Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

TARZAN AND THE ANT-MEN. 285 “ but more easily when it is dark. I shall wait until the lights are extinguished.” “You will wait forever, then,’ Komodo- florensal told him. ‘““ The lights are never extinguished?” de- manded the ape-man. “ Were they, we should all be soon dead,” replied the prince. ‘‘ These flames serve two purposes—they dissipate the darkness and consume the foul gases that would otherwise quickly asphyxiate us. Unlike the ordinary flame, that consumes oxygen, these candles, perfected from the discov- eries and inventions of an ancient Minunian scientist, consume the deadly gases and lib- erate oxygen. “Tt is because of this even more than for the light they give that they are used exclusively throughout Minuni. Even our domes would be dark, ill-smelling, noxious places were it not for them, while the quar- ries would be absolutely unworkable.” “Then I shall not wait for them to be extinguished,” said Tarzan, stretching him- self at full length upon the earth floor, with a nod and a “‘ Tuano!”’ a Minunian ‘‘ Good- night!” to Talaskar and Komodoflorensal, CHAPTER XIII. IN THE ROYAL DOME. S Talaskar was preparing their break- fast the following morning Komodo- florensal remarked to Tarzan that he wished: they two could be employed upon the same work, that they might be always together. “Tf there is ever the chance for escape that you seem to think will some day pre- sent itself,” he said, “then it will be well if we are together.” “When we go,” replied Tarzan, must take Talaskar with us.” Komodoflorensal cast a swift glance at the apesman, but made no comment upon his suggestion. “You would take me with you!” ex- claimed Talaskar. “ Ah, if such a dream could but be realized! I would go with you to Trohanadalmakus and be your slave, for I know that you would not harm me. But, alas, it can be nothing more than a pleasant ** we day-dream, enduring for a brief time, for Kalfastoban has spoken for me and doubt- less my master will be glad to sell me to him, for I have heard it said among the slaves that he sells many of his each year to raise the money to pay his taxes.” “We will do what we can, Talaskar,” said Tarzan, “ and if Aoponato and I find a means of escape we will take you with us; but first he and I must find a way to be together more.” “TI have a plan,” said Komodoflorensal, “that might prove successful. They believe that you neither speak nor understand their language. To work a slave with whom they cannot communicate is, to say the least, an- noying. I shall tell them that I can com- municate with you, when it is quite prob- able that they will assign us to the same crew.” ‘“ But how will you communicate with me without using the Minunian language?” de- manded the ape-man. “Leave that to me,” replied Komodo- florensal. ‘“ Until they discover in some other way that you speak Minunian I can continue to deceive them.” It was not long before the fruits of Ko- modoflorensal’s plan ripened. The guards had come for the slaves and the various parties had gone forth from the sleeping chamber, joining in the outside corridors the thousands of others wending their way to the scene of their daily labor. The ape-man joined the timbering crew at the extension of the thirteenth tunnel at the thirty-sixth level where he once more attacked the monotonous work of shoring the sides and roof of the shaft with an en- thusiasm that elicited commendation from even the surly Kalfastoban, although Caraf- tap, who was removing rocks just ahead of Tarzan, often shot venomous looks at the ape-man. The work had been progressing for per- haps two or three hours when two warriors descended the tunnel and halted beside Kal- fastoban. They were escorting a green- tunicked slave, to whom Tarzan paid no more attention than he did to the warriors until a scrap of their conversation reached his ears, then he shot a quick glance in the direction of the four and saw that the slave COPMICLOOO KS TOF [eosin eee 9 ae ! Le My ae eS Vek a Oe Tee Re ay Oe he th er = . < 2 : i.