Tarzan The Terrible

Tarzan, o Terrível

Edgar Rice Burroughs

ESL Easy Read

Reading Comprehension B1 • Original Text • Português Support

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Copyright

Fonte original — domínio público

Esta edição ESL Easy Read foi adaptada a partir de Tarzan The Terrible, de Edgar Rice Burroughs, publicado originalmente em 1921.

A obra original encontra-se em domínio público e pode ser utilizada, reproduzida, distribuída e adaptada de acordo com a legislação aplicável.

Autor

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)

Estados Unidos

Esta obra foi publicada originalmente em 1921.

Nos Estados Unidos, obras publicadas antes de 1930 encontram-se normalmente em domínio público.

Com base no ano de publicação disponível, esta obra encontra-se em domínio público nos Estados Unidos desde 1º de janeiro de 2017.

Brasil

Autor: Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)

De acordo com a Lei nº 9.610/1998, os direitos patrimoniais expiram 70 anos após a morte do autor, contados a partir de 1º de janeiro do ano seguinte ao falecimento.

Edgar Rice Burroughs faleceu em 1950.

Situação no Brasil: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Portugal

Autor: Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)

De acordo com o Código do Direito de Autor e dos Direitos Conexos, a proteção patrimonial dura 70 anos após a morte do autor.

Edgar Rice Burroughs faleceu em 1950.

Situação em Portugal: DOMÍNIO PÚBLICO.

Dados da publicação original

Obra original: Tarzan The Terrible

Autor: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Primeira publicação: 1921

Local: Chicago

Primeiro editor: A. C. McClurg

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Introdução

Como ler este livro

Cada livro desta coleção é apresentado em um nível de leitura simplificada, de acordo com o CEFR — Quadro Europeu Comum de Referência para Línguas.

A2 — Básico: indicado para leitores que já compreendem frases simples, vocabulário frequente e textos curtos sobre situações do cotidiano.

B1 — Intermediário: indicado para leitores que conseguem compreender as ideias principais de textos claros e acompanhar uma narrativa com vocabulário e estruturas de dificuldade moderada.

B2 — Intermediário avançado: indicado para leitores que já conseguem compreender textos mais complexos, acompanhar descrições detalhadas e reconhecer uma variedade maior de vocabulário e estruturas gramaticais.

Este livro foi adaptado para o nível B1.

Assim, você pode começar a lê-lo mesmo sem dominar completamente o inglês. O texto foi simplificado para facilitar a compreensão, preservando a história, os personagens e os acontecimentos principais da obra original.

Como usar as notas

No texto de leitura simplificada, cada parágrafo possui um link Pt/En. Esse link abre uma nota com a tradução em português do texto simplificado e o trecho correspondente no texto original em inglês.

No texto original em inglês, o link PT leva diretamente ao parágrafo correspondente na versão em português. Na tradução portuguesa, o link En retorna ao parágrafo correspondente no texto original.

A tradução para o português é feita a partir do texto em inglês simplificado, e não diretamente do texto original. O objetivo é ajudar você a compreender com precisão a frase simplificada que está estudando naquele momento.

O texto original em inglês é apresentado separadamente para a etapa seguinte do aprendizado, quando você já estiver preparado para ler e comparar a obra em sua forma original.

Cada nota contém links que permitem retornar exatamente ao parágrafo que você estava lendo.

Sobre este livro

No oitavo romance da série Tarzan, de Edgar Rice Burroughs, o homem-macaco embarca em uma jornada perigosa para a terra oculta de Pal-ul-don, uma civilização perdida pré-histórica, em busca de sua amada esposa Jane, que foi sequestrada por soldados alemães durante a Primeira Guerra Mundial. A história começa com Tarzan rastreando os captores pela selva africana, apenas para descobrir que Jane foi levada para o misterioso vale de Pal-ul-don, um reino intocado pelo tempo, habitado por tribos primitivas e criaturas semelhantes a dinossauros. Tarzan, conhecido como Tarzan, o Terrível pelos nativos, deve navegar por este mundo perigoso, enfrentando tribos hostis como os Waz-don e os Ho-don, bem como feras assustadoras. Ele faz alianças com alguns locais, incluindo o guerreiro Ta-den e a sacerdotisa O-lo-a, enquanto confronta o cruel sumo sacerdote Lu-don. O conflito central gira em torno da missão de Tarzan de resgatar Jane e escapar do vale, lidando ao mesmo tempo com as intrigas políticas e o fanatismo religioso de Pal-ul-don. O tom é aventureiro e cheio de suspense, com a mistura característica de Burroughs de ação, exotismo e romantismo. O romance inclui um mapa detalhado e um glossário da língua fictícia, enriquecendo o cenário imersivo. A desenvoltura, força e código moral de Tarzan são testados enquanto ele luta para se reunir com Jane, mas o resultado final permanece incerto até o clímax.

Nota editorial

A tradução para o português e a versão Reading Comprehension B1 foram geradas com apoio de inteligência artificial e submetidas a revisão editorial.

Em caso de dúvida ou observações, fale conosco.

MicMac from Las Vegas LLC
Contato: admin@micmacfromlasvegas.com

Outros livros e materiais

Materiais e outros livros da série ESL Easy Read:

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Tarzan of the Apes

The Return Of Tarzan

The Beasts Of Tarzan

The Son Of Tarzan

Tarzan and the Jewels Of Opar

Jungle Tales Of Tarzan

Tarzan The Untamed

Tarzan The Terrible

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

Tarzan and the Ant Men

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle

Jungle Tales Of Tarzan — ESL Easy Read

Tarzan and the City of Gold

Tarzan and the Lion Man

Tarzan and the Lost Empire

Tarzan at the Earth's Core

Tarzan the Invincible

Tarzan Triumphant

The Tarzan Twins

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Reading Comprehension B1

1 - The Pithecanthropus

2 - "To the Death!"

3 - Pan-at-lee

4 - Tarzan-jad-guru

The Pithecanthropus

Pt/En A large animal, like a lion, moved quietly through the dark jungle at night. Its eyes were big and yellow-green, and its tail moved behind it. Its head was low, and it was ready to hunt. The moon shone through the trees, lighting up some open spaces. The animal avoided these clearings. It walked over leaves and twigs, but made no sound that people could hear.

Pt/En The animal being hunted was moving ahead of the lion, also quietly. Unlike the lion, it walked across the moonlit clearings. It seemed to look for these open paths. This creature walked on two legs and had no hair, except for black hair on its head. Its arms were strong, and its hands were long and thin with long fingers. Its legs were also well-shaped. Its feet were unusual because the big toes stuck out sideways.

Pt/En The creature stopped for a moment in the bright moonlight. It turned its ear to listen behind it. Its face, which could be seen in the light, was strong and regular. It looked very handsome. However, it was hard to tell if it was a man. The creature, which was the lion's prey, continued walking across the moonlit jungle floor. It wore a piece of black fur around its hips, and a long, white, hairless tail hung down from it.

Pt/En The creature carried a strong club in one hand. A short knife in a cover hung from a strap on its left side. A pouch was attached to a belt on its right hip. These straps, and the fur worn around its hips, were held in place by a wide belt. This belt shone in the moonlight as if it had gold on it. It was fastened at the front with a large, fancy buckle that sparkled like jewels.

Pt/En The lion, Numa, was getting closer to its prey. The hunted creature knew it was in danger because it kept turning its head and looking back at the lion. It did not walk much faster, but moved with long steps when it could. It loosened its knife and kept its club ready to use at any moment.

Pt/En The man-thing came out of the thick jungle into a large, open area with few trees. He stopped for a moment and looked back and up at the trees. But he decided to move on across the open land, leaving the safety of the trees behind. He was moving from one leafy area to another, but the distance between them grew longer. Then, a lion named Numa came out of the jungle. Seeing the man-thing seemed helpless, the lion raised its tail and charged.

Pt/En Two months had passed since Tarzan of the Apes learned that his wife was still alive. He learned this from a diary written by a dead German captain. The British East African Expedition helped Tarzan. They found out that someone tried to hide his wife in the interior of the country. The reasons for this might have been known only by the German High Command.

Pt/En Lady Jane was sent across the border into the Congo Free State. Lieutenant Obergatz and some German soldiers were in charge of her.

Pt/En Tarzan went alone to find his wife. He found the village where she was kept, but he learned she had escaped months before. The German officer had also disappeared at the same time. The stories from the local chiefs and warriors were unclear and often different. Tarzan could only guess the direction the fugitives had taken by putting together small pieces of information from different places.

Pt/En Tarzan made some worrying discoveries in the village. He found clear proof that the people there were cannibals. He also saw parts of German uniforms and equipment. The chief of the village was not happy, but Tarzan insisted on carefully looking into every hut. He hoped to find something that belonged to his wife, but he did not find any of her belongings.

Pt/En Tarzan traveled southwest from his village. He faced very difficult times crossing a large, dry plain with thick thorns. Finally, he reached an area that probably no white person had ever visited before. This place had steep mountains, wet plateaus, wide plains, and large, wet, swampy areas. It was very hard for him to get through these places. After many weeks of hard work, he found a way to cross the swamps. This area was full of poisonous snakes and other dangerous animals. Sometimes, he thought he saw very large, snake-like creatures, but he was not sure. There were also many hippos, rhinos, and elephants in and around the marsh, so he could not be certain what he saw.

Pt/En When Tarzan finally reached solid ground after crossing the swamps, he understood why this land had been so difficult for people from the outside world to enter for so long. Many brave people had tried to explore every part of the world, facing many problems and suffering greatly, but this territory had stopped them.

Pt/En The area had many different kinds of animals and birds. It seemed like all the species of birds, animals, and reptiles had come here to escape the growing number of people. People had taken over hunting grounds from animals since the beginning of time. Even the animals Tarzan knew looked different here. They had either developed in a new way or had stayed the same for thousands of years.

Pt/En There were also many mixed animal types. Tarzan found a yellow and black striped lion particularly interesting. This lion was smaller than the ones he knew but was still very dangerous. It had sharp, long teeth and a very bad temper. Tarzan thought this showed that tigers had once lived in Africa, perhaps very large ones from a past time. He believed these tigers might have crossed with lions, creating the dangerous animals he sometimes met.

Pt/En The real lions in this new, old part of the world were very similar to the lions Tarzan knew. They were almost the same size and shape. However, unlike the lions he was familiar with, these lions kept their spots from when they were young throughout their lives, just like leopards.

Pt/En Tarzan had searched for two months but found no sign that the woman he was looking for had entered this beautiful but difficult land. However, after checking a cannibal village and talking to other tribes nearby, he was sure that if Lady Jane was still alive, she must be in this direction. He had eliminated all other possibilities. He did not know how she had crossed the swamp, but he felt she had, and that he must search for her here. This wild area was very large, with dangerous mountains and rivers blocking his way. He also had to fight large meat-eating animals to get food.

Pt/En Tarzan and Numa, a lion, often hunted the same animals, and sometimes Numa won, and sometimes Tarzan did. But the ape-man rarely went hungry because the area had many animals, birds, and fish. There were also fruits and other plants that people living in the jungle could eat.

