The Beasts of Tarzan

ro

wharf the figure of a heavily veiled woman had hurried down the narrow

tisfied that she had at last reached the place she soug

ight of a richly gowned woman in their midst. Rapidly she approached the slove

here, but a minute since," she asked,

o had approached to listen to the conversation vouchsafed the information that a moment before a

ent," cried the woman, slippi

kly toward the wharf and along it until across the water they sa

be," whisp

d a boat and row me to that

caid afore she sails. She's had steam up for three hours an' jest been a-waiti

nother boat lay moored, and, lowering the woman into it, he jumped

s into his outstretched hand. A single glance at them convinced the fellow that he had been more than well paid. Then he assisted her up t

proclaimed the fact that the Kincaid's anchor was being raised, and a moment later the waiter hear

shore he heard a woman's s

he soliloquized. "I might jest as

There was no sign of those she sought nor of any other aboard, and so she went about her se

in, on either side of which were the smaller rooms occupied by the officers, she failed to note the quick closing of one of the doors before

bing of her own frightened heart seemed to her overwroug

pon the vessel, the purring of the engines, the throbbing of the propeller. She had reached the last door upon the right now, and as s

had upon her drew a single piercing scream from her thr

and, my dear," he said. "Then yo

s. The man relaxed the pressure of his fingers upon her lips, and with a lit

f! M. Thuran!"

r," replied the Russ

be so cruel-even as you-Nikolas Rokoff-cannot be entirely devoid of mercy and compassion? Tell me where he is.

our own fault that you are here. You came aboard voluntarily, and you may take the consequence

he truth of the matter being that Nikolas Rokoff was so poor a sailor that the heavy seas the Kincaid encou

nsavoury cook, who brought her meals to her. His name was Sven Andersse

e very sight of him with one grimy thumb buried deep in the lukewarm stew, that seemed, from the frequency of

all a sinister suggestion was added by the long slim knife that always rested at his waist, slipped through the greasy cord that supported his soiled apron. Ostensibly it was

and a word of thanks when he brought her food to her, though more often than not she hur

whereabouts of her husband and her son. She fully believed that the baby was aboard the Kincaid, provided that he still

ne reason for having him brought aboard the ship-to dispatch him in comparative safety in revenge for his h

s cell, ignorant of the fact that his wife was

he had been unsuccessful. He had hoped to learn through this fellow whether his little son was aboard the Kincaid, but to every question upon t

mer forged on they knew not where. Once the Kincaid stopped to co

and hollow-eyed from a long siege of sea-sickness. The object of his visit was to obtain from her her

band," she replied, "I will pay you in gold twice the amount you ask; but until the

rl, "or neither you nor your child nor your husband will e

ave I that you would not take my money and then do as y

our son-if you chance to hear the agonized wail of a tortured child it may console you to re

the girl. "You would not-coul

d, "for you permit a paltry sum of money to stan

large denomination and handed it to Nikolas Rokoff, who

zan's cell, and as he looked up he saw Paulvitch

mind that you will be shot if you make a single

but at a respectful distance, stood a half-dozen sailors

who he felt sure must be aboar

ght yourself and your family to this unfortunate extremity. You have only yourself to thank. As you may imagine, it has cost M. Rokoff

y you avert the most unpleasant consequences to your wife and child,

hat you will live up to your end of the agreement? I have little

ssian

will live up to our agreement other than my word, but you have before you the assur

at would give us greater pleasure than to order these men to fire. That we do not is be

said Tarzan. "Is my s

re will be no reason for not killing the child, since with you gone the one whom we wish to punish through the boy will be gone, and he will then be to us only a constant source

carry out any sinister threat that Paulvitch had made, and there wa

eing within the realms of probability. But he was determined to give them such a battle as they would neve

eque-book and fountai

he amount?

mous sum. Tarzan could

least. Purposely he hesitated and haggled over the amount, but Paulvitch was obdurate. Fin

rboard bow of the Kincaid. To his surprise he saw that the ship lay within a few hundred yards of land. A

d the directio

set at liberty

t the land before him the mainland of Africa, and he knew that should they libera

h took t

e said to the ape-man. "H

n dem

ilors. Then the Englishman slowly

as rowed ashore. Half an hour later the sailors had returned

ng the departure of the vessel he saw a figure appear

ed him as the small boat that bore him to the shore was on the point of re

e of a little child. Tarzan half started as though to rush through the surf and strike out for the

he Kincaid until it disappeared beyond

bloodshot eyes glared from beneat

and scolded, and from the distance of the

of keen regret for the opportunity that he had wasted because he had been so gullible

owledge that Jane is safe in London. Thank Heaven she,

s had been watching him as a cat watches

ained senses of t

e acute

ncanny sens