Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-28

lrue, ne had seen pictures IN his books
of men with great masses of hair upon
lip and cheek and chin, but. nevertheless,
Tarzan was afraid Almost daily he
whetted his keen knife and scraped and
whitfield at his young beard to eradicate
this degrading emblem of apehood.
And SO he learned to shave-rudely and
painfully, II is true-but, nevertheless,
effectively.
When he felt quite strong again. after
his bloody battle with TerKos, Tarzan
set Off one morning towards Mbonga's s
village. He was moving carelessy along
a winding Jungle trail, instead OF making
his progress through the trees, when
suddenly he came face to face with a
black warrior
The look of surprise on the savage face
was almost comical; and before Tarzan
could unsllng his bow the fellow had
turned and fed down the path crying out
In alarm as though to others before him.
Tarzan took to the trees in pursuit, and
In few moments came in view of the
men desperately striving to escape
There were three of them, and they
we're racing madly in single file through
the dense underground.
Tarzan easily dlstanced them, nor did
they see his silent passage above their
heads, nor note the crouchlng fgurt.
sauatted upon low branch ahead of
them beneath which the trail led them.
Tarzan let tho first two pass beneath
him, but as the third came swiftly on,
the quiet moose dropped about tho black
throat. A quick jerk drew 1t taut
There was an agonized scream from the
victim, and his fellows turned to SEQ his
struggling body rise as by magic slowly
Into the dense foliage of the trees above.
With affrighted shrieks they wheeled
once and Dlnn0ad nj IN that
to escape.
Tarzan dispatched his prisoner quickly
and silently; removed the weapons and
ornaments, and-oh, the greatest Joy of
ALA handsome doeekin breechcloth,
which he quickly transferred to his own
person.
Now indeed was he dressed as a man
should be. None there was who could
now doubt his high origin. How he should
liked to have returned to the tribe to
parade before their envious gaze this
wondrous finery
Taking the body across his shoulders,
he moved more slowly through the trees
toward the little palsaded village for he
again needed arrows.
AS he approached quite close to the en-
closure he saw an excited group surround.
ing the two fugitives, who. trembling with
fright and exhaustion, were scarce able
to recount the uncanny details of their
adventure
Miranda. they said, who had been ahead
Of them a short distance, had suddenly
come screaming toward them, crying that
a terrible white and naked warrior was
pursuing him. The three of them had
hurried toward the village as rapidly as
their legs would carry them.
Again Mrando's shrill cry of mortal
terror had caused them to look back, and
there they had seen the most horrible
sight-their companion's body flying up-
wards into the trees, his arms and legs
beating the air and his tongue protruding
from his open mouth. No other sound
did he utter nor was there any creature
in sight about him.
The villagers were worked up into n
state of fear bordering on panic. but wise
old Mbonga affected to feel considerable
skeptlcism regarding the tale, and attrib-
uted the whole fabrication to their fright
In the face of some real danger
you tell us this great story" he said
because you do not dare to speak the
truth. You do not dare admit that when
the lion sprang upon Miranda you ran
away and left him. You are towards"
Scarcely had Mbonga ceased speaking
when a great crashing of branches In the
trees above them caused the blacks to
look up In renewed terror The sight that
met their eyes made even wise old
Mbonga shudder for there, turning and
twisting In the air, came the dead body
of Miranda. to sprawl with sickenlng
reverberation upon the ground at their
feet.
with one accord the blacks took to
their heels; nor did they stop until the
last of them was lost in the dense
of the surrounding jungle.
Again Tarzan came down into the viii
lage and renewed his supply of arrows.
and ate of the offering of food which the
blacks had made to appease his wrath.
Before he left he carried the body Of
Miranda to the gate of the village, and
propped It up against the palisade In
such a way that the dead race seemed
to be peering around the edge of the
pate-post down the path which led to the
jungle.
Then Tarzan returned. hunting. always |
hunting, to the cabin by the beach.
1t took dozen attempts on the part of |
the thoroughly frightened blacks to re-
enter their village. past the horrible, grin |
ming face of their dead fellow, and when |
they found the food and arrows gone |
they knew, what they had only too well |
feared. that Miranda had seen the evil |
spirit OF the jungle.
That now seemed TO them the logical |
Cilly WHO saw NIli9
terrible god of the jungle died; for was 1t |
not true that none left alive In the village |
had ever seen him? Therefore. those who |
had died at his hands must have seen |
him and paid the penalty with their lives. |
As long as they supplied him with ar
rows and food he would not harm them |
unless they looked upon him, so 1t was
ordered by Mbonga that in addition 20 |
the food offering there should also be |
laid out an offering of arrows for this !
and this was done |
from then on.
II you ever chance to pass that far of |
African village you will still see before
a tiny thatched hut built Just without
the village, little iron pot In which is a
quantity of food, and beside It a CULVER
Of well-daubed arrows.
When Tarzan came In sight of the
beach where stood his cabin. a strange
and unusual spectacle met his vision.
On the placid waters or the lsnd-locksd