Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1920 — TARZAN AND THE Jewels of Opar [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TARZAN AND THE Jewels of Opar

EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

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qwß>,Mk»vA.ttmq—ao*. SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I.—Hiding In th* Jun<|« after killln* hl* captain la a fit of brood- |» madMM. UeuL Albert Werper. B<d■taa oScer/ U captured by Achmet ZeK, Arab Slav* raider, who *par** hi* life and plana an expedition to the treaaure vaults ££Kr Lady Greyatoke, and fottowa Tarsan to laan the secret of Ona* CHAPTER HI-Bpyinsr on Taman. Werper aeea him load Ha black* vrtth cold from the treaaure chamber of the Bun Worahipera. A convulalon of N»tur« causee the conapee of the vault Impria* onlnc both men. CHAPTER IV.—Werp*r recover* from the shock and Andinc Taman apparently dead he leave* him. Seeking a way to aafety Werper la oelned by prieata of the OSemHtw God * daconera** race. Ho la about to be offered up aa a aacrlflce when the ceremonies are interrupted by the appearance of a hunger-maddened lion. CHAPTER V.-Believing Taraan dead Ma black followers return home with the gold. Achmet Zek, acting on information, baa attacked the Greyatoke homa, burned ft, and carried off Lady Greyatoke. Mugambi. Tarsan’s lieutenant. la oeverely wounded but recoven and follows the raider*. CMAPTKK Vx.—i>ord Greyatoke recov■ro ooMdouaneas. but th* accident has destroyed hla memory and he la again Taman of the Apea. Fleeing from the aceno of Ma misfortune he find* in the jewel room of Opar. He mis Ms pouch with the “pretty pebble*" Reachtng the sacrificial chamber he la roeoga non and reloaaea Werp*r. The Utter aeea the jewels and covet* them. CHAPTER Vll.—Taman and Warper watch the former'* party return to the ruined Greyatoke home and bury the gold. Taman haa no memory of the place He buries the jewola. which Werper dlga up, and eocape* while Taiwan aleepa CHAPTER VIII. Aohmot Zek See* the Jewola. Mugambl, weak and suffering. had dragged his painful way along the trail of the retreating raiders. He could move but slowly, resting often; but savage hatred and an equally savage desire for vengeance kept him to Ms task. As the days passed his wounds healed and his strength returned, until at last his giant frame had regained all of Its former mighty powers. Now he went more rapfdiy; but the mounted Arabs had covered a great distance while the wounded black had been painfully crawling after them. They had reached their fortified camp, and there Achmet Zek awaited the return of his lieutenant, Albert Werper. During the long, rough journey Jane Clayton had suffered more in anticipation of her impending fate than from the hardships of the road. She was of sterner stuff than that

which bends in spineless terror before Until hope proved futile she would not give it up; nor did she entertain thoughts of self-destruction only as a Anal escape from dishonor. 80 long as Tarzan lived there was every reason to expect succor. No man nor beast who roamed the savage continent could boast the cunning and the powers of her lord and master. Tarsan would come, and she should be rescued and avenged, of that she was certain. That he could find her she had no slightest doubt No spoor, however faint could elude the keen vigilance -of his senses. To him the trail of the raiders would be as plain as the printed page of an open book to her. And while she hoped there came through the dark jungle another. Terrified by night and by day came Albert Werper. A dozen times he had escaped the claws and* fangs of the giant carnivora only by what seemed a miracle to him. Armed with nothing more than a knife he had brought with him from Opar, he had made his way through as savage'¥ country as yet exists upon the face of the globe By night he had slept in trees. By day he had stumbled fearfully on, often taking refuge among the branches when sight or sound of some great cat warned Mm of danger. But at last he had come within sight of the palisade behind which were his fierce companions. At almost the same time Mugambi came out of the jungle before the waned village. As he stood in the shadow of a great tree, reconnoitering, he saw a mam, ragged and disheveled, emerge from the jungle almost at his elbow. Trudantly he recognized the newcomer as he who had been a guest of his master before the latter had departed for Opar. The Mack was upon the point fit bailing the Belgian when something stayed him. He saw the white man walking confidently across the clear Ing toward the village gate. No sane amn thus approached a village in this ■•St of Africa unless he was sure fit a friendly welcome. Mugambi "wa^r^haUoo; he sawthe I gates swing open, and he witnessed 7 . s- j h -Sli* ' •

