Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1920-02-27
CHAPTER w.
The Altar of the Flaming God.

| AThe Altar of the Flaming God.
| Tt was at the moment that Tarzan
| turned from the closed door to pursue
| his way to the outer world. The thing
came without warning. One instant
all was quier and stability-the next,
the world rocked, the tortured sides of
| the narrow passageway split and crum-
| bled, great blocks Of granite, dislodged
| from the ceiling. tumbled into the mar
| row way, choking it. and the walls
| bent inward upon the wreckage. Be
meath the blow of q fragment OF the
roof, Tarzan staggered back against
| the door to the treasure room, his
| weight pushed it open and his Dody
| rolled inward upon the floor.
There was but the single shock, no
| other followed tor complete the dam
age un dertaken by the first. Werper.
| thrown to his length by the sudden
ness and violence of the disturbance,
staggered to his feet when he found
| himself unhurt. Cropping his way to-
| ward the far end of the chamber, he
sought the candle which TarZan had
| left stuck in its own wax upon the
| protruding end of an ingot.
| BY striking numerous matches the
Belgian at last found what he sought
| and when, a moment later, the sickly
| rays relieved the Stygian darkness
| about him, he breathed a nervous sigh
of relief, for the impenetrable gloom
| had accumulated the terrors Of his
| situation.
| AS they became accustomed to the
| light the man turned his eyes toward
the door-his one thought now was Of
escape from this frightful tomb--and
as he did so he saw the body of the
| naked giant lying stretched upon the
| floor just within the doorway. Werper
drew back in sudden fear of detection;
but g second glance convinced him
| that the Epglishman was dead. From
a great cash in the mans head pool
! of blood had collected upon the con-
crete floor.
Quickly, the Belgian leaped over the
PROSTATE form of his erStwhile host,
and without a thought of succor for
the man in whom, for aught he knew,
| life still remained. he bolted for the
passageway and safety.
! But his renewed hopes were soon
dashed. Just beyond the doorway he
found the passage completely clogged
and choked by impenetrable masses of
shattered rock. Once more he turned
| and re-entered the treasure vault. TAX
| ing the candle from it's place he COM
menced a systematic search of the
apartment, nor had he gone far before
he discovered another door in the OPP
| posite end of the room, door which
gave upon creaking hinges to the
weight of his body. Beyond the door
| lay another narrow passageway. Along
/ this Werper made his way, ascending
| a fight of stone steps to another CORR
dor twenty feet above the level OF the
| first.
Before hin, was circular shaft. He
held the candle above 1t and peered
/ downward. Below him. at great dis
lance. he saw the light reflected back
| from the surface OF pool of water.
He had come upon a well. He raised
| the candle above his head and peerec
| across the black void, and there upon
| the opposite side he saw the conEinu-
alton of the tunnel; but how as he TO
| span the gulf?
AS he stood there measuring the dis-
| lance to the opposite side and woIdSr-
| Ing if he dared venture SO great eapt
there broke suddenly upon his startled
ears a piercing scream which dlmin-
ished gradually until it ended In
series of dismal means.
/ The Belgian shuddered and Looked
| fearfully upward. for the scream had
seemed to come from above him. As
he looked he saw an opening far over
head, and a patch of sky pinked
brilliant stars.
He listened fearfully, but
| was not repeated, and at las
TO desperate means, he gait
self for the leap across the
| ing back twenty PAGES. he toS
ming start, and at the edge OF
leaped upward and outward I'M
tempt to gain the opposite side.
In his hand he clutched the
tering candle, aud as he took thu
the rush of air extinguished IL
utter darkness he few through 81
clutching<,outward for hold SD
his feet Hiss the invisible ledge.
He st{uck the edge q the fiocr
tho o. site terminus \ls rocky
= his knees, bad
xv,r-o+al ~