His life, then,
depended upon how much of the aperture was submerged. And now it
was directly before him and the gryf directly behind. There was
no alternative--there was no other hope. The ape-man threw all the
resources of his great strength into the last few strokes, extended
his hands before him as a cutwater, submerged to the water's level
and shot forward toward the hole.
Frothing with rage was the baffled Lu-don as he realized how neatly
the stranger she had turned his own tables upon him. He could of
course escape the Temple of the Gryf in which her quick wit had
temporarily imprisoned him; but during the delay, however brief,
Ja-don would find time to steal her from the temple and deliver her
to Ko-tan. But he would have her yet--that the high priest swore in
the names of Jad-ben-Otho and all the demons of his faith. He hated
Ko-tan. Secretly he had espoused the cause of Mo-sar, in whom he
would have a willing tool. Perhaps, then, this would give him the
opportunity he had long awaited--a pretext for inciting the revolt
that would dethrone Ko-tan and place Mo-sar in power--with Lu-don
the real ruler of Pal-ul-don. He licked his thin lips as he sought
the window through which Tarzan had entered and now Lu-don's only
avenue of escape. Cautiously he made his way across the floor,
feeling before him with his hands, and when they discovered that
the trap was set for him an ugly snarl broke from the priest's
lips.
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