The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-12
TARTAN
Il of THE APE S.
By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

said. because you do not dare to
speak the truth. You do not dare
admit that when the lion sprang up
on Miranda you ran away and left
him. You are towards"
Scarcely had Mbonga ceased
speaking when a great crashing of
branches in the trees above them
caused the blacks to look up in re-
newed terror. The sight that met
their eyes made even wise old
Mbonga shudder, for there, turning
and twisting in the air. came the
dead body Of Miranda, to sprawl
with sickening reverberation upon
the ground at their feet.
With one accord the blacks took
to their heels; nor did they stop
until the last Of them was lost in
the dense shadows OF the surround
ing jungle.
Again Tarzan came down into the
village and renewed his supply of
arrows, and ate of the offering of
food which the blacks had made to
appease his wrath.
Before he left he carried the body
Of Miranda to the gate of the village,
and propped it up against the
palisade in such way that the dead
face seemed to be peering around
the edge of the gate-post down the
path which led to the jungle.
Then Tarzan returned, hunting.
always hunting. to the cabin. by the
beach.
It took a dozen attempts on the
part Of the thoroughly frightened
blacks to re-enter their village, past
the horrible. grinning face of their
dead fellow, and when they found
the food and arrows gone they knew,
what they had only too well feared,
that Miranda had seen the evil spirit
Of the jungle.
That now seemed to them the
logical explanation. Only those who
saw this terrible god of the jungle
died; for was 1t not true that none
left alive>in the village had ever seen
him? Therefore, those who had died
at his hands must have seen him
and paid the penalty with their lives.
As long as they supplied him with
arrows and food he would not harm
them unless they looked upon him,
so It was ordered by Mbonga that in
addition-to the food offering there
should also be laid out an offering of
arrows for this Munango-Keewati.
and this was done from then on.
II you ever chance to pass that far
off African village you will still see
before a tiny matched hut, built
just without the village, little iron
pot in which is a quantity of food,
and beside it a CULVER OF we'll
daubed arrows.
When Tarzan came in sight of the
beach where stood his cabin.
strange and unusual spectacle met
his vision.
On the placid waters of the land.
locked harbor hoated a great ship.
and on the beach a small boat was
drawn up.
But. most wonderful Of all, a num-
Der Of white men like himself were
moving about between the beach and
his cabin.
Tarzan saw that in many ways
they were like the men Of his picture
books. He crept closer through the
trees until he was quite close above
them.
There were ten men. swarthy,
sun-tanned, villainous looking fell
lows. Now they had congregated by
the boat and were talking in loud,
angry tones, with much gesticulat-
ina and shaking Of fists.
Presently one Of them, a little. |
black beared fellow with |
a countenance which reminded Tar
zan Of Pamba, the rat, laid his hand
upon the shoulder OF a giant who |
stood next him, and with whom all |
the others had been arguing and |
quarreling.
The little man pointed inland. so
that the giant was forced to turn
away from the others to look in the
direction indicated. As he turned,
the little, mean-faced man drew a
revolver from his belt and shot the /
giant In the back.
The big fellow throw his hands
above his head, his knees bent be-
meath him, and without a sound he |
tumbled forward upon the beach, |
dead.
The report OF the weapon, the |