Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-16

| iASiiy uollCu away
"Tantor," he said, at is good to be
alive. 1t is good to lie in the cool
shadows. 1t is good to look upon
the green trees and the bright col
ors of the flowers-upon everything
which Bulamutumumo has put here
for us. He is very good to us, Tan
tor; he has given you tender leaves
and bark, and rich grasses to eat;
to me He has given Bara and Horta
and Pisah, the fruits and the nuts
and the roots. He provides for each
the food that each likes best. All
that He asks is that we be strong
enough or cunning enough to go
forth and take it. Yes, Tantor, it
is good to live. should hate to die"
Tantor made little sound in his
throat and curled his trunk upward
that he might caress the ape-man's
cheek with the finger at its tip.
"Tantor," said Tarzan presently,
turn and feed in the direction of the
tribe of Kerchak, the great ape, that
Tarzan may ride home upon your
head without walking"
The tusker turned and moved
slowly off along broad, tree-arched
trail, pausing occasionally to pluck
a tender branch, or strip the edible
bark from an adjacent tree. Tarzan
sprawled face downward upon the
beasts head and back, his legs hang
ing on either side, his head supported
by his open palms, his elbows rest
ing on the broad Uranium. And thus
they made their leisurely way to-
ward the gathering place of the
tribe.
Just before they arrived at the
clearing from the north there reach
ed it from the south another figure
that of a well-knit black warrior,
who stepped cautiously through the
Jungle, every sense upon the alert
against the many dangers which
might lurk anywhere along the way.
Yet he passed beneath the southern
most sentry that was posted in a
great tree commanding the trail
from the south. The ape permitted
the Gomangani to pass unmolested,
for he saw that he was alone; but
the moment that the warrior had
entered the clearing loud "Kreeg-
ah!' rang out from behind him, i'm
mediately followed by chorus of
replies from different directions, as
the great bulls crashed through the
trees in answer to the summons of
their fellow.
The black man halted at the first
cry and looked about him. He could
see nothing, but he knew the voice
of the hairy tree men whom he and
his kind feared, not alone because of
the strength and ferocity of the saw
age beings, but as we'll through a
superstitious terror engendered by
the manlike appearance of the apes.
But Bulabantu was no coward. He
heard the apes all about him; he
knew that escape was probably i'm
possible, so he stood his ground, his
spear ready in his hand and war
cry trembling on his lips. He would
sell his life dearly, would Balu-
bantu, under-chief of the village of
Mbonga, the chief.
Tarzan and Tantor were but
short distance away when the first
cry of the sentry rang out through
the quiet jungle. Like a. fash the
ape-man leaped from the elephants
back to a nearby tree and was
swinging rapidly in the direction of
the clearing before the echoes of the
first "Kreeg-ah" had died away.
When he arrived he saw a dozen
bulls circling a single 'Gomangani.
With a blood-curdling scream Tar
zan sprang to the attack. He hated
the blacks even more than did the
apes, and here was an opportunity
for a kill in the open. What had
the Gomangani done? Had he slain
one of the tribe?
Tarzan asked the nearest ape. No,
the Gomangani had harmed none.
Gozan, being on watch, had seen him
coming through the forest and had
warned the tribe-that was all. The
ape-man pushed through the circle
of bulls, none of which as yet had
worked himself into sufficient frenzy
for a charge, and came where he
had full and close view of the
black. He recognized the man in
stantly. Only the night before he
had seen him facing the eyes In the
dark, while his fellows groveled in
the dirt at his feet, too terrified even
to defend themselves. Here was a
brave man, and Tarzan had deep ad-
miration for bravery. Even his
hatred of the blacks was not so
strong a passion as his love of
courage. He would have joyed in
battling with a black warrior at al
most any time; but this one he did
not wish to kill-he felt, vaguely,
that the man had earned his life by
his brave defense of it on the pre-
ceding night, nor did he fancy the
odds that were pitted against the
lone warrior.
He turned to the apes. go back
to your feeding" he said, "and let
this Gomangani go his way in peace.
He has not harmed us, and last night
| saw him fighting Numa and Sabcr