The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-23
TARTAN OF
 THE APES
By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
(Cop5r:sIlt, fste. hy the Frank A
 AIunsey Ccmpany.)
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 Incn Nerchak released the lima form which had been John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, he turned his atten- tiOn toward the little cradle, but Kal;t was there before him. and when he would have grasped the child she snatched it herself. and before he could intercept her she had bolted through the door and taken refuge in high tree.
 As she took up the little live baby of Alice Clayton she dropped the dead body of her own into the empty cradle.
 The wall of the living had answered the call of universal motherhood with in her wild breast which the dead could not still.
 High up among the branches of q mighty tree she hugged the shrieking infant to her bosom, and soon the 1n- stinct that was as dominant in this fierce feplale as it had been in the breast of his tender and beautiful lnother-the instinct of mother love reached out to the tiny man-child's half formed understanding, and he be- came quiet
 Then hunger closed the gap between them, and the son of an English lord and an English lady nursed at the DE0dSC or hdId, LQG great ape
 Once satisfied that Clayton was dead, Kerchak turned his attention to the thing which lay upon the bed, covered by a piece of sailcloth.
 A moment he let his fingers sink deep into the cold flesh, and then. real izing that she was already dead, he turned from her to examine the con- tents of the room. nor did he again molest the body of either Lady Alice or Sir John.
 The rifle hanging upon the wall caught his first attention. It was for this strange death dealing thunder stick that he had yearned for months; but, now that it was within his grasp, he scarcely had the temerity to seize it.
 Finally the rife was torn from its hook and lay in the grasp of the great brute. Finding that it harmed him not, Kerchak began to examine it closely. -
 During all these operations the apes who had entered sat huddled near the door watching their chief, while those outside strained and crowded to catch a glimpse of what transpired within.
 Suddenly Kerchaks finger closed upon the trigger, there was a deafen- ing roar in the little room, and the aDCS at dAd OSS LnS 4OSE 1GAl over one another in their wild anxiety to escape.
 Kerchak was equally frightened-so frightened, in fact, that he quite for got to throw aside the author of that fearful noise, but bolted for the door with it tightly clutched in one hand
 As he passed through the opening the front sight of the rifle caught upon the edge of the inswung door with suf- 6ctent force to close it tightly after the fleeing ape.
 When Kerchak came to halt short distance from the cabin and discov- cred that he still held the rifle he drop ped it as though it had burned him. nor did he again essay to recover it. The noise had been too much for his brute nerves, but he was now quite convinced that the terrible stick was quite harmless by itself if left alone.
 The cleverly constructed latch which Clayton had made for the door had sprung as Kerchak passed out, nor could the apes find means of tngress through the heavily barred windows.
 Kala had not once come to earth with her little adopted babe, but now Kerchak called to her to descend with the rest, and as there was no note of anger in his voice she dropped lightly from branch to branch and joined the others on their homeward march
 Those of the apes who attempted to examine Kala's strange baby were re- pulsed with barred fangs and menacing growls, accompanied by words of warning from Kala. When they assured her that they meant the child no harm she permitted l them to come close, but would not al- 1 low them to touch her charge
 It was as though she knew. that her ! baby was fraiI and delicate and feared l lest the rough hands of her fellows | might injvre the little thing.
 GAAPrER IL