8
A-lur
As the hissing reptile bore down upon the stranger swimming in
the open water near the center of the morass on the frontier of
Pal-ul-don it seemed to the man that this indeed must be the futile
termination of an arduous and danger-filled journey. It seemed,
too, equally futile to pit his puny knife against this frightful
creature. Had he been attacked on land it is possible that he might
as a last resort have used his Enfield, though he had come thus
far through all these weary, danger-ridden miles without recourse
to it, though again and again had his life hung in the balance in
the face of the savage denizens of forest, jungle, and steppe. For
whatever it may have been for which he was preserving his precious
ammunition he evidently held it more sacred even than his life,
for as yet he had not used a single round and now the decision was
not required of him, since it would have been impossible for him
to have unslung his Enfield, loaded and fired with the necessary
celerity while swimming.
Though his chance for survival seemed slender, and hope at its lowest
ebb, he was not minded therefore to give up without a struggle.
Instead he drew his blade and awaited the oncoming reptile. The
creature was like no living thing he ever before had seen although
possibly it resembled a crocodile in some respects more than it
did anything with which he was familiar.
As this frightful survivor of some extinct progenitor charged
upon him with distended jaws there came to the man quickly a full
consciousness of the futility of endeavoring to stay the mad rush
or pierce the armor-coated hide with his little knife. The thing
was almost upon him now and whatever form of defense he chose must
be made quickly. There seemed but a single alternative to instant
death, and this he took at almost the instant the great reptile
towered directly above him.
With the celerity of a seal he dove headforemost beneath the
oncoming body and at the same instant, turning upon his back, he
plunged his blade into the soft, cold surface of the slimy belly as
the momentum of the hurtling reptile carried it swiftly over him;
and then with powerful strokes he swam on beneath the surface for
a dozen yards before he rose. A glance showed him the stricken
monster plunging madly in pain and rage upon the surface of the
water behind him. That it was writhing in its death agonies was
evidenced by the fact that it made no effort to pursue him, and so,
to the accompaniment of the shrill screaming of the dying monster,
the man won at last to the farther edge of the open water to take
up once more the almost superhuman effort of crossing the last
stretch of clinging mud which separated him from the solid ground
of Pal-ul-don.
A good two hours it took him to drag his now weary body through
the clinging, stinking muck, but at last, mud covered and spent,
he dragged himself out upon the soft grasses of the bank. A hundred
yards away a stream, winding its way down from the distant mountains,
emptied into the morass, and, after a short rest, he made his way
to this and seeking a quiet pool, bathed himself and washed the mud
and slime from his weapons, accouterments, and loin cloth. Another
hour was spent beneath the rays of the hot sun in wiping, polishing,
and oiling his Enfield though the means at hand for drying it
consisted principally of dry grasses. It was afternoon before he
had satisfied himself that his precious weapon was safe from any
harm by dirt, or dampness, and then he arose and took up the search
for the spoor he had followed to the opposite side of the swamp.
Would he find again the trail that had led into the opposite side
of the morass, to be lost there, even to his trained senses? If he
found it not again upon this side of the almost impassable barrier
he might assume that his long journey had ended in failure. And so
he sought up and down the verge of the stagnant water for traces of
an old spoor that would have been invisible to your eyes or mine,
even had we followed directly in the tracks of its maker.
As Tarzan advanced upon the gryfs he imitated as closely as he could
recall them the methods and mannerisms of the Tor-o-don, but up to
the instant that he stood close beside one of the huge creatures
he realized that his fate still hung in the balance, for the thing
gave forth no sign, either menacing or otherwise. It only stood
there, watching him out of its cold, reptilian eyes and then Tarzan
raised his staff and with a menacing "Whee-oo!" struck the gryf a
vicious blow across the face.
The creature made a sudden side snap in his direction, a snap that
did not reach him, and then turned sullenly away, precisely as it
had when the Tor-o-don commanded it. Walking around to its rear as
he had seen the shaggy first-man do, Tarzan ran up the broad tail
and seated himself upon the creature's back, and then again imitating
the acts of the Tor-o-don he prodded it with the sharpened point of
his staff, and thus goading it forward and guiding it with blows,
first upon one side and then upon the other, he started it down
the gorge in the direction of the valley.
At first it had been in his mind only to determine if he could
successfully assert any authority over the great monsters, realizing
that in this possibility lay his only hope of immediate escape from
his jailers. But once seated upon the back of his titanic mount
the ape-man experienced the sensation of a new thrill that recalled
to him the day in his boyhood that he had first clambered to the
broad head of Tantor, the elephant, and this, together with the
sense of mastery that was always meat and drink to the lord of
the jungle, decided him to put his newly acquired power to some
utilitarian purpose.
