lifted Tarzan in his trunk and carried him to the safety of a moss-covered ledge near a cool stream. Then he set off through the jungle, trumpeting loudly. He went straight to the tree which held Tarzan's home. The apes heard his call and chattered in answer. Two huge apes pulled the terrified Jane from the shelter and carried her with them as they followed the elephant through the jungle toward Tarzan.

When the girl saw the injured Tarzan, she forgot her fear. She tore her jacket into strips, dipped the cloth into the cool water and tenderly bandaged Tarzan's head.

For many long days they stayed beside the little stream. Then, when Tarzan was strong again, they returned to the house in the trees. Tarzan taught Jane to love him and his friends who were so good to her. And Jane taught Tarzan to understand a few words of her language.

Suddenly there was an ominous rustling in the underbrush. From behind the trees appeared a ring of ferocious, grinning, black faces.

"Pygmies," Holt whispered hoarsely. "They've surrounded us. If we try to fight, they will butcher us." The tiny warriors closed in up on the safari and forced it to move forward. Jane held little Chita in her arms as they walked on and on. Finally they could hear the sound of beating drums and knew that they were drawing near to the Pygmy village.

Frantically Jane whispered to the little monkey, "Find Tarzan, Chita. Tarzan."

Chita understood. Unseen she slipped from Jane's arms and crept silently into the jungle.

The weary, terrified prisoners reached the Pygmy village and were led into a straw-thatched hut, its darkness lighted only by the flickering torches in the hands of the Pygmies. When she could see in the dim light, Jane screamed. There, at their feet, was a huge pit, hollowed out of the rocks. Crouched on its floor was a giant gorilla, glaring up at them with cruel, evil eyes. On the opposite side of the pit, the Pygmies sat, holding long, strong ropes in their hands.

Slowly these ropes, swished through the air, tightened about the cringing bodies of the captives, swung them over the pit and dropped them, one by one, into the arms of the hunger-mad gorilla.

"Tarzan," she called frantically, "Tarzan."

As if in answer to her call, Tarzan burst through the door and leaped into the pit. Desperately the man and the gorilla battled until finally Tarzan's knife found the animal's heart. While the enraged Pygmies rained their spears into the pit, Tarzan sounded his call.

The trumpeting of a hundred elephants answered him. Angrily the huge animals trampled the village into the floor of the jungle. Screaming, the Pygmies fled into the forest and a peaceful silence settled over the wreckage.

"He will go to the Elephant's Burial Ground to die," Holt and Parker whispered.

Tarzan finally understood Jane's wish to follow the dying elephant. Hours later they reached the secret valley with its heaped bones and ivory tusks. The wounded elephant slipped to the ground and lay still. When Tarzan tried to help Parker form the fallen animal's back, he looked into the lifeless face of the man who had died as his dream came true. Sadly the three left him there, sleeping in the silent tomb.

When they reached a spot near Tarzan's home, Jane slipped from the elephant's back to the ground and stood beside Tarzan.

"I will stay with Tarzan," she said, "His jungle shall be my jungle."