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


Tarzan of the Apes was fascinated
Here was the secret OF the terrible de-
structiveness OF The Archers tiny mis-
slies. He noted the extreme care which
the woman took that none OF the matter
should touch her hands, and once when
n particle spattered upon one OF her
fingers he saw her plunge the member
into a vessel Of water and quickly rub
the tiny stain away with handful OF
leaves.
Tarzan Of the Apes knew nothing of
poison, but his shrewd reasoning told
him that II was this deadly stun that
killed, and not the little arrow. which
was merely the messenger that carried
II into the body of its victim.
How he should like to have more Of
those little death-dealing sllvers. IL the
woman would only leave her work for
an instant he could drop down, gather
up a handful, and be back in the tree
again before she drew three breaths,
AS he was trying to think out some
plan to distract her attention he heard
a wild cry from across the clearing He
looked and saw a black warrior stand
ing beneath the very tree In which he
had killed the murderer OF Kala an hour
before.
The fellow was shouting and waving
his spear above his head. Now and
the ground before him.
The village was In an uproar instantly.
Armed mon rushed from the interior OF
many n hut and raced madly across the
clearing toward the excited sentry.
After them trooped the old men, and the
women and children. until, In moment
the village was deserted.
Tarzan of the Apes knew that they had
found the body of his victim. but that
interested him far less than the fact that
no one remained in the village to prevent
his taking a supply Of the arrows which
lay below him.
Quickly and noiselessly he dropped TO
the ground beside the cauldron OF poison.
For a moment he stood motionless. his
quick, bright eyes scanning the interior of
the palsade
No one was in sight His eyes rested
upon the open doorway of nearby hut.
He would take a look within, thought
Tarzan. and so, cautiously, he approached
the low matched building.
For a moment he stood without, listen
ing intently. There was no sound. and he
gllded into the semi-darkness of the in
terror.
Weapons hung against the walls-long
spears, strangely shaped knives, couple
of narrow shields. In the centre of the
room was a cooking pot, and at the far
end a litter of dry grasses covered by
woven mats which evidently served the
owners as beds and bedding. Several hu
man skulls lay upon the floor
Tarzan of the Apes felt of each article,
hefted the spears. smelled of them for he
saw" largely through his sensitive and
highly trained nostrils. He determined to
own one Of these long, pointed sticks, but
he could not take one on this trip be-
cause of the arrows he meant to carry.
One by one, as he took each article from
the walls, he placed them in pile in the
centre of the room, and on top of all he
placed the cooking pot, inverted, and on
top of this he laid one of the grinning
skulls, upon which he fastened the head
dress of the dead Kulonga.
Then he stood back and surveyed his
work, and grinned. Tarzan of the Apes
was a Joker.
But now he heard, without, the sounds
Of many voices and long mournful howls
and mighty wailing He was startled
Had he remained too long? Quickly he
reached the doorway and peered down the
village street toward the village gate.
The natives were not yet in sight
though he could plainly hear them ap-
preaching across the plantation, They
must be very near.
Like n flash he spranE across the OPEN
ing to the pile of arrows. Gathering up
all he could carry under one arm, he over
turned the seething cauldron with a kick
and disappeared into the foliage above
just as the first of the returning natives
entered the gate at the far end of the
village street. Then he turned to watch
the proceeding below, poised like some
wild bird ready to take swift wing at the
first sign Of danger.
The natives filed up the street. four of
them bearing the dead body of Kulonga.
Behind trailed the women, uttering
strange cries and weird lamentation. on