Pan-at-lee he judged must either have already reached safety or
met with death. At least, no longer could he be of service to her,
while below Kor-ul-gryf, in the soft green valley, lay A-lur, the
City of Light, which, since he had gazed upon it from the shoulder
of Pastar-ul-ved, had been his ambition and his goal.
Whether or not its gleaming walls held the secret of his lost mate
he could not even guess but if she lived at all within the precincts
of Pal-ul-don it must be among the Ho-don, since the hairy black
men of this forgotten world took no prisoners. And so to A-lur he
would go, and how more effectively than upon the back of this grim
and terrible creature that the races of Pal-ul-don held in such
awe?
A little mountain stream tumbles down from Kor-ul-gryf to be joined
in the foothills with that which empties the waters of Kor-ul-lul
into the valley, forming a small river which runs southwest,
eventually entering the valley's largest lake at the City of A-lur,
through the center of which the stream passes. An ancient trail,
well marked by countless generations of naked feet of man and beast,
leads down toward A-lur beside the river, and along this Tarzan
guided the gryf. Once clear of the forest which ran below the
mouth of the gorge, Tarzan caught occasional glimpses of the city
gleaming in the distance far below him.
The country through which he passed was resplendent with the riotous
beauties of tropical verdure. Thick, lush grasses grew waist high
upon either side of the trail and the way was broken now and again
by patches of open park-like forest, or perhaps a little patch of
dense jungle where the trees overarched the way and trailing creepers
depended in graceful loops from branch to branch.
At times the ape-man had difficulty in commanding obedience upon the
part of his unruly beast, but always in the end its fear of the
relatively puny goad urged it on to obedience. Late in the afternoon
as they approached the confluence of the stream they were skirting
and another which appeared to come from the direction of Kor-ul-ja
the ape-man, emerging from one of the jungle patches, discovered a
considerable party of Ho-don upon the opposite bank. Simultaneously
they saw him and the mighty creature he bestrode. For a moment they
stood in wide-eyed amazement and then, in answer to the command of
their leader, they turned and bolted for the shelter of the nearby
wood.
The ape-man had but a brief glimpse of them but it was sufficient
indication that there were Waz-don with them, doubtless prisoners
taken in one of the raids upon the Waz-don villages of which Ta-den
and Om-at had told him.
At the sound of their voices the gryf had bellowed terrifically
and started in pursuit even though a river intervened, but by dint
of much prodding and beating, Tarzan had succeeded in heading the
animal back into the path though thereafter for a long time it was
sullen and more intractable than ever.
As the sun dropped nearer the summit of the western hills Tarzan
became aware that his plan to enter A-lur upon the back of a gryf
was likely doomed to failure, since the stubbornness of the great
beast was increasing momentarily, doubtless due to the fact that
its huge belly was crying out for food. The ape-man wondered if the
Tor-o-dons had any means of picketing their beasts for the night,
but as he did not know and as no plan suggested itself, he determined
that he should have to trust to the chance of finding it again in
the morning.
There now arose in his mind a question as to what would be their
relationship when Tarzan had dismounted. Would it again revert to
that of hunter and quarry or would fear of the goad continue to hold
its supremacy over the natural instinct of the hunting flesh-eater?
Tarzan wondered but as he could not remain upon the gryf forever,
and as he preferred dismounting and putting the matter to a final
test while it was still light, he decided to act at once.
How to stop the creature he did not know, as up to this time his
sole desire had been to urge it forward. By experimenting with
his staff, however, he found that he could bring it to a halt by
reaching forward and striking the thing upon its beaklike snout.
Close by grew a number of leafy trees, in any one of which the
ape-man could have found sanctuary, but it had occurred to him
that should he immediately take to the trees it might suggest to
the mind of the gryf that the creature that had been commanding him
all day feared him, with the result that Tarzan would once again
be held a prisoner by the triceratops.
And so, when the gryf halted, Tarzan slid to the ground, struck the
creature a careless blow across the flank as though in dismissal
and walked indifferently away. From the throat of the beast came
a low rumbling sound and without even a glance at Tarzan it turned
and entered the river where it stood drinking for a long time.
Convinced that the gryf no longer constituted a menace to him the
ape-man, spurred on himself by the gnawing of hunger, unslung his
bow and selecting a handful of arrows set forth cautiously in search
of food, evidence of the near presence of which was being borne up
to him by a breeze from down river.
Ten minutes later he had made his kill, again one of the Pal-ul-don
specimens of antelope, all species of which Tarzan had known since
childhood as Bara, the deer, since in the little primer that had
been the basis of his education the picture of a deer had been the
nearest approach to the likeness of the antelope, from the giant
eland to the smaller bushbuck of the hunting grounds of his youth.
