Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1920 — TARZAN AND THE Jéwels of Opar [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TARZAN AND THE Jéwels of Opar

EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

CDWriskt, UM, w a.

SYNOPSIS. > . ■ !W’ CHAPTER L-Hl«n» tai the .lunate tmin< hia captain In a-ltedCbrood-tag madness, Lieut. Albert Warper, Belgian officer, is captured by Achmet Zek. Arab slave raider, who spares his life and proposes to him a scheme to kidnap Jami wife of Tusan (Lord Greystoke) and sou her into slayery. Werper accepts. CHAPTER IL—Postag as Jules Froooult. French traveler. Warper Is hospitably received by the Grevstokes. Eto J learns bis host is tn financial straits and plans an expedition to the treasure vaults of Opar to procure gold. Warpar informs Achmet Zek of the opportunity tp seise Lady Greystoke, and follows Tuvan to learn the secret of Odot. CHAPTER Hl.—Spying on Tarsaa. Werper sees him load his blacks with gold from the treasure chamber of the Bun Worshipers; A convulsion of Nature causes the collapse of the vault imprisoning both men. CHAPTER IV.—Werper recovers from the shock and finding Tarsan apparently dead he leaves him. Seeking a way to safety Werper is seised by priests of the Flaming God, a degenerate race. He is about to be offered up as a sacrifice whan the ceremonies are Interrupted by the appearance of a hunger-maddened lion. CHAPTER V.—Believing Tarsan dead bls black followers return home with tai gold. Achmet Zek, acting on Werperis information, has attacked the Greystoke home, burned It, and carried off Lady Greystoke. Ifugambl, Tarsan's lieutenant is severely wounded but recovoNl and follows the raiders. UHArraK Vs.—uora Greystoke recovers consciousness, but the accident has destroyed his memory and he Is again Tarsan of the Apes. Fleeing from the acene of his misfortune he finds himself in the jewel room of Opar. He fills his pouch with the "pretty pebbles." Reachbig the sacrificial chamber he is recognised by La. high priestess, whom ho had known in previous years. Heslays the Bon and releasee werper. latter sees the jewels and covets them. CHAPTER VlL—Tarsan and Werper watch the former's party return to the ruined Greystoke home and bury the gold Forsan has no piemoryofthe place. Ha buries the jewels, which Werper digs aft and escapee while Tarsan sleeps. gold but not of the jewels. Lady Grw•toke is there, a prisoner. Achmet dieKSL.'?SS&% the gems. CHAPTER IX.—Tarsan misses Werper' put does not discover the theft of the lewete. He resumes the life of a wild nan. La and the priests of the Flamins j Bod seek Tarsan and Werper to recover the sacrificial knife, which the latter had Hurried off. They capture Tarsan. , CHAPTER X.