v
. A . , 'I A
"ti
. . JF&. - ;
. '
w,-. ,W. r f
. ct!
v.
;1
Ur
&
V
ffr-
ji
St
lax.
i
m
S?"
it . - y
THE CAPTURE OF TARZAN Tt&f&VPiS,3" By Edgar Rice BurrowB
t V . t
'Oovr(oit, 1119. ty TuMto Ledatr Co
4 vuj'iii ivmii jr vy ijuyur iivi UHirvwv'xi
AfcJUMljW lui TP.f . Da b.....all
ir ,. uii'lUKri
OF TARZAN
i; fTHE black warriors labored in the
; " " humid heat of the jungle's stifling
r shade. With war spears they
,, loosened the thick, black; loam nna
V '-Wib deep layers of rotting vegeta-
" V W rt.i ... t A AT
.".TIKI, wun ncavy-naiieu lingers uiey
'ir j ii- i!.ii.t.i
:ovpcu awiiy me uiamn:j;ifccu
rth frnm fhn rntnr nf the ncrc-old
e trail. Often they ceased their
hnm tn snnnt. routine- nnd irossin-
mo wttti much laughter, at the edee
'iiitft the pit they were digging.
l Aeainst the boles ot nearoy trees
leaned their long, oval shields of
rvrthick buffalo hide, and the spears of
t "those who were doing the scooping.
W fSwcat glistened upon their smooth,
' ' tvltAti olrfna lonnntll wlllpll rollnl
Pboh skins, beneath which rolled
$f4t. .founded muscles, supple in the per
t'?!:' liiiiHH nntniiiV unnAnffimintirnii
SgV"- ' JLKMlrlVii Ml IKUU1C a UII,Vfcii..
"s.r,nea"n'
A reed buck, stepping warily along
..the trail toward water, halted as a
burst of lauchtor broke upon his
vavflArt novo Ttrtt. n mnmftnf )io atnnri
.rltK "-uvaio. . ...... ..- ..- - - -
-vi. . ctatuesaue
but foi his sensitively
dilatini? nostrils: then he wheeled
$& Rnd fled noiselessly fiom the terrify -
&h fas presence of man.
A hundred yards away, deep in the catnP down amJ the beast's tail
(angle of impenetrable jungle, dropp0(i to normal; but his eyes still
Numa, the lion, raised his massive love,i ai,out ;n srarch of Tarzan. He
head. Numa had dined well, slept (Waa.not long kept in suspense, how
until almost dnybreak and it had le- ever as tothe whereabouts of the
quired much noise to awaken him. I ape-man, for a second later the
Now he lifted his muzzle and sniffed youth dropped lightly to the broad
the air, caught the acrid scent spoor head of his old friend. Thrn stretch
of the reed buck and the heavy scent in(? himself at full length, he
of man. But Numa was well filled, drummed with hi bale toes upon
With a low, disgusted grunt he rose the thick hide, nnd as his fingeis
v arjd slunk away. I scratched the more tender surfaces
, , Brilliantly plumaged birds with beneath the great ears, he talked to
raucous voices darted fiom tree to, Tantor of the gossip of the jungle
tree. Little monkeys? chattering as though the great beast under
and scolding, swung through the stood every word that he said.
swaying limbs above the black war-1 Much there wng which Tarzan
f riors. Yet they were alone, for the could makc Tantor understand, and
teeming jungle with all its myriad tfwugh the small taik of thc wiW
life, like the swarming streets of a : was beyond the great gray (lrcad.
great metropolis, is one of the lone- nougnt of the jungle, he stood with
heat spots in Gods great univeise. lblinkinff cycs and gcntly swayjnR
k dui were uiey u.unu i
auuvu inciii, iiiiiLiy uniunucu uivii
a leafy tree limb, a gray-eyed youth
watched with eager intentness their
' "every move. The fire of hate, re
strained, smoldered beneath the lad's
evident desire to know the purpose
of the black men's labors. Such a
one as these it was who had slain
his beloved Kala. For them there
f , , ,
rKAii n rr nniifvnr niir nnmiTir ior no
... . uo ' """'"""vi ; " -
iiKeaweutowatcn tnem avia as nefriendlinesg which fillcd his
.was for greater knowledge of the noart
ways ot man.