Cutting off a haunch he cached it in a nearby tree, and throwing
the balance of the carcass across his shoulder trotted back toward
the spot at which he had left the gryf. The great beast was just
emerging from the river when Tarzan, seeing it, issued the weird
cry of the Tor-o-don. The creature looked in the direction of the
sound voicing at the same time the low rumble with which it answered
the call of its master. Twice Tarzan repeated his cry before the
beast moved slowly toward him, and when it had come within a few
paces he tossed the carcass of the deer to it, upon which it fell
with greedy jaws.
"If anything will keep it within call," mused the ape-man as he
returned to the tree in which he had cached his own portion of his
kill, "it is the knowledge that I will feed it." But as he finished
his repast and settled himself comfortably for the night high among
the swaying branches of his eyrie he had little confidence that he
would ride into A-lur the following day upon his prehistoric steed.
When Tarzan awoke early the following morning he dropped lightly
to the ground and made his way to the stream. Removing his weapons
and loin cloth he entered the cold waters of the little pool, and
after his refreshing bath returned to the tree to breakfast upon
another portion of Bara, the deer, adding to his repast some fruits
and berries which grew in abundance nearby.
His meal over he sought the ground again and raising his voice in
the weird cry that he had learned, he called aloud on the chance
of attracting the gryf, but though he waited for some time and
continued calling there was no response, and he was finally forced
to the conclusion that he had seen the last of his great mount of
the preceding day.
And so he set his face toward A-lur, pinning his faith upon his
knowledge of the Ho-don tongue, his great strength and his native
wit.
Refreshed by food and rest, the journey toward A-lur, made in the
cool of the morning along the bank of the joyous river, he found
delightful in the extreme. Differentiating him from his fellows
of the savage jungle were many characteristics other than those
physical and mental. Not the least of these were in a measure
spiritual, and one that had doubtless been as strong as another in
influencing Tarzan's love of the jungle had been his appreciation
of the beauties of nature. The apes cared more for a grubworm in a
rotten log than for all the majestic grandeur of the forest giants
waving above them. The only beauties that Numa acknowledged were
those of his own person as he paraded them before the admiring eyes
of his mate, but in all the manifestations of the creative power
of nature of which Tarzan was cognizant he appreciated the beauties.
As Tarzan neared the city his interest became centered upon the
architecture of the outlying buildings which were hewn from the
chalklike limestone of what had once been a group of low hills,
similar to the many grass-covered hillocks that dotted the valley
in every direction. Ta-den's explanation of the Ho-don methods of
house construction accounted for the ofttimes remarkable shapes
and proportions of the buildings which, during the ages that must
have been required for their construction, had been hewn from the
limestone hills, the exteriors chiseled to such architectural forms
as appealed to the eyes of the builders while at the same time
following roughly the original outlines of the hills in an evident
desire to economize both labor and space. The excavation of the
apartments within had been similarly governed by necessity.
As he came nearer Tarzan saw that the waste material from these
building operations had been utilized in the construction of outer
walls about each building or group of buildings resulting from
a single hillock, and later he was to learn that it had also been
used for the filling of inequalities between the hills and the
forming of paved streets throughout the city, the result, possibly,
more of the adoption of an easy method of disposing of the quantities
of broken limestone than by any real necessity for pavements.
There were people moving about within the city and upon the narrow
ledges and terraces that broke the lines of the buildings and which
seemed to be a peculiarity of Ho-don architecture, a concession,
no doubt, to some inherent instinct that might be traced back to
their early cliff-dwelling progenitors.
Tarzan was not surprised that at a short distance he aroused no
suspicion or curiosity in the minds of those who saw him, since,
until closer scrutiny was possible, there was little to distinguish
him from a native either in his general conformation or his color.
He had, of course, formulated a plan of action and, having decided,
he did not hesitate in the carrying out his plan.
With the same assurance that you might venture upon the main street
of a neighboring city Tarzan strode into the Ho-don city of A-lur.
The first person to detect his spuriousness was a little child
playing in the arched gateway of one of the walled buildings. "No
tail! no tail!" it shouted, throwing a stone at him, and then it
suddenly grew dumb and its eyes wide as it sensed that this creature
was something other than a mere Ho-don warrior who had lost his
tail. With a gasp the child turned and fled screaming into the
courtyard of its home.
Tarzan continued on his way, fully realizing that the moment was
imminent when the fate of his plan would be decided. Nor had he
long to wait since at the next turning of the winding street he
came face to face with a Ho-don warrior. He saw the sudden surprise
in the latter's eyes, followed instantly by one of suspicion, but
before the fellow could speak Tarzan addressed him.
"I am a stranger from another land," he said; "I would speak with
Ko-tan, your king."
The fellow stepped back, laying his hand upon his knife. "There
are no strangers that come to the gates of A-lur," he said, "other
than as enemies or slaves."
