The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-06
IA ZAN
i Of T H E APES
By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

scene below him, wondering owe
every feature of this new, strange
life.
There were naked children run-
ming and playing in the village
street. There were women grinding
dried plantain in crude stone NOR
tars, while others were fashioning
cakes from the powdered -four. Out
in the fields he could see still other
women hoeing, wedding, or gather
ing.
All wore strange protruding Cir
lies OF dried grass about their hips
and many were loaded with brass
and copper anklets, armlets and
bracelets. Around many a dusky
neck hung curiously coiled strands
OF wire, while several were further.
ornamented by huge nose-rSngs.
Tarzan of the Apes looked with
growing wonder at these strange
creatures. Doing in the shade he
saw several men. while at the ex-
treme outskirts OF the clearing he
occasionally caught glimpses of
armed warriors apparently guarding
the village against surprise from an
attacking enemy.
He noticed that the women alone
worked. Nowhere was there syi-
dence OF a mar tilling the fields or
performing any Of the 'homely du
ties Of the village.
Finally, his eyes rested upon a
woman directly beneath him. >
Before her was a small cauldron
standing owe a low fire and in it
dubbed a thick, reddish, tarry mass.
On one side of her lay a quantity of
wooden arrows, the points of which
she dipped into the seething sub
stance, then laying them upon a mar
row rack OF boughs which stood on
her other side.
Tarzan of the Apes was fascinated.
Here was the secret OF the terrible
destructiveness Of The Archer's tiny
missiles. He noted the extreme care
which the woman took that none of
the matter should touch her hands,
and once when a particle spattered
upon n of her fingers he saw her
plunge the member into a vessel Of
water and quickly rub the tiny
stain away with a handful of leaves.
Tarzan Of the Apes knew nothing
Of poison, but his sshrwed reasoning
told him that 1t was this deadly stuff
that killed, and not the little ar
row, which was merely the messen-
ger that carried it into the body Of
its victim.
How he should like to have more
Of those little death dealing slivers.
II the woman would only leave her
work for an instant he could drop
down, gather up a handful, and be
back in the tree again before she
drew three breaths.
AS he was trying to think out
some plan to distract her attention
he heard a wild cry from across the
clearing. He looked and saw a black
warrior standing beneath the very
tree In which he had killed the
murderer of Kala an hour before.
The fellow was shouting and waving
his spear above his head. Now and
again he would point to something
on the ground before him.
The village was in an uproar in
stantly. Armed men rushed from
the interior Of many a hut and raced
madly cross the clearing toward the
excited sentry. After them trooped
the old men, and the women and
children until. in a moment, the
village was deserted.
Tarzan of the Apes knew that they
had found the body Of his victim,
but t8aat interested him far less than
the fact that no one remained in the
village to prevent his taking a
supply Of the arrows which lay be-
low him.
Quickly and noiselessly he dropped
to the ground beside the cauldron of
poison. For a moment he stood
metionless, his quick, bright eyes
scanning the interior Of the palisade.
No one was in sight. His eyes
rested upon the open doorway Of a
nearby hut. He would take a look
within thought Tarzan. and SO,
cautiously, he approached the low
matched building.
For a moment he stood without,
listening intently. There was no
sound, and he glided into the semi
darkness of the interior.
Weapons hung against, the walls
long spears, strangely shaped knives,
a couple Of narrow shields. In the
center Of the room was q cooking
pot. and at the far end a litter Of dry
grasses covered by woven mats
which evidently served the owners
as beds and bedding. Several human
skulls lay upon the floor.
Tarzan of the Apes felt of each
article. hefted the spears, smelled Of
them, for he saw" largely through
his sensitive and highly trained nos
trils. He determined to own n OF
these long. pointed sticks, but he
could not take one on this trip be-
cause Of the arrows he meant to
carry.
One by one. as he took each ar
ticle from the walls, he placed them
in a pile in the center of the room.
and on top Of all he placed the Dol
Ing pot. inverted. and on top of this
he laid n Of the grinning skulls,
upon which he fastened the head
dress Of the dead Kulonga.
Then he stood back and SURVEYED
his work. and, grinned. Tarzan Of
the Apes was a joker.
But now ha heard A.