, He saw the pit grow in depth un-
'til a great hole yawned the width of
he trail-a hole which was amply
large enough to hold at one time all
sot the six excavators. Tarzan could
; .. ,.oo !,. . t . ,.i.
Zfaf 6-wo v..- fulfil. V... V bAV.UW u
IfJplnbor. And when they cut long
Jsii'iistakes, sharpened at their upper
rifds, and set them at intervals up
iight in the bottom of the pit, his
Vonderment but increased, nor was
it satisfied with the placing of the
.light cross-poles over the pit, or the
, careful arrangement of leaves and
"earth which completely hid from
'iew the work the black men had
performed.
" When they were done they sur
veyed their handiwork with evident
satisfaction, and Tarzan surveyed it,
ton. Tvon tn hi nrnrMpoH o ,,!
remained scarce a vestige of evi
jQf.'.i dence that the ancient came trail
IUtn i ..... i , ... .
w nsa neen uimneren wirn in ativ wnv
1 ' So absorbed wa3 the ape-man in
. .speculation as to the purposa of the
vered pit that he pennitted th
.'Staf
WU M L TTAlZfLflt'
SSL, . . .;. . . : ...
'-forded Tarzali bonveh"cle of re
KiT tarzan Dotn a venicie of re-
U.? wenge and a source of inexhaustible
sdelitht
.r ii . , ... .
m &'-!'.,"! I. 1' ".I?VeI' .re
ra-iu Lumu nub nuivt: liik iiivmjm v ni t nw
ira'-U ..UJ s f- tu'. :'.: i; n.'ter nart of his life in fillimr his im-
BrjM j(.-u,"-caicu v"-t iui iiih wu;
.a ri 1 .! . ..
RS'EV" re ?" strange ways to
.ti v J"hlAAl sntnwn kiI1 hma ...- J.
imz Tarzan. They had entered his Wle
BR. -.u.? r. XZ..U "! V?:" .. S2UnAle.l
r, uus o suuri, nine ueiore ine nrst oil"" 7 . . '.
RWw their kind to encroach nnnn tho ncro
11 SrTOnac5 ot the beasts wWch I
m&t r'r . , ?, C3L .. .. ..wmchi
-& jairea mere. 10 isuma, tne lion, to
vvjaired there. To Numa, the lion, to
XTantor the elephant to tho o-ront
ISsa
fcoW curero? SS
E,avaire wild the wavs of mnn wern
fe C Cv had Zhll I
R-S ".!,..- vi.m; i,.i. ' . It.::
-""D -'-. "" ""l7" """
Kyj warned erect upon tneir hind paws
lX& and thev were learn np it slowlv btiH
E-. klways 'to their sorrow. ' '
ci. ii i.-- t- Li..!.. . 1
Jr5W TarTanung'rasily "to the
vj- trail. Sniffing suspiciously, he cir-
f -m.j tho on, nf tho it c' :
r ...- 0 ...r ,,... Hu111B
wv upon nis nauncne?., ne scraped away
j .... 1 1
ffiFiSs a little earth to expose one of the
gtW, 'crossbars. He sniffed at this,
rfdit,cockedhishead upon one
te tiut;, unu uuiii.t:iujjiuit:u it r&veiy ior
jeyeral minutes. Then he carefully
i j Jwe-covered it, arranging the earth as
a'j"ieatly as had the blacks. This done,
l&. jB swung himself back among the
pr tancnes 01 tne i.-ees and moved on
felViearch of his hairy fellows, the
great apes 01 tne triDc ot KercnaK.
feOnce he crossed the trail of Numa,
the lion, pausing for a moment to
M r;hurl, a soft fruit at the snarling face
i$'0 h,s enemy, and to taunt and insult
rywpun, caning mm eaier 01 carrion
3Snd brother of Dango, the hyena.
'.mnma. his yellow-green eyes round
't! , , ! fit. L . 1 !!
- na miming wun conceniraieu nuie,
Jared up at the dancing figure
6 him. Low growls vibrated his
avy, jowls and Ins great rage
insmitted to his sinuous tail a
fcirp, whiplike motion; but realiz-
rrom past uxperience uie luumj
J. Jgng-distance argument with the
wnan, he turned presently ana
tick off into the tangled vegeta-
r-.-whicrrbid him from the view
fef JM tormentor. With a final
Mtferwnn of jungle invective and an
t'eronace at his flepartincr ioe.
