Tarzan of the Apes

e

ack from the ocean old Kerchak the Ape w

great trees to escape his wrath; risking their lives upon branches that scarce suppor

not before the infuriated brute had felt the vert

ecure hold upon a high branch and came cras

with his mighty teeth, and striking her viciously upon her head and sh

g babe, was ignorant of the state of the mighty male's temper until suddenl

t made a furious leap far into space from one tree to another-a perilous chance which ap

den jar loosened the hold of the tiny babe where it clung frantically to her neck, and

thoughtless now of the danger from Kerchak; but when she ga

chak attempt to molest her. With the death of the babe his fi

forehead was extremely low and receding, his eyes bloodshot, small and close set t

e him supreme among the little tribe into wh

mighty forest through which he roved that dared contest his r

not-and he alone did Kerchak fear. When Tantor trumpeted, the great ap

ngs, numbered some six or eight families, each family consisting of an adult mal

ing broken nose, and the child she had seen dashed to de

al, with a round, high forehead, which denoted more intelligence than most of her k

llied to the gorilla, yet more intelligent; which, with the strength of their c

ame slowly down from their arboreal retreats and pursued

ft mat of dead and decaying vegetation which covered the ground, while others turned over pieces of falle

surrounding trees for fruit,

called them together, and, with a word of comman

nd goings break the only roads through those tangled mazes of bush, vine, creeper, and tree. When they walked it was with a r

from branch to branch with the agility of their smaller cousins, the monkeys.

ridge overlooking the beach where below them

in the hands of the strange white ape who lived in that wonderful lair, and Kerchak had made up his

l that he had learned to hate and fear, and because of this, he came often with his

every time they had done so in the past the little stick had roar

d they could see that the cabin door was open. Slowly, cautiously, a

f rage-the little black stick had taught

very door and peered within. Behind him were two males, and t

is head buried in his arms; and on the bed lay a figure covered by a sailc

for the charge; and then John Clayton r

stood three great bull apes, while behind them crowded many more; how many he never knew,

toward the little cradle; but Kala was there before him, and when he would have grasped the child she snatched

f her own into the empty cradle; for the wail of the living had answered the cal

t that was as dominant in this fierce female as it had been in the breast of his tender and beautiful mother-t

the son of an English lord and an English lad

the cabin were warily examining

turned his attention to the thing which lay

e body of the woman beneath he tore the cloth roughly from her

ng that she was already dead, he turned from her, to examine the contents of

s strange, death-dealing thunder-stick that he had yearned for months; but

ep roaring tones, as he had heard it speak before, the last words to those of his kind wh

hunder-stick was only dangerous when in the hands of one who could manipula

or before it, turning his head so that never on

each stride, the great king ape paced to and fro, uttering deep growls, occasionally punctuate

huge hand until it almost touched the shining barrel, onl

ugh the medium of his wild voice, was endeavoring to bolster up his cou

is reluctant hand to the cold steel, only to snatch it

occasion with increased confidence, until, finally, the rifle

e felt of it from end to end, peered down the black depths of the muzz

ed near the door watching their chief, while those outside str

deafening roar in the little room and the apes at and beyond

e quite forgot to throw aside the author of that fearful noise

rifle caught upon the edge of the inswung door with suf

d it as he might have dropped a red hot iron, nor did he again attempt to recover it-the noise was too much for hi

continue their investigations, and when they finally did so, they found to their ch

he door had sprung as Kerchak passed out; nor could the ape

ime, they started back for the deeper forests

to her to descend with the rest, and as there was no note of anger in his voice she

ange baby were repulsed with bared fangs and low mena

ld no harm she permitted them to come close,

ail and delicate and feared lest the rough han

her. Remembering the death of her own little one, she clung desperate

tle arms tightly clasping the hairy necks before them, wh

the dainty hands clutched the long black hair which covered that portion of her body. She had seen