Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-10-26
T ARR A N OF
T. HE A P E. S
By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS


ing in an open space and full under the
brilliant moon-TarZan's torn ane
bloody form and beside 1t a great bull
gorilla, stone dead. With low CRY
Kala rushed to Tarzan's side and
gathering the poor, blood covered body
to her breast, listened for a sign OF
life. Family she heard 1.-THE weak
beating Of the little heart.
Tenderly she bore him back through
the inky jungle to where the tribe lay
and for many days and nights she sat
guard beside him, bringing him food
and water and brushing the flies and
other insects from his cruel wounds.
OF medicine or surgery the poor
thing knew nothing. She could but
lick the wounds, and thus she kept
them cleansed, that healing nature
might the more quickly do her work.
At first Tarzan would eat nothing,
but rolled and tossed in a wild deliri-
um Of fever. All he craved was water,
and this she brought him in the only
way she could. bearing it in her own
mouth.
No human mother could have shown
more unselfish and sacrificing devotion
than IA this poor wild brute for the
little orphaned waif whom fate had
thrown into her keeping.
At last the fever abated, and the boy
commenced to mend. No complaint
passed his tight set lips, though the
pain of his wounds were excruciat-
ing.
A portion Of his chest was laid bare
to the ribs. three Of which had been
broken by the mighty blows Of the
gorilla; one arm was nearly severed
by the giant fangs. and a great piece
had been torn from his neck, exposing
his jugular vein, which the cruel jaws
had missed but by miracle.
After what seemed an eternity to
the little sufferer he was once more
able to walk, and from then on his re-
covery was rapid, so that in another
month he was as strong and as active
as ever.
During his convalescense he had
gone over in his mind many times the
battle with the gorilla, and his first
thought was to recover the wonderful
little weapon which had transformed
him from a hopelessly outclassed
weakling to the superior of the mighty
terror Of the jungle.
Also he was anxious to return to the
cabin and continue his investigations
of the wonderous contents.
So early one morning he set forth
alone upon his quest. After little
search he located the clean picked
bones Of his late adversary, and close
by, partly buried beneath the fallen
leaves, he found the knife, now red
with rust from it's exposure to the
dampness Of the ground and from the
dried blood Of the gorilla.
He did not like the change in its for
mer bright and cleaning surface, but
it was still a formidable weapon and
one which he meant to use to advan-
tage whenever the opportunity present
ed itself. He had in mind that no more
would he run from the wanton attacks
of old Tublat.
In another moment he was at the
cabin, and after short time had again
thrown the latch and entered. His first
concern was to learn the mechanism Of
the lock, and this he did by examining
it closely, while the door was open so
that he could learn precisely what
caused it to hold the door and by what
means it released at his touch.
He found that he could close and
lock the door from within, and this he
did so that there would be no chance
of his being molested while at his in
vestigations.
He commenced a systematic search
Of the cabin; but his attention was
soon riveted by the books which SEEM
ed to exert a strange and powerful in
scarce attend to aught else for the lure
Of the wonderous puzzle which their
purpose presented to him.
Among the other books were a
primer, some child's readers, numerous
picture books and a great dictionary.
All Of these he examined; but the pic
lures caught his fancy most. though
the strange little bugs which covered
the pages where there were no pic
lures excited his wonder and deepest
| thought.
| In his hands was a primer opened
at a picture Of little ape similar to
himself. but covered, except for hands
and face, with strange colored fur, for
such he thought the jacket and trous-
ers to be-
Beneath the picture were three lit
tie bugs:
And now he had discovered in the
text upon the page that these three
were repeated many times in the same
sequence.
| Another fact he learned, and that
was that there were comparatively
few individual bugs. But these were
repeated many times, occasionally
alone but more often in company with
others.
Slowly he turned the pages, scan
ming the pictures and the text for a
repetition of the combination boy
Presently he found it beneath a picture
Of another little ape and a strange
animal which went upon four legs like
the jackal and somewhat resembled
him. Beneath this picture the bugs
appeared as
| A BOY AND A DOG.
There they were, the three little
bugs which always accompanied the
little ape.
And so he progressed very, very
slowly, for it was a hard and labor
ious task which he had set himself
without knowing it. a task which
might seem to you or to me impossible
Learning to read without having the
slightest knowledge of letters or writ
ten language or the faintest idea thai
such things existed.