-The priests make ready to offer Tarsan as a sacrifice to the Naming God. La offers him life In exihange for hie love He refuses, and la die jungle language calls Tantor, the ele* ihant, to his rescue. Tantor comes, but n an insane rage destroys all in his path. La frees Tarsan and he saves her from the elephant. cnAfTER Xl.—The priests who soraped Tenter's rage return to the temple With La. Tarsan remembers the jewels and finding them gone realises Werper aas stolen them. He follows the scent of the Belgian determined on revenge. CHAPTER Xll.—Lady Greystoke escapes from Achmet Zek and makes her way Into the jungle. Werper, fleeing from the raider, is made prisoner by Abdul Mourak, Abyssinian officer tn command of soldiers sent to wipe out Achmet Zo£a marauding band. Mugambl, seeking LAdy Greystoke, is also captured by Mourak. Be sees tie jewels Werper has, and recognising the pouch as the property of hit master, steals the gems, replacing them With worthless pebbles, and escapes. CHAPTER XHL—Wmie pursuing Werner Achmet Zek recaptures Lady GreyMotao.Tarsan has taken command of a band of apes, and with them attacks Achmet Zek's camp, seeking Werper. His wife calls to him but he does not rec. ognise her. The Arabs boat off the apes and carry away thelr prisoner. Tarsan, With Chulk and Taxi at, c two great apes, ollows them and enters the village. CHAPTER XIV. The Deadly Peril of Jane Clayton. Lieutenant Albert Werper, terrified by contemplation of the fate which might await him at Adis Abeba, cast about for some scheme of escape, but after the black. Mugambl had eluded their vigilance the Abyssinlans redoubled their precautions to prevent Werper following the lead of the negro. A day or so after Mugambl had disappeared, Werper asked for an audience with Abdul Mourak. Abdul eyed him, frownlngly. “What do you want now?” he asked. • > "My liberty,” replied Werper. ‘ The Abyssinian sneered. “And you disturbed me-thus to tell me what any foolmight know,” he said. J-/. “I can pay for it,” said Werper. Abdul Mourak laughed loudly. “Pay for It?” he cried. "What with—the rags that you have upon your back? Or, perhaps you are concealing beneath your coat a thousand pounds of ivory. Get out! Ton are a fool. Do not bother me again or I shall have you whipped.” But- Werper persisted. His liberty and perhaps his life depended upon bls success. “Listen to me,” he pleaded. “If I .can give as much “ ten mon /may carry will you promise that I shall be. conducted Ip safety to the nearest English commissioner?” “As. much gold as ten men may carry F repeated Abdul are crazy.” “I know where it Is Md,” said Werper. "Promise, and I will lead you to it—if ten loads Is enough?” - Abdul Mourak had ceased tn laugh, i He was eyeing -the Belgian latently. ~ . 7/- - -L.»-• .. * . Tur* f.*- -y •

