The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-01-30
CHAPTER lll.-continued.

Behind him that morning another
white man pondered something he had
heard during the night and very near
ly did he give up his project and turn
back upon his trail. It was Werper,
who in the still of the night had heard
far away upon the trail ahead Of him
a sound that had filled his cowardly
soul with terror--a sound such as he
never before had heard in all his life,
nor dreamed that such a frightful
thing could emanate from the lungs
Of God-created creature. He had
heard the victory cry Of the bull ape
as Tarzan had screamed it forth into
the face of Goro, the moon, and he had
trembled then and hidden his face !;
and now in the broad light of a new
day he trembled again as he recalled
it, and would have turned back from
the nameless danger the echo of that
frightful sound seemed to portend,
had he not stood in even greater fear
o. Achmet Eek, his master.
And so Tarzan of the Apes forged
steadily ahead toward Opar's ruined
ramparts and behind him skunk Wer-
per, jackal-like, and only God knew
what lay in store for each.
At the edge of the desolate valley,
overlooking the golden domes and
minarets of Opar. Tarzan halted. BY
night he would go alone to the treas
ure vault, accommodating, for he had
determined that caution should mark
his every move upon this expedition.
With the coming Of night he set
forth, and Werper, who had scaled the
cliffs alone behind the ape-man's party,
and hidden through the day among the
rough boulders of the mountain top,
skunk stealthily after him. He saw
the giant ape-man swing himself
nimbly up the face Of the great rock.
Werper, clawing fearfully during the
perilous ascent, sweating in terror, al
most palsied by fear, but spurred on
by ayarice, followed upward, until at
last he stood upon the summit of the
rocky hill.
Tarzan was nowhere In sight. For a
time Werper hid behind one of the
lesser boulders that were scattered
over the top of the hill, but, seeing or
hearing nothing Of the Englishman, he
crept from his place Of concealment to
undertake systematic search of his
surroundings, in the hope that he
might discover the location Of the
treasure in ample time to make his
escape before Tarzan returned, for it
was the Belgian's desire merely to To-
cate the gold so that, after Tarzan had
departed, he might come in safety with
his followers and carry away as much
as he could transport.
He found the narrow cleft leading
downward into the heart of the kopje
along weil-worn, granite steps. He
advanced quite to the dark mouth of
the tunnel into which the runway dis
appeared; but here he halted, fearing
to enter, lest he meet Tarzan return
ing.
The ape-man, far ahead Of him,
CROPPED his way along the rocky pas
sage, until he came to the ancient
wooden door. A moment later he stood
within the treasure chamber, where,
ages since, 1ong-dead hands had ranged
the lofty rows Of precious ingots for
the rulers of that great continent which
nov lies submerged beneath the wa
tiers of the Atlantic.
There was no evidence that another
had discovered the forgotten wealth
since last the ape-man had visited its
hiding place. Satisfied, Tarzan turned
and retraced his steps toward the sum-
NIT of the kopje. Werper, from the
concealment of a jutting granite Shout
der, watched him pass up from the
shadow of the stairway and advance
toward the edge of the hill which faced
the rim Of th., valley where the Waziri
awaited tn. signal Of their master.
Then Werperv slipping stealthily from
his hiding place. dropped into the SOM
Der darkness of the entrance and dis
appeared.
Tarzan, hating upon the kopje's
edge raised his voice In the thunder
GUS roar of lion. Twice, at regular
intervals, he repeated the call, stand
ing in attentive silence for several
minutes after the echoes of the third
call had died away. And then. from
far across the valley, family came an
answering roar-once, twice, thrice.
Basuli, the Waziri chieftain. had
heard and replied.
Tarzan again made his way toward
the treasure vault, knowing that In
few hours his blacks would be with
him, ready to bear away another for
tune in the strangely shaped, golden
lng0ts Of 0Dar. In the meantime he