Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-22
CHAPTER v11-tcontinued).

hie fellows would attempt this latte
alternative, but none had come yet wh
could wrest the palm of victory from tn
fierce and brutal ape
Tarzan held a peculiar position In tn
tribe They seemed to consider him on
OF them and yet in some way diheren'
The older males either ignored him en-
trely or else hated him so vindictivel,
that but for his wondrous agility ant
speed and the fierce protection OF tn
huge Kala he would have been dispatched
| at an early age.
Tublat was his most consistent enemy
but it was through Tublat that. when h,
was about 49, the persecution of hii
enemies suddenly ceased and he was left
severely alone except on the occasion
! when one of them ran amuck in this
| throes of one Of those strange, wild fits
| of insane rage which attacks the males
| of many of the fercer animals of the
jungle. Then none was safe.
on the day that Tarzan established his
right to respect, the tribe was gather ed
about small natural amphitheatre which
tho Jungle had left free from its entan-
Cling vines and creepers in hollow
amongst some low hills
The open space was almost circular in
shape. Upon every hand rose the mighty
giants OF the untouched forest, with the
matted underground banked so closely
between the huge trunks that the only
opening into the little, level arena was
through the upper branches of the trees.
Here. safe from interruption, the tribe
often gathered. In the centre of the
amphtheatre was one of those stranSl
earthen drums which the anthropoids
build for the queer rites the sounds Of
4. l.. Al. H.
of the jungle, but which none has ever
witnessed
Many travellers have seen the drums of
the great apes, and some have heard the
sounds of their beating and the noise of
the wild. weird revelry of these first
lords OF the jungle, but Tarzan, Lord
Greystoke Is, doubtless, the only human
being who ever poined in the fierce, mad
revel of the Dum-Dum.
From this primitive function has |
arisen, unquestionably, all the forms and |
ceremonials of modern church and state, |
for through all the countless ages back |
beyond the last, uttermost ramparts of |
a dawning humanity our fierce, hairy |
forebears danced out the rites of the
Dunn Dunn to the sound of their earthen
drums, beneath the bright light OF tropi-
cal moon I'm the depth of a mighty jungle
which stands unchanged today as 1t stood
on that long forgotten night in the dim,
vistas of the long dead past
when our first shaggy ancestor swung
from a swaying bough and dropped
lightly upon the soft turf of the first
Meeting place.
On the day that Tarzan won his
from the persecution that
lad followed him remorselessly for II
4 his l3 years of life, the tribe. now
ull hundred strong, trooped silently
through the lower terrace of the jungle
rees and dropped noiselessly upon the
oor of the amphitheatre.
The rites of the Dum-Dum marked i'm
ortant events in the life of the tribe-a
ictory, the capture OF a prisoner, the
illing of some large fierce denlzen of the
UNCLE, the death or accession of king,
nd were conducted with set ceremo-
lalism.
Today 1t was the killing of a giant ape,
member of another tribe, and as the
eople of Kerchak entered the arena two
lightly bulls might have been seen bear
g the body of the vanquished between
lem.
They laid their burden before the
irthen drum and then squatted there
'side it as guards, while the other mem
RS of the community curled themselves
grassy hooks to sleep until the rising
| a
encement OF their savage orgy. !
For hours absolute quiet reigned In the I
tie clearing, except as It was broken I
the discordant notes OF brilliantly 1
altered parrots, or the screechlng and 1
of the thousand jungle birds
tting ceaselessly amongst the vivid /
chids and famboyRnt blossoms which 6
STONED the myriad, moss-covered p
nnches of the forest kings a
At length as darkness settled upon the
ngle the apes commenced 10 bestir Z
and soon they formed a great ! !
'cle about the earthen drum. The :
males and young squatted In a thin line
the outer periphery OF the circle, while II
st in front OF them ranged the adult !
iies. Before the drum sat three old
males, each armed with a knotted h
anch lb or IS inches In length o
slowly and softly they began tapping
on the resounding surface OF the drum 4
the INST faint rays of the ascending b
'on silvered the encircling tree-tops. u
rs the light In the amphltheatre in 4
sased the females augmented the fire.
ency and force Of their blows until 9
ssently Wild rhythmic din peryaded =
great jungle for miles in every dlrec- h
n. Huge, fierce brutes stopped in their
nting, with up-pricked ears and raised h
ads TO listen to the dull booming that h
.okened the Dum-Dum OF the apes. 81
occasionally one would raise his shrIu n
cam or thunderous roar In answering
allenge to the savage din OF the an. Il
.opoids' 0ut none came near to in X
'tigate or attack. for the great apes Il
empled In all the power of their num- bl
's nlled the breasts Of their iun0Ia fe
ghbors with deep respect
g the din OF the drum rose to almost =
lfening volume Kerchak spranE INFO
open space between the sonattin,
les Sand the drummers. |
landing erect he threw his head 1ar
* and looking fun into the eve ~ tbs
ng moon he beat upon his breast viii
great hairy paws and emitted Ms
rful roaring shrek =
nee-twice-thFice that terrifying cry =
g out across the teamIng solitude os
I unspeakably quick. yet unthinkably -
d. world
hen, crouehing, Ksrchak skunk notss- -
ly around the open circle, veerlnF far
~ from the dead body lying befors
altar-drum. but, as he passed. KEEN .
his little, herce, wicked, red eyes upon
corpse.
aother male then spranR into m.
IA and, repeating the horrid cries ~
king followed stealthily In his wake 1
ther and another followed fn o1icls
session until the Jungle reVerherafed -
j the now almost caaseless notes of
r bloodthirsty screams.
was the challenge and the hunt.
hen an the adult malas had 1oInea IN
thin line OF eircling dancers the a.
commenced
.Fenak aafrlnn 4 hrtaz .l..t. -. "a.