t'Mnw ter i* ihla said?” > “A long week’s march to the south,” replied Werper. “And if w do not find it where you say it Is, do you realize what your punishment will hf?” “If it .is not there I will forfeit my life,” replied the Belgian. “J know it is there. for I saw it burled with my own eyes. And more—there are not only ten loads, but as many as fifty men gnay.carry. It is fill yours if will promise to see me safely delivered into the protection of the English.” “Very well,” said the Abyssinian, “I a promise, and even if there be but five loads you shall have your freedom; but until the gold is in my possession you remain a prisoner.” “I am satisfied,” said Werper. “To- ; morrow we start?” Abdul Mourak nodded, and the Bel- I glah returned to his guards. The fol- | lowing day the Abyssinian soldiers were surprised to. receive an order which turned their faces. from the .northeast to the south. While Werper dreamed of freedom and the unmolested enjoyment of the fortune in his stolen pouch, and Abdul Mourak lay awake in greedy contemI plation of the fifty loads of gold which , lay but a few days farther to the south 1 of him, Achmet iek gave orders to . his lieutenants that they should preI pare a force of fighting men and car--1 riers to proceed to the ruins of the Englishman’s douar on the morrow and bring back the fabulous fortune which his renegade lieutenant had told him was buried there. And as he delivered his instructions to- those within, a, silent listener crouched without his tent, waiting for the time when he might enter in safety and prosecute his search- for the miss-, Ing pouch and the pretty pebbles that had caught his fancy. । At last the swarthy companions of Achmet Zek qtfltted bls tent, and the leader went with them to smoke a pipe with one of their number, leaving his own silken habitation unguarded. Scarcely had they left the Interior when a knife blade was thrust through the fabric of the rear wall, some six । feet above the ground, and a swift । downward stroke opened an entrance . to those who waited beyond. Through the opening stepped the ape-man, and close behind him came the huge Chulk; but Taglat did not । follow them. Instead he turned and sHmk through the darkness the hut where the She who had arrest-। ed hft brutish interest lay securely । bound. Within, the young woman lay upon a filthy sleeping mat, resigned, ■ through utter hopelessness, to whatever fate lay in store for her until the ( opportunity arrived which would per- ( ’mlt her to free herself by the only ( I means which now seemed even re- | motely possible—the hitherto detested act of self-destruction. Creeping silently toward the sen-1 tries, a whlte-burnoosed figure approached the shadows at one end of the hut. It came to the corner of the ,but and peered around. The sentries were but a few paces away; 'but the ape did not dare expose himself, even for an instant, to those feared and hated thunder-sticks which the Tartnangani knew so well how. to use, If there were another and safer method of attack. • i Taglat withdrew a few paces to the rear of the hut, gathered himself for the effort, ran quickly forward and leaped high Into the air. He struck the roof directly above the rear wall of the hut, and the structure, reinforced by the wall beneath, held hla enormous weight for an instant, then he moved forward a step, the tool sagged, the thatching parted and the great anthropoid shot through Into the interier. The sentries, hearing the crashing of roof poles, leaped to their feet and I rushed into the hut. Jane Clayton tried to toll aside as the great form lit upon the floor so dose to her that one foot pinned her clothing to the ground. The ape, feellbg the movement beside him, reached down and gathered the girl in the hollow of one mighty arm. The burnoose covered the hairy body so that Jang Clayton believed that a human arm supported her, and from the extremity of hopelessness a great hope sprang into her breast that at last she was in the keeping of a rescuer. The two sentries were now within the hut, but hesitating because of doubt as to the nature of the cause of the disturbance. Seeing that they stood without advancing, and realizing that, handicapped as he was by the weight of the She, he could put up but battle, Taglat elected to risk a sudden break for liberty. Lowering his head, he charged straight for the two sentries who blocked the doorway. The impact of his mighty shoulders bowled them over upon their backs, and before they could scramble to their feet, the ape was gone, darting in the shadows ot the huts toward the palisade at the far end of the village. The speed and strength of her rescuer filled Jane Clayton with wonder. Could it be that Tarsan had survived the bullet of the Arab? Who else in all the jungle could bear she weight of a grown woman as lightly as he who held her? She spoke his name; but there was no response. Still she did , aot give up hope. J At the palisade the beast did not even hesitate’ A single mighty leap carried it to the top, where it poised tat for an instant before dropping to the ground upon the opposite side. Now the girl was almpat.posltive that I she was safe in the arms of her hus--1 band, and when the ape took to the I trees and tare her swiftly into the jungle, as Tamm had done at other times In the past, belief became conI M°»’Httie moonlit glade, a mile or so firom the camp of the raiders, her

