Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-20
'I6e SONOF TARZAN

swung to the ground and started NJ a hris,r
Walk toward the snfari He was A hundred
ysros away, perhaps, when one OF the
whites caught sight of him.
The man gave q shout Of alarm irstar,lv
levellng his riRe upon the how ana hr,ne
Ine bullet struck Just In front Of its mark
scattering turf and fallen leaves against
the lads legs "A second later tho other
white and the black soldiers Of the rear
guard were firing Historically at him,
Jack leaped behind tree, unhIt. Davs
OF panlc-ridden flight through tho iungia
nau flled Carl Jensen and Sven Malbhn
WIN langling nerves and their native bows
WIN unreasoniug terror. Every new note
from behind sounded to their frightened
ears ears the coming OF the shelk and his blood
thirsty followers
They were in blue funk, and the sight
OF tne naked white warrior stepping silently
out OF the jungle through which they had
Jusl passed had been a sufficient shock TO
let loose In action all the pent nerve energy
OF Malbihn, who had been the first to see
tne strange apparition. And Malbihns
shout and shot had set the others going.
When their nervous energy had spent IT.
SELF, and they came to take stock of what
they had been fighting, II developed that
Malbihn alone had seen anything clearly.
Several of the blacks averred that they too,
had obtained good view of the creature
but their descriptions of Il varied 80 greatly
that Jensen, who had seen nothing him
self, was inclined TO be a trife skepa.cai
One of the blacks insisted that the thing
had been IL feet tall. with a mans body
and the head of an elephant. Another had
seen three immense Arabs with huge, black
boards: but when, after conduering their
nervousness, the rear guard advanced upon
the enemy's position TO investigate they
found nothing, for Akut and the boy had
retreated out Of range of the unfrlendly
guns.
Jack was disheartened and sad. He had
not entirely recovered from the depressing
effect of the unfriendly reception he had
received at the hands of the blacks, and
now he had found an even more hostile
one accorded him by men of his own color.
"'rhe lesser beasts flee from me in ter
roll" he murmured half to himself; "the
greater beasts are ready to tear me to
pieces at sight. Black men would kill me
with their spears or arrows. And now
white men, my own kind, have fired upon
and driven me away.
Are all the creatures of the world my
enemies7 Has the son of Tarzan no friend
other than Akut?"
The old ape drew closer to the boy.
There are the great apes" he said
"They only will be the friends of Akut's
friend. Only the great apes win welcome
the son of TarzRn. You have seen that
men want nothing of you. Let us 60 now
and continue our search for the great apes
our people,"
The language of the great apes ls COM
bnaton of monosyllabic gutturals, ampli.
fled by gestures and signs. 1t may not be
literally translated into human speech, but
as near as may be this is what Akut said
to the boy.
The two proceeded in silence for some
time after Akut had spoken, The boy was
immersed in deep thought--bitter thoughts
in which hatred and revenge predomlnated
Finally he spoke. Very WELL AkutF he
said I'VE will find our friends the great
apes"
The anthropoid was overjoyed, but he
| gave no outward demonstration of his
pleasure. A low grunt was his only re-
sponse and a moment later he had leapet
nimbly upon small and unwary rodent
that had been surprised at a fatal distance
from it's tburrow. Tearing the unhappy
creature in two, Akut handed the lions
share to the lad.