Pt/En Tarzan often wondered why he found no signs of people in such a rich area. He finally thought that the dry, thorny plains and the unpleasant swamps were a good enough reason why people had not entered this land.

Pt/En After searching for days, he finally found a way through the mountains. When he came down the other side, he was in a land that looked almost the same as the one he had left. The hunting was good. He hunted a deer named Bara near a water hole at the entrance of a canyon, and the ape-man cleverly caught it easily.

Pt/En It was almost dark. The sounds of large animals could be heard from different places. Since the canyon did not offer a safe place to sleep among its trees, the ape-man carried the deer and walked down to the plain. On the other side of the plain, there were tall trees, like a large jungle. The ape-man walked towards it. In the middle of the plain, he saw a tree that was good for sleeping. He quickly climbed into its branches and soon found a comfortable place to rest for the night.

Pt/En Tarzan ate the meat of Bara. He put the rest of the animal in a safe place high in the tree. Then he went to sleep. He slept so deeply that he did not hear the sounds of the lions and other wild cats.

Pt/En Usually, the sounds of the jungle helped Tarzan sleep. But one night, he heard a strange noise. Even though he was sleeping deeply, Tarzan woke up quickly. He heard running feet near his tree. Tarzan wakes up very fast, not slowly like people. When his eyes opened, he could see and hear everything clearly.

Pt/En Tarzan saw something running towards his tree. It looked like a white man, but he had a long, white tail. Behind this man was Numa, the lion, chasing him. Both the man and the lion ran very fast and silently, like ghosts.

Pt/En As soon as Tarzan saw the scene, he understood what was happening. He saw a white man who looked like him, being chased by his enemy, the lion. The lion was very close to the man. Tarzan jumped from his tree immediately. He dove straight at the lion, Numa. In his hand, he held a sharp knife, which he had used before to kill lions.

Pt/En The lion scratched Tarzan on the side, making a deep cut. Then Tarzan landed on the lion's back and stabbed it many times with his knife. The man who was running also stopped running. He had heard the fight and saw that Tarzan was saving him. He ran to help Tarzan and hit the lion hard on its head with a heavy stick. The lion fell down, not moving. Then Tarzan's knife killed the lion.

Pt/En Tarzan stood up quickly and put his foot on the animal he had hunted. He looked at the moon, called Goro, and made a loud cry of victory, a sound often heard in his jungle.

Pt/En The other person stepped back, surprised by Tarzan's loud cry. But when Tarzan put his knife away and looked at him calmly, the other person felt no fear.

Pt/En The two men looked at each other. The other man spoke in a language Tarzan did not know, but Tarzan understood he was thinking like a man. He saw that the other person looked like a monkey in some ways, but was clearly a man.

Pt/En The other man saw blood on Tarzan's side. He took a small bag from his pocket and showed Tarzan he wanted to help. He put powder from the bag on Tarzan's cut. It hurt a lot, but Tarzan was used to pain. Soon, the bleeding and the pain stopped.

Pt/En Tarzan tried to speak to the other man in different languages, but the man did not understand. The man then placed his hand on his own heart and then on Tarzan's heart as a friendly greeting. Tarzan understood and did the same. The man then pointed to the dead deer and his stomach, showing he was hungry. Tarzan invited him to eat, and the man quickly climbed the tree to the deer using his tail.

Pt/En The man-like creature ate quietly, using his sharp knife to cut small pieces from the deer meat. Tarzan watched him from his place in the tree. He saw that the creature looked very human, especially his thumbs, big toes, and tail.

Pt/En Tarzan wondered if this creature was part of a strange group of people or if he was like an animal from the past. It seemed hard to believe, but Tarzan saw the proof in front of him: a man with a tail, and hands and feet made for climbing trees. His clothes were decorated with gold and jewels, showing they were made by skilled artists. Tarzan did not know if this man made them, or if others like him did, or if a completely different group of people made them.

Pt/En After eating, the guest cleaned his hands and mouth with leaves. He looked up at Tarzan and smiled, showing strong white teeth. His front teeth were not longer than Tarzan's. The guest said a few words that Tarzan thought were a polite thank you. Then, he found a comfortable spot in the tree to sleep for the night.

Pt/En It was dark before morning when Tarzan woke up because the tree was shaking hard. He saw his companion was also awake. Tarzan looked around quickly to see what was causing the shaking. He was very surprised by what he saw.

Pt/En A very large shadow appeared next to the tree. The giant body was rubbing against the branches, which woke Tarzan up. Tarzan was amazed and a little annoyed that such a huge creature could get so close without him noticing. In the dark, Tarzan first thought it was an elephant, but much bigger than any he had seen before. As he looked closer, he saw a strange, bumpy back with thick horns on each bone of its spine. He could only see part of the creature; the rest was hidden in the dark shadows below the tree. From the shadows, he heard loud jaws crushing flesh and bones. The smells told Tarzan that a large reptile was eating the body of the lion that had been killed there earlier.

Pt/En Tarzan was looking into the dark shadows with great interest. He felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned and saw his friend wanted to get his attention. The friend put a finger to his lips to ask for quiet. He then pulled Tarzan's arm to show they should leave immediately.

Pt/En Tarzan understood he was in a new land. This land had very large creatures that he did not know how to deal with. So, the ape-man let his friend lead him away. They carefully climbed down the tree on the other side from the big night animal. Tarzan followed his friend, and they moved quietly away across the plain during the night.

Pt/En The ape-man did not want to miss the chance to look at the strange creature. He knew it was likely very different from anything he had seen before. However, he was smart enough to know when it was better to be careful. Like in the past, he followed the rule of wild animals: do not look for danger when it is not needed, because their lives already have enough danger from finding food and having families.

Pt/En As the sun rose and the night shadows disappeared, Tarzan found himself near a large forest again. His guide quickly went into the forest and climbed the trees. The guide moved through the branches very fast, using his tail, fingers, and toes. Tarzan, who was also like a giant ape-man, moved through the forest just as easily and safely as his guide.

Pt/En During this trip, Tarzan remembered the wound on his side from the lion, Numa, the night before. When he looked at it, he was surprised. The wound did not hurt, and there was no swelling. He guessed this was because his strange friend had put a special powder on it that stopped infection.

Pt/En Tarzan and his companion walked for about a mile. They stopped near a big tree by a clear stream. They drank the water. Tarzan thought the water was very clean, fresh, and cold. It came from high mountains.

Pt/En Tarzan took off his clothes and weapons and went into the water. He felt much better and wanted to eat. When he got out, he saw his companion looking at him with a confused face. The companion took Tarzan by the shoulder and turned him around. He touched Tarzan's back near his spine. Then, he pointed at Tarzan and then at his own tail, looking puzzled and talking quickly.

Pt/En Tarzan understood that his companion had just noticed he did not have a tail. He thought this was the first time. So, Tarzan showed his big toes and thumbs. He wanted to show the creature that they were different kinds of beings.

Pt/En The companion shook his head, not seeming to understand why Tarzan was so different. Finally, he seemed to give up trying to understand. He took off his own clothes and weapons and went into the pool.

Pt/En After washing and putting his clothes back on, the companion sat by the tree. He asked Tarzan to sit next to him. He opened his bag and took out dried meat and some nuts. Tarzan had not seen these nuts before. He watched the companion crack them open with his teeth and eat the inside. Tarzan copied him and found the nuts tasted good. The dried meat was also tasty, but Tarzan thought it was missing salt, which would be hard to find there.

Pt/En While they ate, Tarzan's friend showed him food and other things. The friend said the names of these things in his language. Tarzan understood that his friend wanted to teach him. Tarzan was happy because he wanted to learn. He already knew many languages and felt he could learn this new one too.

Pt/En Tarzan and his friend were busy eating and learning new words. They did not see someone watching them from above. Suddenly, a large, hairy creature jumped from the trees onto Tarzan's friend.

"To the Death!"

Pt/En Tarzan saw that the new creature looked like his friend, but it was covered in thick black hair. The creature wore similar clothes and had the same weapons. Before Tarzan could stop it, the creature hit his friend on the head with a club. The friend fell down, but Tarzan quickly fought the attacker.

Pt/En Tarzan felt the attacker had very strong muscles. The creature tried to grab Tarzan's throat and lift its club to hit him. But Tarzan was also very strong. He hit the attacker hard on the chin, making him dizzy. Then Tarzan grabbed the creature's throat and the arm holding the club. He used his leg to push the creature over his hip and threw it to the ground, landing on top of it.

Pt/En When they fell, the club dropped from the creature's hand. Tarzan let go of its throat, and they held each other tightly. The creature tried to bite Tarzan, but its teeth were not very strong. Tarzan's main problem was the creature's long tail, which tried to wrap around his neck. He had no experience fighting a tail like that.

Pt/En Tarzan and the other creature were fighting and rolling on the ground near a tree. They were both trying to stop the other from choking them. Tarzan saw a chance and moved them closer to a pool. He wanted to pull them both into the water with him on top.

Pt/En Tarzan saw a dangerous striped cat behind his companion. The cat looked angry.

Pt/En The ape-man saw the dangerous cat too. He stopped fighting Tarzan and tried to get away, showing that he wanted their fight to end. Tarzan understood that his companion was in danger from the cat. So, Tarzan let go of the ape-man, and they both stood up.

Pt/En Tarzan took out his knife and walked slowly towards his companion. He thought the ape-man would run away. But, to his surprise, the ape-man picked up his club and walked next to Tarzan.

Pt/En The big cat lay on the ground about fifty feet away, only its tail and lips moved. As Tarzan stepped over his companion, he saw his eyelids move and open. Tarzan felt happy that his friend was alive. He realized he had started to care about this new friend.

Pt/En Tarzan and another ape were walking. A saber-tooth cat came closer. The cat attacked Tarzan. Tarzan jumped forward and grabbed the cat around its neck and leg. They fell to the ground and rolled over many times. The cat tried to get free and attack Tarzan, but Tarzan held on tightly.

Pt/En Tarzan's fight looked wild, but it was very smart. His body followed his clever mind, which knew how to fight. His strong legs moved away from the cat's sharp claws. When the cat thought it had won, Tarzan stood up, pulling the cat with him. The cat could only scratch the air because Tarzan held it close.

Pt/En Suddenly, the other ape attacked the cat with a knife and stabbed it in the heart. After a short time, the cat died. Tarzan let go of the dead cat. Then, Tarzan and the other ape stood facing each other over the dead animal.

Pt/En Tarzan waited, ready to fight or be friends. The other ape raised its hands. It touched its own heart and then touched Tarzan's chest with its other hand. This was a sign of friendship, like before. Tarzan was happy to make a new friend in this wild place and accepted the offer.

Pt/En After they became friends, Tarzan saw the man-ape wake up. The man-ape watched them. The other ape spoke to the man-ape in their language. The man-ape answered, and they walked towards each other. Tarzan watched them meet. They spoke quickly, looking at Tarzan sometimes, showing that he was part of their talk.

Pt/En They walked forward again and met. They made a short agreement, like they did before when Tarzan and the black people stopped fighting. Then they walked to Tarzan. They tried hard to tell him something important. But they could not explain it well. So, they used hand signs. They told Tarzan they were going on their way together and wanted him to come with them.

