Part 29 (1/2)
And now they bound his legs fro him up carried him from the chamber No word did they speak to him as they bore him upward to the teain as Ja-don had urged his forces to renewed efforts Ta-den had not arrived and the forces of the old chieftain were revealing in their lessened efforts their increasing demoralization, and then it was that the priests carried Tarzan-jad-guru to the roof of the palace and exhibited hiht of the warriors of both factions
”Here is the false Dor-ul-Otho,” screa never grasped fully the lance at the bound and helpless prisoner, and as his eyes fell upon the noble features of the ape-ht, and his pasty countenance turned a sickly blue Once before had he seen Tarzan of the Apes, but many tiiant ape-s that had been committed upon him and his by the ruthless hands of the three German officers who had led their native troops in the ravishi+ng of Tarzan's peaceful home Hauptmann Fritz Schneider had paid the penalty of his needless cruelties; Unter-lieutenant von Goss, too, had paid; and now Obergatz, the last of the three, stood face to face with the Ne, weary months That he was bound and helpless lessened not the German's terror-he seemed not to realize that theand Lu-don saw and was filled with apprehension that othersrealize that this bewhiskered idiot was no God-that of the two Tarzan-jad-guru was the h priest noted that soether and pointing He stepped closer to Obergatz ”You are Jad-ben-Otho,” he whispered, ”denounce him!”
The Gerreat terror and the words of the high priest gave him the clue to safety
”I aht in the eye ”You are Lieutenant Obergatz of the German Army,” he said in excellent Ger and in your putrid heart you know that God has not brought us together at last for nothing”
Theclearly and rapidly at last He too saw the questioning looks upon the faces of so warriors of both cities standing by the gate inactive, every eye turned upon hiure of the ape-man He realized that indecision now meant ruin, and ruin, death He raised his voice in the sharp barking tones of a Prussian officer, so unlike his for as to quickly arouse the attention of every ear and to cause an expression of puzzlement to cross the crafty face of Lu-don
”I aatz ”This creature is no son of mine As a lesson to all blasphemers he shall die upon the altar at the hand of the God he has profaned Take hiht, and when the sun stands at zenith let the faithful congregate in the temple court and witness the wrath of this divine hand,” and he held aloft his right palht Tarzan took hiatz had directed, and the Gerate ”Thron your arhtnings to blast you where you stand Those who do as I bid shall be forgiven Come! Thron your ar looks of appeal at their leader and of apprehension toward the figures upon the palace roof Ja-don sprang forward a his men ”Let the cowards and knaves thron their arms and enter the palace,” he cried, ”but never will Ja-don and the warriors of Ja-lur touch their foreheads to the feet of Lu-don and his false God Make your decision now,” he cried to his followers
A few thren their arateway into the palace, and with the exae others joined in the desertion from the old chieftain of the north, but staunch and true around him stood thehad left their ranks Ja-don voiced the savage cry hich he led his followers to the attack, and once again the battle raged about the palace gate
At tiround and then the wave of coain And still Ta-den and the reinforce close to noon Lu-don had mustered every available ate within the temple, and these he sent, under the leadershi+p of Pan-sat, out into the city through the secret passageway and there they fell upon Ja-don's forces froate hammered them in front
Attacked on two sides by a vastly superior force the result was inevitable and finally the last remnant of Ja-don's little army capitulated and the old chief was taken a prisoner before Lu-don ”Take hih priest ”He shall witness the death of his accomplice and perhaps Jad-ben-Otho shall pass a similar sentence upon him as well”
The inner temple court was packed with humanity At either end of the western altar stood Tarzan and his mate, bound and helpless The sounds of battle had ceased and presently the ape- led into the inner court, his wrists bound tightly together before him Tarzan turned his eyes toward Jane and nodded in the direction of Ja-don ”This looks like the end,” he said quietly ”He was our last and only hope”
”We have at least found each other, John,” she replied, ”and our last days have been spent together My only prayer now is that if they take you they do not leave me”
Tarzan ht that her own contained-not the fear that they would kill him but the fear that they would not kill her The ape-man strained at his bonds but they were toolaugh struck the defenseless ape-man in the face
”The brute!” cried Jane Clayton
Tarzan smiled ”I have been struck thus before, Jane,” he said, ”and always has the striker died”
”You still have hope?” she asked
”I ah that were sufficient answer She was a woe of this man who knew no fear In her heart of hearts she knew that he would die upon the altar at high noon for he had told her, after he had been brought to the inner court, of the sentence of death that Obergatz had pronounced upon him, and she knew too that Tarzan knew that he would die, but that he was too courageous to ad there so straight and wonderful and brave aainst the cruelty of the fate that had overtaken hi that that wonderful creature, now so quick with exuberant life and strength and purpose should be presently naught but a bleeding lump of clay-and all so uselessly and wantonly Gladly would she have offered her life for his but she knew that it was a waste of words since their captors would work upon them whatever it was their will to do-for hiht
And now cah priest led the Ger upon the other's left Lu-don whispered a word to Obergatz, at the sa in the direction of Ja-don The Hun cast a scowling look upon the old warrior
”And after the false God,” he cried, ”the false prophet,” and he pointed an accusing finger at Ja-don Then his eyes wandered to the form of Jane Clayton
”And the woman, too?” asked Lu-don
”The case of the woatz ”I will talk with her tonight after she has had a chance tothe wrath of Jad-ben-Otho”