AT THE SIGHT of Twlight sparkle, cries of relief and delight broke from every lip, and, as Timbarzan's chariot stopped beside the other, Professor Fluttershy caught her friend in her arms.

For a moment no one noticed Timbarzan, sitting silently in his seat. Blue blood was the first to remember, and, turning, held out his hoof. "How can we ever thank you?" he exclaimed. 'You have saved us all. 'You called me by name at the cottage, but I do not seem to recall yours, though there is something very familiar about you.

"It is as though I had known you well under very different conditions a long time ago."

Timbarzan smiled as he took the proffered hoof. 'You are quite right, Monsieur Blue blood," he said, in Frenchpony. 'You will pardon me if I do not speak to you in Equestrian. I am just learning it, and while I understand it fairly well I speak it very poorly."

"But who are you?" insisted Blue blood, speaking in Frenchpony this time himself.

"Timbarzan of the Timberwolves."

Blue blood started back in surprise.

"By luna!" he exclaimed. "It is true.''

Professor Fluttershy and Ms. Rainbow dash pressed forward to add their thanks to Blue blood's, and to voice their surprise and pleasure at seeing their forest friend so far from his savage home.

The party now entered the modest little hostelry, where Blue blood soon made arrangements for their entertainment.

They were sitting in the little, stuffy parlor when the distant chugging of an approaching chariot caught their attention.

Ms. Rainbow dash, who was sitting near the window, looked out as the chariot drew in sight, finally stopping beside the other chariots.

"Bless me!" said Ms. Rainbow dash, a shade of annoyance in his tone. "It is Mr. Filthy rich. I had hoped, er I had thought or er how very happy we should be that he was not caught in the fire," he ended lamely.

"Tut tut! Ms. Rainbow dash '' said Professor Fluttershy. "Tut tut! I have often admonished my pupils to count ten before speaking. Were I you, Ms. Rainbow dash, I should count at least a thousand, and then maintain a discreet silence."

"Bless me, yes!" acquiesced Ms. Rainbow dash. "But who is the clerical appearing gentlelaby with him?"

Twlight sparkle blanched.

Blue blood moved uneasily in his chair.

Professor Fluttershy removed her spectacles nervously, and breathed upon them, but replaced them on his nose without wiping.

The ubiquitous spike grunted.

Only Timbarzan did not comprehend.

Presently Filthy Rich burst into the room.

"Thank Celestia!" he cried. "I feared the worst, until I saw your car, Blue blood. I was cut off on the south road and had to go away back to town, and then strike east to this road. I thought we'd never reach the cottage."

No one seemed to enthuse much. Timbarzan eyed Filthy rich as Sabora eyes her prey.

Twlight sparkle glanced at him and coughed nervously.

"Mr. Filthy rich," she said, "this is Monsieur Timbarzan, an old friend."

Filthy rich turned and extended his hoof. Timbarzan rose and bowed as only Captain Solano could have taught a gentlestallion to do it, but he did not seem to see Filthy rich's hoof.

Nor did Filthy rich appear to notice the oversight.

"This is the Reverend Mr. Troubleshoot, Twlight," said Filthy rich, turning to the clerical party behind him. "Mr. Troubleshoot, Miss Sparkle."

Mr. Troubleshoot bowed and beamed.

Filthy rich introduced him to the others. "We can have the ceremony at once, Twlight," said Filthy rich. "Then you and I can catch the midnight train in town."

Timbarzan understood the plan instantly. He glanced out of half closed eyes at Twlight sparkle, but he did not move.

The mare hesitated. The room was tense with the silence of taut nerves. All eyes turned toward Twlight sparkle, awaiting her reply.

"Can't we wait a few days?" she asked. "I am all unstrung. I have been through so much today."

Filthy rich felt the hostility that emanated from each member of the party. It made him angry.

"We have waited as long as I intend to wait," he said roughly. 'You have promised to marry me. I shall be played with no longer. I have the license and here is the preacher. Come Mr. Troubleshoot; come Twlight. There are witnesses aplenty more than enough," he added with a disagreeable inflection, and taking Twlight sparkle by the arm, he started to lead her to ward the waiting minister.

But scarcely had he taken a single step where a heavy hoof closed upon his arm with a grip of steel.

Another hoof shot to his throat and in a moment he was being shaken high above the floor, as a cat might shake a mouse.

Twlight sparkle turned in horrified surprise toward Timbarzan.

And, as she looked into his face, she saw the crimson band upon his forehead that she had seen that other day in far distant Everfree, when Timbarzan of the Timberwolves had closed in mortal combat with the great wooden canine fang wood.

She knew that murder lay in that savage heart, and with a little cry of horror she sprang forward to plead with the timberwolf-stallion. But her fears were more for Timbarzan than for Filthy rich. She realized the stern retribution which justice metes to the murderer.

Before she could reach them, however, Blue blood had jumped to Timbarzan's side and attempted to drag Filthy rich from his grasp.

