Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1920 — TARZAN AND THE Jewels of Opar [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TARZAN AND THE Jewels of Opar

By EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS

"Suaaf Tasas*"

tovrstoM ma w a a imm* a Oa

f RYNOFBIR TiimifnimThTl «Wrt Werper, Bn> *Ua officer, to captured by AchmetZek, Irak alavo raider, who aparee hla Uto and ******** to him a scheme to kidnap Jana UK of Tarsan (Lard Greyatok*) aad mu Bar into alav*ry.Wirp*r aoMpta. & Swum financial strata an! ptoee an expedition to the treasure vault* E& “sk Lady Greyatok*, and follows Tarsan to hark the aecrat of Ooar aauMa the collapse of the vault, laiprto •ata* both mon. dead he leaven him. Seekin* a way to CHAPTHR V.-BeUevln* Taraan dead Ma black followers return home with the told. Achmet Sek. actin* on Werper** mnrmation, ha* attacked the Groyatoko noma burned it, and carried off Lady Qreyatoka Mugambl. Tarsan’a IteutoS* ant, to severely wounded but recover* and follow* the raider a. VMAjmtot Ve.—a*ro Greystoke recover* oonsciousnoas, but the accident ha* destroyed hto memory and he to a*am fanaa of the Apes. Fleeing from the acene Of hto misfortune he fiMs htmatif to the jewel room of Opar. He fUto Ma a*M th* jewels and covets them. CHAPTER Vll.—Taraan and Werner •itehtho former's party return, to By rained Groyatoko homo and bury the goto haraan haa no nanow.of place. A Mitos the jewels, which Werper dl*o and escapes while Tarsan sleeps. CRAFTER Vttl.-Caching Acbnmt & ttaka to there, a prisoner. Achmot distovera Werper has the jewels, and M*tan, faarln* tor hto Ufa escapee with wl* (pßflßS* CHAPTER IX.—Tarsan misses Werper •an.' La and the priests of the Flamto* &s«3 *rrtod off. They capture Taraan.

GHAFTBR X-The priestsmake reg to otter Taren as a sacrifice to Oto Ramin* God. La offers him Ute to exHum** for Ms lore. He refure, and to Ae jungle language calls Tantor, the eteahant, to Ma rescue. Tantor cornea, re a an inaana race destroys all in Ma oath. Ca wom Tarsan and lie eaves her from Ke eiophant. vmajfTßß Xl.—The priests who sataped Tenter's race return to the temple with La. 'Tarsan remembera the jewels Md finding them cone realises Warper see stolen them. He follows the scent st Ue Belgian. determined on revenge. CHAPTER Xll.—Lady Greystoke eOeapes from Achmet Zek and jaakes her way into Ue jungle. Warper, fleeiny from thsraider, is made prisoner by AbdM of soldiers Mntto wipe Achniet Zekj Be SOM $e jewels Werper has, and roeacatatac the pouch as ths property ■peter, steals the cams, raplaclnc than wlth worthlaM pebbles, and escapee. CBKAFTBR Xin.-wane pursuing BASiunet Zek recapture Lady GroyMtS. XriS staff-as '&s! »al TM» ’ two jm«t am ollpwe them and enters the village. CHAPTKR XlV.—Werner awrosa u pride Meurak to where Taman's sold is period. While Tarsan is seeking werper in Achmet Sok’s camp Taclat carries ofl Lady Greystoke. Tarsan’s recollection Kas been stirred by the sicht of hia wife, tbou*h he did not recognise her. and M starts in pursuit. On the trail ths apeman Werper with the party pl Abyselmaas on the way to the Greystoke heme. fltllowta* them he are them attacked hr Achmet Zek’s band. In ths tahtlng-Werper escapes and Achmet Zek OS I sues Mm Worpor offers to aWo the tasVs ts Achmet in oxchance for his life

Mm camj, *t? V CHAFTIR XVI. The Flight tn the Jungle. UpOD hia AJfcSTt Werperlot hia evil mind dwell upon Be darw of the woman In the nearly tent. Be had noted Mohammad IvTa sodden interest in the girl, and jtflgiag the man by his own standards, had gueesed at the basis of the Arab’s fiKddsa change of attitude toward the resolution possessed him. Bp fester the from him and IWM to his feet. Pulling on his boots and buckling bls cartridge belt and reyctoer about Ms hips hi stepped to the flag p< his tent and looked out Thors a* gantry before toe entrance to the grleßaer*w tog t i ’ What could It want Fate wae Indeed playtag tote •tapping outside be PMtod Wto the girt’s tout. Tberwwgsjo sMIIj -tn—l And now, bolflty, he walked to die ontranee and stepped *

