As von Harben and Gabula descended the stream they found that the depth of the water did not greatly increase. Once or twice they stumbled into deeper holes and were forced to swim, but in other places the water shallowed until it was only to their knees, and thus they made their way down to the lake at the verge of which their view was shut off by clumps of papyrus rising twelve or fifteen feet above the surface of the water.
"It begins to look," said von Harben, "as though there is no solid ground along the shore line, but the roots of the papyus will hold us and if we can make our way to the west end of the lake I am sure that we shall find solid ground, for I am positive that I saw higher land there as we were descending the cliff."
Feeling their way cautiously along, they came at last to the first clump of papyrus and just as von Harben was about to clamber to the solid footing of the roots, a canoe shot from behind the mass of floating plants and the two men found themselves covered by the weapons of a boatload of warriors.
Chapter Five
LUKEDI, the Bagego, carried a gourd of milk to a hut in the village of his people on the lower slopes at the west end of the Wiramwazi range.
Two stalwart spearmen stood guard at the doorway of the hut. "Nyuto has sent me with milk for the prisoner," said Lukedi. "Has his spirit returned to him?"
"Go in and see," directed one of the sentries.
Lukedi entered the hut and in the dim light saw the figure of a giant white man sitting upon the dirt floor gazing at him. The man's wrists were bound together behind his back and his ankles were secured with tough fiber strands.
"Here is food," said Lukedi, setting the gourd upon the ground near the prisoner.
"How can I eat with my hands tied behind my back?" demanded Tarzan. Lukedi scratched his head. "I do not know," he said. "Nyuto sent me with the food. He did not tell me to free your hands."
"Cut the bond," said Tarzan, "otherwise I cannot eat."
One of the spearmen entered the hut. "What is he saying?" he demanded.
"He says, that he cannot eat unless his hands are freed," said Lukedi.
"Did Nyuto tell you to free his hands?" asked the spearman.
"No," said Lukedi.
The spearman shrugged his shoulders. "Leave the food then; that is all you were asked to do."
Lukedi turned to leave the hut. "Wait," said Tarzan. "Who is Nyuto?"
"He is chief of the Bagegos," said Lukedi.
"Go to him and tell him that I wish to see him. Tell him also that I cannot eat with my hands tied behind my back."
Lukedi was gone for half an hour. When he returned he brought an old, rusted slave chain and an ancient padlock.
"Nyuto says that we may chain him to the center pole and then cut the bonds that secure his hands," he said to the guard.
The three men entered the hut where Lukedi passed one end of the chain around the center pole, pulling it through a ring on the other end; the free end he then passed around Tarzan's neck, securing it there with the old slave padlock.
"Cut the bonds that hold his wrists," said Lukedi to one of the spearmen.
"Do it yourself," retorted the warrior, "Nyuto sent you to do it. He did not tell me to cut the bonds."
Lukedi hesitated. It was apparent that he was afraid.
"We will stand ready with our spears," said the guardsmen; "then he cannot harm you."
"I shall not harm him," said Tarzan. "Who are you anyway and who do you think I am?"
One of the guardsmen laughed. "He asked who we are as though he did not know!"
"We know who you are, all right," said the other warrior.
"I am Tarzan of the Apes," said the prisoner, "and I have no quarrel with the Bagegos."
The guardsman who had last spoken laughed again derisively. "That may be your name," he said. "You men of The Lost Tribe have strange names. Perhaps you have no quarrel with the Bagegos, but the Bagegos have a quarrel with you," and still laughing he left the hut followed by his companion, but the youth Lukedi remained, apparently fascinated by the prisoner at whom he stood staring as he might have stared at a deity.
Tarzan reached for the gourd and drank the milk it contained, and never once did Lukedi take his eyes from him.
"What is your name?" asked Tarzan.
"Lukedi," replied the youth.
"And you have never heard of Tarzan of the Apes?"
"No," replied the youth.
"Who do you think I am?" demanded the ape-man.
"We know that you belong to The Lost Tribe."
"But I thought the members of The Lost Tribe were supposed to be the spirits of the dead," said Tarzan.
"That we do not know," replied Lukedi. "Some think one way, some another; but you know, for you are one of them."
"I am not one of them," said Tarzan. "I come from a country farther south, but I have heard of the Bagegos and I have heard of The Lost Tribe."
"I do not believe you," said Lukedi.
"I speak the truth," said Tarzan.
Lukedi scratched his head. "Perhaps you do," he said. "You do not wear clothes like the members of The Lost Tribe, and the weapons that we found with you are different."
"You have seen members of The Lost Tribe?" asked Tarzan.
"Many times," replied Lukedi. "Once a year they come out of the bowels of the Wiramwazi and trade with us. They bring dried fish, snails, and iron and take in exchange salt, goats, and cows."
"If they come and trade with you peacefully, why do you make me a prisoner if you think I am one of them?" demanded Tarzan.
"Since the beginning we have been at war with the members of The Lost Tribe," replied Lukedi. "It is true that once a year we trade with them, but they are always our enemies."
"Why is that?" demanded the ape-man.
"Because at other times we cannot tell when they will come with many warriors and capture men, women, and children whom they take away with them into the Wiramwazi. None ever returns. We do not know what becomes of them. Perhaps they are eaten."
"What will your chief, Nyuto, do with me?" asked Tarzan.
"I do not know," said Lukedi. "They are discussing the question now. They all wish to put you to death, but there are some who believe that this would arouse the anger of the ghosts of all the dead Bagegos."
"Why should the ghosts of your dead wish to protect me?" demanded Tarzan.
"There are many who think that you members of The Lost Tribe are the ghosts of our dead," replied Lukedi.
"What do you think, Lukedi?" asked the ape-man.
"When I look at you I think that you are a man of flesh and blood the same as I, and so I think that perhaps you are telling me the truth when you say that you are not a member of The Lost Tribe, because I am sure that they are all ghosts."
"But when they come to trade with you and when they come to fight with you, can you not tell whether they are flesh and blood or not?"
"They are very powerful," said Lukedi. "They might come in the form of men in the flesh or they might come as snakes or lions. That is why we are not sure."
"And what do you think the council will decide to do with me?" asked Tarzan.
"I think that there is no doubt but that they will burn you alive, for thus both you and your spirit will be destroyed so that it cannot come back to haunt and annoy us."
"Have you seen or heard of another white man recently?" asked Tarzan.
"No," replied the youth. "Many years ago, before I can remember, two white men came who said that they were not members of The Lost Tribe, but we did not believe them and they were killed. I must go now. I shall bring you more milk tomorrow."
After Lukedi had left, Tarzan commenced examining the chain, padlock, and the center pole of the hut in an effort to discover some means of escape. The hut was cylindrical and surmounted by a conical roof of grass. The side walls were of stakes set upright a few inches in the ground and fastened together at their tops and bottoms by creepers. The center pole was much heavier and was secured in position by rafters radiating from it to the top of the wall. The interior of the hut was plastered with mud, which had been thrown on with force and then smoothed with the palm of the hand. It was a common type with which Tarzan was familiar. He knew that there was a possibility that he might be able to raise the center pole and withdraw the chain from beneath it.