Pt/En Tarzan had not been to the place they showed him before. He was very happy to go with them. He wanted to explore this new land. He was still looking for Lady Jane there.

Pt/En For many days, they walked through the hills. These hills were next to a very tall mountain range. Wild animals often threatened them in this wild place. Sometimes, Tarzan saw strange, giant shapes in the dark at night.

Pt/En On the third day, they found a big cave in a low cliff. A mountain stream flowed near the cave. The three people decided to live there for a short time. Tarzan learned the language of his companions faster there than when they were walking.

Pt/En The cave looked like other people had lived there before. There was an old fireplace made of rocks. The walls and roof were dark from many fires. On the walls, people had scratched pictures and symbols. Some showed animals and reptiles, like old, extinct creatures. Tarzan's companions could read some of the newer pictures. They talked about them and then added their own drawings to the walls with their knives.

Pt/En Tarzan was very curious. He thought the hotel register was very old and simple. It showed him more about the strange people he had met. Some people had tails like monkeys and were covered in hair, but they also had a spoken and written language. Tarzan was learning their language and wanted to learn it faster. Seeing this sign of civilization in people who looked like animals made him even more interested. He worked harder to learn their language. He already knew the names of his friends and the plants and animals around them.

Pt/En Ta-den, a man with white, hairless skin, was Tarzan's teacher. He taught with great focus, and Tarzan learned his language very quickly. Om-at, a hairy black man, also felt responsible for Tarzan's education. They spent almost all of Tarzan's waking hours teaching him. As a result, Tarzan learned very fast, and soon they could all talk to each other easily.

Pt/En Tarzan told his companions why he was on his mission. However, they could not give him any hope. They said they had never seen a woman like the one he described in their country. They also said they had never seen a man without a tail, except for Tarzan himself.

Pt/En Ta-den told Tarzan that he had been away from A-lur for seven moon cycles. He said that many things could happen in that time. Ta-den doubted that Tarzan's woman could have crossed the dangerous swamps, which were very difficult even for Tarzan. He also doubted she could have survived the dangers Tarzan had already faced, and the ones he did not yet know about. Ta-den added that their own women did not go into the wild lands outside their cities.

Pt/En Tarzan thought about the name 'A-lur', which meant 'Light-city' or 'City of Light' in his own language. He asked Ta-den where A-lur was. He also asked if it was Ta-den's and Om-at's city.

Pt/En The hairless one said the item was his, but not Om-at's. He explained that the Waz-don people did not live in cities, but in forest trees and hill caves. He asked the black man next to him if this was correct.

Pt/En Om-at agreed, saying that they, the Waz-don, were free. He stated that only the Hodon people kept themselves in cities. Om-at added that he would not want to be like a white man.

Pt/En Tarzan noticed that even here, there was a difference between white and black people, the Ho-don and the Waz-don. He saw that the white people thought they were better than the black people, and this was clear from the white man's quiet smile.

Pt/En Tarzan asked again about A-lur and if they were going back there.

Pt/En Ta-den replied that A-lur was beyond the mountains. He said he was not returning there yet, and not until Ko-tan was gone.

Pt/En Tarzan asked if the person's name was Ko-tan.

Pt/En The pithecanthropus explained that Ko-tan was the king and ruled the land. He said he was one of Ko-tan's warriors and met O-lo-a, Ko-tan's daughter, in the palace. They fell in love, but Ko-tan did not approve. Ko-tan sent him to fight the men of Dak-at, a village that had not paid their taxes. Ko-tan thought he would die because Dak-at had strong warriors. However, he returned alive with the taxes and Dak-at as a prisoner. Ko-tan was not happy because O-lo-a loved him even more after his success.

Pt/En The pithecanthropus said his father, Ja-don, was a powerful chief. Ko-tan was afraid to upset Ja-don, so he praised the pithecanthropus for his victory, but with a fake smile that showed he was not sincere. The pithecanthropus felt he deserved a reward, like marrying O-lo-a. Instead, Ko-tan planned to marry O-lo-a to Bu-lot, whose father Mo-sar wanted to be king. Ko-tan wanted to keep Mo-sar calm and gain the support of people who agreed with Mo-sar.

Pt/En The pithecanthropus asked what reward would be given to him, Ta-den, for his loyalty. He mentioned that priests were highly respected, and even kings bowed to them in temples. He said becoming a priest would be a great honor, but he did not want it. He explained that priests, except for the high priest, had to become eunuchs and could not marry.

Pt/En O-lo-a told him that her father had ordered him to become a priest. A messenger was coming to call him to Ko-tan. If he refused the priesthood after it was offered, he would be killed for disrespecting the temple and gods. However, if he did not go to Ko-tan, he would not have to refuse. O-lo-a and he decided it was better to run away with a small hope for the future than to stay and lose all hope by becoming a priest.

Pt/En He held her close under the big trees in the palace garden, perhaps for the last time. Then, to avoid meeting someone, he climbed the high wall around the palace and went through the dark city. Because of who he was, he was allowed to leave the city. Since then, he has traveled far from the Ho-don people. But he still wants to return to see the city where she lives and to visit his parents in his home village.

Pt/En Tarzan asked if the risk was too great.

Pt/En Ta-den replied that the risk was great, but he would still go.

Pt/En The ape-man said he would go with Ta-den to see the City of Light, A-lur, and to look for his lost mate, even if the chance was small. He also asked Om-at if he would join them.

Pt/En The hairy man agreed to go. He said his tribe lived in the mountains near A-lur, and he wanted to return to see a woman named Pan-at-lee, even though their chief, Es-sat, had sent him away. He thought Es-sat might have been right to fear he could become chief, but seeing Pan-at-lee was more important to him than being chief.

Pt/En Tarzan said that the three of them would travel together.

Pt/En Ta-den added that they would fight together, as one. He then took out his knife and held it up.

Pt/En Om-at repeated that they would be three as one, and he also took out his weapon. He said it was agreed.

Pt/En Tarzan of the Apes shouted that they were three as one and would fight to the death. His knife shone in the sun.

Pt/En Om-at suggested they go, saying his knife was ready for Es-sat's blood.

Pt/En The path Ta-den and Om-at followed was very difficult, more like a path for mountain animals than for people. But the three travelers were used to difficult journeys. Sometimes the path went through thick forests where they had to climb on branches high above the ground because the forest floor was covered with fallen trees and plants. Other times, the path was near deep valleys with slippery rocks. They had to jump from one small rock to another, like mountain goats. Om-at led them across the top of a high cliff, which was very high and scary, with a fast river far below. When they finally reached flatter ground, Om-at looked closely at both Ta-den and Tarzan, especially Tarzan of the Apes.

Pt/En Om-at told them that they were good enough and fit to be his companions, the Waz-don.

Pt/En Tarzan asked Om-at what he meant.

Pt/En Om-at explained that he brought them this way to see if they were brave enough to follow him. He said that young warriors from Es-sat come here to show their courage. Even though they grew up on cliffs, it was difficult, and many failed. He mentioned that only a few succeeded, and the others died.

Pt/En Ta-den laughed and said he would not want to travel this difficult path very often.

Pt/En Om-at said that their journey was now one day shorter, so Tarzan would see the Valley of Jad-ben-Otho sooner. Om-at led them up the side of a mountain. From there, they saw a beautiful and mysterious green valley. It was surrounded by tall, white cliffs. The valley had deep blue lakes and a winding blue river. In the middle of the valley was a city made of white stone, like the cliffs. The city had a strange but artistic design. Outside the city, there were some separate buildings. They were also white and had unusual shapes.

Pt/En The cliffs around the valley had deep openings, filled with plants, which looked like green rivers flowing down to a central green area.

Pt/En Tarzan spoke in the language of the pithecanthropi, saying that the valley, called Jad Pele ul Jad-ben-Otho, meaning The Valley of the Great God, was beautiful.

Pt/En Ta-den explained that Ko-tan, the king who ruled all of Pal-ul-don, lived in A-lur, which was in this valley.

Pt/En Om-at exclaimed that the Waz-don people lived in these gorges and did not accept Ko-tan as the ruler of the entire Land-of-man.

Pt/En Ta-den told Om-at that they should not argue. He explained that the Ho-don people were stronger because they lived together under one ruler. When danger threatened, they fought together with many warriors. However, the Waz-don people were divided. They had many kings who fought not only the Ho-don but also each other. Ta-den said that when a Waz-don tribe went to fight, it had to leave many warriors behind to protect its homes and people from other Waz-don tribes. He added that the Ho-don could easily capture Waz-don people for temples and homes because the Waz-don were divided and could not defend themselves from their neighbors. Ta-den believed that as long as the Waz-don were divided, the Ho-don would rule.

Pt/En Om-at agreed with Ta-den. He admitted that their problem was that their neighbors were foolish. Each Waz-don tribe thought it was the greatest and should rule. They did not believe that other Waz-don tribes were as brave or as beautiful.

Pt/En Ta-den smiled and told Om-at that all the other Waz-don tribes said the same things. He explained that this disagreement among the Waz-don was the Ho-don's strongest defense.

Pt/En Tarzan interrupted, saying they should not argue. He wanted to learn about their land, its politics, economy, and religion, but not if it caused anger between his friends. He asked if they believed in the same god.

Pt/En Om-at replied with some bitterness and excitement that they did differ in their gods.

Pt/En Ta-den shouted that they should disagree. He asked why they could not differ and questioned who could agree with something so unreasonable.

Pt/En Tarzan shouted for them to stop. He felt he had caused a lot of trouble. He suggested they should not talk about politics or religion anymore.

Pt/En Om-at agreed that this was a better idea. However, he added that their only god had a long tail.

Pt/En Ta-den cried that this was wrong. He put his hand on his knife and said that Jad-ben-Otho did not have a tail.

Pt/En Om-at shrieked for them to stop and jumped forward, but Tarzan immediately stepped between them.

Pt/En Tarzan sharply told them "Enough!" He said they should keep their promises of friendship to be honorable in God's eyes.

Pt/En Ta-den agreed with Tarzan, calling him "Tailless One." He suggested they focus on their friendship and safety, trusting that Jad-ben-Otho could protect himself.

Pt/En Om-at agreed, saying "Done!" but then hesitated.

Pt/En Tarzan warned Om-at not to have any objections.

Pt/En Om-at shrugged and smiled. He asked how they should travel. He explained that the gorge below was empty, the one to the left had caves where his people lived, and he wanted to see Pan-at-lee again. Ta-den wanted to visit his father in the valley, and Tarzan wanted to go to A-lur to find a woman who would be better off dead than captured by the Ho-don priests of Jad-ben-Otho. Om-at asked for their plan.

Pt/En Ta-den said they should stay together. He told Om-at to look for Pan-at-lee secretly at night. Ta-den explained that even three of them could not beat Es-sat and his men. He said they could visit his father Ja-don's village anytime, but it was hard for Tarzan to go to A-lur. Ta-den then told his friends his brave plan quietly, because someone named Jad-ben-Otho had good ears and should not hear it.

Pt/En At the same time, far away, a thin person, wearing only a cloth around his waist and carrying weapons, moved quietly over a dry, thorny land. He looked and smelled the ground carefully as he searched.

