Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-14
'T4RZAN THE TERRIBLE
BY EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
:, ,be "Torzan" Stories and the "Marfinn" Stories

previously rlenuly lnterest III the
at Is only a step in the progress to-
ward truth" interjected Luz don. Pos
sibly the evidence Of the only princess
Of the house OF Ko-tan will have greater
| weight with the great chief from the
| north, though the father ofR son who
fed the holy offer Of the priesthood may
not receive with willing ears any tes-
timony against another blasphemer."
ia. .don's hand leaped to his knife,
but the warriors next him laid detain-
In the temple of Jad-ben -Otho. ia
don," they cautioned and the great
chief was forced to swallow Lu -don's
affront, though 1t left In his heart bitter
hatred Of the high priest.
And now Ko-tan turned toward Lu-
don. What knoweth my daughter Of
this matter?" he asked. "You would
not bring a princess of my house to
testify thus publicly"
| mo" replied Lu -don," not in per-
son. but / have here one who will
testify for her." He beckoned to an
under priest. Fetch the slave of the
princess" he said.
! His grotesque headdress adding a
touch Of the hideous to the scene. the
priest stepped forward, dragging tho re-
luctant Pan at lee by the wrist.
! THE Princess O-lo-a was alone In
the Forbidden Garden with but this
one slave" explained the priest, "when
there suddenly appeared from the
foliage nearby this creature who claims
to be the Dor ul Otho. When the slave
saw him the princess says that she
cried aloud in startled recognition and
called the creature by name-Tarzan-
jad- -guru-the same name that tho
| al III 1,,l t,,, tc
woman is not from Kor -ul- -lul but from
Kor- -ul ia, the very tribe with which
the Kor l-lul says the creature was
associating when he first saw him. And
further the princess said that when this
woman, whose name Is Pan at lee, was
brought to her yesterday she told q
strange story 'of having been rescued
from n Tor -o-don in the Kor r-ul gryf
by a creature such ms this, whom she
spoke of then as Tarzan- -jad -guru; and
Of how the two were pursued In the
bottom Of the gorge by two monster
gryfs, and Of how the man led them
away while Pan-at-le escaped, only
to be taken prisoner in the Kor- ul -lul
as she was seeking to return to her own
tribe.
that this creature Is no god. Did he
tell you that he was the son of god"
he almost shouted, turning suddenly
upon Pan at lee.
, The girl shrank back terrified. "An-
swer me, slave - cried the high priest
He seemed more than mortal, "
parried Pan at lee.
did he tell you that he was the
son of god? Answer my question:" In
sisted Lu- don.
NO" she admitted in a low voice
casting an appealing look of forgive
ness at Tarzan who returned a smile
of encouragement and friendship.
That is no proof that he is not tn,
son of god cried Ja don. "Dost thinl
Jad BEN Otho goes about crying I an
god l am god' Hast ever heard him
, Lu- don? No, you have not. Why
should his son do that which the father
does not do?"
> Enough" cried Lu- don. THE evi
G dence is clear. The creature is an i'm
postor and l., the head priest of Jad
Z ben -Otho in the city of A-lur, do con
I denim him to die There was a mo
I ment's silence during which Lu- -doI
:, evidently paused for the dramatic effec
e Of his climax. "And il / am wron,
!, may Jad ben Otho pierce my heart witt
his lightnings as / stand here befor
you ALL"
g The tapping Of the wavelets of tn
lake against the foot Of the palace wal
: was distinctly audible in the utter an,
almost breathless silence which ensued
Lu don stood with his face turned to
!, ward the heavens and his arms >vt
n stretched in the attitude of one win
Z bares his breast to the dagger of a
e cXecutioner.
The warriors and the priests and tn
y slaves gathered in the sacred cour
awaited the consuming vengeance O
e their god.
n 1t was Tarzan who broke the silence
q Your god ignores you, Lu DON" h
taunted, with a sneer that he meant t
e still further anger the high priest. III
: Ignores you and can prove it be
s fore the eyes Of your priests and you
people"
O prove IT."
n You have called me blasphemer, ;
II replied Tarzan, you have proved t
c your own satisfaction that I am al
# impostor, that l an ordinary mortal
have posed as the son Of god. De
Y mand then that Jad hen Otho uphol,
d his godship and the dignity of his priest
: mood by directing MS consuming fire
r through my own BOSOM"
Again there ensued brief sienc
~ while the onlookers waited for Lu dol
TO thus consummate the destruction O
this presumptuous impostor.
, You dare not" taunted Tarzan
- for you know that would be strucl
. dead no quicker than were you"
- You re,' cried Lu don, "and
would do it had / not but just re
!. ceived message from Jad ben 9th
y directing that your fuGe be different ;
u a chorus Of admiring and reveren
II tial 'ahs' arose from the priesthood
II o-tan and his warriors were in
'e state Of mental confusion. Secret
IS they hated and feared Lu- don, but 8
n ingrained was their sense of reverenc
for the Office of the high priest tina
1t none dared raise voice against him
It None? Well, there was ia don
II fearless old Lion man of the north
The proposition was a fair one" h
d cried. 'Invoke the lightnings Of Jad
'f ben Otho upon this man If you woul
II ever convince us of his guilt"
1t Enough of this" snapped Lu don
j. Since when was ia don created hig
IN priest? Seize the prisoner, he erie
of to the priests and warriors. 'and o
= the morrow he shall die in the name
of that Jad-ben OthO has willed."
St There was no immediate movemer
lie on the part of any Of the warriors {
le obey the high priests command, bu
10 the lesser priests on the other hant
imbued with the courage of fanaticism
J. leaped eagerly forward like a flock {
10 hidcpus harpies to seize upon their prey
10 The game was up. That Tara
De knew. No longer could cunning an
& diplomacy usurp the functions of ii