But always Om-at shook his head and spread his palms
in a gesture which indicated that while he understood the question
he was ignorant as to the whereabouts of the ape-man, and then the
black chief attempted as best he might to explain to the stranger
what he knew of the whereabouts of Tarzan.
He called the newcomer Jar-don, which in the language of Pal-ul-don
means "stranger," and he pointed to the sun and said as. This he
repeated several times and then he held up one hand with the fingers
outspread and touching them one by one, including the thumb, repeated
the word adenen until the stranger understood that he meant five.
Again he pointed to the sun and describing an arc with his forefinger
starting at the eastern horizon and terminating at the western, he
repeated again the words as adenen. It was plain to the stranger
that the words meant that the sun had crossed the heavens five
times. In other words, five days had passed. Om-at then pointed to
the cave where they stood, pronouncing Tarzan's name and imitating
a walking man with the first and second fingers of his right hand
upon the floor of the recess, sought to show that Tarzan had walked
out of the cave and climbed upward on the pegs five days before,
but this was as far as the sign language would permit him to go.
This far the stranger followed him and, indicating that he understood
he pointed to himself and then indicating the pegs leading above
announced that he would follow Tarzan.
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