The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-03-05

too. these legends always held forth
the hope that some day that nameless
continent from which their race had
sprung would rise once more out Of
the sea and with slaves ar the long
sweeps would send her caryen, gold
packed galleys forth to succor the
long-exiled colonists.
The coming of Tarzan had aroused
within Las breast the wild hope that
at last the fulfillment of this ancient
prophecy was at hand; but more
strongly still had 1t aroused the hot
fires of love in heart that never 9TH
erwise would have known the meaning
of that all-consuming passion, for such
a wondrous creature as La could never
have felt love for any of the repulsiye
priests of Opar. Custom, duty and re-
ligious zeal might have commanded
the union; but there could have been
no love on Las part. She had grown
to young womanhood a cold and heart
less creature, daughter of thousand
other cold, heartless, beautiful women
who had never known love. And so
when love came to her it liberated all
the pent passions of thousand gen.
erations, Transforming La into pulls
ing, throbbing volcano of desire, and
with desire thwarted this great force
of love and gentleness and sacrifice
was transmitted by its own fires into
one of hatred and revenge
1t was in state of mind superin-
duced by these conditions that La led
forth her jabbering company to re-
trieve the sacred emblem of her high
office and wreak vengeance upon the
author of her wrongs. He should be
tortured. His should be slow and
frightful death. His punishment should
be adequate to the immensely of his
crime. He had wrested the sacred
knife from La /; he had lain sacrilegious
hands upon the High Priestess of the
Flaming God; he had desecrated the
altar and the temple. For these things
he should die; but he had scorned the
love Of La, the woman and for this he
should die horribly with great anguish.
The march of La and her priests
was not without its adventures. I'm
used were these to the ways of the
jungle, since seldom did any venture
forth from behind Opar's crumbling
walls. yet their very numbers protect-
ed them and so they came without ia
talities far along the trail of Tarzan
and Werper. Three great apes accom-
panied them and to these was dele
gated the business Of tracking the
quarry, feat beyond the senses of
the Oparians. La commanded. She
was hard taskmaster, too, for she
looked down with loathing and con-
tempt upon the misshapen creatures
amongst which cruel fate had thrown
her and to some extent vented upon
them her dissatisfaction and her
thwarted love. She made them build
her a strong protection and shelter
each night and keep great fire burn
she tired of walking they were forced
to carry her upon an improvised litter
nor did one dare to question her au-
thority or her right to such services.
For many days they marched. the
apes following the trail easily and
going little distance ahead Of the
body of the caravan that they might
warn the others of impending danger.
1t was during monday halt while all
were lying resting after a tiresome
march that one of the apes rose sud-
denly and shifted the breeze. In low
cultural he cautioned the others to
silence and moment later was swing
ing quietly up wind into the jungle.
La and the priests gathered silently
together, the hideous little men fin
gering their knives and bludgeons, and
awaited the return of the shaggy an
thropoid.
Nor had they long to wait before
they saw him emerge from a leafy
thicket and approach them. Straight
to La he came and in the language of
language of decadent Opar, he adj
dressed her.
'The great Tarmangani lies asleep
there" he said, pointing in the direc-
ton from which he had just come.
Come and we can kill him."
do not kill him." commanded La
in cold tones. Bring the great Tar
mangani to me alive and unhurt. The
vengeance is Las. Go; but make no
sound!" and she waved her hands to
include all her followers.
Cautiously the weird party crept
through the jungle in the wake of the
great ape until at last he halted them
with raised hand and pointed up
ward little ahead. There they saw
the giant form of the ape-man
stretched along low bough and even
in sleep one hand grasped stout limb
and one strong, brown leg reached out
and overlapped another. At ease lay
Tarzan of the Apes. sleeping heavily
upon a full stomach and dreaming of
Numa, the lion, and Horta. the boar.
and other creatures of the jungle. No
intimation of danger assaulted the dor
mant faculties of the ape-man-he
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