The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-06-15
He Spung Into a Tree

q esN~~~~N~~~N~sNNN~N ~sNSNe-NS>ese>Hes~>SHStD
Dark clouds moving swiftly across
the heavens now and again eclipsed
the bright face Of Goro, the moon,
and forewarned the ape-man OF I'M
pending storm. In the depth Of the
Jungle the cloud shadows produced
a thick blackness that might almost
be felt-a thickness that to you and
me might have proven terrifying
with its accompaniment Of rustling
leaves and cracking twigs, and its
even more suggestive intervals OF
utter silence in which the crudest Of
imaginations might have contured
crouching beasts OF prey tensed for
the fatal charge; but through II
Tarzan passed unconcerned YET al
ways alert. Now he swung lightly
to the lower terraces of the over
archiug trees when some subtle sense Z.
warned him that Numa lay upon a
kill directly in his path, or again he
sprang lightly to one side as Buto,
the rhinoceros numbered toward him
along the narrow, deep-worn trail,
for the ape-man, ready to fight upon
necessity's slightest preteXt, avoided
unnecessary quarrels.
When he swung himself at last into
the tree he sought, the moon was
obscured by heavy cloud, the tree
tops were waving wildly IN \ stead
lily increasing wind whose soughing
drowned the lesser noises Of the
jungle. Upward went Tarzan toward
sturdy crotchfacross which he long
since had laid and secured a little
platform Of branches. 1t was very
dark now, darker even than II had
been before, for almost the entire sky
was overcast by thick, black clouds.
Presently the man beast paused, his
sensitive nostrils dilating as he smiled
the air about him. Then, with the
swiftness and agility OF a cat he
leaped far outward upon a swayinE
branch, sprang upward through the
darkness, caught another, swung HIM
self upon II and then to one still
higher. What could have so suddenlv
trnsformead his matter of-fact ascAnl1
OF the giant bole to the swift ano
wary action Of his detour among thd
branches? You or / could have seen
nothing-not even the little platform
that an instant before had been iuat
eAbpNN nam bhh Whlbu IOW WAS Inn
mediately below-but as he swung
above 1t we should have heard IN
ominous growl, and then as the moon
was momentatly uncovered, wa
should have seen both the platform,
ulmly, and n dark mass that lay
stretched upon tia dark mass that
presently as our eyes became ac-
customed to the lesser darkness.
would take the form OF Sheeta, the
panther.
In answer to the cats growl, a low
ana equally ferocious growl rumbled
upward from the ape-man's deop
chest-a growl of warning that .Old
the panther he was trespassinR upoI,
the others lair, but Sheeta was in
no mood 10 be dispossessed. With
upturned, snarling face he Rlared AZ
tne brown-skinned Tarmangani above
MIN. very slowly the ape-man moved
inward along the branch until he was
directly above the panther, In the
mans hand was the hunting knife OF
his long-dead father-the weap non that
had first Given him his real ascendaneV
over the beasts OF the Jungle: but
he hoped not to be forced To use ~
Knowing as he did that more iunsIS
battles were settled by hidetdIa
growing than by actual combat, the
- = 'N'. ADldlhb quite as ROOD
IN the jungle as elsewhere-onIy IN
matters OF love and food did the
great beasts ordinarily close VIZ
fangs and talons.
Tarzan braced himself against tn
Dole OF the tree and leaned closes
toward Sheeta.
"Stealer of balus!" he cried tn.
panther rose TO sitting position. hrs
barred fangs but a few feet fnon, 80.
apesman.s haunting face. Tarza'S
sroWled hideously and struck M ths
cats face with his knife. ''is
i am Tarzan OF the Anasu -.
roared. This Is Tarzan's lair a."
or will kill you" Though he 49,
IN the language OF the great 49, 1880 ~
the jungle II is doubtful that Shoata
,unueIstood the words, though ~
knew wei enough that the bairIsss
ape, wished 10 frighten him from, NJ
well-chosen station past which sd,his
creatures might be expected IN S1an
ger sometime during the watches az
Like lightning the cat rearad .na
struck a vicious blow at his tory,,o,,., ~.
with great, barred talons thai rot,sS,t
wen nave torn away the ans-n,as,ss.
race had the blow landed, ma a. ~
not land-TarzaR was even C,,is, ~
than Sheeta. AS the panther care ~.
an tours again upon the llttIa 49,
FORM Tarzan unslung his heavy ne :
and prodded AZ the snarllnR fac. 49,
az Sheeta warded OF the blovc an tho
two continued their horrid ~. the
blood CurdHnor tnor. - ~ NuoI OF