With a single sweep of one mighty arm the equestrianstallion was hurled across the room, and then Twlight sparkle laid a firm purple hoof upon Timbarzan's wrist, and looked up into his eyes.

"For, my sake," she said.

The grasp upon Filthy rich's throat relaxed. Timbarzan looked down into the beautiful face before him.

"Do you wish this to live?" he asked in surprise.

"I do not wish him to die at your hooves, my friend," she replied. "I do not wish you to become a murderer."

Timbarzan removed his hoof from Filthy rich's throat.

"Do you release her from her promise?" he asked. "It is the price of your life."

Canler, gasping for breath, nodded.

"Will you go away and never molest her further?"

Again the stallion nodded his head, his face distorted by fear of the death that had been so close.

Timbarzan released him, and Filthy rich staggered toward the door. In another moment he was gone, and the terror stricken preacher with him. Timbarzan turned toward Twlight sparkle.

"May I speak with you for a moment, alone?" he asked.

The mare nodded and started toward the door leading to the narrow ve randa of the little hotel. She passed out to await Timbarzan and so did not hear the conversation which followed.

"Wait," cried Professor Fluttershy, as Timbarzan was about to follow.

The professor had been stricken dumb with surprise by the rapid de velopments of the past few minutes.

"Before we go further, sir, I should like an explanation of the events which have just transpired.

"By what right, sir, did you interfere between my friend and Mr. Filthy rich?

"I had promised him her hoof, sir, and regardless of our personal likes or dislikes, sir, that promise must be kept."

"I interfered, Professor Fluttershy," replied Timbarzan, "because your friend does not love Mr. Filthy rich she does not wish to marry him. That is enough for me to know."

"You do not know what you have done," said Professor Fluttershy. "Now he will doubtless refuse to marry her."

"He most certainly will," said Timbarzan, emphatically.

"And further," added Timbarzan, "you need not fear that your pride will suffer, Professor Fluttershy, for you will be able to pay the Filthy rich person what you owe him the moment you reach home."

"Tut tut, sir!" exclaimed Professor Fluttershy. "What do you mean, sir?" "Your treasure has been found," said Timbarzan.

"What what is that you are saying?" cried the professor. 'You are mad, stallion. It cannot be."

"It is, though. It was I who stole it, not knowing either its value or to whom it belonged. I saw the sailors bury it, and, timberwolf-like, I had to dig it up and bury it again elsewhere.

"When Captain Solano told me what it was and what it meant to you I returned to the forest and recovered it. It had caused so much crime and suffering and sorrow that Captain Solano thought it best not to attempt to bring the treasure itself on here, as had been my intention, so I have brought a letter of credit instead.

"Here it is, Professor Fluttershy," and Timbarzan drew an envelope from his pocket and hoofed it to the astonished Professor, "two hundred and forty- one thousand dollars.

"The treasure was most carefully appraised by experts, but lest there should be any question in your mind, Captain Solano himself bought it and is holding it for you, should you prefer the treasure to the credit."

"To the already great burden of the obligations we owe you, sir," said Professor Fluttershy, with a trembling voice, "is now added this greatest of all services. You have given me the means to save my honor."

Blue blood, who had left the room a moment after Filthy rich, now returned.

"Pardon me," he said. "I think we had better try to reach town before dark and take the first train out of this forest. A native just rode by from the north, who reports that the fire is moving slowly in this direction."

This announcement broke up further conversation, and the entire party went out to the waiting chariots.

Blue blood, with Twilight sparkle, the professor and Spike occupied Blue blood's chariot, while Timbarzan took Ms. Rainbow dash in with him.

"Bless me!" exclaimed Ms. Rainbow dash, as the chariot moved off after Blue blood's chariot. "Who would ever have thought it possible! The last time I saw you you were a veritable wild stallion, skipping about among the branches of a tropical Everfree forest, and now you are driving me along a Appaloosa road in a Frenchpony chariot. Bless me! But it is most remarkable."

'Yes,'' assented Timbarzan, and then, after a pause; "Ms. Rainbow dash, do you recall any of the details of the finding and burying of three skeletons found in my cabin beside that everfree Forest?"

"Very distinctly, sir, very distinctly," replied Ms. Rainbow dash.

"Was there anything peculiar about any of those skeletons?"

Ms. Rainbow dash eyed Timbarzan narrowly.

"Why do you ask?"

"It means a great deal to me to know," replied Timbarzan. "Your answer may clear up a mystery.

I can do no worse, at any rate, than to leave it still a mystery. "I have been entertaining a theory concerning those skeletons for the past two months, and I want you to answer my question to the best of your knowledge: were the three skeletons you buried all ponies skeletons?"

"No," said Ms. Rainbow dash, "the smallest one, the one found in the crib, was the skeleton of an wooden canine."

"Thank you," said Tarzan.

In the chariot ahead, Twlight sparkle was thinking fast and furiously. She had felt the purpose for which Timbarzan had asked a few words with her, and she knew that she must be prepared to give him an answer in the very near future.

