Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

TARZAN AND ‘Where are they?” He did not tell her, for as yet he was none too sure of her motives. ‘“ Show me the way,” he said, “ and I can ~ return for them.” | “Yes,” she replied, “I, will show you, and then perhaps you will love me better _ than you love the other.” In the passage behind the paneling Talas- kar and Komodoflorensal awaited the out- come of Tarzan’s venture. Distinctly to their ears came every word of the conver- sation between ine ape-man and the prin- cess. ‘“ He loves you,” said Komodoflorensal. “ You see, he loves you.” — “T see nothing of the kind, ” returned Talaskar. ‘‘ Because he does Hot love the Princess Janzara is no proof that he loves me.’ “But he does love you—and you love him! I have seen it since first he came. Would that h” vere not my friend, for then I might run him through.” “Why would you run him through: be- cause he loves me—if he does?” demanded the girl. “Am I so low that you would rather see your. friend dead than auatee! with me?” ‘““JT—” he hesitated, “TI cannot ‘tell you what I mean.’ The girl laughed and then suddenly So- bered. ‘She is leading him from her apartment,” she said. ‘ We had better fol- low.” As Talaskar laid. her fingers upon the spring that actuated the lock holding ‘the panel in place, Janzara led Tarzan across her chamber toward a doorway in one of the side walls—not the doorway through which her slave had departed. “Follow me,” whispered the princess, ‘and you will see what the love of Janzara means.” = Tarzan, not entirely assured of her inten- tions, followed her warily. “Vou are afraid,” she said. ‘ You do not trust me. Well, come here then and — look, yourself, into this chamber ‘before you enter.” Komodoflorensal and Talaskar had but just stepped into the apartment when Tar- zan approached the door to one side of THE ANT-MEN. | —T18 which Janzara stood. They saw the floor give suddenly beneath his feet and an in- stant later Zuanthrol had disappeared. As he shot down a polished chute he heard a wild laugh from Janzara following him into the darkness of the unknown. Komodoflorensal and Talaskar leaped quickly across the chamber, but too late. The floor that had given beneath Tarzan’s feet had slipped quietly ‘back into place. Janzara stood above the spot trembling with anger and staring down at the place where the ape-man had’ disappeared. She shook as an aspen shakes in the breeze— shook in the mad tempest of her own pas- -sions.: “If you: will not. come to me, you shall never go to another!” she. screamed, and then she turned and saw Komodoflorensal and Talaskar running toward her, What followed occurred so quickly that it would be impossible to record the facts in the brief time that they actually con- sumed. It was over almost before Tarzan reached the bottom of the chute and picked himself from the earthen floor upon which he had been deposited. _ The room in which he found himself was lighted by several candles burning in iron barred niches. Opposite him was a heavy gate of iron bars, through which he could see another lighted apartment in which a man, his chin sagging dejectedly upon his _ breast, was seated on a low bench. At the sound of Tarzan’s precipitate entrance into the adjoining chamber the man looked up, — and, at sight of Zuanthrol, leaped to his feet. “ Quick! To your left!” he cried; and Tarzan, turning, saw two huge, green eyed beasts crouching to spring. His first impulse was to rub-his eyes as one might to erase the phantom figures of a disquieting dream, for what he saw were two ordinary African wildcats—ordinary in coutour and markings, but in size gigantic. For an instant the ape-man forgot that he was only one-fourth his normal size and ‘that the cats, which appeared to him as large as full grown lions, were in reality but average specimens of their kind. As they came toward him he whipped out his sword, prepared to battle for his COMICOOOKS