that was accorded the erstwhile gm m of Laird and Lady Greystoke. A light broke upon the understanding of Mugambi. This white man had been a traitor and a spy. It was to him they owed the raid during the absence of the Great Bwana. To his hate for the Arabs Mugambi added a still greater hate for the white spy. Within the village Werper paused hurriedly toward the silken tent of Achmet Zek. The Arab arose as his

lieutenant entered. Uis face showed surprise us lie viewed the tattered aplianl of Hie Belgian •‘‘What has huppmed?" he OsUM. Werper MirniUd fill, save the little matter of the pouch of gems which were now tightly strapped about ids waist, beneath his clothing. The Arab’s eyes narrowed greedily as his henchman described the treasure that the Waziri bad buried beside the ruins of the Greystoke bungalow. ‘tit will be a simple matter now to return and get it,” said Achmet Zek., “First we will await the coining of the/ rash Waziri, and after we have slain them we may take our time to get the treasure —none will disturb It where it lies, for we have left none alive °who knows of its existence.” “And the woman?” asked Werper. “I shall sell her In the north." replied the raider. “It Is the only way now. She should bring a good price." The Belgian nodded. He was thinking rapidly. If he could persuade Achmet Zek to send him in command of the party which took Lady Greyatoke north It would give him the opportunity he craved tp make his escape from his chief. He would forego a share of the gold If he could but get away unscathed with the jewels. “Who will go north with the woman,” he asked, “while we are returning for the gold that the Waziri burled by the bungalow of the Englishman?” Achmet Zek thought for a moment The burled gol was of much greater value than the price the woman would bring. It was necessary to rid himself of her as quickly as possible and It was also well to obtain the gold with the least possible delay. Of all his followers the Belgian was the most logical lieutenant to intrust with the

command of one of the parties. An Arab, as familiar with the trails and tribes as Achmet Zek himself, might collect the woman’s price and make good his escape into the far north. Werper, on the othgr hand, could scarce make his escape alone through a country hostile to Europeans, while the men he would send with the Belgian could be carefully selected .with a view to preventing Werper from persuading any considerable portion of his command to accompany him should be contemplate desertion of his chief. At last the Arab spoke: “It is not necessary that we both return for the gold. You shall go the woman, carrying a letter to a friend at mine who is al ways 1n touch with the best markets for such merchandise, while I return for the gold. We can meet again here when our business is concluded.” Werper could scarce disguise the joy with which he received this welcome decision. And that he did entirely disguise It from the keen and auspicious eyes of Achmet Zek is open to question. However, the decision reached, the Arab and his lieutenant discussed the details of their forthcoming ventures for a short time further, when Werper made his excuses and returned to his own tent for the comforts and luxury of "a long-desired bath and shave. Having bathed, the Belgian tied a small hand mirror to • cord sewn to the rear wall of his tent, placed a rude chair beside an' .equally rude table that stood beside the- glass and proceeded to remove the rough stubble from his face. In the catalogue of masculine pleasures there is scarce one which imparts a feeling of greater comfort and refreshment than follows a clean shave, and now, with weariness temporarily banished Albert Werper sprawled in his rickety chair to enjoy a final-cigarette before retiring. His thumbs, tueked in his belt in lazy support of the weight of his anas, touched the belt which held the jewel pouch about his waist. He tingled with lab titement gs he let his min'd dwell upon the value of the treasure, which, unknown to all save himself, lay hid bofiafith his cWbtng. •

