Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-25
CHAPTER iX-tcontinued).


CHAPTER IX-(Contnued.
When Kulonga awoke he found that
his bow and arrows had disappeared. The
black warrior was furious and fright
ened, but more frightened than furious.
He searched the ground below the tree,
and he searched the tree above the
ground but there was no sign of either
bow or arrows or of the nocturnal
marauder.
Kulonga was panic-stricken. His spear
he had hurled at Kala and had not re-
covered, and, now that his bow and ar
rows were gone, he was defenseless ex-
cept for single knife His only hope
lay in reaching the village of Mbonga
as quickly as his legs would carry him.
That he was not far from home he was
certain so he took the trail at rapid
trot
From great mass of impenetrable foli-
age a few yards away emerged Tarzan
of the Apes to swing quietly in his wake
Kulonga's bow and arrows were Sc
curely tied high in the top of giant
tree from which a patch OF bark had
been removed by sharp knife near to
the ground and branch half cut
through and left hanging about fifty
feet higher UP. Thus Tarzan blazed the
forest trails and marked his caches
As Kulonga continued his journey Tar
zan closed up on him until he Travelled
almost over the blacks head. His rope
he now held colled in his right hand; he
was almost ready for the kill.
The moment was delayed only because
Tarzan was anxious to ascertain the
black warriors destination, and pres
emily he was rewarded, for they came
suddenly in view of great clearing,
at one end of which lay many strange
Iairs.
. Tarzan was directly over Kulonga as
he made the discovery. The forest ended
abruptly and beyond lay two hundred
wards of planted fields between the jun
gle and the village.
Tarzan must act quickly or his prey
would be gone; but Tarzan's life trainink
left so little space between decision and
action when an emergency confronted
him that there was not even room for
the shadow of thought between.
So 1t was that as Kulonga emerged
from the shadow of the jungle slender
coil of rope sped slnuously above him
from the lowest branch of mighty tree
directly upon the edge of the fields OF
MbonEa, and ere the kings son had
taken n half dozen steps into the clear
ing a quick moose tghtened ABOUT MS
neck,
So quickly did Tarzan of the Apes
drae back his prey that Kulonga's cry OF
alarm was throttled In his windpipe.
Hand over hand Tarzan drew the strug-
Cling black until he had him hanging by
his neck in midair; then Tarzsn climbed
to a larger branch, drawing the still
threshing victim well up into the shelter
ing verdure of the tree.
Here he fastened the rope securely to
a stout branch and, then, descending,
plunged his hunting knife into Kulonga's
heart Kala was avenged.
Tarzan examined the black mlnutely:
never had he seen any other human
being. The knife with its sheath and
belt caught his eye; he appropriated them
A copper anklet also took his fancy, and
this he transferred to his own leg
He examined and admired the tattooing
on the forehead and breast. He marveled
at the sharp-filed teeth. He Investigated
and appropriated the feathered head
~.
to business, for Tarzan of the Apes was
hungry, and here was meat-meat of the
kill, which jungle ethics permitted him
to eat.
How may we judge himby what stand
ards, this ape-man with the heart and
head and body of an English gentleman
and the training of a wild beast?
Tublat, whom he had hated and who
had hated him, he had killed In fair
fight, and yet never had the thought of
eating of Tublats flesh entered his head,
1t would have been as revolving TO him
as is cannibalism to us.
But who was Kulonga that he might not
be eaten as fairly as Horta, the boar,
or Bara, the deer? Was he not simply
another of the countless wild things OF
the jungle who preyed upon one another
TO satisfy the cravings of hunger?
OF sudden a strange doubt stayed his
hand Had not his books taught him
that he was a man? And was not The
Archer a man also?
Did men eat men7 Alas, he did not
know. Why. then, this hesitancy! Once
more he essayed the effort, but of a
sudden a qualm of nausea overwhelmed
him He did not understand.
All he knew was that he could not eat
the flesh of this black man, and thus
hereditary instinct, ages old. usurped the
functions OF his untaught mind and saved
him from transgTessing a rd-wide law
of whose very existence he was ignorant.
Quickly he lowered Kulonga's body to
the ground, removed the moose and took
TO the trees again.