,tinued along his way.
and a MjtHPgwiad
miliar, pungent odor close at hand,
and a moment later there loomed be
neath him a huge, gray-black bulk
forging steadily along tho junglo
trail. Tarzan seized and broke a
small tree limb, and at the sudden
cracking sound the ponderous figure
halted. Great ears v.eic thrown
forward, nnd a long, supple trunk
rose quickly to wave to and fro in
search of the 'scent of an enemy,
i wniic iwo wck nine eyes jieeruu
suspiciously and futiloly about in
I quest of the author of the noise
j which had disturbed his peaceful
i .
Tarzan laughed aloud and came
closer above the head of the pachy
derm.
"Tantor! Tantor!" he cried. "Bara,
the jeer js css fearful than you
you. Tantor, the elephant, greatest
of the jungle folk, with the strength
of as many Numas as I have toes
upon my feet nnd fingers upon my
hands. Tantor, who ' can uproot
great trees, tiembles with fear at
. n. i . I i i...!f
me sounu oi a uroKen iwig.
rumhlinir noisp. which mlirht
Unv.. lmrt. oithor sirn nf fnnrnmnt
' or a slRh of rciief was Tantor's only
replv as the uplifted trunk and ears
trunk as though drinking in every
word of it with keenest appreciation
As a matter of fact it was the pleas
ant, friendly voice and caressing
hands behind his ears which he en
joyed, and the close proximity of
him whom he had often borne upon
his back since Tarzan, as a little
child, had once fearlessly approached
thc great bull, assuming upon the
iiiu iliii, ukit aoui
. . .. . .
.part ot the pachydeim the same
own
1 T ,, n..
In thc, V? of the.r aBsociation
,Tnrza" ha.d covered that he pos-
sessed an inexplicable power to gov-
"n "dJ.d,reS h's 'ty friend At
n,s "'"""'f-V la,,tur w"u,u LO ".u V"'"
a great distance as far as his keen
ears could detect the shrill and
piercing summons of the ape-man
and when Tarzan was squatted upon
his head, Tantor would lumber
through thc jungle in any direction
which his rider bade him go. It was
tho power of the man-mind over that
of the brute and it was just as ef
fective as though both fully under
stood its origin, though neither did.
For half an hour Tarzan sprawled
there upon Tantor's back. Time had
no meaning for either of them. Life,
as they saw it, consisted principally
in keeping their stomachs filled. To
th tn T'nntnr fnr Tnnn'o .itnmjmii
;i 17 nil 1 1 1 1 iv hk yi iir.'SK 111 niuiiin 1111111 1
was smaller, and beimr omnivorous.
food was less difficult to obtain. If
one sort did not come readily to
ere wer e always many
I - ess pSiSar "as toghU dfet
' than Tantor, who would eat only the
,-i, nt wo!n trnno nnri tho wnj
' f others, while a third appealed to
... it , .
' hlm only through its leaves, and
1 these, perhaps, just at certain sea-
oa nf thn vonr
i Tintor must needs snend the bet -
1
I .. r. a 4tM n ttt nnninaf Ua vitri h .
stomach against the needs of
IIll'IIMK
1 -, - --- "f --;r.. it " -L
hi3 mighty thews. It is thus with
tho lower orders-their lives
-- ... . . . .. ...
so occupiea euner wun searcning ior
f00d or with the Processos 'f d"-
- h.t h,r ,L i,t. f,-o f,
1 """ """ ""' .'" - -"-'
I u" """' " . """ ''"'c. """.r
other considerations. Uojbtless it is
handicap which has kept them
' ?e a. " a? .
haB more "mo t0 Cive to
thought upon other matters.
However, these ouestions troubled
rp, vf ,iffU ,a T.,(m f
1 ""-" """";.' "",". "A"!
i- wnai me lormcr Knew was mai
, he was happy in the companionship
nf th( Plonhnnt. He did not knnw
U'hy. He did not know that because
he was a human be.ng-a normal
healthy human being he craved
,!; tu, ,i,iv
osiTvin Ittrinr thmn' unnrr whiPh tn
"""'. "V"b " V r". ...V .
lnvlsh h,s ""ection. His cniidhood
I Playmates among the apes ot Ker-
CXSS S
They felt nor inspired but little nffec
tion. The younger apes Tarzan still
played with occasionally. In his sav
age way he loved them; but they
were far from satisfying or restful
companions. Tantor was a gieat
mountain of calm, of poise, of sta
bility. It was restful atid satisfying
to sprawl upon his rough pate and
pour one's vague hopes and aspira
tions into the great ears which
flapped ponderously to and fro in ap
parent understanding. Of all the
jungle folk, Tantor commanded Tar
zan's greatest love since Kala had
been taken from him. Sometimes
Tarzan wondered if Tantor recipro
cated his affection. It was difficult
to know,
It was the call of the stomach
the most compelling and insistent
call which the jungle knows that
took Tarzan finally back to the trees
and off in search of food, while Tan
tor continued his interrupted jour
ney in the opposite direction.
