A stalwart negro approached him. "I am head man," he said.
"Where is your master?"
"He is gone, many days," replied the black.
"Where?"
"We do not know. He hunted with a single askar. There was a great storm. Neither of them ever returned. We searched the jungle for them, but could not find them. We waited in camp where they were to have joined us. They did not come. We did not know what to do. We would not desert the young Bwana, who was kind to us; but we feared that he was dead. We have not provisions to last more than another moon. We decided to return home and tell our story to the friends of the young Bwana."
"You have done well," said Tarzan. "Have you seen a company of the desert people in the jungle?"
"We have not seen them," replied the head man, "but while we were searching for the young Bwana we saw where desert people had camped. It was a fresh camp."
"Where?"
The black pointed. "It was on the trail to the north Galla country in Abyssinia and when they broke camp they went north."
"You may return to your village," said Tarzan, "but first take those things which are the young Bwana's to his friends to keep for him and send a runner to the home of Tarzan with this message: Send one hundred Waziri to Tarzan in the north Galla country. From the water hole of the smooth, round rocks follow the trail of the desert people."