Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-04
CHAPTER xvII-tcontinued.)

Chapter lNN I-NSbllNiiAASNf(
He could not we'll negotiate the trees
with this awkward burden. but he kept
70 the trails, and so made fairly good
time.
For several hours he Travelled a little
north of east until he came to an i'm
penetrable wall of matted and tangled
vegetation Then he took 10 the lower
branches, and in another 10 minutes he
emersed into the amphltheatre of the
apes. where they met In council, or to
celebrate the rites of the Dum-Dum.
Near the centre of the clearing, and not
far from the drum, or altar, he COM
l1enced to dig. This was harder work
than turning up she freshly eXcavated
earth at the grave, but Tarzan Of the
Apes was persevering and so he kept
at his labor until he was rewarded by
seeing a hole sufficiently deep to receive
the chest and effectually nlde it from
view.
Why had he gone to all this labor with
out knowing the value or the contents
Of the chest?
Tarzan of the Apes had a mans figure
and a mans brain, but he was an ape by
training and environment His brain told
him that the chest contained something
valuable, or the men would not have
hidden II; his training had taught him
to initiate whatever was new and un-
usual, and now the natural curiosity,
which is as common to men as to apes,
prompted him to open the chest and ex-
anime its contents.
But the heavy lock and massive iron
bands baffled both his cunning and his
immense strength, so that he was COM
PEELED to bury the chest without having
his couriosity satisfied.
BY the time Tarzan had hunted his way
back to the vicinity Of the CABIN, feeding
as he went, 1t was quite dark.
Within the little building a light was
burning. for Clayton had found an un-
opened tin of oil which had stood intact
for 20 years; a part of the supplies left
with the Claytons by Black Michael. The
lamps also were still usable, and thus the
interior of the cabin appeared as bright
as day to the astonished Tarzan.
He had often wondered at the exact
purpose OF the lamps. His reading and
the pictures had told him what they
were, but he had no idea of how they
could be made to produce the wondrous
sunlight that some of his pictures had
portrayed them as dinusing upon all
surrounding objects.
AS he approached the window nearest
lhe door he saw that the cabin had been
divided into two rooms by a rough parti-
ZION OF boughs and sailcloth.
In the front room were the three men;
me two older deep in argument. while
me younger tilted back against the wall
W an improyised stool, was deeply en-
slossed In reading one OF Tarzans books.
thFzan was not particularly interested
N the men, however so he sought the
olher window. There was the girl How
beautiful her features! How delicate her
snowy skin!
aae was writing at Tarzan's own table
ueneath the window. Upon a pile OF
grasses at the far side OF the room lay
me negress, asleep.
FoF an hour TaTzan feasted his eyes
upon her while she wrote. How he longed
y speak 10 her, but he dared not at
Tempt It. for he was convinced that like
s1e ss young men, she would not understand
~, ~, ana ne feared, too, that he might
Hlshten her away.
~ length she arose, leaving her manu-
tsssipt upon the table She went TO the
- upon which had been spread several
,ssrs OF soft grasses. These she re-
ihen she loosened the soft mass OF
Sgiaeh nair which crowned her head.
-. . shlmmering waterfall turned 10
sss.hlshed .ss,ll metal BY a dying sun 1t fell |
eoout her oval face: In waving lines.
's.oN her waist Il tumbled.
ertan was spellbound. Then she ex-
IN uishea the lamp ana all within the
hess ian
ul farzan watched without. Creeping |
s., -s beneath the window he waited. list
tN@' Iof half an hour. At last he was /
eeatosa oy the sounds Of the regular /
'.sat cg thing within which denotes sleep.
ulonsly he introduced his hand be- /
sssn the meshes of the lattice until his /
,'.,, le arm was within the cabin. Care
49, ne felt upon the desk AT last he /
e..pea the manuscript upon which Jane 4
.,sf had been writing. ana as eau
ly withdrew his arm ana hand. hold
y me precious treasure.
Ah folded the sheets into a small 1
Nhich he tucked into the quiver
naa arrows Thea he melted away
g as ahaaasv