rescuer halted and dropped her to the ground. His roughness surprised her. bus still she had no doubts. . Again she called him by name,«amte instant the ape, fretting, under th® rdstraints of the garments of the Tarmanganl, .tore thehwmoose from hjm. th- egegfOf the horror-struck |he hideous face and hairy form of a giant anthropoid. With a piteous yvail of terror, Jane Clayton swooned, Wl«. frongithe «to-

cealment of a nearby bush, Numa, the lion; eyed the pair hungrily and licked bls chops. •*•• • I • • - Tarzan, entering the tent of Achmet Zek, searched the Interior thoroughly. He tore the bed to pieces and scattered the contents of box and bag about the floor. zHe Investigated whatever his .eyes discovered, nor did those keen organs overlook a single article within the habitation of the raider chief; but no pouch or pretty pebbles rewarded Ms thoroughness. Satisfied at last that his belongings were not in the possession of Achmet Zek, unless they were on the person of the chief himself, Tarzan decided to secure the person of the She before further prosecuting his search for the pouch. Motioning for Chulk to follow him, he passed out of the tent .by the same way that he had entered it, and waging boldly though the village, made dlreOtiy sos the hut where Jane Clayton had been Imprisoned. As he approached the hut, the ape man noticed that a crowd had collected about the entrance. Fearing lest Ohufk’s disguise z should prove inade quate to the concealment of his true Identity in the face of so many observers, he commanded the ape to betake , himself to the far end of the village, and there await him. As Chulk waddled off, keeping to the shadows, Tarzan advanced boldly tpwkrd the excited group before the doorway of the hut. Shouldering his through the crowd he approached the doorway, and had almost reached It when one of the Arabs laid a hand upon his shoulder, crying: “Who is at the same time snatching back the hood from the ape-man’s face. Jterean of the Apes In all his savage life had never been accustomed to pause in argument with an antagonist. He had his unmasker by the throat ere the man’s words had scarce quitted his Ups, and hurUng him from side to side brushed away those who would have swarmed upon him. Using the Arab as a weapon, Tarzan forced his way quickly to the doorway, and a moment later was within the but. A hasty examination revealed the fact that it was empty, and his sense at smeU discovered, too. the scent spoor of Taglat, the ape. Tarzan uttered a low, ominous growl. Those who were' pressing forward at the doorway to seize him, fell back as the savage notes of the bestial . chal-. lenge smote upon their. ears. They looked at one another in surprise and consternation. A man had entered the hut alone, and yet with their own ears they had. the,voice of a wild beast within. What could it mean? Had a lion or a leopard sought sanctuary in the interior, unbeknown to the sentries? | Tarzan’s quick eyes discovered the opening in, the roof, through - which <. Taglat had lallen, and while the Arabs 'hesitated without, he sprang, catlike, I for the opening, grasped the top of the 1 wall and clabbered out qpon the roof, 1 dropping instantly to the ground at the rear of the hut. the Arabs- finally mustered courage to enter the hut, after firing several volleys through the walls, they found the Interior deserted. At the same time Tarzan, at the far end of the village, sought for Chulk; but the ape was nowhere to be found. ’ Bobbed of his She, deserted by his companions, and as much in Ignorance ’ as ever as to the whereabouts of his , pouch and pebbles, it was an angry Tarsan who climbed the palisade and . vanished Into the darkness of the jungle. 1 the ape-man was taking wouM tarry him but a short distance to th* right of end though he could- not have seen them the wind was bearing down grata them to him, carrying their scent Spoor strongly to- . A moment more and Jane Clayton’s safetv might have bees assured, even though Numa, the tan, was already mtherine himself In preparation for a