For an hour the ape-man' foraged.
A lofty nest yielded, its fresh, warm
harvest Fruits, berries and ten
der plantain found a place upon hia
menu in the order that he happened
EVENIKG PUbIlIO
foods. Meat, meat, mcatl It was
always meat that Tarzan of the
Apes hunted; b"t sometimes meat
eluded him, as today.
And as he roamed the iunele his
active mind busied itself not alone '
with his hunting, but with many'
other subjects. He had a habit of i
recalling often the events of the pre- i
ceding days and hours. He" lived
over his visit with Tantor; he cogi
tated upon the digging blacks and
tho strange, covered pit they had
left behind them. Ho wondered again
nnd again what its purpose might be. '
"The sinuous triinU enciicleil him and
He compared perceptions and ar-
rived at judgments. He compared
judgments, reaching conclusions
not always correct ones, it is true,
jJkWMrf HI dmimwlkWm ..
but at least he used his brain for the ground behind the brute and racing
purpose God intended it, which was like n deer for the trees,
the less difficult because he was Buto, angered and mystified by
not handicapped by the second-hand, the stiange disappearance of his
and usually erroneous, judgments of prey, wheeled and charged fran
others. tically in another direction, which
And as he puzzled over the cov- chanced to be not the direction of
ered pit there loomed suddenly be- Torzan's flight, and so the ape-man
fore his mental vision a huge, gray- ( came in safety to the trees and con
black bulk which lumbered ponder- tinued on his swift way through the
ously along a jungle trail. Instantly , forest. .
Tarzan tensed to the shock of a sud- Some distance ahead of him Tan
den fear. Decision and action I tor moved steadily along the well
usually occurred simultaneously in i worn elephant trail, and ahead of
the life of the ape-man, and now Tantor a crouching, black wariior
he was away through the leafy , listened intently in the middle of thc
branches ere the realization of the i path. Presently he heard the sound
pit's purpose had scarce formed in for which he had been hoping the
his mind. crackling, snapping sound which
Swinging from swaying limb to heralded the approach of an ele-
swaying limb, he raced through the
middle terraces where
the trees
Again he .
I Brew close together,
dropped to tne ground ana sped,
silently and light ot root, over tne
- "-ftS STST
' the tabled 'undergrowth precluded
rapid advance upon the surface. ,
in his anxiety he cast discretion .
the winds The caution of the '
beast was bst n the loyalty of the
fj
'""'" a"u ,au "" -. ".
a large clearing, denuded of trees, I
! without a thought of what might lie
lnere or upon mo laruier uuBU vo
ii. . xi fuxi.- j.
' dispute the way with him. I
' Q1S
un n n n n TTimr n rrraa rn nr ni.i.
, He was halfwav across when di
" " 71 V
ctiy in his path and but a few 1
J, , ., , , ". '
?f ta" f aSSTeS f hta,1 ZCn Ch,aUer;
ing birds. Instantly Tarzan turned
..
y. r t, ,, ,, !, ,wi
1 ao'uc' iul, " """" ""' h" """;
' "?' cref.tur,e the Psence of
' S. i" " ffSS J
V7J? --- -
, cramb ed to his short legs and
Charged lunousiy. napnazara
charges Buto, the rhinoceros. With
his weak eves he sees but noorlv
- T . " ,. . -. ;.,, '
Yf n " "" "' "" " " " ' " ho
lto -'- HUvu - - ""-
P fiJe
I J " ne"urcted U la
wcne's ?rerauy c"?ltea.' ll.,ls
dinicuit to determine, xsor is tne,,.v - :i.. .1 a .a i,a
"- .,... .. . .u v..
mnttor nf littlo mnmnnt. to nno whnm
. .
- the chances are that
will interest him thereafter .!