Pan-at-lee

Pt/En Night came to the unknown land of Pal-ul-don. A small moon shone on the white cliffs. It was dark in Kor-ul-JA, the Gorge-of-lions, where Es-sat's tribe lived. A hairy figure came out of a hole high on the cliff and looked around with fierce eyes.

Pt/En This was Es-sat, the chief. He looked left, right, and down to see if anyone was watching. No one else was on the cliff. Then he moved out onto the white chalk wall. In the dim moonlight, it looked like he was moving magically. But he was using strong pegs, like thick sticks, that were pushed into holes in the cliff. Es-sat had four hand-like feet and a long tail, which helped him move easily. He was like a giant rat on a big wall. He moved past the cave openings, going above or below them.

Pt/En The caves looked similar. Each had a large opening, like a front porch, cut into the chalk rock. Behind this porch was a smaller opening, about three feet wide and six feet high, which was the door to the inside rooms. On each side of the door were smaller openings, like windows, for light and air. More windows were spread across the cliff face. It seemed the whole cliff was full of homes. Water trickled down from many small openings, and some walls above other openings were dark from smoke. The water had worn away the rock over a long time.

Pt/En The man, who was like an ancient ape-man, seemed to belong in this wild, old place. He was as natural a part of it as the trees on the cliff top or the plants in the dark valley below.

Pt/En He stopped at an entrance and listened. Then, as quietly as moonlight on water, he disappeared into the shadows of the porch. He listened again at the door to the inside. He gently pushed aside a heavy skin covering the opening and entered a large room cut from the rock. A dim light came from another doorway at the far end. He moved towards it very quietly, making no sound with his bare feet. He took a heavy club from his back and held it in his left hand.

Pt/En Past the second door was a hallway that ran along the cliff. In this hallway were three more doors. One was at each end, and a third was across from where Es-sat stood. The light came from a room at the end of the hallway to his left. A flickering flame burned in a small stone pot on a stone table. This table was part of the room, made from the rock when it was dug out.

Pt/En In a corner of the room, past the table, was a raised stone platform. On it were soft animal skins. A young Waz-don woman sat on the edge of this platform. She held a thin, gold tool with a rough edge in one hand and a short, stiff brush in the other. She was cleaning her smooth, dark skin, which looked like sealskin. Her cloth skirt lay on the couch next to her, along with gold chest coverings. Her body was beautiful and well-shaped, even though she was black and covered in hair.

Pt/En Es-sat, the chief, clearly found her beautiful. His face showed a greedy look, and he breathed faster. He quickly walked into the room. The young woman looked up and saw him. Her eyes filled with fear. She quickly grabbed her skirt and put it on. As she picked up her chest coverings, Es-sat walked around the table and moved towards her.

Pt/En She whispered and asked what he wanted, even though she already knew.

Pt/En He told Pan-at-lee that her chief had arrived to take her.

Pt/En Pan-at-lee asked if he had sent her father and brothers to spy on the Kor-ul-lul for this reason. She told him she did not want him there and ordered him to leave her ancestors' cave.

Pt/En Es-sat smiled, showing he was strong and wicked and knew his power. He said he would leave, but Pan-at-lee would go with him to his cave, where she would be admired by the women of Kor-ul-JA. He told her to come.

Pt/En Pan-at-lee cried that she would never go. She said she hated him and would rather be with a Ho-don than with him, calling him a person who beats women and kills babies.

Pt/En The chief, Es-sat, was very angry. He shouted at Pan-at-lee and said he would control her and make her obey. He explained that he was the chief and took what he wanted. He showed his power by breaking a stone platter. He warned her that if she did not accept his love, she would be the last and least, and would belong to all the men of his cave.

Pt/En Es-sat quickly tried to grab Pan-at-lee. When he touched her, she hit him hard on the side of his head with her golden breastplates. Es-sat fell to the floor without making a sound. Pan-at-lee watched him to see if he would wake up. Then, she took Es-sat's knife, its cover, and his belt. She put them on herself and carefully left the room, watching the fallen chief.

Pt/En In the outer room, Pan-at-lee found some long pegs. She took five of them and tied them together with her tail. She went to the edge of the balcony and checked that no one could see her. She climbed up the cliff face using the pegs that were already there. She moved quickly like a monkey to the highest pegs. She then used two pegs in her hands and two in her feet to climb higher. She used her tail to place the last peg. By moving the pegs up, she created a climbing path that she could take with her as she went higher.

Pt/En At the top of the cliff, a tree's roots grew over the last pegs. This was the final way to escape for people in the tribe who were in danger from enemies below. There were three such secret exits from the village, and they were only for emergencies. Pan-at-lee knew this, but she also knew that staying and being caught by the angry Es-sat would be worse than death.

Pt/En After reaching the top, Pan-at-lee moved quickly in the dark towards the next gorge, which was a mile away. This was the Gorge-of-water, where her father and two brothers had been sent by Es-sat. She hoped to find them there. If not, she could go to the empty Gorge-of-GRYF, several miles further. She might be able to hide there from people, but she would have to avoid a dangerous monster that lived in the gorge and made its caves unsafe.

Pt/En Pan-at-lee walked quietly near the edge of the Kor-ul-lul. She was not sure where her father or brothers were watching. She felt lost and scared in the dark night. She heard many strange sounds from the mountains and valleys. She thought she heard a GRYF animal far away and felt afraid.

Pt/En Then, she heard another sound. Something was coming towards her on the edge of the gorge. It was coming from above. She stopped and listened. She wondered if it was her father or a brother. As it came closer, she looked hard into the darkness. She stayed very still and hardly breathed. Suddenly, very close, two yellow-green eyes shone in the dark night.

Pt/En Pan-at-lee was brave, but like many people, she was very afraid of the dark. She feared not only what she knew but also the unknown. She had been through a lot that night, and her nerves were very tense and easily frightened.

Pt/En This was not a small shock. She had hoped to see her father or brother, but instead, she saw death looking at her from the darkness. Pan-at-lee was brave, but she was not made of stone. She screamed loudly, and the sound echoed in the hills. She turned and ran along the edge of the Kor-ul-lul. Behind her, the lion with devil eyes from the mountains of Pal-ul-don followed quickly.

Pt/En Pan-at-lee was lost, and she knew she would die. She did not want to die by the sharp teeth of the lion, which was a natural fear for her kind. But she had another choice. The lion was very close, about to catch her. Pan-at-lee quickly turned left. She took only a few steps in the new direction before she fell over the edge of the Kor-ul-lul. The lion, unable to stop, stood at the very edge of the deep drop. It looked down into the dark shadows below and roared angrily.

Pt/En Om-at led Tarzan and Ta-den through the dark area called Kor-ul-JA towards the caves where his people lived. They stopped under a large tree near the cliff.

Pt/En Om-at whispered that he would first go to Pan-at-lee's cave. Then he would visit his ancestors' cave to speak with his family. He said it would not take long and asked them to wait there, as he would return soon. After that, they would all go together to Ta-den's people.

Pt/En Om-at moved quietly towards the bottom of the cliff. Tarzan watched him climb up the cliff face, like a small fly. It was hard to see the pegs Om-at used in the dim light. Om-at was careful because there should be a guard in the lower caves. He thought the guard was probably asleep, but he stayed cautious. He climbed quickly and smoothly towards Pan-at-lee's cave while Tarzan and Ta-den watched from below.

Pt/En Tarzan asked how Om-at was able to climb. He could not see any places to put his feet on the steep cliff, but Om-at seemed to be climbing very easily.

Pt/En Ta-den explained that there was a stairway made of pegs. He told Tarzan that he could also climb it easily, but having a tail would help a lot.

Pt/En Tarzan and Ta-den watched Om-at as he was about to enter a cave. Suddenly, a head appeared from another cave. The person had seen Om-at and began to chase him. Tarzan and Ta-den ran to the bottom of the cliff. The first person, who was like an ape-man, started climbing using small pegs in the cliff. Tarzan followed, using his hands and feet to climb. Ta-den climbed faster because he was used to these difficult climbs and had a tail to help him.

Pt/En Tarzan climbed well. He tried harder when the person above Ta-den looked down and saw them. Just before the other person caught Ta-den, a loud cry was heard. Many other people answered the cry, and more warriors came out of their caves.

Pt/En The person who shouted the alarm reached the cave entrance where Pan-at-lee was. He stopped and prepared to fight Ta-den. He took his club and blocked the entrance, stopping Ta-den from climbing. Many warriors were coming towards them. Tarzan had reached the same level as Ta-den but a little to the side. He saw that they were in great danger. Next to Tarzan was an empty cave entrance. Tarzan was very quick and smart. Even though an enemy was very close, he quickly stepped into the cave, took out his rope, and threw the noose towards the man with the club who was threatening Ta-den. The man paused, and the noose went over his head. Tarzan pulled the rope hard with all his strength.

Pt/En The person fell from the cave entrance with a loud cry. Tarzan held the rope tightly, ready for the impact. When the body hit the end of the rope, there was a terrible sound. After a moment of silence, Tarzan pulled the body closer. He wanted to take the noose off the dead man's neck because the rope was a very useful tool.

Pt/En For a few seconds, the other warriors had not moved, perhaps surprised or scared. Then, one of them shouted angrily at Tarzan and started climbing towards him, telling others to attack. This warrior was the closest to Tarzan. Tarzan picked up the dead man's body and held it over his head. He screamed like the wild apes and threw the body with great force at the climbing warrior. The impact was so strong that the warrior lost his grip, and two of the pegs he was holding onto broke.

Pt/En As the living and dead bodies fell down the cliff, the Waz-don people shouted loudly. They cried "Jad-guru-don!" and then shouted for Tarzan to be killed.

Pt/En Tarzan stood with Ta-den in a safe place. Ta-den said "Jad-guru-don!" and smiled. He told Tarzan that he was a terrible man, known as Tarzan the Terrible, and that although they might kill him, they would never forget him.

Pt/En Tarzan was about to say something when he was interrupted. Two men, fighting fiercely, stumbled into the cave. One was Om-at, and the other was like him but had rough, stiff hair. Both men wanted to kill each other and fought almost silently, only making low growls when hurt.

Pt/En Tarzan wanted to help Om-at, his friend, but Om-at told him to go back. Om-at said that the fight was his alone.

Pt/En Tarzan understood and moved out of the way.

Pt/En Ta-den explained that it was a "gund-bar," which is a battle for leadership. He said the man fighting must be Es-sat, the chief. If Om-at could kill Es-sat by himself, Om-at would become the new chief.

Pt/En Tarzan thought about the old jungle law, similar to how people in civilization might use hidden weapons. Then, he saw the face of one of Es-sat's warriors above. Tarzan moved to stop him, but Ta-den got there first. Ta-den told the newcomer to go back because it was a gund-bar. The warrior looked at the two fighters, then told his group below to go back, saying it was a gund-bar between Es-sat and Om-at. He then asked Ta-den and Tarzan who they were.

Pt/En Ta-den replied that they were friends of Om-at.

Pt/En The warrior nodded and said they would deal with Ta-den and Tarzan later. Then he disappeared.

