but at the top he met the sudden sword that he had not expected--the
quarry had been unarmed before.

With a cry, the man toppled back upon those behind him. Like tenpins
they rolled down the stairs. The ancient and rickety structure
could not withstand the strain of this unwonted weight and jarring.
With a creaking and rending of breaking wood it collapsed beneath
the Arabs, leaving Tarzan, Abdul, and the girl alone upon the frail
platform at the top.

"Come!" cried the Ouled-Nail. "They will reach us from another
stairway through the room next to mine. We have not a moment to
spare."

Just as they were entering the room Abdul heard and translated
a cry from the yard below for several to hasten to the street and
cut off escape from that side.

"We are lost now," said the girl simply.

"We?" questioned Tarzan.

"Yes, m'sieur," she responded; "they will kill me as well. Have
I not aided you?"

This put a different aspect on the matter. Tarzan had rather been
enjoying the excitement and danger of the encounter. He had not
for an instant supposed that either Abdul or the girl could suffer
except through accident, and he had only retreated just enough to
keep from being killed himself. He had had no intention of running