And today it chanced that Buto
bore down straight upon Tarzan,
.mm tho few vnrnn nf Wnoo.noon
grass which separated them. Ac
cident started him in 'the direction
of the ape-man, and then his weak
oyes discerned the enemy, and with
a series of snorts he charged straight
for him. The little rhino birds flut
tered and circled about their giant
ward. Among the branches of the
trees at the edge of the clearing, a
score or more monkeys chattered
and scolded as the loud snorts of the
angry beast sent them scurrying nf
frightedly to the upper terraces.
Tarzan alone appeared indifferent
and serene.
Directly in" the path of the charge
he stood. There had been no time to
seek safety in the trees beyond the
clearing, nor had Tarzan any mind
to delay his joumey because of Buto.
He had met the stupid beast before
and held him in greatest contempt
And now Buto was upon him, the
massive. head lowered and the long,
heavy, horn inclined for the frightful
work .for which nature had designed
it,, but as he struck upward his
weapon rakd only thin air, for the
LUaER-PHiLAgBLPSlA , SAOTRDAYr 'OtTKE 7,&9
I J ,j
pi
hurled him far after Hie fleeing crowd"
with a catlike leap that carried him
above the threatening horn to the
broad back of the rhinoceros. An
other spring and he was on the
phant.
To his right and left in other parts
of the jungle other warriors were
watching. A low signal, passed
irom one to another, apprised the f
. Ra IdT they " conTerSd '
toward the trail teking positions in
trees down wind from the point at ,
which lantor must pass them, bi-
lerttly they waited and presently
were rewarded by the sight of a
:i... .,..i,4- '?
...ie -u. i...,, .,.,...Uu..w
of ivory in his long tusKs that set
their greedy hearts to palpitating.
... .1
No sooner had he passed their
positions than the warriors clam-
oerea irom tneir percnes. no longer
were they silent, but instead clapped
.1 .e - 11 . 1 ht..
-"v" " ""u ",11 ""-J
rcached the round- For an instant
Tantor. the elenhant. naused with
"" V", '. --r---;. r rr ---
upraised .trunK ana tan, wun great
rars upp'ricked. and then he swung
on along the trail at a ra.id, shuf-
I mng pace siraigm, lowaru uie tuv-
. ered pit with its siiarpened stakes
, upstanding in the ground.
' t,t,jj v, t,a n. ,v.
, ., "c""m V"" ""- """"" "
riors, urging mm on in me.rapju
fliCht which ould not permit a care-
fn rvnminntinn nf thp rnnnrt hpffire
hl. Tantor, the elephant, who
' T" tU-d and,scattcred j1'8
i adversaries with a single charge, fled
lib- n fvinhtnorl HrtAflrf tnw1
I """ " ",s"'."-" .ul-". "tw v"
a hideous, torturing death.,
I And behind them all came Tarzan i
! J!
racing through tne
Ju"Kle f.orest .with .the s.Peed and
aBy 01 squirrel, ior ne had neara
the shouts of the warriors and had
interpreted them correctly. Once he
uttered a piercing call that rever
berated through the jungle, but Tan
tor, in the panic of terror, either
failed to hear, or hearing, dared not
pause to heed.
Now the giant pachyderm was but
a few yards from the hidden dfiath
lurking in his path, and the blacks,
certain of success, were screaming
and dancing in his wake, waving
their war spears and celebrating in
advance the acquisition of the splen
did ivory carried by their prey and
the surfeit of elephant meat which
would be theirs this night
So intent were they uron their
Emulations that they entirely
failed to note the silent passage of
the man-beast above their heads, nor
did. lantor, either, see or hear him,
even though Tarzan called to him
to stop.
A few moie itf-s would precipi
tate Tantor upon the sharpened
stakes: Tarzan fairly flew through
the trees until he had come abreast
31 the fleeing, animal and thai
m,-
ape-man dripped to the giuund in
the center of the trail. Tantor was
almost upon him before his weak
eyes permitted him to recognize his
old friend.
"Stop!" cried Tarzan, and the
great beast halted to the upraised
hand.
Tarzan turned and kicked aside
some of the brush which hid the pit.
Instantly Tantor saw and under
stood. "Fight!" growled Tarzan. "They
are coming behind you." But Tan
tor, thc elephant, is a huge bunch
of nerves, and now he wns half
panic-stricken by terror.
