Show X I 1 P by EDGAR RICE AR awan BURROUGHS AND THE author of tarzan of the apes JEWELS OF 0 OPAR son on of tarzan 1918 by bi A C mccowe C co 11 LA ILA LOVES YOU ALL OPAR SHALL BE YOURS synopsis hiding in tho the jungle after killing hilling his captain in n a fit alt of brooding madness albert belgian officer Is captured by achmet zek arab slave raider who spares his life and proposes to him a scheme to kidnap jane v 1 ite ife of tarzan lord greystoke and fell bell her into slavery accepts posing as jules Ire Fre coult french traveler Is hospitably received by tile the greystoke Groy stoke hi learns liis his host la Is in financial straits and Is planning an expedition to the treasure re asure vaults of opar to procure gold informs achmet zek of 0 the opportunity to seize lady greystoke Grey and follows tarzan to learn the secret of opar spying on tarzan sees him load his blacks with gold irom from the treasure chamber of the sun worshipers A convulsion of nature causes the collaco col lapo of the vault imprisoning Imprison lne both men recovers from the shock and leaves tarzan apparently dead seeking a way to safety Is seized by priests of the flaming god a degenerate race lie he Is about to be offered up as a sacrifice when the ceremonies are interrupted by the appearance of a hunger maddened lion believing tarzan dead his black followers return home with the gold achmet zek acting on herpers pers information has attacked the greystoke home burned it and carried off on lady greystoke Mu gambl gambi Tar lieutenant Is severely wounded but recovers and follows tho the raiders lord Grey greystoke stake recovers consciousness but the accident has destroyed his memory and he is again tarzan of 0 the apes fleeing from the scene of 0 his misfortune ho he finds himself in the J jewel ewe I 1 room of opar he fills his pouch with the pretty pebbles he reache reach esth sacrificial chamber just as the lion halts tho the sacrifice of by la CHAPTER VI continued S the creatures he saw before him he recognized for what they were men and women and a huge lion the men and women wore were scuttling tor for the safety of the exits the lion stood upon the body of ct one who had been less fortunato fortunate than the others ile he was in the center of the temple directly before tarzan a woman stood beside a block of stone upon the top of the stone lay stretched a man and as the ape man watched the scene he saw the lion glare terribly at the two who remained within the temple another thunderous roar broke from the savage throat the woman screamed and swooned across tho the body of the man stretched prostrate upon the stone altar before her hei helpless pless upon the altar saw the great carnivore preparing to leap upon him lie ile saw the sudden change in the beasts expression as his eyes wandered to something beyond the altar and out of the belgians view ile he saw the formidable creature rise to a standing position A figure darted past he saw a mighty arm upraised and a stout spear shoot forward toward the lion to bury itself in the broad chest lie he saw the lion snapping and tearing the weapons shaft and he saw wonder of won wonders dersi 1 the naked giant who had hurled burled the missile charging upon the great beast only it a long knife ready to meet those ferocious fangs and talons by a quick side step tarzan eluded the first swinging clutch of the lions paws darting to the beasts side he leaped upon the tawny back ills his arms encircled the neck his boeth sank deep into the brutes flesh Ito roaring dring leaping rolling and struggling the giant eat cat attempted to dislodge this savage enemy and all the while one great brown fist was driving a long keen blade repeatedly into the beasts side during the battle la regained consciousness ness spellbound she stood above her victim watching the spectacle at last Tar knife found the great heart and with a final spasmodic struggle the lion rolled over upon the marble floor dead leaping to liis feet the conqueror placed d a toot foot upon the carcass of his kill raised his bis face toward the heavens and gave voice to so hideous a cry that both la and trembled as it reverberated through the temple then the ape man turned and recognized him as the man he had left for dead in the treasure room was astounded could this creature be the same dignified englishman who had bad entertained him so graciously in his luxurious african home could this wild beast with blazing eyes and bloody countenance be at the same time a man could the horrid victory cry he had but just heard have been formed in human throat la was studying the ape mans features slowly her large eyes opened very wide Tarza nl she exclaimed and then in the vernacular of the great apes which constant association with the anthropoids anthrop had rendered the common language of the Opar Op arians lans you have cow come back to me la has ignored the mandates of her religion waiting always waiting tor for tarzan tor for her tartan tarran she has taken no mate for in nil all the world there was but one with whom la would mate and now you have come back I 1 tell me 0 tarzan that it Is for me you have returned listened to the unintelligible jargon he looked from la to tarzan would tho latter understand this strange tongue to tho the belgians surprise the