Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-01
CHAPTER XI-(ContinuedI

w cartridge, when, during n lull 81
the fighting, he called aloud to hi
opponent.
I "Achmet Eek" he cried, ALLAN alon,
knows which one of us may leave MI
bones to rot where he lies upon thi
trail today IL we keep up our foolisl
battle. You wish the contents Of tn,
pouch wear about my waist. and
than 1 do the Jewels. Let us each
then, take that which he most desires
and go our separate ways in peace.
will lay the pouch upon the carcass oi
you, In turn, will lay your gun upor
your horse. with butt toward me. Their
] will go away. leaving the pouch tc
YOU, and you will let me go in safety
want only my life and my freedom
The Arab thought in silence for a
moment. Then he spoke. His reply
was influenced by the fact that he had
expended his last shot.
GO your way. then" he growled
leaving the pouch in plain sight be.
hind you. See, lay my gun thus
with the butt toward you. Col"
Werper removed the pouch from
about his waist. Sorrowfully and af.
fectionately he let his fingers press
the hard outlines of the contents. All,
IL he could but extract little handful
of the precious stones! But Achmet
Eek was standing now, his eagle eyes
commanding a plain view OF the Bel
an and his every act.
.Regretfully werper laid the pouch,
contents undisturbed, upon the
ody of the horse rose, and backed
'lowly down the trail until a turn
q him from the view Of the watch.
.ul Arab.
EAen then Achmet Eek did not ad
,e, fearful as he was of some such
e cry as he himself might have
guilty of under like Circum.
es: nor were his suspicious
ldless; for the Belgian, no soon.
Id he passed out OF the range of
Arabs vision, halted behind the
Of a tree and raising his rifle
vered the spot where the others
dy must appear when he came for
to seize the treasure.
Achmet Ze' was no fool to en-
himself to the blackened honor
thief and a murderer. Taking
ms long gun with him, he left the
trail, entering the rank and tangled
vegetation which walled it, and crawl
ing slowly forward on hands and
knees he paralleled the trail; but
never was his body exposed to the
rife of the hidden assassin.
Thus Achmet Eek advanced until
he had come opposite 10 the dead
horse Of his enemy. A short distance
along the trail Werper waiting In
growing impatience and nervousness,
wondering why the Arab did notrome
TO claim his reward.
Presently he saw the muzzle OF a
rife appear suddenly and mysterious.
" few inches above the pouch, and
before he could realize the cunning
ick that the Arab had played upon
m the sight of the weapon was
--roitly hooked into the rawhide thong
which formed the carrying strap of
the pouch, and the latter was drawn
quickly from his view.
Nor for an instant had the raider
exposed a square inch of his body,
and Werper dared not fire his one re-
naming shot unless sure of a success
tul hit.
Chuckling TO himself, Achmet Eek
withdrew a few PAGES further into the
Jungle, for he was as positive that
Werper was waiting nearby for n
chance to pot him as though his eyes
had penetrated the jungle TO the fig
ure OF the Belgian.
Werper did not dare advance; his
upidity would not permit him 10 de-
art, and so he stood there, his rife
edy in his hands. his eyes watching
e trail.
But there was another who had seen |
ne pouch and recognized it, who did
Idvance with AChmet Eek, lowering
above him, as silent and as sure as
Death itself, and as the Arab, finding
a little spot less ovcrgrown with
bushes than he had yet encountered, |
prepared to gloat his eyes upon the
contents of the pouch, Tarzan paused /
directly above him.
Wetting his thin lips with his
tongue Achmet Eek loosenod the tic ,
strings which closed the mouth of tho /
pouch, and cupping one clawlike hand, /
poured forth a portion Of the contents
TO his palm.
single look he took at the stones
aay In his hand. His eyes narrowed,
noirse broke from his lips, and he
X a the small objects upon the
X nd disdsinfully. Quickly he emp
I'd the balance OF the contents until
\ had scanned each separate stone,
q IS he dumped them all upon the
und and stamped upon them his
grew until the muscles OF his
worked IN fury. and his fingers