Before him yawned thc pit, how
far he did not know, but to right and
left lay the primeval jungle un
touched by man. With a squeal the
great beast turned suddenly at right
angles and burst his noisy way
through the solid wall of matted
vegetation that would have stopped
any but him.
Tarzan, standing upon the edge of
the pit, smiled as he watched Tan
tor's undignified flight. Soon tho
blacks would come. It was best
that Tarzan of the Apes faded from
the scene. He essayed a step from
the pit's edge, and as he threw the
weight of his body upon his left
foot, tho earth crumbled away. Tar
zan made a single herculean effort!
to throw himself forward, but it was I
too late. Backward' and downward I
he went toward the sharpened stakes
in the bottom of the pit.
When, a moment later, the blacks
came they saw even from a distance
that Tantor had eluded them, for the
size of tho hole in the pit covering
was too small to have accommodated
the huge bulk of an elephant. At
first they thought that their pieyj
had put one great loot through the
top and then, warned, drawn back;J
but when they had come to the pit s
verge and peered over, their eyes
went wide in astonishment, for
quiet and still, at the bottom lay the
naked figure of a white giant.
Some of them there had glimpsed
this forest god before and they drew 1
back in terror, awed by the presence '
which they had for some time be-l
lieved to possess the miraculous'
power of a demon, but others there
were who pushed forwaid, thinking
only of the capture of an enemy,
and these leaped into the pit and
lifted Tarzan out
There was no scar upon his body.
None of the sharpened stakes had
pierced him only a swollen Bpot at
tho base of the brain indicated the
nature of his injury. In falling
backward his head had struck upon
the side of one of the stakes, render
ing him unconscious. The blacks
were quick to discover this, and
equally quick to bind their priVoner's
arms and legs before he should re
gain consciousness, for they had
learned to harbor a wholesome re
spect for this strange man-beast
that consorted with the hairy tree
folk.
They had carried him but a short
distance toward their village when
the ape-man's eyelids quivered and
raised. He looked about him won
dcringly for a moment, and then full
consciousness returned and he
realized the seriousness of his pre
dicament. Accustomed almost from
birth to relying solely upon his own
resources, he did not cast about for
outside aid now, but devoted his
mind to a consideration of the pos
sibilities for escape which lay within
himselj and his own powers.
He did not dare test the strength
of his bonds while the blacks were
carrying him, for fear they wc;uld
become apprehensive and add to
them. Presently his captors discov
ered that he was conscious, and as
they had little stomach for carrying
n heavy man through the jungle
heat, they set him. upon his lent and
m
. 7-f.if ' r&juL-y :
their spears, yet with every manifes
tation of the superstitious awe in
which they held him.
When they discovered that their
plodding brought no outward evi
dence of suffering, their awe in
ci eased so that they soon desisted,
half believing that this strange white
giant was a supernatural being and
so was immune from pain.
As they approached their village
they phouted aloud the victorious
crfts of successful warriors, so that
by the time they reached the gate,
dancing and waving their spears, a
great crowd of men, women and
children were gathered there to
greet them and hear the story of
their adventure.
As the eyes of the villagers fell
upon the prisoner, they went wild,
and heavy jaws fell open in aston
ishment and incredulity. For months
they had lived in perpetual terror
of a weird, white demon whom but
few had ever glimpsed and lived to
describe.
Warriors had disappeared from
tho paths almost within sight of the
village and from the midst of their
companions as mysteriously and
completely as though they had been
swallowed by the earth, and later, at
night, their dead bodies had fallen,
as from the heavens, into the village
street.
This fearsome creature had ap
peared by night in the huts of the
village, killed, and disappeared,
leaving behind him in the huts with
his dead strange and terrifying evi
dences of an uncanny sense of hu
mor. But now he was in their power!
No longer could he terrorize them.
Slowly tho realization of this dawned
upon them. A woman, screaming,
,ran forward and struck the ape-man
across the face. Another and an
other followed her example, until
Tarzan of the Apes was surrounded
by a fighting, clawing, yelling mob
of natives.
And -then Mbonga, the chief, came,
and laying his spear heavily across
the shoulders of his people, drove
them from their prey.
"We will save him until night,"
he said.
