That he could accomplish much once he reached the inner chambers
of the temple with his little band of picked warriors the ape-man
was confident since an attack at this point would bring confusion
and consternation to the easily overpowered priests, and permit
Tarzan to attack the palace forces in the rear at the same time
that Ja-don engaged them at the palace gates, while Ta-den and his
forces swarmed the northern walls. Great value had been placed by
Ja-don on the moral effect of the Dor-ul-Otho's mysterious appearance
in the heart of the temple and he had urged Tarzan to take every
advantage of the old chieftain's belief that many of Lu-don's
warriors still wavered in their allegiance between the high priest
and the Dor-ul-Otho, being held to the former more by the fear which
he engendered in the breasts of all his followers than by any love
or loyalty they might feel toward him.

There is a Pal-ul-donian proverb setting forth a truth similar to
that contained in the old Scotch adage that "The best laid schemes
o' mice and men gang aft a-gley." Freely translated it might
read, "He who follows the right trail sometimes reaches the wrong
destination," and such apparently was the fate that lay in the
footsteps of the great chieftain of the north and his godlike ally.

Tarzan, more familiar with the windings of the corridors than his
fellows and having the advantage of the full light of the torch,
which at best was but a dim and flickering affair, was some distance
ahead of the others, and in his keen anxiety to close with the
enemy he gave too little thought to those who were to support him.
Nor is this strange, since from childhood the ape-man had been
accustomed to fight the battles of life single-handed so that it