englishman answered in a language evidently identical to hers tarzan 1 he repeated musingly gly tarzan the name sounds familiar it Is your name you are tarzan taman cried la i 1 I am taman Tarza nf the ape man shrugged well it Is a good name I 1 know no other so I 1 will keep it but I 1 do not know you yon idad I 1 did not come hither for you why I 1 came I 1 do not know at all neither do I 1 know from whence I 1 came can you tell me la shook her head 1 I never knew she replied janzan turned toward and aut tho the same earne question to laim him but in the language of the great apes the belgian shook his head 1 I do not understand that language he said in french without effort and apparently without realizing that he made the change tarzan repeated his question in french suddenly came to a full realization of the magnitude of the injury of 0 which tarzan was a victim the man had lost his memory no longer could he recollect past events the belgian was upon the point of enlightening him when it suddenly occurred to him that by keeping tarzan in ignorance for a time at least of his bis true identity it might be possible to turn the ape mans misfortune to his own advantage 1 I cannot tell you from whence you came he said but this ican tell you if we do not get out of this horrible place we shall both be slain upon this bloody altar the woman was about to plunge her knife into my heart when the lion interrupted the fiendish ritual come let us find a way out of their damnable temple tarzan turned again toward la why lie he asked would you have killed this man are you hungry the high priestess cried out in disgust raised her slender arm and pointed toward the sun we were offering up his soul as a gift to the flaming god she said tarzan looked puzzled ile he was again an ape and apes do not understand such matters as souls and flam ing gods do you wish to die he be asked the belgian assured him with tears in his eyes that he did not wish to die IVe very well then you shall not said Tar tarzan comet comel we will go this she would kill you and keep me tor for herself lier self it Is no place anyway for a mangana Manga nl I 1 should soon die shut up behind these stone walls he turned toward la ive we are going now he said the woman rushed forward and seized the ape mans hands in hers do not leave me I 1 she cried stay and you shall be high priest la loves you all opar shall be yours stay tarzan of the apes and let love reward you the ape man pushed the kneeling woman aside tarzan does not desire you he said simply and stepping to herpers pers side he cut the belgians bonds and motioned him to follow panting her ber face convulsed with rage la sprang to her feet stay you shall she screamed la will avill have you if she cannot have you alive she will have you dead and raising her face to the sun she gave voice to the some same hideous shriek that had heard beard once before and tarzan many tunes times in answer to her cry a babel of voices broke from the surrounding chambers and corridors come guardian priests priest sl 1 she cried the infidels have profaned the holiest hollest of the holles holies cornel come I 1 strike terror to their hearts defend la and her altar wash clean the temple with the blood of the polluters pol luters tarzan understood though did not the former glanced at the belgian and saw that he ha was unarmed stepping quickly to las lab side the ape roan loan seized her in his strong arms and though she fought with all the mad savagery of a demon he soon boon disarmed her handing bending her long sacrificial knife to you will need this ho be said and then from each doorway a horde of the monstrous little men of opar streamed into the temple they were armed with bludgeons and knives and fortified in their courage by fanatical hate and frenzy was terrified tarzan stood eyeing the too foe in proud disdain slowly he advanced toward the exit he had chosen to utilize in making his way from the temple A burly priest barred hla his way behind the first was as a score of others tarzan swung his heavy spear clu blike down upon the t h e skull of the priest tho the fellow collapsed his head bead crushed again and again the weapon fell as tarzan made his way slowly toward the doorway pressed close behind castle casting backward glances toward the shrieking dancing mob menacing their rear lie ile held the knife ready to strike whoever who might come within its reach but none came for a time lie he wondered that they should so bravely battle with the giant ape man yet hesitate to rush upon him who was relatively so BO weak tarzan had reached the doorway over the corpses ot of all that had stood to dispute his way before guessed at the reason for his immunity the priests feared the sacrificial knife willingly would they face death and welcome it if it came while they defended their high priestess and her altar hut but evidently there were deaths and deaths some strange superstition must surround that polished blade that no sparlan cared to chance a death thrust from it yet gladly rushed to the slaughter of the ape mans flying spear once outside the temple court communicated his discovery to tarzan the ape man grinned and let go before him brandishing the jeweled and holy weapon like leaves before a gale the Opar Op arians fans scattered in all