interior. Across the tent a figure bent above the blankets of a bed. was a whispered word, and ahother flgan rone from the blanket* to a sitting position. Slowly Albert Werper** •ye* were becoming accustomed to the haff darkness of the tent He saw that the figure leaning over the bed wa* that of a man, and he guessed at the truth of the nocturnal visitor** identity. ® ▲ sullen, jealous rage enveloped him He heard a frightened cry break 'from the girl’* Up* as she recognised the features of the man above her, and he saw Mohammed Beyd seize her by the throat and bear her back ugon the blanket*. Cheated passion cast a red blur befog* the eyes of the Belgian. No I The men should not have her. She was tor him and him alone. He would not be robbed of his rights. quickly he ran across the tent and threw himself upon the back of Mohammed Beyd. The latter, though surprised by Oils sudden and unexpected attack, was not one to give up without a battle. The Belgian’s fingers were feeling for hl* throat, but the Arab tore them away, and rising wheeled upon his adversary. A* they faced each other Werper struck the Arab a heavy blow in the face, sending him staggering backward. If he had followed tip hl* advantage he would have had Mohammed Beyd at hi* mercy in another moment; but instead he tugged at his revolver to draw it from it* bolster, and fat* ordained Wat at that particular moment the weapon should stick in its leather scabbard. Before be could disengage It Mohammed Beyd had recovered himself ■nd wbh dashing upon him. Striking at each other and ceaselessly attempting to clinch, the two battled about the small interior of the tent, while the girl, wide-eyed in terro/ and astonishment, watched the duel in frozen silence. Again and again Werper struggled to draw hi* weapon. Mohammed Beyd, anticipating no such opposition to his base desires, had come to the tent uparmed, except for a long knife which he now drew a* he stood panting during the first brief rest of the encounter. Werper was still dragging futilely at his weapon. The Arab was almost upon him. In desperation the European waited until Mohammed 1 Beyd was all but against him, then he threw himself to one side to the floor of the tent, leaving a leg extended in the path of the Arab. The trick succeeded. Mohammed Beyd, carried on by the momentum of hl* charge, stumbled over the projecting obstacle and crashed to the' ground. Instantly he was up again and wheeling to renew the battle; but Werper was on foot ahead of him, and now bls revolver, loosened from its holster, flashed in his hand. The Arab dove headfirst to grapple with him, there was a sharp report, a

lurid gleam of flame in the darkness, and Mohammed Beyd rolled over and over upon the floor to come to a final rest beside the bed of the woman ho had sought to dishonor. Almost immediately following toe report came the sound of excited voices in thfe camp without. Men were calling back and forth to one another asking the meaning of the shot. Werper could hear them running hither and thither, investigating. The two sentries who had been relieved and sent to their blankets by Mohammed Beyd were the first to suggest going to the tent of the prisoner. It occurred to them that possibly the woman had successfully defended her* self against their leader, t Werper based the men approaching. To be apprehended as toe slayer to Mohammed Beyd would be equivalent to a sentence to immediate death. The fierce and brutal raiders would tear to pieces a Christian who had dared spill the blood to their leader. He must find some excuse to delay the finding to Mohammed Beyd’s deed body. Beturntag bls. revolver to its bolster, he walked quickly to the entrance of the taut. Parting toe flaps he stepped out and confronted theanen, who were tepidly approaching. “The woman resisted,” he said, “and Mohammed Beyd was forced to shoot her. She is not dead— only shghtly wounded. Tou may go back to your Henketa. Mohammed Beyd and I will look after toe prisoner;” then he tarned and re-entered the tent, and fee raiders, satisfied by this explanareturned to their broken ■ -v • j" V’ > ' ?' T.V ■ ■. *

A* toss stood apparently listening to the retreating footsteps of the Arabs, though actually engrossed in thought, Jane Clayton approached him. “What ate we db now?” she asked. “They Will kill you when they find him.” } v “I have a plan,” he cried.X “You. must simulate death while I carry you from the camp. I will explain to the sentries that Mohammed Beyd has ordered me to take your body into the jungle. Thit, seemingly unnecessary act I shall explain upon the ground* that Mohammed Beyd has conceived a violent passion for you and that he so regretted the act by which he had become your slayer that he could not endure the silent reproach of your lifeless body.” “But bow will you explain Mohammed Beyd’* death?” she asked. “It will be discovered before ever you can escape'the camp in the morning.” "I shilll not explain it.’’ replied Wer per. “Mohammed Beyd shall explain it himself*—we must leave that to him. Walt, I must get you a weapon and ammunition,” and Werper walked quickly from the tent Very shortly be returned with an extra revolver and ammunition belt strapped about hl* waist. “Now come and throw yourself limply across my left shoulder," and Werper knelt to receive her. "There,” he said, as he rose to hto feet ; “Now, let yous arms, your legs and your head hang limply. Remember that you are dead.” A thorn boma had been thrown up about the camp, to discourage the bolder of the hungry carnivora. A couple of sentries paced to and fro in the light of a Are which they kept hnrnlng brightly. The nearer of these looked up in surprise as he saw Werper approaching. “Who are you?” he cried. “What hav* you there?” Werper raised the hood of his burnoose that the fellow might see hto face. "This is the body of the woman," he explained. “Mohammed Beyd ha* asked me to take it into the jungle, for he cannot bear to look upon the face of her whom he loved, and whom necessity compelled him-to slay. He suffers greatly—he is inconsolable. It was with difficulty that I prevented him taking his own life.” Across the speaker’s shoulder, limp and frightened, the girl waited for the Arab’s'reply. He would laugh at this preposterous story; of that she was sure.