charge; but Fate, already all too cruel, now outdid herself—the wind veered suddenly for a few moments, the scent spaor that would have the ape-man to the girl’s side was wafted in. the opposite direction; Tarzan passed within fifty yards df the was being enacted in the glade,,aod the opportunity was gone beyond recall. It was morning before Tarzan could bring himself to a realization of the possibility of failure In (jis quest, and even then he would only, admit that success was but delayed. He would eat and sleep, and then set forth again. Taglat might travel far; but Tarzan would find him In the end, though he had to search every tree in the mighty forest.' Soliloquizing thus, the ape-man followed the spoor of Bara, the deer, the unfortunate upon which he had decided to satisfy his hunger. For half an hour the trhil led the ape-man toward the east along a well-marked game path, when suddenly, to the stalker’s astonishment, the quarry broke into sight, racing madly back along the narrow way straight toward the hunter. Tarzan, who "had been following along the trail, leaped so quickly to the concealing verdure at the side that the deer was still unaware of the presfence of an enemy In This direction, and while the animal was still some distance away, the ape-man swung into the lower branches of a tree which overhung the trail. There he crouched, a savage beast of prey, awaiting the coming of its victim. In a moment the victim flashed beneath the limb and at the same instant the ape-man above sprang out and down upon Its back. The weight of the man’s body carried the deer to the* ground. It stumbled forward once in a futile effort to rise and then mighty muscles dragged its head far back, gave the neck a vicious wrench and Bara was dead. Quick had been the killing, and equally quick were the ape-man’s subsequent actions, for who might know what manner of killer pursued Bara, or how close at hand he might be? Scarce had the neck of the victim snapped -than the carcass was hanging over one of Tarzan’s broad shoulders, and an Instant later the ape-man was perched once more among the lower branches of a tree above the trail, his keen, gray eyes scanning the pathway down which the deer had fled.. His sharp eyes saw the muzzle of the leading horse as it terne into view around a bend in the'tortuous trail, and one by one they scrutinized the riders as they passed beneath him in single file. Beneath him, as unconscious of his presence as were the Abyssinlans before and behind him, rode Albert Werper, while the ape-man scrutinized the Belgian for some sign of the pouch which he had stolen. As the Abyssinlans rode towaLd the south, a giant figure hovered ever upon their trail—a huge, almost naked white man, who carried the bloody carcass of a deer upon his shoulders, for Tarzan knew that he might not have another opportunity to hunt for some time if he were to follow the Belgian. A two days’ march brought them to a level plain beyond which lay mountains —a plain which, Tarzan remembered and which aroused within him vague half memories and strange longings. Beside a charred pile of timbers the Abyssinlans halted, and Tarzan, sneaking close and concealing himself in nearby shrubbery, watched them in wonderment. He saw them digging up the earth and he wondered if they had hidden meat there In the past and now had come for it. Then he recalled how he had buried his pretty pebbles and the suggestion that had caused him to do It. They were digging for the things the blacks had buried here I Presently he saw them uncover a dirty yellow object, and he witnessed the joy of Werper and of Abdul Mourak as the grimy object was exposed to view. One by one they unearthed many similar pieces, all of the same uniform dirty yellow, until a plie of them lay upon the ground, a pile which Abdul Mourak fondled and petted in an ecstasy of greed. Something stirred in the ape-man’s mind as he looked long upon the golden ingots. Where had he seen such before? What were they? He recalled the black men who had burled them. • The things must be theirs. Werper was stealing them as he had Stolen Tarzan’s pouch of pebbles. The ape-man’s eyes blazed in anger. He would, like to find the black men and lead them against these thieves. all these things ran through the active mind a party of men moved out Of the forest at the edge of the plain and advanced toward the ruins of the burned bungalow. Abdul Mourak, always watchful, was the first to see them, but already they were halfway, across the open. Werper, swinging Into his saddle, fastened Ms upon the newcomers, then, white and trembling, he turned toward Abdul Mourak. “It is Achmet Zek and his raiders," he whispered. “They are come for the gold.” It must have been at about the mime instant that Achmet Zek discovered the pile of yeUow ingots and realised the actuality of what he had already feared since first Ms eyes had alighted upon the party beside the ruins, of the Englishman’s bungalow. Some one had forestalled Mm—another had come for the treasure ahead of him. The Arab cared not whom the thieves might be. They would not give up tta gold Without a battle. Of that ba we certain, and with a wild whoop and a command to Ms followers. Achmet Zek put spurs to his horse arid dawhed down upon the Abyssinlans, and after him, waving their long guns above their heads, yelling and cursing.

came his motley horde of cut throat followers. The men of Abdul Mourak met them with a volley which emptted a few saddles, and then the raiders were among them, and sword, pistol and musket, each was doing its most hideous and bloody wdrk. Achmet Zek, spying Werper at the first charge, bore down upon the Belgian, and the latter, terrified by contemplation of the fate he deserved, turned his horse’s head and dashed madly away In an effort to escape. Shouting to a lieutenant to take command.- and urging him upon pain of death to dispatch the Abyssinian* and

