The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1914-06-04


t1rS fc'l uTpu u'Aluot troth and
stones AID tclrlng az him with claw.
like bands. Every vestige of clothing
was torn from him, and the merciless
blows fell upon his bare and quivering
flesh
But not once did the Frcnchman cry
out I'm pain. \ silent prayer rose that
he he quickly delivered from his tor
ture.
The death he prayed for was not to
be so easily had. Soon the warriors
beat the women away from their pris-
onCr.
He was to be saved for nobler sport
than this, and. the first wave of their
passion having subsidized. they content
ed themselves with crying out taunts
and insults and splitting upon him.
Presently they gained the center of
the village. There D'Arnot was bound
securely to the great post from which
no live man had ever been released
4 number Of the women scattered TO
their several hutS to fetch pots and
water. while others built row of fires
ON which portions OF the feast were TO
I've boiled
The festivities were delayed. await
ing the return of the warriors who had
remained to engage in the skirmiSh
with the white men. SO that 1t was
quite late when all were in the village
anu the dance of death commenced "
circle around the doomed officer.
IIalf fainting from pain and eXhaus-
ton D'Arnot watched what seemed
but a vagary of dclirium or some hor-
r.j nightmare from which he must
soon awake. He closed his eyes and
held his teeth firm set He would not
cry out
he was Il soldier OF France. and he
would teach these beasts how an Off
Ger and gentleman died
Tarzan of the apes needed no inter
prefer to translate the story of those
distant shots With Jane Porter's
kisses stll warm upon his lips he was
swinging With incredible rapidity
through the forest trees straight to-
ward the village of MbOnga.
He was not interested in the loca-
ton of the encounter. for he judged
that that would soon be over. Those
WHO were Killed he could not aid; those
who escaped would not need his as
SistauCe.
Ii was TO those who had neither been
Killed nor escaped that he FASTENED
And he knew that he could find them
10y the great post in the center OF
'!bouga's village
Many times had TarZan seen Mbon-
gas black raiding parties return from
the uorthward with prisoners. and al
ways were the same scenes enacted
about that grim stake, beneath the
Earring light OF many fires.
Tlrzan had looked with compacency
upon their former orgies. only occa-
sionally interfering for the pleasure Of
batting the blacks. But heretofore
their victims had been men of their
own color Tonight it was different
White men. men OF Tarzan's own
race. might lie even now suffering the
asonies OF torture.
ON he sped In few minutes he
swung into the trees above Mbonga s
village. Al. he was not quite too late.
The figure IT the stake was very still
TarZan knew their customs. The
deathblOw had been struck He could
tell almost to minute how far the
dance had gone.
In another instant Mbonga's knife
would sever one OF the victims ears.
That would mark the beginning of the
end. for very shortly after only n
writing mass OF mutilated flesh would
remain
The stake stood forty feet from the
nearest tree. Tarzan coiled his rope.
Then there rose Suddenly above the
iendi~h cries of the dancing demons
the awful challenge of the ape man.
The dancers halted as though turned
TO stone. The rope sped with sing
Ing whir high above the heads of the
blacks. it was quite invisible In the
iaring acLts of the campfres.
D'Arnot opened his eyes
\ huge BACK, standing directly be-
fore him, lunged backward as though
felled by an invisible hand.
Struggling and shrieiing, his body.
rolling from side TO side, moved quick
ly toward the shadows beneath the
trees. The blacks. their eyes protrud-
ing in horror, watched spelbound
Once beneath the trees the body rose
straight into the air. and as it disap-
peared iato the foliage above the ter
rifcd negroes. screaming with fright,
broke into a mad race for the village
gate.
D'Arnot was left alone lie was a
brave man. but he had felt the short
hairs bristlc upon the nape of his
neck when that uncanny cry rose upon
the air.
As lie watched the SPOT where the
body had entered the tree he heard
the sounds Of movement there The
branches swayed as though under the
weight Of a mans body. There was a
crash. and the black came sprawling to
earth again TO lie very quietly where
he had fallen
Immediately after him came n white
body. but this one alighted erect
D'Arnot saw a clean limbed young
giant emerge from the shadows into
the firclight and come quickly toward
him
what could It mconf Who could II
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