"I was only an interpreter," said Mpingu. "The white barbarian spoke the language of the Bagegos, who are my people. Through me they talked to him and he talked to them." "And what was said?" demanded the inquisitor. Mpingu hesitated, dropping his eyes to the floor. "Come, quickly!" snapped the other. "I have forgotten," said Mpingu. The official nodded to the centurion. The soldiers seized Mpingu and threw him roughly to the floor, four of them holding him there, one seated upon each limb. "The tongs!" directed the official, and the slave handed the instrument to the centurion. "Wait!" screamed Mpingu. "I will tell you." "Let him up," said the official; and to Mpingu: "This is your last chance. If you go down again, your tongue comes out and your eyes, too." "I will talk," said Mpingu. "I did but interpret, that is all. I had nothing to do with helping him to escape or hiding him." "If you tell us the truth, you will not be punished," said the Roman. "Where is the white barbarian?" "He is hiding in the home of Maximus Praeclarus," said Mpingu. "What has your master to do with this?" commanded the Roman. "Dion Splendidus has nothing to do with it," replied Mpingu. "Maximus Praeclarus planned it." "That is all," said the official to the centurion. "Take him away and keep him under guard until you receive further orders. Be sure that he talks to no one." A few minutes later the official who had interrogated Mpingu entered the apartment of Sublatus, while the Emperor was in conversation with his son Fastus. "I have located the white barbarian, Sublatus," announced the official. "Good!" said the Emperor. "Where is he?" "In the home of Maximus Praeclarus." "I might have suspected as much," said Fastus. "Who else is implicated?" asked Sublatus. "He was caught in the courtyard of Dion Splendidus," said Fastus, "and the Emperor has heard, as we all have, that Dion Splendidus has long had eyes upon the imperial purple of the Caesars." "The slave says that only Maximus Praeclarus is responsible for the escape of the barbarian," said the official. "He was one of Dion Splendidus's slaves, was he not?" demanded Fastus. "Yes." "Then it is not strange that he would protect his master," said Fastus. "Arrest them all," commanded Sublatus. "You mean Dion Splendidus, Maximus Praeclarus, and the barbarian Tarzan?" asked the official. "I mean those three and the entire household of Dion Splendidus and Maximus Praeclarus," replied Sublatus. "Wait, Caesar," suggested Fastus; "twice already has the barbarian escaped from the legionaries. If he receives the slightest inkling of this, he will escape again. I have a plan. Listen!"