The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-04-16
VII.

thority, and that was Terkoz.
the son Of Tublat, but he so
feared the keen knife and the deathly
arrows of his new lord that he conin,
ed the manifestation of his objections
to petty disobediences and irritating
mannerisms. TarZan knew, however.
that be but waited his opportunity to
wrest the kingship from him by some
sudden stroke Of t~reachery and so he
was always on guard against surprise.
Fol- months the life Of the little band
went on much as it had before, except
that Tarzan's greater intelligence and
his ability as a hunter were the means
of providing for them more bountifully
than eve before. Most Of them. there
fore. were more than content with the
change In rulers.
During this period Tarzan paid many
nocturnal visits to the village, where
he often renewed his supply of arrows.
The blacks had not as yet come upon
Tarzan's cabin on the distant beach.
but the ape man lived In constant
dread that, while be was away with
the tribe, they would discover and de-
spoil his treasure. So 1t came that he
spent more and more time In the VI
cinity Of his fathers last home and
less and less with the tribe.
Presently the members of his little
community began to suffer ON account
Of his neglect, for disputes and quar-
rels constantly arose which only the
king might settle %peaceably.
At last some Of the older apes spoke
to Tarzan on the subject, and for q
month thereafter he remained con.
stantly with the tribe.
'Tarzan tired Of it as he found that
kingship meant the curtailment Of bis
liberty. He longed for the little cabin
and the u kissed sea-, for the cool in.
terror of the well built house and for
the lever ending wonders of the many
books.
AS he had grown older he found
that he had grown away from his peo-
pie. Their interests and his were far
removed. They had not kept pace with
him. nor could they understand aught
Of the many strange and wonderful
dreams that passed through the active
brain of their human king.
Had Kala lived Tarzan would have
sacrificed all else to remain near her,
but now she was dead. and. the playful
surly brutes. he felt that he much pre-
ferred the peace and solitude Of his
cabin to the irksome duties of leader
ship among a horde of wild beasts.
The hatred and jealousy OF Terkoz.
son of Tublat, did much to counteract
the effect Of Tarzan's desire to re-
nounce his kingship among the apes.
for. stubborn young E~nglishman that
he was, he could not bring himself to
retreat in the face Of SO malignant an
enemy.
That Terkoz would be chosen lead
er in his stead be knew full we'll. for
time and again the ferocious brute had
established his claim to physical su.
premacy over the few bull apes who
had dared resent his savage bullying.
Tarzan would have liked to subdue
the beast without occurs to knife
or arrows. So much had his great
strength and agility increased in the
period following his maturity that he
had come to believe that he might
master the redoubtable Terkoz in a
hand to hand fight were 1t not for
the terrible advantage the anthropoid's
huge lighting fangs gave him over the
poorly armed Tarzan.
One day the tribe was feeding quiet
ly. spread over a considerable area,
when q great screaming rose some
distance east of where Tarzan lay upon
his belly beside a limpid brook. at.
tempting to catch an elusive fish In
his quick brown hands.
With one accord the tribe swung rap.
idly toward the frightened cries and
there found Terkoz holding an old fe
male by the hair and beating her IN.
mercifully with his great hands.
As Tarzan approached be raised his
hand aloft for Terkoz to desist. for the
female was no his. but belonged to a
poor old ape whose lighting days were
long over and who therefore could not
protect his family.
TerkOz knew that 1t was against the
laws Of his kind to strike the woman
Of another: but. being a bully. he had
taken advantage Of the weakness OF
the females husband to chastise her
because she had refused to give up to
him a tender young rodent she had
captured.
When Terkoz saw Tarzap approach
ing without his he continued tG
belab Dor the poor woman In a studied
effort to affront his hated chieftain.
Tarzan did 20 repeat his warning
signal. but instead rushed boldly npor
the waiting TerkOz.