The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-03-26

wild. Jungle existence with little
change for several years. only that ne
grew stronger and wiser n learneu
from his books more and more or the
strange worlds which lay somewhere
outside his primeval forest.
Many days during these years ne
spent I'm the cabin Of his father. wnere
still lay untouched the bones or MS
parents and the little skeleton or haias
baby. At eighteen he read huently
and understood nearly all he read.
Also could he write with printed let
tiers rapidly and plainly. but script ne
had not mastered. for, though there
were several copybooks among MS
treasures, there was so little written
English in the cabin that he saw no
use of bothering with this other form
of writing. though he could read 1t la
b%oriously.
Thus, at eighteen. we find him an
English lordling who could speak no
English, yet who could read and write
his native language. Never nae he
seen a human being other than him
self. for the little area traversed by bis
tribe was watered by no great river to
bring down the savage natives OF the
interior.
High hills shut 1t off on three Sides.
the ocean on the fourth. 1t was alive
with lions and tigers and leOpards and
poisonous snakes. Its untouched mazes
of matted jungle had as yet invited no
hardy pioneer from among the humans
beyond its frontier.
But as Tarzan of the apes sat one
day in the cabin Of his father, delving
into the mysteries Of a new book, the
ancient security Of his jungle was
broken forever.
At the far eastern confine a strange
cavalcade strung in single file over the
brow of a low hill.
In advance were fifty black warriors
armed with slender wooden spears,
with ends hard baked over slow fires,
and long bows and poisoned arrows.
On their backs were oval shields, in
their noses hung rings, while from the
kinky wool Of their heads protruded
tufts of gay feathers.
Following them were several hun
dred women and children, the former
bearing upon their heads great burdens
Of cooking pots. household utensils
and ivory. In the rear were q hundred
warriors, similar in all respects to the
advance guard.
That they more greatly feared an at
tack from the rear than whatever I'M
known enemies might Turk ahead was
evidenced by the formation Of the
column, and such was the fact, for
they were fleeing from the white mans
soldiers who had harassed them for
rubber and ivory.
For three days the little cavalcade
marched slowly through the heart of
this unknown and untracked forest.
until finally, early in the fourth day,
they came upon a little spot "a the
banks of a small river which SEEM
ed less thickly overgrown than any
ground they had encountered before.
Here they set to work to build a new
village. and in a month a great clear
ing had been made, huts and palisades
erected, ~plantains, yams and maize
planted. and they had taken up their
old life in their new home. Here there
were no white men. no soldiers nor
any rubber or ivory to be gathered for
thankless taskmasters.
Several moons passed ere the blacks
unnty1rnd for tnfo fhN x1vrs&a~r $500
rounding their new village. Several
had already fallen prey to old SAILOR,
the tiger. and because the jungle was
so infested with these fierce and blood
thirsty cats and with lions and leop-
ards the ebony warriors hesitated to
trust themselves far from the safety
of their palisades.
But n day Kulonga, a son of the
old king. Mbonga. wandered far into
the dense maZes to the west. Warily
he stepped. his slender lance ever
ready, his long oval shield grasped in
his left hand close to his body-at
his back his bow. and in the culver
upon his shield many slim, straight
arrows. well smeared with the thick.
dark. tarry substance that rendered
deadly their tiniest needle prick.
Night found Kulonga far from the
palisades Of his fathers village. but
still headed westward. and. climbing
into the fork of a great tree, he fash
Toned a rude platform and curled him.
self for sleep.