The Beasts of Tarzan

Sw

-and-blood panther that had interrupted their dance of death, they took heart a trifle

les, and the black was upon the instant of issuing the command, whe

to see the cause of his fright, they too took to their heels-for there, lumbering down upon them,

answer to it Sheeta and the apes leaped growling after the fugitives. Some of the warriors turned to battle wit

bush that Tarzan was able to recall his savage pack to his side. Then it was that he discovered to his chagrin that he could not make o

s might return in force to regain their village; the whites might readily pick them all off with their rifles from the surrou

ction for him there seemed little doubt, for now that the blacks were disposed of it walked slowly back and forth about the stake, rubbing its sides against the ape-man's legs and pu

ring that the beasts, freed from the restraint of Tarzan's presence, might have fallen upon the man and devoured him;

n his fears were realized in the discovery of naked black figures moving stealthi

l abodes. The result of the encounter seemed foregone if the savages could curb their superstitious terror, for against their overwhelmi

commenced to show themselves in force upon the edge of the clearing, dancing and jumping

hort charge toward the village, and even though he doubted that they would reach it at the first attempt, he believed that at the second or the third th

shrill, weird challenge from the ape-man being all that was necessary to send them scurrying back to the bu

n Sheeta and the hideous apes leaped among them they t

hey would enter the village and complete the work that a handful of determine

ly what he wanted of them was most irritating, but he could not find it in his heart to place blame upon them. They ha

ed a short distance toward the village and were exhorting the others to follow

to save-that and the realization of Jane's suffering were all that weighed upon his brave spirit in these that he thought his last moments of l

ions of one of the apes. The beast was glaring toward one of the huts. Tarzan followed his ga

excitement. He rushed to Tarzan's side, and as the first of the savages reached the vill

efore. From one of these Tarzan seized a spear and knob stick, and with Mugambi at his s

perhaps, at sight of a black man and a white fighting in company with a panther and the huge fierce a

rt to learn what had become of Rokoff and his party. Promised his liberty in return f

the village and with their guns destroy the ferocious pack that had taken possession of it, but Rokoff appeared

urriedly to the river, where they stole a number of canoes the blacks had hidden there. The last that had been

ideous pack took up his search for the ape

n the wrong trail. The little band had been reduced by three, for three of Akut's apes had fallen in the fig

, but that the child was his was enough to keep him hot upon the trail. He was sure that Rokoff would be following this trio, and so he felt confident that so lo

had left the river and taken to the brush in a northerly direction. He could only account for this change

hat the child was ahead of him. Not a single native they questioned had seen or heard of this other p

nt their eyes fell upon his companions they fled precipitately into the bush. His only alternati

n the act of hurling a spear at a wounded white man who crouched in a clump of bush at the

lsive features-the close-set eyes, the shif

ad been a prisoner. He had seen them all, and this fellow had not been there. There could be but one explanation-he it was who had fled

tood out the broad band of scarlet that marked the scar where, years before, Terkoz had torn a great strip of the ape-man's

s knife, turned to do battle with this new enemy, while the Swede, lying in the bush, witnessed a duel, the like of which he had never dreamed to see-a half-naked white man battling w

ad seen this giant before, his eyes went wide in surprise that this growling, rending beast cou

m Lady Greystoke during their flight up the Ugambi. Before, in common with the

n compelled to kill his antagonist

e of his foe, and placing one foot upon the broken neck lift

oward him. His face was cold and cruel, a

growled the ape-man.

ere was an arrow entirely through his chest, and as he coughed the bl

-cold, hard, and relentless-he stood over the helpless man, waitin

ed, and again the wounded man tried to spea

ld!" he repeated.

pointed up

he got them,"

continued Tarzan. "Why

ords. "They catch us. Ay fight, but my men they all run away. Then they get me when Ay ban vounded.

ng with the passion of hate and vengeance that he had with difficulty controlled, "What harm did you do to my wife or child? Speak quick before

surprise oversprea

little baby cry sometimes. Ay got a vife an' kid for my own by Christiania an' Ay couldn't bear for to see them separated an' in Rokoff's hands

Anderssen evidently seemed more hurt than frightened. He knew he was going to die, so Tarzan's threats had little effect upon him; but it was quite apparen

y dropped to his kne

I was wrong. That is past now, and we will drop it for the more important matter of getting you to a p

smiling, sh

ban as gude as dead already; but"-he hesitated-"Ay hat

killing this man. Now he could no more have taken his life

ead in his arms to chan

terrible haemorrhage. After it was

enly raised his eyes to those of the ape-man,

rty soon purty hard