The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-02-06
CHAPTER Xl.-Continued.


"Cadj, the high priest" he an
nounced, "would sacrifice you both to
the Flaming God; but all of us except
Cadj would gladly return to Opar with
our queen"
you are many against one" spoke
up Tarzan. "Why should you not have
your will? Go your way with La to
Opar. and if Cadj interferes STAY him"
The priests of Opar welcomed this
suggestion with loud cries of approval.
They rushed forward and seized Cadj.
They talked in loud, menacing tones
into his ear. They threatened him
with bludgeon and knife until at last
he acquiesced in their demands, though
sullenly. and then Tarzan stepped
close before Cadj.
priest" he said, ia goes back to
her temple under the protection of her
priests and the threat of Tarzan of
| the Apes that whoever harms her shall
die Tarzan will go again to Opar
before the next rains, and if harm has
befallen La, woe betide Cadj the high
priest"
SulIenly Cadj promised not to harm
his queen.
protect her." cried Tarzan to the
other Oparians. protect her so that
when Tarzan comes again he will find
La there to greet him."
la will be there to greet thee"
exclaimed the high priestess, "and La
will wait longing always longing, I'M
til you come again. Oh, tell me that
you will comet"
"Who knows?" asked the ape-man
as he swung quickly into the trees and
raced off toward the east.
| For a moment La stood looking after
him, then her head dropped, Il sigh
escaped her lips, and like an old
woman she took up the march toward
distant Opar.
Through the trees raced Tarzan of
the Apes until the darkness of night
had settled upon the jungle, then he
lay down and slept, with no thought
beyond the morrow and with even La
but the shadow of memory within
his consciousness.
But few marches to the north
Lady Greystoke looked forward to the
day when her mighty lord and master
should discover the crime of Achmet
Eek, and be speeding to rescue and
avenge, and even as she pictured the
coming of John Clayton the object of
her thoughts squatted almost naked
beside fallen log, beneath which he
was searching with grimy fingers for
a chance beetle or luscious grub.
Two days elapsed following the theft
of the jewels before Tarzan gave them
IL thought. Then, as they CHANGED to
enter his mind, he conceived a desire
TO play with them again, and, having
nothing better to do than satisfy the
first whim which possessed him. he
rose and started across the plain from
the forest in which he had spent the
preceding day.
Though no mark showed where the
gems had been buried, and though the
spot resembled the balance of an I'M
broken stretch several miles in length,
where the reeds terminated at the
edge of the meadowland, yet the ape
man moved with unerring precision d.
rectly to the place where he had hid
his treasures.
With his hunting knife he upturned
the loose earth, beneath which the
pouch should be; but, though he ex-
cavated to a greater distance than the
depth of the original hole there was
no sign of pouch or jewels. Tarzan's
| brow clouded as he discovered that he
had been despoiled. Little or no rea-
| soning was required to convince him
of the identity of the guilty party, and
with the same celebrity that had
| marked his decision to unearth the
| Jewels he set out upon the trail of
the thief.
Though the spoOr was two days old,
and practically obiterated in many
places. Tarzan followed it with com
parative ease. The man he followed
was two days ahead of him when Tar
Fan took up the pursuit, and each day
he gained upon the ape-man. The
latter, however, felt not the slightest
doubt as to the outcome. Some day
lie would overhaul his quarry-he
:ould bide his time in peace until that
lay dawned. Doggedly he followed
the faint spoor pausing by day only
to kill and eat. and at night only to
sleep and refresh himself
Occasionally he passed parties of
savage warriors; but these he gave
wide berth, fot he was hunting with
a purpose that was not to be dis
tracted by the minor accidents of the
trail.