Part 14 (1/2)

What a renorant and stupid but a short day before, and noithin the past twenty-four hours, she had learned that he spoke not only English but French as well, and the priht him shi+fty, cruel, and untrustworthy, yet in so far as she had reason to believe he had proved himself in every way the contrary since the day before It scarce see her fro deeper in his intentions and plans than he had yet disclosed

She wondered, and when she looked at him-at his close-set, shi+fty eyes and repulsive features, she shuddered, for she was convinced that no lofty characteristics could be hid behind so foul an exterior

As she was thinking of these things the while she debated the wisdorunt fro coo that set her heart in raptures

The baby ake! Now she ht feast her eyes upon him

Quickly she snatched the blanket fro at her as she did so

He saw her stagger to her feet, holding the baby at arlued in horror upon the little chubby face and twinkling eyes

Then he heard her piteous cry as her knees gave beneath her, and she sank to the ground in a swoon

Chapter 10

The Swede

As the warriors, clustered thick about Tarzan and Sheeta, realized that it was a flesh-and-blood panther that had interrupted their dance of death, they took heart a trifle, for in the face of all those circling spears even thethe chief to have his spearmen launch theirthe coaze of the ape-man

With a yell of terror the chief turned and fled toward the village gate, and as his people looked to see the cause of his fright, they too took to their heels-for there, luerated by the play of ht and camp fire, came the hideous apes of Akut

The instant the natives turned to flee the ape- out above the shrieks of the blacks, and in answer to it Sheeta and the apes leaped growling after the fugitives Soonists, but before the fiendish ferocity of the fierce beasts they went down to bloody death

Others were dragged down in their flight, and it was not until the village was empty and the last of the blacks had disappeared into the bush that Tarzan was able to recall his savage pack to his side Then it was that he discovered to his chagrin that he could not ent Akut, understand that he wished to be freed from the bonds that held him to the stake

In tih their thick skulls, but in the ht return in force to regain their village; the whites ht readily pick theht even starve to death before the dull-witted apes realized that he wished thereat cat understood even less than the apes; but yet Tarzan could not but marvel at the remarkable characteristics this beast had evidenced That it felt real affection for him there seemed little doubt, for now that the blacks were disposed of it walked slowly back and forth about the stake, rubbing its sides against the ape-one of its own volition to bring the balance of the pack to his rescue, Tarzan could not doubt His Sheeta was indeed a jewel aambi's absence worried the ape-man not a little He atte that the beasts, freed froht have fallen upon the reat ape but pointed back in the direction froht passed with Tarzan still fast bound to the stake, and shortly after dawn his fears were realized in the discovery of naked black figures le about the village The blacks were returning

With daylight their courage would be equal to the dee upon the handful of beasts that had routed thehtful abodes The result of the encounter seees could curb their superstitious terror, for against their overwhel spears and poisoned arrows, the panther and the apes could not be expected to survive a really detere became apparent a few moments later, when they coe of the clearing, dancing and ju about as they waved their spears and shouted taunts and fierce warcries toward the village

These manoeuvres Tarzan kneould continue until the blacks had worked thee sufficient to sustain theh he doubted that they would reach it at the first attempt, he believed that at the second or the third they would swarht than the extermination of Tarzan's bold, but unaruessed, the first charge carried the howling warriors but a short distance into the open-a shrill, weird challenge fro all that was necessary to send the back to the bush For half an hour they pranced and yelled their courage to the sticking-point, and again essayed a charge

This tiate, but when Sheeta and the hideous apes leaped aain fled to the jungle

Again was the dancing and shouting repeated This tie and complete the work that a handful of determined white men would have carried to a successful conclusion at the first attempt