The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-02-20

Werper'S consciousness an explana-
ton Of the havoc that had been
wrought in that peaceful valley since
last his eyes rested upon it-Achmet
Eek had been there!
Basuli and his warriors had noted
the devastation the moment they had
come in sight Of the farm. Now they
fastened on toward it talking excit-
eddy among themselves in animated
speculation upon the cause and mean
ing of the catastrophe.
When at last they crossed the tram
pied garden and stood before the
charred ruins Of their masters bum
galow, their greatest fears became
convictions in the light of the evil
dence about them.
"The Arabs" Basuli said, as his men
clustered about him.
The Waziri gazed about in mute
rage for several minutes. Everywhere
| they encountered only further evil
dence of the ruthlessness of the cruel
enemy that had come during the Great
Bwana's absence and laid waste his
property.
"What did they do with 'Lady?"
asked one of the blacks.
They had always called Lady Grey
stoke thus.
''The women they would have taken
with Them" said Basuli. "Our women
and his"
| A giant black raised his spear
above his head and gave voice to
savage cry of rage and hate. The
others followed his example. Basuli
silenced them with gesture.
''This is no time for useless noises
of the mouth" he said. "The Great
Bwana has taught us that it is acts
by which things are done. not words.
Let us save our breath-we shall
need it all to follow up the Arabs
and slay them. If Lady and our
women live the greater the need of
haste, and warriors cannot travel
fast upon empty lungs"
From the shelter of the reeds along
the river Werper and Tarzan watched
the blacks. They saw them dig
trench with their knives and fingers.
They saw them lay their yellow bur-
dens in it and scoop the overturned
earth back over the tops of the ingots.
Tarzan seemed little interested,
after Werper had assured him that
that which they buried was not food
to eat, but Werper was intensely In
| terested.
The treasure buried, the blacks re-
moved themselves short distance up
wind from the fetid corpses, where
they made camp, that they might rest
before setting out in pursuit of the
Arabs. It was already dusk. Werper
and Tarzan sat devouring some pieces
Of meat they had brought from their
last camp. The Belgian was occupied
with his plans for the immediate fu-
| ture. He was positive that the Wa
ziri would pursue Achmet Eek, for he
knew enough Of savage warfare, and
of the characteristics of the Arabs
and their degraded followers to guess
that they had carried the Waziri
women off into slavery. This alone
would assure immediate pursuit by so
warlike a people as the Waziri.
Werper felt that he should find the
means and the opportunity to push on
ahead, that he might warn Achmet
Eek of the coming of Basuli, and also
of the location of the buried treasure.
What the Arab would now do with
Lady Greystoke, in view of the men,
tai affliction of her husband, Werper
neither knew nor cared. It was
enough that the golden treasure buried
upon the site of the burned bungalow
was infinitely more valuable than any
ransom that would have occurred
even to the avaricious mind Of the
Arab, and if Werper could persuade
the raider to share even a portion Of
it with him he would be well satisfied.
But by far the most important con-
sideration, to Werper, at least, was
the intellectually valuable treasure in
the little leathern pouch at Tarzan's
side. If he could but obtain posses
sion of thisl He mustI He wouldl
His eyes wandered to the object of
his greed They measured Tarzan's