Far out in the jungle Tantor, the
elephant, his first panic of fear al
layed, stood with uppricked ears
and undulating 'trunk. What was
passing through the convolutions of
his savage brain? Could he be
searching for Tarzan? Could he re
call and measure the service the ape
man -had performed for him? Of
that there could be no doubt. But
did he feel gratitude? Would he
have risked his own life to have
saved Tarzan could he have known
the danger which confronted his
friend? You will doubt it. Any
one at all familiar with elephants
will doubt it. Englishmen who have
hunted much with elephants in In
dia will tell you that they never
heard of an instance in which one
of these animals has gone to the aid
of a man in danger, even though
the man had often befriended it.
And so it is to be doubted that Tan
tor would have attempted to over
come his instinctive fear of the black
men in an effort to succor Tarzan.
The screams of the infuriated vil
lagers came faintly to his sensitive
ears, andhe wheeled, as though in
terror, contemplating flight; but
something stayed him, and again he
turned about, raised his trunk, and
gave voice to a shrill cry.
Then he stdod listening.
In thp-distant village where
Mbongdriad restored quiet and or
der, tho voice of Tantor was scarcely
audible to the blacks, but to the
keen ears 01 Tarzan of the Apes it
bore its (message.
Ilia captprs were leading him to a
hut where Jie might bB5cenfinedand
'.
his torture-laden death. Hchalted
as ho heard the notes of Tantor's
cali, nnd raising his head, gave vent
to a terrifying scream that sent cold
chills through tho superstitious
blacks and caused 'the warriors who
guarded him to leap back even
though their prisoner's nrms were,
securely bound behind him.
With raised spears they encircled
him as for a moment longer he stood
listening. Faintly from the dis
tance came another, an answering
cry, and Tarzan of tho Apes, satis
fled, turned and quietly pursued,his
way toward the hut where he was to
bo imprisoned.
The afternoon wore on. From the
surrounding village the ape-man
heard the bustle of preparation for
tho feast. Through tho doorway of
the hut he saw the women laying
tho cooking fires and filling their
earthen caldrons with water; but
above it all his cars were bent across
tho jungle in eager listening for the
coming of Tantor.
Even Tarzan but half believed he
would come. He knew Tantor even
better than Tantor knew himself.
He knew the timid heart which lay
in the giant body. He knew the
panic of terror which tho scent of
the Gomangani inspired within that
savago breast, and as, night drew
on, hope died within his heart nnd
in tho stoic calm of tho wild beast
which he was, he resigned himself
to meet the fate which awaited him.
All afternoon ho had been work
ing, working, working with the bonds
that held his wrists. Very slowly
they were giving. He might free his
hands before they came to lead him
out to be butchered, and if he did
Tarzan licked his lips in anticipation,
and smiled a cold, grim smile. He
could imagine tho feel of soft flesh;
beneath his fingers and the sinking
of his white teeth into the throats
of his foemen. He would let them
taste his wrath before they over
powered him!
At last they came painted, be
feathercd warriors even more hid
eous than nature had intended them.
They came and pushed him into the
open, where his appearance was
greeted by wild shouts from the as
sembled villagers.
To the stake they led him, and as
they pushed him roughly against it
preparatory to binding him there
securely for the dance of death that
would presently encircle him, Tar
zan tensed his mighty thews nnd
with a single powerful wrench
parted the loosened thongs which
had secured his hands. i,ike thought,
for quickness, he leaped forward
among the warriors nearest him. A
blow sent one to earth, as, growling
nnd snarling, the beast-man leaped
upon the breast of another. His
fangs were buried instantly in the
jugular of his adversary and then a
half hundred black men had leaped
upon him and borne him to earth.
Striking, clawing and snapping
the ape-man fought fought as his
foster people had taught him to
fight fought like a wild beast cor
nered. His strength, his agility, his
courage, nnd his intelligence ren
dered him easily a match for half
a dozen men in a hand-to-hand
struggle, but not even Tarzan of the
Apes could hope to successfully cope
with half a hundred.
Slowly they were overpowering
him, though a scoie of them bled
from ugly wounds, and two lay very
still beneath the trampling feet, and
the lolling bodies of the contestants.
Overpower him they might, hut
could they keep him overpowered
HotWator
T.
CYy
i
&F T4 Si
diiy, YAjjIlM
r"- xV' "x tf 'r5i!'5
V
N. A .X.
H wL Hk, M. 1 life Blk ffl
111 ilk ii i iMiffc-' iTTili -! b Ei'rial
S ' "fcj
The NOVELTY Tank Heater is what you need in your
house. It will give you nil the hot water, you want any
time you want it for bathroom, kitchen and laundry.