He was not the sort of pony one could put off, and somehow that very thought made her wonder if she did not really fear him.

And could she love where she feared?

She realized the spell that had been upon her in the depths of that far off jungle, but there was no spell of enchantment now in prosaic Wisconsin.

Nor did the immaculate young Frenchstallion appeal to the primal mare in her, as had the stalwart forest warrior.

Did she love him? She did not know now.

She glanced at Blue blood out of the corner of her eye. Was not here a stallion trained in the same school of environment in which she had been trained a stallion with social position and culture such as she had been taught to consider as the prime essentials to congenial association?

Did not her best judgment point to this young Equestrian noblestallion, whose love she knew to be of the sort a civilized mare should crave, as the logical mate for such as herself?

Could she love Blue blood? She could see no reason why she could not. Twilight sparkle was not coldly calculating by nature, but training, environment and heredity had all combined to teach her to reason even in matters of the heart.

That she had been carried off her feet by the strength of the young giant when his great arms were about her in the distant everfree forest, and again today, Appaloosa in the woods, seemed to her only attributable to a temporary mental reversion to type on her part to the psychological appeal of the primeval stallion to the primeval mare in her nature.

If he should never touch her again, she reasoned, she would never feel attracted toward him. She had not loved him, then. It had been nothing more than a passing hallucination, superinduced by excitement and by personal contact.

Excitement would not always mark their future relations, should she marry him, and the power of personal contact eventually would be dulled by familiarity.

Again she glanced at Blue blood. He was very hoofsome and every inch a gentlestallion. She should be very proud of such a husband.

And then he spoke a minute sooner or a minute later might have made all the difference in the world to three lives but chance stepped in and pointed out to Blue blood the psychological moment.

"You are free now, Twlight," he said. "Won't you say yes I will devote my life to making you very happy."

"Yes," she whispered.

That evening in the little waiting room at the station Timbarzan caught Twilight sparkle alone for a moment.

"You are free now, Twlight," he said, "and I have come across the ages out of the dim and distant past from the lair of the primeval stallion to claim you for your sake I have become a civilized stallion for your sake I have crossed oceans and continents for your sake I will be whatever you will me to be. I can make you happy, Twlight, in the life you know and love best. Will you marry me?"

For the first time she realized the depths of the stallion's love, all that he had accomplished in such a short time solely for love of her. Turning her head she buried her face in her arms.

What had she done? "Because she had been afraid she might succumb to the pleas of this giant, she had burned her bridges behind her in her groundless apprehension that she might make a terrible mistake, she had made a worse one.

And then she told him all told him the truth word by word, without attempting to shield herself or condone her error.

"What can we do?" he asked. "You have admitted that you love me. You know that I love you; but I do not know the ethics of society by which you are governed. I shall leave the decision to you, for you know best what will be for your eventual welfare."

"I cannot tell him, Timbarzan," she said. "He, too, loves me, and he is a good stallion. I could never face you nor any other honest person if I repudiated my promise to Mr. Blue blood.

"I shall have to keep it and you must help me bear the burden, though we may not see each other again after."

The others were entering the room now and Timbarzan turned toward the little window.

But he saw nothing without within he saw a patch of greensward surrounded by a matted mass of gorgeous tropical plants and flowers, and, above, the waving foliage of mighty trees, and, over all, the blue of an equatorial sky.

In the center of the greensward a young mare sat upon a little mound of earth, and beside her sat a young giant. They ate pleasant fruit and looked into each other's eyes and smiled. They were very happy, and they were all alone. His thoughts were broken upon by the station agent who entered asking if there was a gentlestallion by the name of Timbarzan in the party.

"I am Monsieur Timbarzan," said the timberwolf-stallion.

"Here is a message for you, forwarded from canterlot; it is a cablegram from Parisa."

Timbarzan took the envelope and forced it open. The message was from Captain Solano.

It read:

Hoofprints prove you dino. Congratulations.

Captain Solano.

As Tarzan finished reading Blue blood entered, and came toward him with extended hoof.

Here was the stallion who had Timbarzan's title, and Timbarzan's estates, and was going to marry the mare whom Timbarzan loved Timbarzan. A single word from Timbarzan would make a great difference in this stallion's life.

It would take away his title and his lands and his castles, and it would take them away from Twilight sparkle also.

"I say, old stallion," cried Blue blood, "I haven't had a chance to thank you for all you've done for us. It seems as though you had your hooves full saving our lives in everfree forest and here.

"I'm awfully glad you came on here. We must get better acquainted. I often thought about you, you know, and the remarkable circumstances of your environment.

"If it's any of my business, how the tartarus did you ever get into that bally forest?"

"I was born there," said Timbarzan, quietly. "My mother was an Timberwolf, and of course she couldn't tell me much about it. I never knew who my father was."

The end or is it?

Author's Note

Well games I'm about to finish the story I'm about to be finishing the the last page