第76章

One by one the cities were deserted or overcome.The last remnant was finally forced to take shelter within this mighty mountain fortress.Slowly we have dwindled in power, in civilization, in intellect, in numbers, until now we are no more than a small tribe of savage apes.

"In fact, the apes live with us, and have for many ages.

We call them the first men--we speak their language quite as much as we do our own; only in the rituals of the temple do we make any attempt to retain our mother tongue.In time it will be forgotten, and we will speak only the language of the apes; in time we will no longer banish those of our people who mate with apes, and so in time we shall descend to the very beasts from which ages ago our progenitors may have sprung.""But why are you more human than the others?" asked the man.

"For some reason the women have not reverted to savagery so rapidly as the men.It may be because only the lower types of men remained here at the time of the great catastrophe, while the temples were filled with the noblest daughters of the race.My strain has remained clearer than the rest because for countless ages my foremothers were high priestesses--the sacred office descends from mother to daughter.Our husbands are chosen for us from the noblest in the land.The most perfect man, mentally and physically, is selected to be the husband of the high priestess.""From what I saw of the gentlemen above," said Tarzan, with a grin, "there should be little trouble in choosing from among them."The girl looked at him quizzically for a moment.

"Do not be sacrilegious," she said."They are very holy men--they are priests.""Then there are others who are better to look upon?" he asked.

"The others are all more ugly than the priests," she replied.

Tarzan shuddered at her fate, for even in the dim light of the vault he was impressed by her beauty.

"But how about myself?" he asked suddenly."Are you going to lead me to liberty?""You have been chosen by The Flaming God as his own,"she answered solemnly."Not even I have the power to save you--should they find you again.But I do not intend that they shall find you.You risked your life to save mine.

I may do no less for you.It will be no easy matter--it may require days; but in the end I think that I can lead you beyond the walls.Come, they will look here for me presently, and if they find us together we shall both be lost--they would kill me did they think that I had proved false to my god.""You must not take the risk, then," he said quickly."I will return to the temple, and if I can fight my way to freedom there will be no suspicion thrown upon you."But she would not have it so, and finally persuaded him to follow her, saying that they had already remained in the vault too long to prevent suspicion from falling upon her even if they returned to the temple.

"I will hide you, and then return alone," she said, "telling them that I was long unconscious after you killed Tha, and that I do not know whither you escaped."And so she led him through winding corridors of gloom, until finally they came to a small chamber into which a little light filtered through a stone grating in the ceiling.

"This is the Chamber of the Dead," she said."None will think of searching here for you--they would not dare.I will return after it is dark.By that time I may have found a plan to effect your escape."She was gone, and Tarzan of the Apes was left alone in the Chamber of the Dead, beneath the long-dead city of Opar.