The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-04-02
CHAPTER v.
The Death of KaIa.

The Death Of kala.
"HREE miles west Of Kulonga,
son Of Mbonga, the negro
king. slept the tribe Of Ker-
chalk.
Early the next morning the apes
were astir, moving through the jungle
In search Of food. Tarzan, as was his
custom. prosecuted his search in the
direction Of the cabin. so that by lei
surely hunting on the way his hunger
was appeased by the time he reached
the beach.
The apes scattered by ones and twos
and threes in all directions, but always
within sound Of a signal of alarm.
Kala had moved slowly along an ele-
plant track toward the east and was
busily engaged in turning over rotted
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
lily advancing figure Of a strange and
fearful creature.
It was Kulonga.
Kala did not wait to see more, but,
turning, moved rapidly back along 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 bur
RED, 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 o
the arm, and the spear sped toward
Kala.
A poor cast. 1t but grazed her side.
With q cry Of rage and pain Kala
turned upon her tormentor. In an In.
slant the trees were crashing beneath
the weight of hurrying apes, swinging
rapidly toward the scene Of trouble In
answer to Kala's cream.
As Kala charged. Kulonga unslung
his bow and fitted an arrow with al.
most unthinkable quickness. Drawing
the shaft far back. he drove the pol
soned missile straight into the heart
Of the great she ape.
With a horrid scream Kala plunged
forward upon her face before the as
tonished members Of her tribe.
Roaring and shrieking. the apes dash
ed toward Kulonga, but that wary say.
age was fleeing down the trail like a
frightened antelope. They followed
him. racing through the trees for a
long distance. but finally ore by n
they abandoned the chase and returned
to the scene Of the tragedy.
On the far beach by the little cabi1
Tarzan heard the faint echoes Of the
conflict. and. knowing that something
was seriously amiss among the tribe,
he FASTENED 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 pihful Borrowing 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-
larry could v~ouchsafe him.
It was enough, however, for his
needs. It told him Of a strange, hair
less. black ape with feathers growing
upon its head, who launched death
from a slender branch and then ran
with the feetness 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,
WnO was cFiuchtiy ioiioWiuS tuc tOi-
tuous detours Of the trail.
At his side was the hunting knife Of
his unknown sire, and across his Shout
ders the coils of his W 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 a
tiny riyulet he found footprints such
as he alone in all the jungle had ever
made, but much larger than his. His
heart beat fast. Could 1t 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 passed on his re
turn along the trail. As he examined