Special non-rust Section water always clear.
The initial cost is low and the cost of operation small.
Burns pea coal.
Made of our famous FLEX-O-TUF Iron, the NOyELTY
willoutlive the house, itsejf.
We make all types of heating and cooking apparatus, so
can give you unprejudiced advice as to which method is
best for your particular home or building. .
Consult your dealer or telephone or
write us, or come to our attractive factory
show room where full line is displayed.
. ABRAM COX STOVE COMPANY '
American and J)auph!a Streets, PkiladelDhia
., .... . ... ' ;. .
iiiunwuiia vi pawn, 'pio0 Mtaierp, JtruraMM and.
"
-,- v rn
1' ii
while they bound him ? A half hour
of desperate endeavor convinced
them that they could nbtand so
Mbonga, who, like all good rulers,
had, circled in the safety of tho back
ground, called to one to work his
way in and spear tho victim. Grad
ually, through the milling, brfttllrfg
men, the warrior approached the ob
ject of his quest. '
He stoodwith poised spear above
his head waiting for the instant that
would expose a vulnerable part of
the ape-man's body and still not en-!
danger one of tho blacks. Closer
and closer he edged about, follow
ing the movements of the twisting,
scuffling combatants'. The growls of .
the ape-man sent cold chills -up the
warrior's spine, causing him to go
carefully lest lie miss at thc first
cast nnd lay himself open to an at
tack from those merciless teeth and
mighty hands.
At last he found an opening.
Higher he raised his spear, tensing-
his muscles, rolling beneath his
glistening, ebon hide, and then from
tho jungle just beyond the palisade
came a thunderous crashing., The ,
spear-head paused, tho black cast a
quick glance in thc direction of the
disturbance, as did thc others of the
blacks who were not occupied with
the subjugation of the ape-nVan.
In the glare of the fires they saw
a huge bulk topping thc barrier.
They saw the palisade belly and
sway inward. They saw it burst as
though built of straws, and an in
stant later Tantor, the elephant,
thundered down upon tliem.. .
To right and left the blacks fled,
screaming in terror. Some who hov- m
ered upon the verge of the strife
"with Tarzan heard and made good
their1 escape, but a half dozen there
were so wrapt in the blood-madness
ofbattle that they failed to"Viote the
approach of tho giant tusker. ""
Upon these Tantor charged, trum
peting furiously. Above them he
stopped, his sensitive trunk weaving
among them, and there, at .the bot
tom, he found Tarzan, bloody, but
still battlin'g.
A warrior turned his eyts upward
from tho melee. Above him 'towered
the gigantic bulk of the pachyderm,
the little eyes flashing with the re
flected light of the fires wicked,
frightful, terrifying. The warrior
screamed, and as he screamed, the
sinuous trunk encircled him, lifted
him high aboye the ground, and
hurled him far after the fleeing
crowd. '
Another and another Tantor
wrenched from the body of the ape
man, throwing them to right and to
left, where they lay either moaning
or very quiet, as dejith came slowly
or at once.
At a distance Mbonga rallied his
warriors. His greedy eyes had noted
the great ivory tusks of the bulh
The first panic of terror relieVed, he
urged his men forward to attack
with their heavy elephant spears,
but as they came Tantor swung Tar
zan to his broad head, and, wheeling,
lumbered off into the jungle through ,
the great rent he had made in the
palisade.
Elephant hunters may be right
when they aver that this animal
would not have rendered such serv
ice to a man, but to Tantor, Tarzan
was not a man he was but a fellow
jungle beast.
Apd so it was thatf Tantor, the ele
phant, discharged an obligation to
Tarzan of the Apes, cementing even
more closely the friendship that had
existed between them since Tarzan
as'a little brown boy rodo upon Tan
tor's huge back through the moonlit
jungle beneath the equatorial stars.
(The next complete ."Jungle Tale'i
will nppcnr Saturday, Juno 14.) t
j.
r. . -v v.
t jv
fflf ,-s.wfii &
1 1 If tfwma&mF""
ill . w
lA ifirrwtl
Ii"
iiis.Silm....,
1 . ii m ra
tJMMIPP 'r.-.
KN:
t 1 Ja
-
mmma&SK-zza