Then she heard the voice of the Arab as he replied to M. Frecoult. “Are you going alone, or do you wtoh me to awaken some one to accompany you?” he asked, and his tone denoted not the least surprise that Mohammed Beyd had suddenly discovered such remarkably sensitive characteristic*. “I shall go alone,” replied Werper, and he passed on and out through the narrow opening in the boma, by which the sentry stood. A moment later he had entered among the boles of the trees with hto burden, and when safely hidden from the sentry’s view lowered the girl to her feet, with a low, “Sh-sh,” when she would have spoken. Then he led her a little farther into the forest, halted beneath a large tree with spreading branches, buckled a cartridge belt and revolver about her waist, and assisted her to climb Into the lower branches. “Tomorrow,” he whispered, “a* soon as I can elude them, I will return to you. Be brave, Lady Greystoke —we may yet escape.”

“Thank you,” she replied In a low tone. “Tou have been very kind, and very brave.” Werper did not reply, and the darkness of the night hid the scarlet flush of shame which swept upward across his face. Quickly he turned and made his way back to camp. The sentry, from his post, saw him enter his own tent; but he did not see him crawl under the canvas at the rear and sneak cautiously to the tent which the prisoner had occupied, where now lay the Sead body of Mohammed Beyd. Without an instant’s hesitation he leized the dead wrists and dragged the body upon its back to the point where he had Just entered. On hands end knees he backed out as he had tome in, drawing the corpse after him. then he lifted It to his shoulder, and Asking all on a quick sally, ran swift* !y across the narrow which separated the prisoner’s” tent from that of the dead man. He stnoped and raised the bottom of the tent wall, backed to and dragged the thing that had been Mohammed Beyd after him. To the sleeping rugs of the dead raidsr he drew the corpse, then he fumbled about In the darkness until he found Mohammed Beyd’s revolver; kneeling beside the bedding, and tar •erting his right hand with the weapon beneath the rugs, piled a number to thicknesses to the closely woven fabric over and about the revolver with his left hand. Then be pulled the trigger, and at the same instant he -toughed. * . .. - . The muffled report could not have been heard above the sound to hie rongh by one directly outside toe tent Werper was satisfied. A grim smile touched his Ups as he withdrew toe weapmi from the rugs and placed it carefully In the right hand to the dead men. fixing three of the fingers around the grip and the index finger inside taA;trt*wer . Then he returned to his own tent, entered; fastened down toe canvas, and crawled nito Ms blankets. The morning he was awakened by the excited voice of Mohammed Beyd’s slave calling to him •ttoe entrance of his tent “QiMl Quick!” cried the black in a. frightteed tone.

"I come,” warper called to the slave, and drawing on hi* boots, rose and went out of his tent. For a time he pretended to believe murder has been committed, but at last-permitted himself to be convinced that Mohammed Beyd had Indeed killed himself In remorse for the death of the white woman he had, all unknown to his followers, loved so devotedly. With Achmet Zek and Mohammed Beyd both dead, the raiders were without a leader.- and after a brief conference they decided to return into the north on visits to the various tribes to which they belonged. A* they rode off Werper sat hto horse in the center of the clearing watching them disappear one by one Into the jungle and thanked- his God that he had at last escaped their vtl-' lainous clutches. When he could no longer hear any: sound of them he turned to the right and rode Into the forest toward the tree where he had hidden Lady Grey r stoke, and drawing rein beneath it called up tn a gay and hopeful vole* a pleasant "Good morning!” There was no reply, and though hto eyes searched the thick foliage above him he could see no sign of the girt Dismounting, he quickly climbed Into the tree, where he could obtain a view of all its branches. The tree was empty—Jane Clayton had vanished during the silent watches of the jungle night. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

There Was a Sharp Report.