"I come neither as a slave nor an enemy," replied Tarzan. "I come
directly from Jad-ben-Otho. Look!" and he held out his hands that
the Ho-don might see how greatly they differed from his own, and
then wheeled about that the other might see that he was tailless,
for it was upon this fact that his plan had been based, due to
his recollection of the quarrel between Ta-den and Om-at, in which
the Waz-don had claimed that Jad-ben-Otho had a long tail while
the Ho-don had been equally willing to fight for his faith in the
taillessness of his god.
The warrior's eyes widened and an expression of awe crept into
them, though it was still tinged with suspicion. "Jad-ben-Otho!"
he murmured, and then, "It is true that you are neither Ho-don nor
Waz-don, and it is also true that Jad-ben-Otho has no tail. Come,"
he said, "I will take you to Ko-tan, for this is a matter in which
no common warrior may interfere. Follow me," and still clutching
the handle of his knife and keeping a wary side glance upon the
ape-man he led the way through A-lur.
The city covered a large area. Sometimes there was a considerable
distance between groups of buildings, and again they were quite
close together. There were numerous imposing groups, evidently hewn
from the larger hills, often rising to a height of a hundred feet
or more. As they advanced they met numerous warriors and women, all
of whom showed great curiosity in the stranger, but there was no
attempt to menace him when it was found that he was being conducted
to the palace of the king.
They came at last to a great pile that sprawled over a considerable
area, its western front facing upon a large blue lake and evidently
hewn from what had once been a natural cliff. This group of
buildings was surrounded by a wall of considerably greater height
than any that Tarzan had before seen. His guide led him to a
gateway before which waited a dozen or more warriors who had risen
to their feet and formed a barrier across the entrance-way as Tarzan
and his party appeared around the corner of the palace wall, for
by this time he had accumulated such a following of the curious as
presented to the guards the appearance of a formidable mob.
The guide's story told, Tarzan was conducted into the courtyard
where he was held while one of the warriors entered the palace,
evidently with the intention of notifying Ko-tan. Fifteen minutes
later a large warrior appeared, followed by several others, all of
whom examined Tarzan with every sign of curiosity as they approached.
The leader of the party halted before the ape-man. "Who are you?"
he asked, "and what do you want of Ko-tan, the king?"
"I am a friend," replied the ape-man, "and I have come from the
country of Jad-ben-Otho to visit Ko-tan of Pal-ul-don."
The warrior and his followers seemed impressed. Tarzan could see
the latter whispering among themselves.
"How come you here," asked the spokesman, "and what do you want of
Ko-tan?"
Tarzan drew himself to his full height. "Enough!" he cried. "Must
the messenger of Jad-ben-Otho be subjected to the treatment that
might be accorded to a wandering Waz-don? Take me to the king at
once lest the wrath of Jad-ben-Otho fall upon you."
There was some question in the mind of the ape-man as to how far
he might carry his unwarranted show of assurance, and he waited
therefore with amused interest the result of his demand. He did not,
however, have long to wait for almost immediately the attitude of
his questioner changed. He whitened, cast an apprehensive glance
toward the eastern sky and then extended his right palm toward
Tarzan, placing his left over his own heart in the sign of amity
that was common among the peoples of Pal-ul-don.
Tarzan stepped quickly back as though from a profaning hand, a
feigned expression of horror and disgust upon his face.
"Stop!" he cried, "who would dare touch the sacred person of the
messenger of Jad-ben-Otho? Only as a special mark of favor from
Jad-ben-Otho may even Ko-tan himself receive this honor from me.
Hasten! Already now have I waited too long! What manner of reception
the Ho-don of A-lur would extend to the son of my father!"
At first Tarzan had been inclined to adopt the role of Jad-ben-Otho
himself but it occurred to him that it might prove embarrassing
and considerable of a bore to be compelled constantly to portray
the character of a god, but with the growing success of his scheme
it had suddenly occurred to him that the authority of the son of
Jad-ben-Otho would be far greater than that of an ordinary messenger
of a god, while at the same time giving him some leeway in the
matter of his acts and demeanor, the ape-man reasoning that a young
god would not be held so strictly accountable in the matter of his
dignity and bearing as an older and greater god.
This time the effect of his words was immediately and painfully
noticeable upon all those near him. With one accord they shrank back,
the spokesman almost collapsing in evident terror. His apologies,
when finally the paralysis of his fear would permit him to voice
them, were so abject that the ape-man could scarce repress a smile
of amused contempt.
"Have mercy, O Dor-ul-Otho," he pleaded, "on poor old Dak-lot.
Precede me and I will show you to where Ko-tan, the king, awaits
you, trembling. Aside, snakes and vermin," he cried pushing his
warriors to right and left for the purpose of forming an avenue
for Tarzan.
"Come!" cried the ape-man peremptorily, "lead the way, and let
these others follow."
The now thoroughly frightened Dak-lot did as he was bid, and Tarzan
of the Apes was ushered into the palace of Kotan, King of Pal-ul-don.
