Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-05
CHAPTER XIV
The Messenger of Death

CHAPTER XIV
The Messenger OF Death
THE sun rose to see the forces Of
L ia don still held at the pulace gate.
The old warrior had seized the tall
structure that stood just beyond the
palace. and at the summit Of this he
kept n warrior stationed to look toward
the northern wall Of the palace where
Ia den was to make his attack but
as the minutes wore into hours no
sign of the other force appeared, and
now in the full light Of the new sun
upon the roof Of ore Of the palace
buildings appeared Lu u-don, the high
priest, Mos the pretender, and the
strange, naked figure Of man, into
whose long hair and beard were woven
fresh ferns and flowers. Behind them
were banked score Of lesser priests,
who chanted in unison: ''Thls Is Jad-
ben Otho. Lay down your arms and
surrender" This they repeated again
and again, alternating IL with the cry
'"The false Dor ul ohio is a prisoner.
In one Of those lulls which are COM
mon in battles between forces armed
with weapons that require great phys
ical effort in their use. voice sud-
Genly arose from among the followers
of ia don: "Show us the Dor-ul
Ohio. We do not believe you"
wait" cried Lu don. IF I 90
not produce him before the sun has
moved his own width, the gates of the
palace shall be opened to you and my
warriors will lay down their arms"
He returned to one Of his priests and
issued brief instructions.
The ape-man paced the confines OF
his narrow cell. Bitterly he reproached
h,p,co1f Gov ba Pa pi5ity whinh haH mn
him into this trap. and yet was it stu
pidity? What else might he have done
other than rush to the succor Of his
mate? He wondered how they had
stolen her from ia lur, and then sud-
denly there flashed to his mind the
features of the warrior whom he had
just seen with her. They were strange
ly familiar. He racked his brain to
recall where he had seen the man be-
fore and then it came to him. He was
| the strange warrior who had Joined ia
Gon's forces outside Of Ja-lur the day
that Tarsan had ridden upon the great
gryf from the uninhabited forge next
to the Kor- ia down to the capital
city Of the chieftain of the north But
VINO could the man be? Tarzan knew
that never before that other day had
he seen him.
Presently he heard the changing Of
gong from the corridor without aud
very family the rush Of feet, and shouts.
He guessed that his warriors had been
discovered and a fight in progress. He
fretted and chafed at the chance that
had denied him participation In 1t.
Again and again he tried the doors
Of his prison and the trap In the center
of the floor, but none would give to his
utmost endeavors. He strained his eyes
toward the aperture above but he could
see nothing, and then he continued his
futile Facing to and fro like Gagged
lion behind its bars.
The minutes dragged slowly into
hours. Family sounds came to him as
of shouting men at great distance.
The battle was in progress. He won.
dered If ia don would be victorious and
should he be, would his friends ever
discover him in this hidden chamber in
the bowels of the hill? He doubted
it.
And now as he looked again toward
the aperture in the roof there appeared
to be something depending through its
center. He came closer and strained
his eyes to Sec Yes, there was some
thing there. 1t appeared to be a rope.
Iarzan wondered If it had been there all
the time. 1t must have, he reasoned,
aud ir Wus 80 dprk within the chamber
that he might easily have overlooked
1t.
He raised his hand toward It, The
end of it was just within his reach. He
bore his weight upon 1t to see II 1t
would hold him.
Then he released il and backed away,
still watching il, as you have seen an
animal do after investigating some un
familiar object, one of the little traits
that differentiated TarZan from other
men, accentuating his similarity to the
savage beasts of his native jungle.
Again and again he touched and tested
the braided leather rope, and always
he listened for any warning sound from
above.
He was very careful not to step upon
the trap at any time and when finally
he bore all his weight upon the rope and
took his feet from the floor he spread
them wide apart so that II he fell he
would fall astride the trap. The rope
held him. There was no sound from
above, nor any from the trap below.
Slowly and cautiously he drew him
self upward, hand over hand. Nearer
and nearer the roof he came In mo-.
ment his eyes would be above the level
of the floor above. Already his extended
arms projected into the upper chamber
and then something closed suddenly
upon both his forcarms, pinioning them
tightly and leaving him hanging In mid
air unable to advance or retreat.
Immediately light appeared in the
room above him and presently he saw
the hideous mask of priest peering
down upon him. In the priests hands
were leathcrn thongs and these he tied
about Tarzan's wrists and forearms un-
iii they were completely bound together
from his elbows almost to his fingers.
Rehnd this priest Tarzan presently
saw others and soon several laid hold
of him and pulled him up through the
hole.