But their plans were frustrated and possibly also their
entire cause lost, so heavily had Ja-don banked upon the success
of their venture.
With the clanging of the temple gong Ja-don assumed that Tarzan
and his party had struck their initial blow and so he launched his
attack upon the palace gate. To the ears of Lu-don in the inner
temple court came the savage war cries that announced the beginning
of the battle. Leaving Pan-sat and the other priest to guard
the woman he hastened toward the palace personally to direct his
force and as he passed through the temple grounds he dispatched a
messenger to learn the outcome of the fight in the corridors below,
and other messengers to spread the news among his followers that
the false Dor-ul-Otho was a prisoner in the temple.
As the din of battle rose above A-lur, Lieutenant Erich Obergatz
turned upon his bed of soft hides and sat up. He rubbed his eyes
and looked about him. It was still dark without.
"I am Jad-ben-Otho," he cried, "who dares disturb my slumber?"
A slave squatting upon the floor at the foot of his couch shuddered
and touched her forehead to the floor. "It must be that the enemy
have come, O Jad-ben-Otho." She spoke soothingly for she had reason
to know the terrors of the mad frenzy into which trivial things
sometimes threw the Great God.
Pages:
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372