directions and tarzan and the belgian found a clear passage through the corridors and chambers of tile the ancient temple on the two went chance leading them toward the broad avenue which lay between the stately piles of the half ruined edifices and the inner wall of the city great apes jabbered jabberer jabb ered at them and menaced them but tarzan answered them after their own kind giving back taunt for taunt insult tor for insult challenge tor for challenge saw a hairy bull swing down from a broken column and advance stiff legged and bristling toward the naked giant the yellow fangs were bared angry snarls and barnings bar kings rumbled threateningly through the thick and hanging lips the belgian watched his companion to his horror he saw the man stoop until his closed knuckles rested upon the ground as did those of the anthropoid he saw him e ircle circle stiff legged about the circling ape 11 1 he 1 e heard the same bestial barnings bar kings and grow lings issue from the human throat saw him circle stiff legged about the circling ape that were coming from the mouth of the brute had his eyes been closed he could not have known but that two giant apes were bridling for combat but there was no battle it ended as the majority of such jungle encounters end one of the boasters loses his nerve and becomes suddenly interested in a blowing leaf a beetle or the lice upon his hairy stomach in this instance it was the anthropoid that retired in stiff dignity to inspect an unhappy caterpillar which ho he presently devoured for a moment tarzan seemed inclined to pursue the argument lie ile swaggered truculently stuck out his chest roared and advanced closer to the bull it was with wim difficulty that finally persuaded him to leave well enough alone and continue ids his way from the ancient city of the sun worshipers the two searched for nearly an hour before they folind the narrow exit through the inner wall from there the well worn wom trail led them beyond the outer fortification to the desolate valley of opar tarzan had no idea in so tar far as could discover as to where he was avas or whence he came he ha wandered aimlessly about searching tor for food which he be discovered beneath small rocks or hiding in the shade of the scant brush which dotted the ground the belgian was horrified by tho the hideous menu of his bis companion beetles rodents and caterpillars were devoured with seeming relish tarzan was indeed an ape again at last succeeded in leading his companion toward the distant hills which mark the northwestern boundary of the valley talley and together the two set out in the dare direction tion of the greystoke bungalow 1 what mint purpose prompted the belgian I 1 in leading the hie victim ot of Ms his treachery and greed back toward his fornier former home it is difficult to guess anle 8 it was that without tarzan there could be no ransom tor for kartans tartans Tar tans wife that night they camped in the valley beyond the hills and as they sat before a little ire fire where cooked a wild pig that had fallen to one of T tar ra arrows the latter sat lost in speculation lie iio seemed continually to be trying to grasp some mental linage image which as constantly eluded him film at last he opened the leather pouch which hung at his side from it he be poured into the palm ot of his hand a quantity of glittering gems the firelight playing upon them conjured a multitude of scintillating rays and as theoulde the wide eyes of the belgian looked on in rapt fascination the mans expression at last acknowledged a tangible purpose in courting the society ot of the ape man CHAPTER VII the theft of the jewels for two days sought for the party that had accompanied min him from the camp to the barrier cliffs but not until late in the afternoon of the second day did he find clew to its whereabouts and then in such gruesome form that he was totally unnerved by the sight in an open glade he came upon the bodies of three of the blacks terribly mutilated nor did it require C considerable c deductive power to explain their murder of the little party only these three had not been slaves the others evidently tempted to hope for freedom from their cruel arab master had taken advantage of their separation from the main camp to slay the three representatives of the hated power which held them in slavery and vanish into the jungle tarzan showed not the slightest surprise or interest in the discovery inherent in him was a calloused familiarity mili mil arity larity with violent death the refinements fine ments of his recent civilization expunged by the force of the sad calamity which had befallen him left only the primitive sensibilities which his childhoods training had imprinted indelibly upon the fabric of his mind again that night as the tw two 0 sat before their camp fire tarzan played with his bis shining baubles asked him what they were and where he had found them the ape man replied that they were gay colored stones with which he purposed fashioning a necklace and that he had found them far beneath the sacrificial court of the temple of the flaming god was rell relieved eved to find that tarzan had no conception of the value of the gems possibly the man would give them to him tor for the asking reached out his band toward the little pile that tarzan |