The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-03-12

then she awoke, and slowly the smile
faded and her eyes went wide in hor-
ror as the significance Of the death
chant impinged upon her understand
ing.
"Love me, Tarzan !" she cried. 'Love
me, and you shall be saved"
Tarzan's bonds hurt him. He was
suffering the tortures Of long-restricted
circulation. With an angry growl he
rolled over with his back toward La.
That was her answer! The high
priestess leaped to her feet. A hot
flush of shame mantled her cheek and
then she went dead white and stepped
to the shelters entrance.
"Come, priests of the Flaming God"
she cried, land make ready the sac
rifice."
The warped things advanced and
entered the shelter. They laid hands
upon Tarzan and bore him forth, and
as they chanted they kept time with
their crooked bodies, swaying to and
fro to the rhythm Of their song of
blood and death. Behind them came
La, swaying too; but not in unison
with the chanted cadence. White and
drawn was the face of the high priest
ess-white and drawn with unrequited
love and hideous terror of the mo-
ments to come. Yet stern in her re-
solve was La. The infidel should die I!
The scorner of her love should pay
the price upon the fiery altar. She
saw them lay the perfect body there
upon the rough branches. She saw
the high priest, he to whom Gus
tom would unite her-bent, crooked,
gnarled, stunted, hide0us-advance
with the flaming torch and stand
awaiting her command to apply it to
the faggots surrounding the sacrificial
pyre. His hairy, bestial face was dis
torted in yellow-fanged grin of an
ticipatory enjoyment. His hands were
cupped to receive the life blood of the
victim-the red nectar that at Opar
would have filed the golden sacrificial
goblets.
La approached with appraised knife,
her face turned toward the rising sun
and upon her lips prayer to the
burning deity of her people. The high
priest looked questioningly toward
her-the brand was burning close to
his hand and the faggots lay tempt
ingly near. Tarzan closed his eyes
and awaited the end. He knew that
he would suffer, for he recalled the
faint memories of past burns. He
knew that he would suffer and die.
but he did not finch. Death is no
great adventure to the jungle Bred
who walk hand in hand with the grim
specter by day and lie down at his
side by night through all the years of
their lives. AS matter of fact, as
his end approached his mind was oc-
cupied by thoughts of the pretty peb-
bles he had lost, yet his every faculty
was still open to what passed around
him.
He felt La lean over him and he
opened his eyes. He saw her white,
drawn face and he saw the tears
binding her eyes. "Tarzan, my Tar
zan!' she moaned, "tell me that you
love me-that you will return to Opar
with me-and you shall live. Even In
the face of the anger of my people /
will save you. This last chance give
you. What is your answer"
At the last moment the woman in La
had triumphed over the high .priestess
of cruel cult. With heaving bosom
she leaned close above him. Eyes or,
n0?" she whispered.
Through the jungle. out of the dis
lance, came family a sound that
brought sudden light of hope to
Tarzan's eyes. He raised his voice
in weird scream that sent La back
from him step or two. The impa-
tient priest grumbled and switched the
torch from one hand to the other. at
the same time holding it closer to the
finder at the base of the pyre.
"Your answerw insisted La. "What
is your answer to the love of La of
Oparf"