“You have paid a heavy price for your folly,” said the ape-man. “You have been punished enough. We will take you to your friends who are on their way to the coast under escort of a friendly tribe. They cannot be far distant, for, from the condition of the men when I saw them, long marches are beyond their physical powers.” The girl dropped to her knees at his feet. “How can I thank you for your kindness?” she said. “But I would rather remain here in Africa with you and Lady Greystoke, and work for you and show by my loyalty that I can redeem the wrong I did you.” Tarzan glanced at his wife questioningly, and Jane Clayton signified her assent to the girl’s request. “Very well, then,” said the ape-man, “you may remain with us, Flora.” “You will never regret it,” said the girl. “I will work my fingers off for you.” The three, and Jad-bal-ja, had been three days upon the march toward home when Tarzan, who was in the lead, paused, and, raising his head, sniffed the jungle air. Then he turned to them with a smile. “My Waziri are disobedient,” he said. “I sent them home and yet here they are, coming toward us, directly away from home.” A few minutes later they met the van of the Waziri, and great was the rejoicing of the blacks when they found both their master and mistress alive and unscathed. “And now that we have found you,” said Tarzan, after the greetings were over, and innumerable questions had been asked and answered, “tell me what you did with the gold that you took from the camp of the Europeans.” “We hid it, O Bwana, where you told us to hide it,” replied Usula. “I was not with you, Usula,” said the ape-man. “It was another, who deceived Lady Greystoke even as he deceived you—a bad man—who impersonated Tarzan of the Apes so cleverly that it is no wonder that you were imposed upon.” “Then it was not you who told us that your head had been injured and that you could not remember the language of the Waziri?” demanded Usula. “It was not I,” said Tarzan, “for my head has not been injured, and I remember well the language of my children.” “Ah,” cried Usula, “then it was not our Big Bwana who ran from Buto, the rhinoceros?” Tarzan laughed. “Did the other run from Buto?” “That he did,” cried Usula; “he ran in great terror.” “I do not know that I blame him,” said Tarzan, “for Buto is no pleasant playfellow.” “But our Big Bwana would not run from him,” said Usula, proudly. “Even if another than I hid the gold it was you who dug the hole. Lead me to the spot then, Usula.” The Waziri constructed rude yet comfortable litters for the two white women, though Jane Clayton laughed at the idea that it was necessary that she be carried and insisted upon walking beside her bearers more often than she rode. Flora Hawkes, however, weak and exhausted as she was, could not have proceeded far without being carried, and was glad of the presence of the brawny Waziri who bore her along the jungle trail so easily.