bring the gold back to his camp, Achmet Zek set off across the plain In pursuit of the Belgian, his wicked nature unable ,to forego the pleasures of revenge, even at the risk of sacrificing the treasure. Werper, going over his head rolled a few yards farther on, scrambled to his feet and ran Seizing the reins he tugged to drag the beast to his feet; but the animal would not or could not rise, and as the Belgian cursed and struck him, Achmet Zek appeared in view. Instantly the Belgian ceased his efforts with the dying animal at his feet, and seizing his rifle, dropped behind the horse and fired at the oncoming Arab. His bullet, going low, struck Achmet Zek's horse in the breast, bringing him down a hundred yards from where Werper lay preparing to Are a second shot The Arab, who had gone down with his mount, was standing astride him, and seeing the Belgian’s strategic position behind his fallen horse, lost no time In taking up a similar one behind his own. And there the two lay, alternately firing at and cursing each ether, while from behind the Arab, Tarzan of the Apes approached to the edge of the forest. Keeping to one side of the trail, the ape-jnan came presently, to a point where he could look down in comparative safety upon the fighters. First one and then the other would partially raise himself above his breastwork of horseflesh, fire his weapon and immediately drop flat behind his shelter, where he would reload and repeat the act a moment later. Werper had fired all but a single cartridge, when, during a lull In the fighting, hp called aloud to his opponent “Achmet Zek,” he cried, "Allah alone knows which one of us may leave our bones to rot where he lies upon this trail today if we keep up our foolish battle. You wish the contents of the pouch I wear about my waist, and I wish my life and my liberty even more than I do the jewels. Let us each, then, take that which he most desires and go our separate ways in peace. I will lay the pouch upon the carcass of my horse, where you may see it, and you, in turns will lay your gun upon your horse, with butt toward me. Then I will go away, leaving the pouch to you, and you will let me go in safety. I want only my life, and my freedom. The Arab thought in silence for a moment. * Then he spoke. His reply was influenced by the fact that he had expended his last shot. “Go your. way, then,” he growled, “leaving the pouch in plain sight behind you. See, I lay my gun thus, with the butt toward you. Go.” Regretfully Werper laid the pouch, its undisturbed, - upon the body of his horse, rose, and taking his rifle with "him, backed slowly down the trail until a turn hid him from the view of the watchful Arab. But Achmet Zek was no fool to expose himself td the blackened honor of a thief and a murderer. Taking his long gun with him, Jie left the trail, entering The rank and tangled vegetation which walled it, and growling slowly forward on hands and knees he paralleled the trail; but never for an instant was his body exposed to the rifle of the hidden assassin. . Thus Achmet Zek advanced until he had come opposite the dead horse of his enemy. The pouch lay there in full view, while a short distance along the trail Werper waited in growing impatience and nervousness, wondering why the Arab did not come to claim his reward. Presently he saw the muzzle of a rifle appear suddenly and mysteriously a few inches above the pouch, and iwftwwhe could realize the cunning

trick that the Arab had played «pon Mtn the sight of the weapon was adroitly hooked Into the rawhide thong which formed the carrying strap of the pouch, and the latter was drawn quickly from his view Into the depse foliage at the trail’s side. There was another who bad seen the pouch and recognized it, advanced with Achmet Zek, hovering above him, as silent and as sure as death itself, and as the Arab, finding a little spot less overgrown with bushes than he had yet encountered, prepared to gloat his eyes upon the contents of the pouch, Tarzan paused directly above him, intent upon the same object Wetting his thin lips with his tongue, Achmet Zek loosened the tie strings which closed the mouth of the pouch, and cupping one clawlike hand poured forth a portion of the contents into his palm. A single look he took at the stones lying in his hand. His eyes narrowed, a curse broke from his lips, and he hurled the small objects upon the ground disdainfully. Quickly he emptied the balance of the contents until he had scanned each separate stone, and as he dumped piem all upon the ground and stamped upon them his rage grew until the muscles of his face worked in demonlike fury, and his fingers clenched until his nails bit into the flesh. Above, Tarzan watched in wonderment. He had been curious to dis-

cover what all the pow-Wow about his pouch had •meant. He wanted to see what the. Arab would dp after the other had gone away, leaving the popch behind Mm, and, having satisfied his curiosity, ,he would then have pounced upon Achmet Zek and taken the pouch and his pretty pebbles away from him, for did they not belong to Tarzan? He saw the Arab now throw aside the empty pouch, and grasping his long gun by the barrel, clublike, sneak stealthily through the jungle Reside the trail along which Weeper had gone. As the man disappeared from his view; Tarzan dropped to the ground and commenced gathering up the I spilled contents of the pouch, and the moment that he obtained his first near ' view of the scattered pebbles he understood the rage of the Arab, for In--1 stead of the glittering and scintillating • gems which had first caught and held 1 the attention of the ape-man, the I pbuch had now .contained but a collection of .ordinary river pebbles- ' (TO BE CONTINUED.)

The Hideous Face and Hairy Form of a Giant Anthropoid.

Achmet Zek Set Off Across the Plain in Pursuit.

Above, Tarzan Watched in Wonderment.