Pt/En The fight on the ledge continued fiercely. Tarzan and Ta-den had trouble staying out of the way of the two men fighting. Es-sat had no weapon because Pan-at-lee had made sure of that. However, Om-at had a knife at his side, but he did not use it. This was because their old rules for a chief-battle said they must only use their natural bodies as weapons.

Pt/En The two fighters, Es-sat and Om-at, held onto each other very tightly. One fighter fell, but pulled the other down with him. They fell together over the edge of a small space in the wall. Tarzan watched them disappear.

Pt/En Tarzan felt sad because he liked Om-at. He and Ta-den looked over the edge. They thought they would see dead bodies, but the two men were still alive and fighting a few feet below. They were on a steep wall, holding onto pegs with their hands, feet, or tails. They were trying to make the other fall to their death. Om-at, who was younger and stronger, was winning. He pushed Es-sat away from the wall and broke his holds. Es-sat was getting weaker and was afraid. He tried to grab Om-at and anything else to stop himself from falling. While trying to push Om-at away, Es-sat's tail touched the handle of a knife.

Pt/En Tarzan saw Es-sat pull out the knife. Tarzan quickly climbed down to where they were fighting. Es-sat was about to stab Om-at with his tail. Many people saw this bad action and shouted angrily. But as the knife moved, Tarzan grabbed Es-sat's tail. At the same time, Om-at pushed Es-sat hard. Es-sat lost his grip and fell down the cliff, screaming, to his death.

Tarzan-jad-guru

Pt/En Tarzan and Om-at climbed back to the cave. They stood with Ta-den, ready for what might happen after Es-sat's death. At the same time, the sun rose over the hills. It woke someone on a distant, thorny plain who began to follow a faint trail.

Pt/En For a while, it was quiet in Kor-ul-JA. The people looked at their dead chief, then at each other, and then at Om-at and the two men with him. Then Om-at spoke. He announced that he was Om-at and asked who would say he was not the leader of Kor-ul-JA.

Pt/En He waited for someone to accept his challenge. Some young men looked at him nervously, but no one answered.

Pt/En Om-at said he was "gund" and then asked where Pan-at-lee, her father, and her brothers were.

Pt/En An old warrior told Om-at that Pan-at-lee should be in her cave. He said that her father and brothers were sent to watch Kor-ul-lul. The warrior also questioned if Om-at could be chief if he was against his own people with a Ho-don and a man without a tail. He suggested Om-at should hand the strangers over to his people to be killed, as is the custom of the Waz-don, so that Om-at could be "gund".

Pt/En Tarzan and Ta-den watched Om-at and waited for his decision. Tarzan had a slight smile. Ta-den knew the old warrior was right because the Waz-don do not keep strangers or prisoners from other groups.

Pt/En Om-at said that change is always happening. He explained that even the hills of Pal-ul-don look different because of the sun, clouds, moon, mist, and weather. He also said that people change from birth to death every day. Om-at concluded that change is a law of Jad-ben-Otho.

Pt/En Om-at, who was the gund, announced he was making a change. He said that brave strangers who were good friends would no longer be killed by the Waz-don of Kor-ul-JA.

Pt/En The warriors made angry sounds and talked quietly. They moved around, looking at each other. They were waiting to see who would be the first to oppose Om-at, who was changing their old ways.

Pt/En The new gund told them to stop talking. He said he was their chief and his word was their law. He reminded them that some had helped to remove him before, and others had allowed it. He felt he owed them nothing. He stated that only the two people they wanted him to kill had been loyal to him. He declared that he was the gund and warned that anyone who doubted him would die.

Pt/En Tarzan liked this. He thought Om-at was a brave man. He admired Om-at's challenge and knew he would fight if he had to. Tarzan also thought Om-at would likely win. It seemed most of the people of Kor-ul-JA agreed with Tarzan.

Pt/En Om-at saw that no one wanted to argue with him. He promised to be a good gund and said their wives and daughters would be safe, unlike when Es-sat was in charge. He told them to go back to their work and hunting. He announced he was leaving to look for Pan-at-lee. Ab-on would be the gund while he was gone, and they should follow his orders. Om-at said he would check with them when he returned.

Pt/En He told Tarzan and the Ho-don that they were free to go among his people. He said the cave of his ancestors was theirs and they could do what they wanted there.

Pt/En Tarzan said that he would go with Om-at to look for Pan-at-lee.

Pt/En Ta-den also said that he would go.

Pt/En Om-at was happy. He said that after they found Pan-at-lee, they would all go together for Tarzan's and Ta-den's business. He asked his warriors where they should search first and if anyone knew where Pan-at-lee might be.

Pt/En No one knew where Pan-at-lee was. They only knew she had gone to her cave with others the night before. There were no clues about her location.

Pt/En Tarzan asked them to show him where the woman slept. He also wanted to see something that belonged to her, such as a piece of her clothing. He explained that if he saw these items, he would be able to help them.

Pt/En Two young warriors, In-sad and O-dan, moved closer to the ledge where Om-at was standing. O-dan was the one who spoke.

Pt/En O-dan told Om-at that he and In-sad wanted to go with him to search for Pan-at-lee.

Pt/En This was the first time the warriors accepted Om-at as their leader. After this, the tense feeling disappeared. People spoke louder, and women came out from the caves. In-sad and O-dan led the way, and others were happy to follow. Some people wanted to talk to Om-at and see Tarzan. The heads of the caves gathered their hunters to discuss the day's work. Women and children prepared to go to the fields with the young men and old men who would protect them.

Pt/En Om-at announced that O-dan and In-sad would go with them, and they did not need anyone else. He told Tarzan to come with him, and he would show him where Pan-at-lee slept. Om-at did not understand why Tarzan wanted to know, and he said Pan-at-lee was not there, as he had already looked himself.

Pt/En Om-at led the way into the cave. They went to a room where Es-sat had surprised Pan-at-lee the night before.

Pt/En Om-at said that everything in the room belonged to Pan-at-lee. He pointed out that the war club on the floor belonged to Es-sat.

Pt/En The ape-man walked quietly around the room. His nose twitched slightly, but his companion did not notice. The companion was impatient and wondered why they were there.

Pt/En Soon, the ape-man said "Come!" and led the way to an outer part of the cave.

Pt/En Their three friends were waiting there. Tarzan looked at some pegs inside a space. He used his strong sense of smell, which was trained from when he was young by his mother Kala and by the jungle, to examine them.

Pt/En He turned from the left side of the niche to the right. Om-at was starting to feel impatient.

Pt/En Om-at said they should leave. He explained that they needed to search for Pan-at-lee if they ever wanted to find her.

Pt/En Tarzan asked where they should search.

Pt/En Om-at scratched his head and repeated the question about where to search. He suggested they might have to search all over Pal-ul-don if needed.

Pt/En Tarzan commented that it was a big job. He then told Om-at to come, saying Pan-at-lee had gone that way. Tarzan followed the pegs leading up the cliff. He could easily follow the scent there because no one else had passed since Pan-at-lee fled. Tarzan stopped suddenly where she had left the permanent pegs and used her own carried pegs. He called back to Om-at, who was behind him, that she had gone to the summit but there were no pegs there.

Pt/En Om-at said he did not know how Tarzan knew the girl had gone that way. He then told In-sad to go and get five climbing pegs.

Pt/En In-sad soon came back with the pegs, and they were given out. Om-at gave Tarzan five pegs and explained how to use them. Tarzan said he only needed four.

Pt/En Om-at smiled and told Tarzan that he would be a wonderful creature if he were not deformed. Om-at looked with pride at his own strong tail.

Pt/En Tarzan agreed that he was handicapped. He asked the others to go ahead and leave the pegs for him. He was worried it would be slow because he could not hold the pegs with his toes like they could.

Pt/En Om-at agreed. He said that he, Ta-den, and In-sad would go first. Tarzan should follow, and O-dan would come last to collect the pegs so their enemies could not find them.

Pt/En Tarzan asked if the enemies could not bring their own pegs.

Pt/En The speaker explained that yes, it would delay the enemies and help their defense. The enemies did not know which holes were deep enough for pegs, and the other holes were too shallow to hold pegs, made to confuse them.

Pt/En Tarzan found the trail again at the top of the cliff near a tree. The smell was as strong as before, so the ape-man moved quickly across the ridge towards the Kor-ul-lul.

Pt/En He stopped and turned to Om-at. He told Om-at that she had moved very fast, running as quickly as she could, and that a lion was chasing her.

Pt/En O-dan asked the ape-man if he could read that information from the grass as the others came closer.

Pt/En Tarzan agreed. He said he did not think the lion had caught the person they were looking for. He added that they would know soon. He told them to look, and he pointed southwest, down the hill.

Pt/En The others looked in the direction Tarzan pointed. They saw movement in some bushes about two hundred yards away.

Pt/En Om-at asked what it was and if it was the person they were looking for. He then started to walk towards the spot.

Pt/En Tarzan told him to wait. He explained that it was the lion that had been chasing the person.

Pt/En Ta-den asked if Tarzan could see the lion.

Pt/En He said that he could smell the lion.

Pt/En The others were very surprised and did not believe him. Soon, a lion came out from the bushes and faced them. It was a large, beautiful animal with a mane and clear leopard spots. The lion was angry because it had lost its prey earlier that morning. Then, it attacked.

Original English Text

1 - The Pithecanthropus

2 - "To the Death!"

3 - Pan-at-lee

4 - Tarzan-jad-guru

The Pithecanthropus

PT Silent as the shadows through which he moved, the great beast slunk through the midnight jungle, his yellow-green eyes round and staring, his sinewy tail undulating behind him, his head lowered and flattened, and every muscle vibrant to the thrill of the hunt. The jungle moon dappled an occasional clearing which the great cat was always careful to avoid. Though he moved through thick verdure across a carpet of innumerable twigs, broken branches, and leaves, his passing gave forth no sound that might have been apprehended by dull human ears.

PT Apparently less cautious was the hunted thing moving even as silently as the lion a hundred paces ahead of the tawny carnivore, for instead of skirting the moon-splashed natural clearings it passed directly across them, and by the tortuous record of its spoor it might indeed be guessed that it sought these avenues of least resistance, as well it might, since, unlike its grim stalker, it walked erect upon two feet -- it walked upon two feet and was hairless except for a black thatch upon its head; its arms were well shaped and muscular; its hands powerful and slender with long tapering fingers and thumbs reaching almost to the first joint of the index fingers. Its legs too were shapely but its feet departed from the standards of all races of men, except possibly a few of the lowest races, in that the great toes protruded at right angles from the foot.

PT Pausing momentarily in the full light of the gorgeous African moon the creature turned an attentive ear to the rear and then, his head lifted, his features might readily have been discerned in the moonlight. They were strong, clean cut, and regular -- features that would have attracted attention for their masculine beauty in any of the great capitals of the world. But was this thing a man? It would have been hard for a watcher in the trees to have decided as the lion's prey resumed its way across the silver tapestry that Luna had laid upon the floor of the dismal jungle, for from beneath the loin cloth of black fur that girdled its thighs there depended a long hairless, white tail.