lie unfu s'enod the belt and drew (lie pou h fin 11 hi'lit g I r«‘ He was ukme. T'm hr jvwo of the romp save ,h<« re red —n> ne would enter the Bdjghut's t< al. He hefted the brtg t firs: hi one pahil. then in the otlar. in I nt Inc he wheeled bis chair slowly afuhnd hence tJo table, mid tn the Hiys of his sriuiTT lamp let the glittering uhsw roll out □ixm Vhe rough wood. । The refulgent niys tratisfunm-d tin Interior s died and squalid hiii- i VM to the <ph minr of a nalaci, in the ayes of tin dreaming man. IB I reamed of Joys and luxuries and pow•r which el-ways had be, n beyond h s .•rasp, and as he dreamed his gaze lifted from the table. RS the gaze of a dreamer will, to a far distant goaf ibove (lie mean horizon of terrestrial i.mmmipluccness. Unseeing, his eyes rested upon tilt shaving mlrn r wim h lung upon ihe| tent wail above the table; hut h’* sight WilS foGllaOtl fill* bicoiid. Ami Inn a reflection moved within tjie | olist»< d~"SiirTitce oT the tiny glass, the iiurn'.* rjaai-JuZ lcu - k ,mi of ce to .he-mirror's face, and in >t saw relected tie' I'ron clxagp- of Achmet Zek. t rio 'eh iu ’.le- flaps of the tent loofv hit A Ima.- — Wfi-s', ■td’-d r g-tsp of dlrrni.y. f.i b ; j 1 > m n lio le’ his 3nze th'Qp wd'icit nppearmg to havV halted u;x>!i the mirror, until it rested gain ii| ■hi ilte gems. AVithent haste, o rep’ii e<l I’.‘m in the pooch, tucked lie hit! r mto his shirt, selected a' tgaret te fr >m h's, case, lighted 't and ose. Yawning, and stretching his rms ab< vc his head, he turned shr . ly oward the opposite end of the tent, rhe' face of Achmet Zek had disnp- . ironi the opeii lig. To say that Albert Wt rper was terrified would b« J irtiiig it mildly. He Feidtz e Hot h • not only luul smii’treed McTrermin'; but his life as well. Acluae? Zek veuuld .never permit ihe " ealth that he had discovered to slip through his lingers, nor would he forgive the duplicity of a lieutenant who had gained possession of such a treasure without offering to share It with his chief. Slowly the Belgian prepared for bed. ( If he were being watched, he could ; not know; but If so the watcher saw.]

no indication of the nervous excitement which the European strove to conceal. When ready for his blankets, the man crossed to the little table nml extinguished the light. It was two lunirs later that the flaps at the front of the tent separated silently and gave'entrance to a darkrobed figtire, winch passed noiselessly from the darkness without to the darkness within. Cautiously the prowler crossed the interior. In one hand was a long knife. He came at last to the pile of blankets spread upon several rugs close to one of the tent walls. Lightly, his fingers sought and found the bulk beneath the*, blankets—the bulk that should be Albert Werper. They traced "but the Figure of a man. and then an arm shot upward, poised

for an instant and descended. Again add again It rose and fell, and each time the htng.blnde of the knife buried itself In the thing beneath the blankets. But there was an initial Hfelessness in the silent bulk that gave the assassin momentary wonder. Feverishly he threw back the coverlets and searched with nervous hands for the pouch of jewels which he expected to find concealed upon his victim's body. »

An Instant later he rose with a curse upon his lips. It was Achmet Zek, and he‘cursed because he had' discovered hem's th the blankets .of his lieutenant ohly a pile of discarded clothing arranged in the form and semblance" of a sleeping man—Albert Werper had fled. Out into the'village ran the chief, calling in angry tones to the sleepy Arabs, who tumbled from their tents in answer to his voice. But though they searched the village again and again they found no trace of the Belgian. Foaming with anger, Achmet Zek called his followers to horse, and though the night was pitchy black they set out to scour the adjoining forest for their quarry./ As they galloped from the open pites. Mugsunbi. hiding in a near-by mndt, slipped, unseen. withtothepalisade. In the darkness he passed, unchanenged.' and for an hour he crept about to'the rear of the various huts and tents inf in effort to locate that In which lib sag iwotis-

oneff One there was which he "wus reanonably assured contained her, for It was the only hut before the door at which a sentry had been posted. Mugambi was crouching In the shadow of this structure, Just around the corner from the unsuspecting guard, when another, approached to relieve his comrade. “The prisoner is safe within T” asked the newcomer. “She is,” replied the other, “for none has passed this doorway since 1 came." The new sentry squatted beside the door, while he whom he had relieved made bls way to his own hut Mugambi slunk closer to the corner of the building. In one powerful band he gripped a heavy knob-stick. No sign of elation disturbed his phlegmatic calm, yet Inwardly he was aroused to joy by the proof he had just bad that "Lady” really was within. The sentry’s back was toward the corner of the hut which hid the giant black. The fellow did not sep the huge form which'silently loomed behind him. The knob-stick swung upward in a curve, and downward again. There was the sound of a dull thud, the crushing of heavy bone, and the sentry slumped into a silent, inanimate lump of clay. A moment later Mugambi was searching the interior of the hut. At first slowly calling “Lady!” in a low whisper and finally with almost frantic haste until the truth presently dawned upon him —the hut was empty! x (TO BE CONTINUED )

“What Has Happened?” He Asked.

Again and Again It Rose and Fell.