The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-01-21
CHAPTER xv,II.
Aoms,.

I -17-
Home.
Az Tarzan of the Apes hurtled
through the trees the discordant
sounds Of the battle between the Abys-
sinians and the Hons smote more and
more distinctly upon his sensitive ears.
redoubling his assurance that the
plight of the human element OF the
conflict was critical indeed.
At last the glare Of the camp fire
shofie plainly through the intervening
trees, and moment later the giant
agure of the ape-man paused upon an
oyerhanging bough to look down upon
the bloody scene of carnage below.
His quick eye took in the whole
scene with q single comprehending
dance and stopped upon the figure OF
3 woman standing facing great lion
across the carcass Of horse.
The carnivore was crouching to
urine N Tarzan discovered the tragic
tsbleau. Numa was almost beneath
the branch upon which the ape-man
stood. naked and unarmed. There was
not even an instant's hesitation upon
the part Of the latter-it was as
though he had not even pausedan his
swift progress through the trees. so
hehtning-like his survey and compre-
hepsion Of the scene below him-so in
stantaneous his consequent action.
Wide went Jane Clayton's eyes In
wonder and incredulity as she beheld
this seeming apparition risen from the
dead. The lion was forgotten-her
swn everything save the won
drous miracle Of this strange recru-
descence.
the shoulder of the lion. hurtling
against the leaping beast like huge,
animate batterihg ram. She saw the
carnivore brushed aside as he was al
most upon her, and in the instant she
realized that no substanceless wrath
could thus turn the charge of a mad
dened lion with brute ferce greater
than the brute's.
Tarzan, her Tarzan. lived A cry of
unspeakable gladness broke from her
lips, only to die In terror as she saw
the utter defenseless of her mate and
realized that the lion had recovered
himself and was turning upon Tarzan
In mad lust for vengeance.
At the ape-man's feet lay the dis
carded rifle Of the dead Abyssinian
whose mutilated corpse sprawled
where Numa had abandoned 1t. The
quick glance which had swept the
ground for some weapon Of defense
discovered it, and as the lion reared
upon his hind legs to seize the rash
man-thing who had dared interpose ita
puny strength between Numa and his
prey, the heavy stock whirred through
the air and splintered upon the broad
forehead.
Not a. an ordinary mortal might
strike q blow did Tarzan of the Apes
strike, but with the maddened frenzy
Of q wild beast backed by the steel
thews which his wild. arboreal boy
hood had bequeathed him. When thu
blow ended the splintered stock was
driven through the splintered skull iRtt
the savage brain. and the heavy iror
barrel was bent into rude v.
In the instant that the lion sanf
ufeless - the ground Jane Claytor
threw herself into the eager arms oi
her husband. For a brief instant ht
strained her dear form to his breast
and then glance, about him awakened
the ape-man to the dangers which stil
Suxrounded them.
! The blacks who had witnessed hi.
advent looked on In amazement a
they saw the naked giant leap easil!
into the branches Of the tree from
whence he had dropped SO uncannil,
upon the scene and vanish as he hat
come, bearing away their prisoner will
him.
Unmoiested, Tarzan passed from tn
camp Of the Abyssinians, from whicl
the din 'of conflict followed him deel
into the Jungle until distance gradu
ally obliterated 1t entirely.
Back 10 the spot where he had lef
Werper twent the ape-man. joy In hi
heart ndw, where fear and sorrow ha,
so rece4tiy reigned, and In his min
determination to forgive the Belgia
and aid him In making good his escape
But when he came to the place Wer
per was gone, and though Tarza
called aloud many times he receive
no reply: Convinced that the man ha
purposefy eluded him for reasons o
his own, John Clayton felt that he wa
under no obligations to expose his wifi
to further danger and discomfort 1
the prosecution of more thoroug
search for the missing Belgian.
HE has acknowledged his guilt b
his flight, Jane" he said. I'VE wi
let him go to lie in the bed that h
has made for himself.
Straight AZ homing pigeons the tw
made their way toward the ruin an
desolation that had once been the cel
ter of their happy lives, and whic
was soon to be restored by the willin
black hands Of laughing laborer
made happy again by the return
the master and mistress whom the
had moufned as dead.
Past the village Of Achmet Eek the