PT In one hand the creature carried a stout club, and suspended at its left side from a shoulder belt was a short, sheathed knife, while a cross belt supported a pouch at its right hip. Confining these straps to the body and also apparently supporting the loin cloth was a broad girdle which glittered in the moonlight as though encrusted with virgin gold, and was clasped in the center of the belly with a huge buckle of ornate design that scintillated as with precious stones.

PT Closer and closer crept Numa, the lion, to his intended victim, and that the latter was not entirely unaware of his danger was evidenced by the increasing frequency with which he turned his ear and his sharp black eyes in the direction of the cat upon his trail. He did not greatly increase his speed, a long swinging walk where the open places permitted, but he loosened the knife in its scabbard and at all times kept his club in readiness for instant action.

PT Forging at last through a narrow strip of dense jungle vegetation the man-thing broke through into an almost treeless area of considerable extent. For an instant he hesitated, glancing quickly behind him and then up at the security of the branches of the great trees waving overhead, but some greater urge than fear or caution influenced his decision apparently, for he moved off again across the little plain leaving the safety of the trees behind him. At greater or less intervals leafy sanctuaries dotted the grassy expanse ahead of him and the route he took, leading from one to another, indicated that he had not entirely cast discretion to the winds. But after the second tree had been left behind the distance to the next was considerable, and it was then that Numa walked from the concealing cover of the jungle and, seeing his quarry apparently helpless before him, raised his tail stiffly erect and charged.

PT Two months -- two long, weary months filled with hunger, with thirst, with hardships, with disappointment, and, greater than all, with gnawing pain -- had passed since Tarzan of the Apes learned from the diary of the dead German captain that his wife still lived. A brief investigation in which he was enthusiastically aided by the Intelligence Department of the British East African Expedition revealed the fact that an attempt had been made to keep Lady Jane in hiding in the interior, for reasons of which only the German High Command might be cognizant.

PT In charge of Lieutenant Obergatz and a detachment of native German troops she had been sent across the border into the Congo Free State.

PT Starting out alone in search of her, Tarzan had succeeded in finding the village in which she had been incarcerated only to learn that she had escaped months before, and that the German officer had disappeared at the same time. From there on the stories of the chiefs and the warriors whom he quizzed, were vague and often contradictory. Even the direction that the fugitives had taken Tarzan could only guess at by piecing together bits of fragmentary evidence gleaned from various sources.

PT Sinister conjectures were forced upon him by various observations which he made in the village. One was incontrovertible proof that these people were man-eaters; the other, the presence in the village of various articles of native German uniforms and equipment. At great risk and in the face of surly objection on the part of the chief, the ape-man made a careful inspection of every hut in the village from which at least a little ray of hope resulted from the fact that he found no article that might have belonged to his wife.

PT Leaving the village he had made his way toward the southwest, crossing, after the most appalling hardships, a vast waterless steppe covered for the most part with dense thorn, coming at last into a district that had probably never been previously entered by any white man and which was known only in the legends of the tribes whose country bordered it. Here were precipitous mountains, well-watered plateaus, wide plains, and vast swampy morasses, but neither the plains, nor the plateaus, nor the mountains were accessible to him until after weeks of arduous effort he succeeded in finding a spot where he might cross the morasses -- a hideous stretch infested by venomous snakes and other larger dangerous reptiles. On several occasions he glimpsed at distances or by night what might have been titanic reptilian monsters, but as there were hippopotami, rhinoceri, and elephants in great numbers in and about the marsh he was never positive that the forms he saw were not of these.

PT When at last he stood upon firm ground after crossing the morasses he realized why it was that for perhaps countless ages this territory had defied the courage and hardihood of the heroic races of the outer world that had, after innumerable reverses and unbelievable suffering penetrated to practically every other region, from pole to pole.

PT From the abundance and diversity of the game it might have appeared that every known species of bird and beast and reptile had sought here a refuge wherein they might take their last stand against the encroaching multitudes of men that had steadily spread themselves over the surface of the earth, wresting the hunting grounds from the lower orders, from the moment that the first ape shed his hair and ceased to walk upon his knuckles. Even the species with which Tarzan was familiar showed here either the results of a divergent line of evolution or an unaltered form that had been transmitted without variation for countless ages.

PT Too, there were many hybrid strains, not the least interesting of which to Tarzan was a yellow and black striped lion. Smaller than the species with which Tarzan was familiar, but still a most formidable beast, since it possessed in addition to sharp saber-like canines the disposition of a devil. To Tarzan it presented evidence that tigers had once roamed the jungles of Africa, possibly giant saber-tooths of another epoch, and these apparently had crossed with lions with the resultant terrors that he occasionally encountered at the present day.

PT The true lions of this new, Old World differed but little from those with which he was familiar; in size and conformation they were almost identical, but instead of shedding the leopard spots of cubhood, they retained them through life as definitely marked as those of the leopard.

PT Two months of effort had revealed no slightest evidence that she he sought had entered this beautiful yet forbidding land. His investigation, however, of the cannibal village and his questioning of other tribes in the neighborhood had convinced him that if Lady Jane still lived it must be in this direction that he seek her, since by a process of elimination he had reduced the direction of her flight to only this possibility. How she had crossed the morass he could not guess and yet something within seemed to urge upon him belief that she had crossed it, and that if she still lived it was here that she must be sought. But this unknown, untraversed wild was of vast extent; grim, forbidding mountains blocked his way, torrents tumbling from rocky fastnesses impeded his progress, and at every turn he was forced to match wits and muscles with the great carnivora that he might procure sustenance.

PT Time and again Tarzan and Numa stalked the same quarry and now one, now the other bore off the prize. Seldom however did the ape-man go hungry for the country was rich in game animals and birds and fish, in fruit and the countless other forms of vegetable life upon which the jungle-bred man may subsist.

PT Tarzan often wondered why in so rich a country he found no evidences of man and had at last come to the conclusion that the parched, thorn-covered steppe and the hideous morasses had formed a sufficient barrier to protect this country effectively from the inroads of mankind.

PT After days of searching he had succeeded finally in discovering a pass through the mountains and, coming down upon the opposite side, had found himself in a country practically identical with that which he had left. The hunting was good and at a water hole in the mouth of a canyon where it debouched upon a tree-covered plain Bara, the deer, fell an easy victim to the ape-man's cunning.

PT It was just at dusk. The voices of great four-footed hunters rose now and again from various directions, and as the canyon afforded among its trees no comfortable retreat the ape-man shouldered the carcass of the deer and started downward onto the plain. At its opposite side rose lofty trees -- a great forest which suggested to his practiced eye a mighty jungle. Toward this the ape-man bent his step, but when midway of the plain he discovered standing alone such a tree as best suited him for a night's abode, swung lightly to its branches and, presently, a comfortable resting place.

PT Here he ate the flesh of Bara and when satisfied carried the balance of the carcass to the opposite side of the tree where he deposited it far above the ground in a secure place. Returning to his crotch he settled himself for sleep and in another moment the roars of the lions and the howlings of the lesser cats fell upon deaf ears.

PT The usual noises of the jungle composed rather than disturbed the ape-man but an unusual sound, however imperceptible to the awakened ear of civilized man, seldom failed to impinge upon the consciousness of Tarzan, however deep his slumber, and so it was that when the moon was high a sudden rush of feet across the grassy carpet in the vicinity of his tree brought him to alert and ready activity. Tarzan does not awaken as you and I with the weight of slumber still upon his eyes and brain, for did the creatures of the wild awaken thus, their awakenings would be few. As his eyes snapped open, clear and bright, so, clear and bright upon the nerve centers of his brain, were registered the various perceptions of all his senses.

PT Almost beneath him, racing toward his tree was what at first glance appeared to be an almost naked white man, yet even at the first instant of discovery the long, white tail projecting rearward did not escape the ape-man. Behind the fleeing figure, escaping, came Numa, the lion, in full charge. Voiceless the prey, voiceless the killer; as two spirits in a dead world the two moved in silent swiftness toward the culminating tragedy of this grim race.

PT Even as his eyes opened and took in the scene beneath him -- even in that brief instant of perception, followed reason, judgment, and decision, so rapidly one upon the heels of the other that almost simultaneously the ape-man was in mid-air, for he had seen a white-skinned creature cast in a mold similar to his own, pursued by Tarzan's hereditary enemy. So close was the lion to the fleeing man-thing that Tarzan had no time carefully to choose the method of his attack. As a diver leaps from the springboard headforemost into the waters beneath, so Tarzan of the Apes dove straight for Numa, the lion; naked in his right hand the blade of his father that so many times before had tasted the blood of lions.

PT A raking talon caught Tarzan on the side, inflicting a long, deep wound and then the ape-man was on Numa's back and the blade was sinking again and again into the savage side. Nor was the man-thing either longer fleeing, or idle. He too, creature of the wild, had sensed on the instant the truth of the miracle of his saving, and turning in his tracks, had leaped forward with raised bludgeon to Tarzan's assistance and Numa's undoing. A single terrific blow upon the flattened skull of the beast laid him insensible and then as Tarzan's knife found the wild heart a few convulsive shudders and a sudden relaxation marked the passing of the carnivore.

PT Leaping to his feet the ape-man placed his foot upon the carcass of his kill and, raising his face to Goro, the moon, voiced the savage victory cry that had so often awakened the echoes of his native jungle.

PT As the hideous scream burst from the ape-man's lips the man-thing stepped quickly back as in sudden awe, but when Tarzan returned his hunting knife to its sheath and turned toward him the other saw in the quiet dignity of his demeanor no cause for apprehension.

PT For a moment the two stood appraising each other, and then the man-thing spoke. Tarzan realized that the creature before him was uttering articulate sounds which expressed in speech, though in a language with which Tarzan was unfamiliar, the thoughts of a man possessing to a greater or less extent the same powers of reason that he possessed. In other words, that though the creature before him had the tail and thumbs and great toes of a monkey, it was, in all other respects, quite evidently a man.

PT The blood, which was now flowing down Tarzan's side, caught the creature's attention. From the pocket-pouch at his side he took a small bag and approaching Tarzan indicated by signs that he wished the ape-man to lie down that he might treat the wound, whereupon, spreading the edges of the cut apart, he sprinkled the raw flesh with powder from the little bag. The pain of the wound was as nothing to the exquisite torture of the remedy but, accustomed to physical suffering, the ape-man withstood it stoically and in a few moments not only had the bleeding ceased but the pain as well.

PT In reply to the soft and far from unpleasant modulations of the other's voice, Tarzan spoke in various tribal dialects of the interior as well as in the language of the great apes, but it was evident that the man understood none of these. Seeing that they could not make each other understood, the pithecanthropus advanced toward Tarzan and placing his left hand over his own heart laid the palm of his right hand over the heart of the ape-man. To the latter the action appeared as a form of friendly greeting and, being versed in the ways of uncivilized races, he responded in kind as he realized it was doubtless intended that he should. His action seemed to satisfy and please his new-found acquaintance, who immediately fell to talking again and finally, with his head tipped back, sniffed the air in the direction of the tree above them and then suddenly pointing toward the carcass of Bara, the deer, he touched his stomach in a sign language which even the densest might interpret. With a wave of his hand Tarzan invited his guest to partake of the remains of his savage repast, and the other, leaping nimbly as a little monkey to the lower branches of the tree, made his way quickly to the flesh, assisted always by his long, strong sinuous tail.

