The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-29

limbs and logs in search of esculent bugs and fungi when the faintest shad- ow of a strange noise brought her to startled attention.
 For fifty yards before her the trail was straight, and down this leafy tun- mel she looked straight at the stealth fly advancing figure of a strange and fearful creature.
 It was Kulonga.
 Haia Gid not wait to see r2are, but, turning, moved rapidly back &9ong the | trail. She did not run, but, after the manner of her kind when not reused, sought rather to avoid than to escape. Close after her came Kulonga. Here was meat. He could make a killing and feast well this day. On he hur- ried. his spear poised for the throw. At a turning of the trail he came in sight of her again upon another straight stretch. His spear hand went far back; the muscles rolled, lightning like. beneath the sleek hide. Out shot the arm, and the spear sped toward Kala.
 A poor cast. It but grazed her side.
 With a cry of rage and pain Kala turned upon her tormentor. In an in- etant the trees were crashing beneath the weight of hurrying apes, swinging rapfdl1 toward the scene of trouble in answer to Kala's scream. As Kala charged. Kulonga unslUng his bow and fitted an arrow with al- most unthinkable quickness. Drawing the shaft far back, he drove the poi soned missile straight into the heart of the great she ape. With a horrid scream Kala plunged forward upon her face before the as- Eonished members of her tribe. Roaring and shriekfng the apes dash ed toward Kulonga, but that wary sav- age was fleeing down the trail like frightened antelope. They followed him. racing through the trees for a long distance. but finally ore by one they abandoned the chase and returned to the scene of the tragedy. On the far beach by the little cabin Tarzan heard the faint echoes of the conflict. and. knowing that something was seriously amiss among the tribe, he hastened rapidly toward the direc- ton of the sound.
 When he arrived he found the entire tribe gathered jabbering about the dead body of his slain mother.
 Tarzan's grief and anger were un- |. bounded. He roared out his hideous challenge time and again, He beat upon his chest with his fists, and then he fell upon the body of Kala and sobbed out the pidful sorrowing of his lonely heart.
 But after the first outburst of grief Tarzan controlled himself and, ques tioning the members of the tribe who had witnessed the killing of Kala, he learned all that their meager vocabu- lary could vouchsafe him.
 It was enough, however, for his needs If told him of q SfP9n0n hair- less, black ape with feathers growing upon it's head. who launched death from a slender branch and then ran with the deetness of Bara. the deer, toward the rising sun.
 Tarzan waited no longer; but. leap ing into the branches of the trees sped rapidly through the forest. He knew the windings of the elephant trail along which Kala's murderer had flown, and he cut straight through the jungle to intercept the black warrior, who was evidently following the tor tuous detours of the trail.
 At his side was the hunting knife of his unknown sire. and across his shoul- ders the coils of his own long rope. In an hour he struck the trail again and. coming to earth, examined the soil minutely.
 In the soft mud on the bank of tiny rivulet he found footprints such as he alone in all the jungle had ever made, but much larger than his. His heart beat fast. Could it be that he was trailing a man-one of his own race?
 ! There were two sets of imprints pointing in opposite directions. So his quarry had already Lassed on his re turn along the trail. As he examined ioIo of earth toppled from the outer edge of one of the footprints to the bottom of its shallow depression-ah, the trail was very fresh. his prey must have but scarcely passed.
 Tarzan had covered barely a mile more when he came upon the black i warrior standing in little open space. In his hand was his slender bow. to which he had fitted one of his death dealing arrows.
 i Opposite him across the little clear ing stood Horta. the boar. with lower ed head and foam flecked tusks. ready to charge.
 The black released the poisoned ar row, and TarZan saw it fly with the quickness of thought and lodge in the bristling neck of the boar. Scarcely had the shaft left his bow ere Kulonga had fitted another to it, but Horta. the boar. was upon him so quickly that he had no time to dis charge it. With a bound the black Ieaped entirely over the rushing beast and. turning with incredible swiftness. planted a second arrow in Horta's back.
 Then Kulonga sprang into nearby tree.
 Horta wheeled to charge his enemy once more. X dozen steps he took; then he staggered and fell upon his side. For a moment his muscles stiffened and relaxed convuisively; then he lay still.