Tarzan of the Apes

efreshed, though it was with a feeling of

ommenced work upon their house, for he realized that they could hope for no safety and no p

ne small room. He constructed his cabin of small logs about six inches in diameter, stoppi

set in clay and when the house had been entirely completed he applied a coat

and so woven that they formed a substantial grating that could withstand the strength of a powerful an

laid close together and over these long jungle gr

pon another, the grain of contiguous layers running transversely, until he had a solid body some thre

ve door now that he had built it. After two days’ work, however, he succeeded in fashioning tw

e, which they had done as soon as the roof was on, piling their boxes before th

the end of the second month they were well settled, and, but for the constant dread of at

so accustomed may one become to oft repeated noises, that soon they pa

ke that of the first night, but never at sufficiently close range to

y, after their first fright had worn off, approached closer and closer, impelled by that strange curiosity which dominates the wild creatures of the forest and the

eir grotesque little friends came shrieking and scolding through the trees from the direction of the ridge. Ever as they fled they cast f

ys so feared — the man-brute of which the Cla

ng the backs of its closed fists upon the ground — a great anthropoid ape, and, as

ng which time he had seen no dangerous animals during the daylight hours, he had left his rifles and revolvers all within the little cabin, and now that he saw the great ape

th this ferocious monster were small indeed — and A

d and ran toward it, shouting an alarm to his wife to run in

ard his cry she looked up to see the ape springing with almost incredible sw

her soul with terror, for the brute had intercepted her husband, who now stood at bay grasping his

ce,” cried Clayton. “I can fi

facing a horrible d

lose-set eyes gleamed hatred from beneath his shaggy brows, while his great ca

not twenty paces distant, and a great wave of horror and fear swept

ver touch them, but now she rushed toward the ape wi

ted Clayton, “for G

ust then the ape charged, so

e powerful brute seized it in those terrible hands, and t

is fangs had reached the throat they thirsted for, there was a shar

e terrified girl vainly trying to fire another bullet into the animal’s body; but she did not

thout thought of the utter hopelessness of it, he rushe

eat bulk rolled inertly upon the turf before him

upon her, and Clayton decided that the huge brut

m, and bore her to the little cabin, but it was f

ime after regaining her senses, Alice gazed wonderingly about the

wful dream, dear. I thought we were no longer in London, b

her forehead, “try to sleep again, and

primeval forest, while a leopard screamed before the door, and

, though she lived for a year after her baby was born, she was never again o

of servants and friends, and the strange rudeness of the furnishings within her room, b

n the possession of her little son and the constant attentions of her husb

f her mental faculties Clayton well knew; so that while he suffered terribly to see her

xcept through accident. With unremitting zeal he

f the region held beautiful tropical flowers. Curtains of grass and bamboo covered the windows, and, most arduous task of all, with

er to him. But he loved the work because it was for her and the tiny life that had come to cheer th

ich now seemed to continually infest the vicinity of the cabin; but as he never again

oor, so that when he hunted for game and fruits, as it was constantly necessary for him t

ut toward the end the animals learned to fear the strange l

new home. Among these were many for little children — picture books, primers, readers — for they had

accustomed to keep in French, and in which he recorded the details o

tly away in the night. So peaceful was her end that it was hours b

er fully realized the enormity of his sorrow and the fearful responsibility that h

etails in a matter-of-fact way that adds to the pathos of it; for it breathes a tired apathy born of

for nourishment — O Alic

he dropped his head wearily upon his outstretched arms where they rested upo

tillness of the jungle midday save the piteous