PT The pithecanthropus ate in silence, cutting small strips from the deer's loin with his keen knife. From his crotch in the tree Tarzan watched his companion, noting the preponderance of human attributes which were doubtless accentuated by the paradoxical thumbs, great toes, and tail.

PT He wondered if this creature was representative of some strange race or if, what seemed more likely, but an atavism. Either supposition would have seemed preposterous enough did he not have before him the evidence of the creature's existence. There he was, however, a tailed man with distinctly arboreal hands and feet. His trappings, gold encrusted and jewel studded, could have been wrought only by skilled artisans; but whether they were the work of this individual or of others like him, or of an entirely different race, Tarzan could not, of course, determine.

PT His meal finished, the guest wiped his fingers and lips with leaves broken from a nearby branch, looked up at Tarzan with a pleasant smile that revealed a row of strong white teeth, the canines of which were no longer than Tarzan's own, spoke a few words which Tarzan judged were a polite expression of thanks and then sought a comfortable place in the tree for the night.

PT The earth was shadowed in the darkness which precedes the dawn when Tarzan was awakened by a violent shaking of the tree in which he had found shelter. As he opened his eyes he saw that his companion was also astir, and glancing around quickly to apprehend the cause of the disturbance, the ape-man was astounded at the sight which met his eyes.

PT The dim shadow of a colossal form reared close beside the tree and he saw that it was the scraping of the giant body against the branches that had awakened him. That such a tremendous creature could have approached so closely without disturbing him filled Tarzan with both wonderment and chagrin. In the gloom the ape-man at first conceived the intruder to be an elephant; yet, if so, one of greater proportions than any he had ever before seen, but as the dim outlines became less indistinct he saw on a line with his eyes and twenty feet above the ground the dim silhouette of a grotesquely serrated back that gave the impression of a creature whose each and every spinal vertebra grew a thick, heavy horn. Only a portion of the back was visible to the ape-man, the rest of the body being lost in the dense shadows beneath the tree, from whence there now arose the sound of giant jaws powerfully crunching flesh and bones. From the odors that rose to the ape-man's sensitive nostrils he presently realized that beneath him was some huge reptile feeding upon the carcass of the lion that had been slain there earlier in the night.

PT As Tarzan's eyes, straining with curiosity, bored futilely into the dark shadows he felt a light touch upon his shoulder, and, turning, saw that his companion was attempting to attract his attention. The creature, pressing a forefinger to his own lips as to enjoin silence, attempted by pulling on Tarzan's arm to indicate that they should leave at once.

PT Realizing that he was in a strange country, evidently infested by creatures of titanic size, with the habits and powers of which he was entirely unfamiliar, the ape-man permitted himself to be drawn away. With the utmost caution the pithecanthropus descended the tree upon the opposite side from the great nocturnal prowler, and, closely followed by Tarzan, moved silently away through the night across the plain.

PT The ape-man was rather loath thus to relinquish an opportunity to inspect a creature which he realized was probably entirely different from anything in his past experience; yet he was wise enough to know when discretion was the better part of valor and now, as in the past, he yielded to that law which dominates the kindred of the wild, preventing them from courting danger uselessly, whose lives are sufficiently filled with danger in their ordinary routine of feeding and mating.

PT As the rising sun dispelled the shadows of the night, Tarzan found himself again upon the verge of a great forest into which his guide plunged, taking nimbly to the branches of the trees through which he made his way with the celerity of long habitude and hereditary instinct, but though aided by a prehensile tail, fingers, and toes, the man-thing moved through the forest with no greater ease or surety than did the giant ape-man.

PT It was during this journey that Tarzan recalled the wound in his side inflicted upon him the previous night by the raking talons of Numa, the lion, and examining it was surprised to discover that not only was it painless but along its edges were no indications of inflammation, the results doubtless of the antiseptic powder his strange companion had sprinkled upon it.

PT They had proceeded for a mile or two when Tarzan's companion came to earth upon a grassy slope beneath a great tree whose branches overhung a clear brook. Here they drank and Tarzan discovered the water to be not only deliciously pure and fresh but of an icy temperature that indicated its rapid descent from the lofty mountains of its origin.

PT Casting aside his loin cloth and weapons Tarzan entered the little pool beneath the tree and after a moment emerged, greatly refreshed and filled with a keen desire to breakfast. As he came out of the pool he noticed his companion examining him with a puzzled expression upon his face. Taking the ape-man by the shoulder he turned him around so that Tarzan's back was toward him and then, touching the end of Tarzan's spine with his forefinger, he curled his own tail up over his shoulder and, wheeling the ape-man about again, pointed first at Tarzan and then at his own caudal appendage, a look of puzzlement upon his face, the while he jabbered excitedly in his strange tongue.

PT The ape-man realized that probably for the first time his companion had discovered that he was tailless by nature rather than by accident, and so he called attention to his own great toes and thumbs to further impress upon the creature that they were of different species.

PT The fellow shook his head dubiously as though entirely unable to comprehend why Tarzan should differ so from him but at last, apparently giving the problem up with a shrug, he laid aside his own harness, skin, and weapons and entered the pool.

PT His ablutions completed and his meager apparel redonned he seated himself at the foot of the tree and motioning Tarzan to a place beside him, opened the pouch that hung at his right side taking from it strips of dried flesh and a couple of handfuls of thin-shelled nuts with which Tarzan was unfamiliar. Seeing the other break them with his teeth and eat the kernel, Tarzan followed the example thus set him, discovering the meat to be rich and well flavored. The dried flesh also was far from unpalatable, though it had evidently been jerked without salt, a commodity which Tarzan imagined might be rather difficult to obtain in this locality.

PT As they ate Tarzan's companion pointed to the nuts, the dried meat, and various other nearby objects, in each instance repeating what Tarzan readily discovered must be the names of these things in the creature's native language. The ape-man could but smile at this evident desire upon the part of his new-found acquaintance to impart to him instructions that eventually might lead to an exchange of thoughts between them. Having already mastered several languages and a multitude of dialects the ape-man felt that he could readily assimilate another even though this appeared one entirely unrelated to any with which he was familiar.

PT So occupied were they with their breakfast and the lesson that neither was aware of the beady eyes glittering down upon them from above; nor was Tarzan cognizant of any impending danger until the instant that a huge, hairy body leaped full upon his companion from the branches above them.

"To the Death!"

PT In the moment of discovery Tarzan saw that the creature was almost a counterpart of his companion in size and conformation, with the exception that his body was entirely clothed with a coat of shaggy black hair which almost concealed his features, while his harness and weapons were similar to those of the creature he had attacked. Ere Tarzan could prevent the creature had struck the ape-man's companion a blow upon the head with his knotted club that felled him, unconscious, to the earth; but before he could inflict further injury upon his defenseless prey the ape-man had closed with him.

PT Instantly Tarzan realized that he was locked with a creature of almost superhuman strength. The sinewy fingers of a powerful hand sought his throat while the other lifted the bludgeon above his head. But if the strength of the hairy attacker was great, great too was that of his smooth-skinned antagonist. Swinging a single terrific blow with clenched fist to the point of the other's chin, Tarzan momentarily staggered his assailant and then his own fingers closed upon the shaggy throat, as with the other hand he seized the wrist of the arm that swung the club. With equal celerity he shot his right leg behind the shaggy brute and throwing his weight forward hurled the thing over his hip heavily to the ground, at the same time precipitating his own body upon the other's chest.

PT With the shock of the impact the club fell from the brute's hand and Tarzan's hold was wrenched from its throat. Instantly the two were locked in a deathlike embrace. Though the creature bit at Tarzan the latter was quickly aware that this was not a particularly formidable method of offense or defense, since its canines were scarcely more developed than his own. The thing that he had principally to guard against was the sinuous tail which sought steadily to wrap itself about his throat and against which experience had afforded him no defense.

PT Struggling and snarling the two rolled growling about the sward at the foot of the tree, first one on top and then the other but each more occupied at present in defending his throat from the other's choking grasp than in aggressive, offensive tactics. But presently the ape-man saw his opportunity and as they rolled about he forced the creature closer and closer to the pool, upon the banks of which the battle was progressing. At last they lay upon the very verge of the water and now it remained for Tarzan to precipitate them both beneath the surface but in such a way that he might remain on top.

PT At the same instant there came within range of Tarzan's vision, just behind the prostrate form of his companion, the crouching, devil-faced figure of the striped saber-tooth hybrid, eyeing him with snarling, malevolent face.

PT Almost simultaneously Tarzan's shaggy antagonist discovered the menacing figure of the great cat. Immediately he ceased his belligerent activities against Tarzan and, jabbering and chattering to the ape-man, he tried to disengage himself from Tarzan's hold but in such a way that indicated that as far as he was concerned their battle was over. Appreciating the danger to his unconscious companion and being anxious to protect him from the saber-tooth the ape-man relinquished his hold upon his adversary and together the two rose to their feet.

PT Drawing his knife Tarzan moved slowly toward the body of his companion, expecting that his recent antagonist would grasp the opportunity for escape. To his surprise, however, the beast, after regaining its club, advanced at his side.

PT The great cat, flattened upon its belly, remained motionless except for twitching tail and snarling lips where it lay perhaps fifty feet beyond the body of the pithecanthropus. As Tarzan stepped over the body of the latter he saw the eyelids quiver and open, and in his heart he felt a strange sense of relief that the creature was not dead and a realization that without his suspecting it there had arisen within his savage bosom a bond of attachment for this strange new friend.

PT Tarzan continued to approach the saber-tooth, nor did the shaggy beast at his right lag behind. Closer and closer they came until at a distance of about twenty feet the hybrid charged. Its rush was directed toward the shaggy manlike ape who halted in his tracks with upraised bludgeon to meet the assault. Tarzan, on the contrary, leaped forward and with a celerity second not even to that of the swift-moving cat, he threw himself headlong upon him as might a Rugby tackler on an American gridiron. His right arm circled the beast's neck in front of the right shoulder, his left behind the left foreleg, and so great was the force of the impact that the two rolled over and over several times upon the ground, the cat screaming and clawing to liberate itself that it might turn upon its attacker, the man clinging desperately to his hold.

PT Seemingly the attack was one of mad, senseless ferocity unguided by either reason or skill. Nothing, however, could have been farther from the truth than such an assumption since every muscle in the ape-man's giant frame obeyed the dictates of the cunning mind that long experience had trained to meet every exigency of such an encounter. The long, powerful legs, though seemingly inextricably entangled with the hind feet of the clawing cat, ever as by a miracle, escaped the raking talons and yet at just the proper instant in the midst of all the rolling and tossing they were where they should be to carry out the ape-man's plan of offense. So that on the instant that the cat believed it had won the mastery of its antagonist it was jerked suddenly upward as the ape-man rose to his feet, holding the striped back close against his body as he rose and forcing it backward until it could but claw the air helplessly.

PT Instantly the shaggy black rushed in with drawn knife which it buried in the beast's heart. For a few moments Tarzan retained his hold but when the body had relaxed in final dissolution he pushed it from him and the two who had formerly been locked in mortal combat stood facing each other across the body of the common foe.

