Part 34 (1/2)

”What do you want a us now?” asked Karnath

”Only peace,” answered the ape-th Karnath spoke again

”Come in peace, then, Tarzan of the Apes,” he said

And so Tarzan of the Apes dropped lightly to the turf into the midst of the fierce and hideous horde--he had coain a brute as such as would have taken place a men after a separation of two years The majority of the apes went on about the little activities that the advent of the ape- no further attention to hione fro bulls who had not been old enough to remember him sidled up on all fours to sniff at hily--he wished to put Tarzan irowling, the young bull would quite probably have been satisfied, but always after Tarzan's station a his fellow apes would have been beneath that of the bull which had made him step aside

But Tarzan of the Apes did not back off Instead, he swung his giant pal the young bull alongside the head, sent hiain in a second, and this tis--or at least that had been the intention of the young bull; but scarcely had they gone down, growling and snapping, than the ape-onist

Presently the young bull ceased to struggle, and lay quite still Then Tarzan released his hold and arose--he did not wish to kill, only to teach the young ape, and others who , that Tarzan of the Apes was stillapes kept out of his way, as young apes should when their betters were about, and the old bulls atives For several days the she-apes with young remained suspicious of him, and when he ventured too near rushed upon him ide mouths and hideous roars Then Tarzan discreetly skipped out of har the apes--only mad bulls will attack a mother But after a while even they becaone by, and when they found that his superior reason guided hi rope ensnared toothsoain to look up to hi And so it was that before they left the as they had once more chosen him as their leader

The ape-man felt quite contented with his new lot He was not happy--that he never could be again, but he was at least as far froht re since he had given up every intention of returning to civilization, and now he had decided to see no more his black friends of the Waziri He had foresworn humanity forever He had started life an ape--as an ape he would die

He could not, however, erase from his memory the fact that the woround of his tribe; nor could he banish the haunting fear that she er That she was illy protected he had seen in the brief instant that had witnessed Clayton's inefficiency The ht of it, the more keenly his conscience pricked hi his own selfish sorrow and jealousy to stand between Jane Porter and safety As the days passed the thing preyed more and more upon his mind, and he had about deteruard over Jane Porter and Clayton, when news reached hi ard of accident and death

Before Tarzan had returned to the tribe, a certain young bull, not being able to secure ato custoht-errant of old, to win a fair lady fro community

He had but just returned with his bride, and was narrating his adventures quickly before he should forget thereat tribe of strange-looking apes

”They were all hairy-faced bulls but one,” he said, ”and that one was a she, lighter in color even than this stranger,” and he chucked a thumb at Tarzan

The ape-man was all attention in an instant He asked questions as rapidly as the sloitted anthropoid could answer thes?”

”They were”

”Did they wear the skins of Numa and Sheeta about their loins, and carry sticks and knives?”

”They did”

”And were there s?”

”Yes”

”And the she one--was she small and slender, and very white?”

”Yes”

”Did she seem to be one of the tribe, or was she a prisoner?”