Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

=a 600 the black chief and his warriors as Tarzan was conducted into their presence. After the usual ceremony had been gone through, Tarzan turned and waved his hand toward the four Europeans. ‘ These are my friends,” he said to the black chiel, “and they wish to reach the coast in safety. Send with them, then, sufficient warriors to feed and guard them during the journey. It is 1, Tarzan of the Apes, who requests this favor.” “Tarzan of the Apes, the great chief, Lord of the Jungle, has but to command,” replied the black. “Good!” exclaimed Tarzan. “ Feed them well and treat them well. If have other business to attend to and may not remain.”’ “Their bellies shall be filled, and they shall reach the coast unscathed,” replied the chief. Without a word of farewell, without even a sign that he realized their existence, Tar- zan of the Apes passed from the sight of the four Europeans, while at his heels paced Jad-bal-ja, the golden lion. CHAPTER XIX. A BARBED SHAFT KILLS, RASKI spent a sleepless night. He could not help but realize that sooner or later Tarzan would discover the loss of his pouch of diamonds, and that he would return and demand an accounting of the four Londoners he had befriended. And so it was that as the first streak of dawn lighted the eastern horizon the Rus- sian arose from him pallet of dried grasses - within the hut that had been assigned him and Bluber by the chief, and crept stealthily out into the village street. ‘“‘ God!” he muttered to himself. “ There is only one chance in a thousand that I can reach the coast alone, but this ”—he pressed his hand over the bag of diamonds that lay within his shirt—‘“‘ but this, this is worth every effort, even to the sacrifice -of life—the fortune of a thousand kings! My God, what could I not do with it in London and Paris and New York!” Stealthily he slunk from the village, and = yer ef ee ee i OO I i NE POD ee gh eg OY hy eee —“2- SF c=, a ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. presently the verdure of the jungle beyond closed about Carl Kraski, the Russian, as he disappeared forever from the lives of his companions. Bluber was the first to discover the ab- sence of Kraski, for, although there was no love between the two, they had been thrown together owing to the friendship of Peebles and Throck. ‘“ Have you seen Carl this morning?” he asked Peebles as the three men gathered around the pot containing the unsavory stew that had been brought to them for their breakfast. ‘“ No,” said Peebles. ‘‘ He must be asleep yet.” ** He is not in the hut,” replied Bluber. ‘ He vus not dere ven I voke up.” ‘He can take care of himself,” growled Throck, resuming his breakfast. ‘“ You’ll likely find him with some of the ladies.” And he grinned in appreciation of his little joke on Carl Kraski’s well-known weak- ness. They had finished their breakfast and were attempting to communicate with some of the warriors, in an effort to learn when the chief proposed that they should set forth for the coast, and still Kraski had not made an appearance. By this time Bluber was considerably concerned, not at all for Kraski’s safety, but for his own, since, if something should happen to Kraski in. this friendly village in the still watches of the night, a similar fate might overtake him; and when he made this suggestion to the others it gave them food for thought, too, so that there were three rather appre- hensive men who sought an audience with the chief. By means of signs and pidgin English, and distorted native dialect, a word or two of which each of the three understood, they managed to convey to the chief the informa- tion that Kraski had disappeared, and that they wanted to know what had become of him. The chief was, of course, as much puz- zled as they, and immediately instituted a thorough search of the village, with the result that it was soon found that Kraski was not within the palisade; and shortly afterward footprints were discovered lead- ECORMICGLOOO© S eC)