Tarzan of the Apes

several years, only that he grew stronger and wiser, and learned from his books m

ht in the many streams and the little lakes, and Sabor, with her ferocious cousins to k

reached him with those cruel, sharp claws of theirs, yet there were times when o

quick were Numa and Sheeta, but

f the jungle, that on many moonlight nights Tarzan of the Apes and Tantor, the elephant, walk

uched, the bones of his parents and the skeleton of Kala’s baby. At eighteen he read fl

ugh there were several copy books among his treasure, there was so little written English in the cabin

and write his native language. Never had he seen a human being other than himself, for the little area

th lions and leopards and poisonous snakes. Its untouched mazes of matted jungl

his father delving into the mysteries of a new book,

nge cavalcade strung, in single f

ver slow fires, and long bows and poisoned arrows. On their backs were oval shields, in thei

ree concentric circles. Their yellow teeth were filed to sharp points, and their great pr

n their heads great burdens of cooking pots, household utensils and ivory. In

ation of the column; and such was the fact, for they were fleeing from the white man’s soldiers who had so harassed them for rubber a

ually a stronger body of troops had come and fallen upon th

plenty, and this little remnant of a once powerful tribe had s

iness to these savage blacks meant consternation and

ked forest, until finally, early in the fourth day, they came upon a little spot near the banks

s erected, plantains, yams and maize planted, and they had taken up their old life in their new home. Here the

lready fallen prey to old Sabor, and because the jungle was so infested with these fierce and bloodthirsty cats, an

nse mazes to the west. Warily he stepped, his slender lance ever ready, his l

slim, straight arrows, well smeared with the thick, dark, ta

e, but still headed westward, and climbing into the fork of a gre

e west slept the

Tarzan, as was his custom, prosecuted his search in the direction of the cabin so that

and threes in all directions, but ev

gaged in turning over rotted limbs and logs in search of succulent bugs and fung

and down this leafy tunnel she saw the stealthy a

s Kul

k along the trail. She did not run; but, after the manner of h

e could make a killing and feast well this day

ht stretch. His spear hand went far back, the muscles rolled, lightning-lik

It but graz

instant the trees were crashing beneath the weight of her hurrying fellow

lmost unthinkable quickness. Drawing the shaft far back he drove t

forward upon her face before the

d Kulonga, but that wary savage was fleeing

airy men, and his one desire was to put as many mi

long distance, but finally one by one they abandone

rzan, and so they wondered vaguely what strange manner

of the conflict and knowing that something was seriously amiss am

re tribe gathered jabbering about

and again. He beat upon his great chest with his clenched fists, and then he fel

o ever had manifested love and affection for

hideous ape! To Tarzan she had b

rmal English boy feels for his own mother. He had never known another, and so to Kala was give

questioning the members of the tribe who had witnessed the killin

k ape with feathers growing upon its head, who launched death from a slender br

ew the windings of the elephant trail along which Kala’s murderer had flown, and so he cut straight throug

his shoulders the coils of his own long rope. In an hour he stru

he alone in all the jungle had ever made, but much larger than his. His he

g the trail. As he examined the newer spoor a tiny particle of earth toppled from the outer edge of one of the footp

nce more, and with swift noiselessn

ior standing in a little open space. In his hand was his slen

stood Horta, the boar, with lowered head

and yet so different in face and color. His books had portrayed the NEGRO, but how d

ow Tarzan recognized him not so much the

ds for

etrayed his presence in the de

back; Horta, the boar, was charging, and then the black released the little poisoned arrow, a

upon him so quickly that he had no time to discharge it. With a bound the black leaped entirely o

sprang into a

ook, then he staggered and fell upon his side. For a moment his

me down fr

e boar’s body, and in the center of the trail he built a fire, cooking

desire to learn was even greater. He would follow this savage creature for a while and know from wh

g of the path, Tarzan dropped quietly to the ground. With his knife he se

d-yellow fangs which devoured wood and left nothing but fine dust surprised Tarzan greatly, and why the black warrior had ruined his delici

manner, so he gobbled down a great quantity of the raw flesh, burying the ba

f London another Lord Greystoke, the younger brother of the real Lord Greystoke’s father, sent back his chops to the club’s CHEF because they were un

he saw him hurl his arrows of destruction — once at Dango, the hyena, and again at Manu, the monkey.

new that alone the tiny prick of the arrow could not so quickly dispatch these wild things of the jungle, who were often t

these tiny slivers of wood which could bring dea

otch of a mighty tree and far abov

frightened, but more frightened than furious. He searched the ground below the tree, and he searched

now that his bow and arrows were gone, he was defenseless except for a single knife. His

me he was certain, so he to

age a few yards away emerged Tarzan of

bark had been removed by a sharp knife near to the ground, and a branch half cut through and lef

he traveled almost over the black’s head. His rope he now he

ck warrior’s destination, and presently he was rewarded, for they came sudd

y. The forest ended abruptly and beyond lay two hundred y

ng left so little space between decision and action when an emergency confr

bove him from the lowest branch of a mighty tree directly upon the edge of the fields of Mbonga, and er

. Hand over hand Tarzan drew the struggling black until he had him hanging by his neck in mid-air; then Tarzan

ranch, and then, descending, plunged his huntin

ing. The knife with its sheath and belt caught his eye; he appropriated them

investigated and appropriated the feathered headdress, and then he prepared to get down to business, for Ta

e-man with the heart and head and body of an Eng

fight, and yet never had the thought of eating Tublat’s flesh entered h

, or Bara, the deer? Was he not simply another of the countless wild things

Had not his books taught him that he was

is hesitancy! Once more he essayed the effort, but a

editary instinct, ages old, usurped the functions of his untaught mind and save

the ground, removed the noose, and to