"Who the devil are you, sir?" snapped that officer.
"Tarzan of the Apes," replied the newcomer.
"Oh, Greystoke!" cried a major, and stepped forward with outstretched hand.
"Preswick," acknowledged Tarzan as he took the proffered hand.
"I didn't recognize you at first," apologized the major. "The last time I saw you you were in London in evening dress.
Quite a difference -- 'pon my word, man, you'll have to admit it.
Tarzan smiled and turned toward the colonel. "I overheard your conversation," he said. "I have just come from behind the German lines. Possibly I can help you."The colonel looked questioningly toward Major Preswick who quickly rose to the occasion and presented the ape-man to his commanding officer and fellows. Briefly Tarzan told them what it was that brought him out alone in pursuit of the Germans.
"And now you have come to join us?" asked the colonel.
Tarzan shook his head. "Not regularly," he replied. "Imust fight in my own way; but I can help you. Whenever Iwish I can enter the German lines."
Capell smiled and shook his head. "It's not so easy as you think," he said; "I've lost two good officers in the last week trying it -- and they were experienced men; none better in the Intelligence Department.""Is it more difficult than entering the British lines?" asked Tarzan.
The colonel was about to reply when a new thought ap-peared to occur to him and he looked quizzically at the ape-man. "Who brought you here?" he asked. "Who passed you through our out-guards?""I have just come through the German lines and yours and passed through your camp," he replied. "Send word to as-certain if anyone saw me."
"But who accompanied you?" insisted Capell.
"I came alone," replied Tarzan and then, drawing himself to his full height, "You men of civilization, when you come into the jungle, are as dead among the quick. Manu, the monkey, is a sage by comparison. I marvel that you exist at all -- only your numbers, your weapons, and your power of reason-ing save you. Had I a few hundred great apes with your reason-ing power I could drive the Germans into the ocean as quickly as the remnant of them could reach the coast. Fortunate it is for you that the dumb brutes cannot combine. Could they, Africa would remain forever free of men. But come, can Ihelp you? Would you like to know where several machine-gun emplacements are hidden?"
The colonel assured him that they would, and a moment later Tarzan had traced upon the map the location of three that had been bothering the English. "There is a weak spot here," he said, placing a finger upon the map. "It is held by blacks; but the machine guns out in front are manned by whites. If -- wait! I have a plan. You can fill that trench with your own men and enfilade the trenches to its right with their own machine guns."Colonel Capell smiled and shook his head. "It sounds very easy," he said.
"It IS easy -- for me," replied the ape-man. "I can empty that section of trench without a shot. I was raised in the jungle -- I know the jungle folk -- the Gomangani as well as the others. Look for me again on the second night," and he turned to leave.
"Wait," said the colonel. "I will send an officer to pass you through the lines."Tarzan smiled and moved away. As he was leaving the little group about headquarters he passed a small figure wrapped in an officer's heavy overcoat. The collar was turned up and the visor of the military cap pulled well down over the eyes; but, as the ape-man passed, the light from the fire illumi-nated the features of the newcomer for an instant, revealing to Tarzan a vaguely familiar face. Some officer he had known in London, doubtless, he surmised, and went his way through the British camp and the British lines all unknown to the watchful sentinels of the out-guard.
Nearly all night he moved across Kilimanjaro's foothills, tracking by instinct an unknown way, for he guessed that what he sought would be found on some wooded slope higher up than he had come upon his other recent journeys in this, to him, little known country. Three hours before dawn his keen nostrils apprised him that somewhere in the vicinity he would find what he wanted, and so he climbed into a tall tree and settled himself for a few hours' sleep.
