Publisher's Synopsis
It was two weeks later that John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, riding in from a tour of inspectionof his vast African estate, glimpsed the head of a column of men crossing the plain that laybetween his bungalow and the forest to the north and west.He reined in his horse and watched the little party as it emerged from a concealing swale. Hiskeen eyes caught the reflection of the sun upon the white helmet of a mounted man, and with theconviction that a wandering European hunter was seeking his hospitality, he wheeled his mountand rode slowly forward to meet the newcomer.A half hour later he was mounting the steps leading to the veranda of his bungalow, andintroducing M. Jules Frecoult to Lady Greystoke."I was completely lost," M. Frecoult was explaining. "My head man had never before been inthis part of the country and the guides who were to have accompanied me from the last villagewe passed knew even less of the country than we. They finally deserted us two days since. I amvery fortunate indeed to have stumbled so providentially upon succor. I do not know what Ishould have done, had I not found you."It was decided that Frecoult and his party should remain several days, or until they werethoroughly rested, when Lord Greystoke would furnish guides to lead them safely back intocountry with which Frecoult's head man was supposedly familiar.In his guise of a French gentleman of leisure, Werper found little difficulty in deceiving hishost and in ingratiating himself with both Tarzan and Jane Clayton; but the longer he remainedthe less hopeful he became of an easy accomplishment of his designs.Lady Greystoke never rode alone at any great distance from the bungalow, and the savageloyalty of the ferocious Waziri warriors who formed a great part of Tarzan's followers seemed topreclude the possibility of a successful attempt at forcible abduction, or of the bribery of theWaziri themselves.A week passed, and Werper was no nearer the fulfillment of his plan, in so far as he couldjudge, than upon the day of his arrival, but at that very moment something occurred which gavehim renewed hope and set his mind upon an even greater reward than a woman's ransom.A runner had arrived at the bungalow with the weekly mail, and Lord Greystoke had spentthe afternoon in his study reading and answering letters. At dinner he seemed distraught, andearly in the evening he excused himself and retired, Lady Greystoke following him very soonafter. Werper, sitting upon the veranda, could hear their voices in earnest discussion, and havingrealized that something of unusual moment was afoot, he quietly rose from his chair, andkeeping well in the shadow of the shrubbery growing profusely about the bungalow, made hissilent way to a point beneath the window of the room in which his host and hostess slept.
