And so the first hideous priest who leaped to the platform
was confronted by no suave ambassador from heaven, but rather a
grim and ferocious beast whose temper savored more of hell.
The altar stood close to the western wall of the enclosure. There
was just room between the two for the high priest to stand during
the performance of the sacrificial ceremonies and only Lu-don stood
there now behind Tarzan, while before him were perhaps two hundred
warriors and priests.
The presumptuous one who would have had the glory of first laying
arresting hands upon the blasphemous impersonator rushed forward
with outstretched hand to seize the ape-man. Instead it was he who
was seized; seized by steel fingers that snapped him up as though
he had been a dummy of straw, grasped him by one leg and the harness
at his back and raised him with giant arms high above the altar.
Close at his heels were others ready to seize the ape-man and drag
him down, and beyond the altar was Lu-don with drawn knife advancing
toward him.
There was no instant to waste, nor was it the way of the ape-man
to fritter away precious moments in the uncertainty of belated
decision. Before Lu-don or any other could guess what was in
the mind of the condemned, Tarzan with all the force of his great
muscles dashed the screaming hierophant in the face of the high
priest, and, as though the two actions were one, so quickly did
he move, he had leaped to the top of the altar and from there to a
handhold upon the summit of the temple wall.
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