Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-14
CHAPTER XIV.

OF WOulu MS weight uTdB IL over 10 IHll
upon him as he hurtled into the unknown
depths below?
CHAPTER XIV
THROUGH THE FOREST PRIMEvAL,
NOR brief, sickening moment Tarzan
L felt the slipping of the rope to which
he chung, and heard the scraping of the
block of stone against the masonry above.
Then Of a sudden the rope was still
the stone had caught at the very edge
Glngerly the ape-man clambered up the
frail rope. In moment his head was
above. the edge of the shaft. The court
! was empty. The inhabitants of Opar
were viewing the sacrifice. Tarzan could
hear the voice of La from the nearby
sacrificial court The dance had ceased.
1t must be almost time for the knife to
fail; but even as he thought these things
he was running rapidly toward the sound
of the high priestess' voice
Fate guided him to the very doorway of
the great roofless chamber. Between him
and the altar was the long row of priests
and priestesses, awaiting with their
golden cups the spilling Of the warm
blood OF their victim.
Las hand was descending slowly to-
ward the bosom of the frail, quiet figure
that lay stretched upon the hard stone.
Tarsan gave n gasp that was almost a
sob as he recognized the features of the
girl he loved. And then the scar upon his
forehead turned to a flaming band of
scarlet. red mist hoated before his
eyes, and, with the awful roar of the bull
ape gone mad he sprang like a huge lion
into the midst OF the votaries.
Selling a cudgel from the nearest priest
ne laid about him like yeritable demon
as he forged his rapid way toward the
altar, The hand of La had paused at
the first noise Of interruption. When she
saw who the author Of II was she went
white She had never been able to fathom |
the secret Of the strange white mans |
escape from the dungeon In which she |
had locked him. She had not intended |
that he should leave Opar, for she had |
looked upon his giant frame and hand |
some face with the eyes of a woman and |
not those OF prestess
In her clever mind she had concocted
a story of wonderful revelation from the
lips of the flaming god himself, In which
she had been ordered to receive this
white stranger as a messenger from him
to his people on earth. That would sat
isfy the people OF opar she knew. The
man would be satisfied. she felt quite
sure. to remain and be her husband
rather than to return to the sacrifical
altar
But when she had gone to explain her
plan TO him he had disappeared, though
the door had been tightly locked as she
had left II. And now ne had returned
from thin alr-and was kill
Ing her priests as though they had been
sheep. y, For the moment she forgot her
victim, and before she could gather her
wits together again the huge white man
was standing before her, the woman who
had lain upon the altar in his arms.
"One side La" he cried. You saved
ne once, and so l would not harm you;
)ut do not interfere or attempt to follow.
1r shall have to kill you also.
As he spoke he stepped past her toward
he entrance to the subterranean vaults.
Who Is she?" asked the high priest
ssss pointing at the unconscious woman
"she is mine,' said Tarzan OF the
Apes
For a moment the girl of opar stood
Ride-eyed and staring. Then a look 81
hopeless misery suffused her eyes-tears
yelled into them. and with little cry she
Iank 10 the cold floor, Just as a swarm
4 frightful men dashed past her to leap
lpon the ape-man
But Tarzan of the Apes was not there
ghen they reached out to seize him. With
light bound he had disappeared into
he passage leading to the pits below, ana
shen his pursuers came more cautiously
.AAFf they iQund the chamber emDtV buf
hey laughed and jabbered to one an.
ltheF, for they knew that there was no
xit from the pits other than the one
through which he had entered. II be
anne out at all he must come this way
nd they would walt and watch for him
hove. .F
And so TaTsan Of the Apes. carrying
he unconscious Jane Porter. came
trough the pits Of Opar beneath a.
emple OF The Flaming God without mr.
nit. But when the men OF omar had
alked further about the matter thav re-
alied TO mind that this very man had
seanea once before into the pits. ana
aonsh they had watched the entrance. ha
I'd not come forth ana yet today he M
one uPon them from the outside. Tbev
fopia again send 50 men out into The -,5ai-
p 70 aud ana capture this dezecrator of
heir temple
AFTER Ha4zan Eeaehed the shaft beyena
e broken. vail be felt 90 positive 81 ~
aeeessInl Issue Of hls aiehl thai he
topped to replace the iumbled stones.
o. ne vas not anxious that any 81 ~ |
ass4fss znQaid discover this forgotten /
azaaks. end through It come upon ~
feaspfe ehauber. Il was IN his mind ~ /
siafn asaln 70 0par and bear avav 4
III Kfsaief fortune than he had alreadg |
nfiea IL the amphilheatfe 81 tie aaas
On fHf1HEu tie passage Ways be freffsa
ast tHs Ass aeef ana through The treas- /
e f4AIt pasi re second deer ana mo
g ian# sffafsHt tunnai that I'D t. lie
- hlaasn ssit nefaaa ihe city 1ana