The black had recognized Tarzan as the white devil from the descriptions
given by the whites and their black servants. Behind him he had
expected to see a horde of demons disguised as apes and panthers.
In this Tarzan saw the cunning hand of Rokoff. The Russian
was attempting to make travel as difficult as possible for him by
turning the natives against him in superstitious fear.
The native further told Tarzan that the white man who had led the
recent expedition had promised them a fabulous reward if they would
kill the white devil. This they had fully intended doing should
the opportunity present itself; but the moment they had seen Tarzan
their blood had turned to water, as the porters of the white men
had told them would be the case.
Finding the ape-man made no attempt to harm him, the native at last
recovered his grasp upon his courage, and, at Tarzan's suggestion,
accompanied the white devil back to the village, calling as he went
for his fellows to return also, as "the white devil has promised to
do you no harm if you come back right away and answer his questions."
One by one the blacks straggled into the village, but that their
fears were not entirely allayed was evident from the amount of
white that showed about the eyes of the majority of them as they
cast constant and apprehensive sidelong glances at the ape-man.
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