PT Tarzan waited, ready either for peace or war. Presently two shaggy black hands were raised; the left was laid upon its own heart and the right extended until the palm touched Tarzan's breast. It was the same form of friendly salutation with which the pithecanthropus had sealed his alliance with the ape-man and Tarzan, glad of every ally he could win in this strange and savage world, quickly accepted the proffered friendship.

PT At the conclusion of the brief ceremony Tarzan, glancing in the direction of the hairless pithecanthropus, discovered that the latter had recovered consciousness and was sitting erect watching them intently. He now rose slowly and at the same time the shaggy black turned in his direction and addressed him in what evidently was their common language. The hairless one replied and the two approached each other slowly. Tarzan watched interestedly the outcome of their meeting. They halted a few paces apart, first one and then the other speaking rapidly but without apparent excitement, each occasionally glancing or nodding toward Tarzan, indicating that he was to some extent the subject of their conversation.

PT Presently they advanced again until they met, whereupon was repeated the brief ceremony of alliance which had previously marked the cessation of hostilities between Tarzan and the black. They then advanced toward the ape-man addressing him earnestly as though endeavoring to convey to him some important information. Presently, however, they gave it up as an unprofitable job and, resorting to sign language, conveyed to Tarzan that they were proceeding upon their way together and were urging him to accompany them.

PT As the direction they indicated was a route which Tarzan had not previously traversed he was extremely willing to accede to their request, as he had determined thoroughly to explore this unknown land before definitely abandoning search for Lady Jane therein.

PT For several days their way led through the foothills parallel to the lofty range towering above. Often were they menaced by the savage denizens of this remote fastness, and occasionally Tarzan glimpsed weird forms of gigantic proportions amidst the shadows of the nights.

PT On the third day they came upon a large natural cave in the face of a low cliff at the foot of which tumbled one of the numerous mountain brooks that watered the plain below and fed the morasses in the lowlands at the country's edge. Here the three took up their temporary abode where Tarzan's instruction in the language of his companions progressed more rapidly than while on the march.

PT The cave gave evidence of having harbored other manlike forms in the past. Remnants of a crude, rock fireplace remained and the walls and ceiling were blackened with the smoke of many fires. Scratched in the soot, and sometimes deeply into the rock beneath, were strange hieroglyphics and the outlines of beasts and birds and reptiles, some of the latter of weird form suggesting the extinct creatures of Jurassic times. Some of the more recently made hieroglyphics Tarzan's companions read with interest and commented upon, and then with the points of their knives they too added to the possibly age-old record of the blackened walls.

PT Tarzan's curiosity was aroused, but the only explanation at which he could arrive was that he was looking upon possibly the world's most primitive hotel register. At least it gave him a further insight into the development of the strange creatures with which Fate had thrown him. Here were men with the tails of monkeys, one of them as hair covered as any fur-bearing brute of the lower orders, and yet it was evident that they possessed not only a spoken, but a written language. The former he was slowly mastering and at this new evidence of unlooked-for civilization in creatures possessing so many of the physical attributes of beasts, Tarzan's curiosity was still further piqued and his desire quickly to master their tongue strengthened, with the result that he fell to with even greater assiduity to the task he had set himself. Already he knew the names of his companions and the common names of the fauna and flora with which they had most often come in contact.

PT Ta-den, he of the hairless, white skin, having assumed the role of tutor, prosecuted his task with a singleness of purpose that was reflected in his pupil's rapid mastery of Ta-den's mother tongue. Om-at, the hairy black, also seemed to feel that there rested upon his broad shoulders a portion of the burden of responsibility for Tarzan's education, with the result that either one or the other of them was almost constantly coaching the ape-man during his waking hours. The result was only what might have been expected -- a rapid assimilation of the teachings to the end that before any of them realized it, communication by word of mouth became an accomplished fact.

PT Tarzan explained to his companions the purpose of his mission but neither could give him any slightest thread of hope to weave into the fabric of his longing. Never had there been in their country a woman such as he described, nor any tailless man other than himself that they ever had seen.

PT "I have been gone from A-lur while Bu, the moon, has eaten seven times,"said Ta-den."Many things may happen in seven times twenty-eight days; but I doubt that your woman could have entered our country across the terrible morasses which even you found an almost insurmountable obstacle, and if she had, could she have survived the perils that you already have encountered beside those of which you have yet to learn? Not even our own women venture into the savage lands beyond the cities."

PT "'A-lur,' Light-city, City of Light,"mused Tarzan, translating the word into his own tongue."And where is A-lur?"he asked."Is it your city, Ta-den, and Om-at's?"

PT "It is mine,"replied the hairless one;"but not Om-at's. The Waz-don have no cities -- they live in the trees of the forests and the caves of the hills -- is it not so, black man?"he concluded, turning toward the hairy giant beside him.

PT "Yes,"replied Om-at,"We Waz-don are free -- only the Hodon imprison themselves in cities. I would not be a white man!"

PT Tarzan smiled. Even here was the racial distinction between white man and black man -- Ho-don and Waz-don. Not even the fact that they appeared to be equals in the matter of intelligence made any difference -- one was white and one was black, and it was easy to see that the white considered himself superior to the other -- one could see it in his quiet smile.

PT "Where is A-lur?"Tarzan asked again."You are returning to it?"

PT "It is beyond the mountains,"replied Ta-den."I do not return to it -- not yet. Not until Ko-tan is no more."

PT "Ko-tan?"queried Tarzan.

PT "Ko-tan is king,"explained the pithecanthropus."He rules this land. I was one of his warriors. I lived in the palace of Ko-tan and there I met O-lo-a, his daughter. We loved, Likestar-light, and I; but Ko-tan would have none of me. He sent me away to fight with the men of the village of Dak-at, who had refused to pay his tribute to the king, thinking that I would be killed, for Dak-at is famous for his many fine warriors. And I was not killed. Instead I returned victorious with the tribute and with Dak-at himself my prisoner; but Ko-tan was not pleased because he saw that O-lo-a loved me even more than before, her love being strengthened and fortified by pride in my achievement.

PT "Powerful is my father, Ja-don, the Lion-man, chief of the largest village outside of A-lur. Him Ko-tan hesitated to affront and so he could not but praise me for my success, though he did it with half a smile. But you do not understand! It is what we call a smile that moves only the muscles of the face and affects not the light of the eyes -- it means hypocrisy and duplicity. I must be praised and rewarded. What better than that he reward me with the hand of O-lo-a, his daughter? But no, he saves O-lo-a for Bu-lot, son of Mo-sar, the chief whose great-grandfather was king and who thinks that he should be king. Thus would Ko-tan appease the wrath of Mo-sar and win the friendship of those who think with Mo-sar that Mo-sar should be king.

PT "But what reward shall repay the faithful Ta-den? Greatly do we honor our priests. Within the temples even the chiefs and the king himself bow down to them. No greater honor could Ko-tan confer upon a subject -- who wished to be a priest, but I did not so wish. Priests other than the high priest must become eunuchs for they may never marry.

PT "It was O-lo-a herself who brought word to me that her father had given the commands that would set in motion the machinery of the temple. A messenger was on his way in search of me to summon me to Ko-tan's presence. To have refused the priesthood once it was offered me by the king would have been to have affronted the temple and the gods -- that would have meant death; but if I did not appear before Ko-tan I would not have to refuse anything. O-lo-a and I decided that I must not appear. It was better to fly, carrying in my bosom a shred of hope, than to remain and, with my priesthood, abandon hope forever.

PT "Beneath the shadows of the great trees that grow within the palace grounds I pressed her to me for, perhaps, the last time and then, lest by ill-fate I meet the messenger, I scaled the great wall that guards the palace and passed through the darkened city. My name and rank carried me beyond the city gate. Since then I have wandered far from the haunts of the Ho-don but strong within me is the urge to return if even but to look from without her walls upon the city that holds her most dear to me and again to visit the village of my birth, to see again my father and my mother."

PT "But the risk is too great?"asked Tarzan.

PT "It is great, but not too great,"replied Ta-den."I shall go."

PT "And I shall go with you, if I may,"said the ape-man,"for I must see this City of Light, this A-lur of yours, and search there for my lost mate even though you believe that there is little chance that I find her. And you, Om-at, do you come with us?"

PT "Why not?"asked the hairy one."The lairs of my tribe lie in the crags above A-lur and though Es-sat, our chief, drove me out I should like to return again, for there is a she there upon whom I should be glad to look once more and who would be glad to look upon me. Yes, I will go with you. Es-sat feared that I might become chief and who knows but that Es-sat was right. But Pan-at-lee! it is she I seek first even before a chieftainship."

PT "We three, then, shall travel together,"said Tarzan.

PT "And fight together,"added Ta-den;"the three as one,"and as he spoke he drew his knife and held it above his head.

PT "The three as one,"repeated Om-at, drawing his weapon and duplicating Ta-den's act."It is spoken!"

PT "The three as one!"cried Tarzan of the Apes."To the death!"and his blade flashed in the sunlight.

PT "Let us go, then,"said Om-at;"my knife is dry and cries aloud for the blood of Es-sat."

PT The trail over which Ta-den and Om-at led and which scarcely could be dignified even by the name of trail was suited more to mountain sheep, monkeys, or birds than to man; but the three that followed it were trained to ways which no ordinary man might essay. Now, upon the lower slopes, it led through dense forests where the ground was so matted with fallen trees and over-rioting vines and brush that the way held always to the swaying branches high above the tangle; again it skirted yawning gorges whose slippery-faced rocks gave but momentary foothold even to the bare feet that lightly touched them as the three leaped chamois-like from one precarious foothold to the next. Dizzy and terrifying was the way that Om-at chose across the summit as he led them around the shoulder of a towering crag that rose a sheer two thousand feet of perpendicular rock above a tumbling river. And when at last they stood upon comparatively level ground again Om-at turned and looked at them both intently and especially at Tarzan of the Apes.

PT "You will both do,"he said."You are fit companions for Om-at, the Waz-don."

PT "What do you mean?"asked Tarzan.

PT "I brought you this way,"replied the black,"to learn if either lacked the courage to follow where Om-at led. It is here that the young warriors of Es-sat come to prove their courage. And yet, though we are born and raised upon cliff sides, it is considered no disgrace to admit that Pastar-ul-ved, the Father of Mountains, has defeated us, for of those who try it only a few succeed -- the bones of the others lie at the feet of Pastar-ul-ved."

PT Ta-den laughed."I would not care to come this way often,"he said.

PT "No,"replied Om-at;"but it has shortened our journey by at least a full day. So much the sooner shall Tarzan look upon the Valley of Jad-ben-Otho. Come!"and he led the way upward along the shoulder of Pastar-ul-ved until there lay spread below them a scene of mystery and of beauty -- a green valley girt by towering cliffs of marble whiteness -- a green valley dotted by deep blue lakes and crossed by the blue trail of a winding river. In the center a city of the whiteness of the marble cliffs -- a city which even at so great a distance evidenced a strange, yet artistic architecture. Outside the city there were visible about the valley isolated groups of buildings -- sometimes one, again two and three and four in a cluster -- but always of the same glaring whiteness, and always in some fantastic form.

PT About the valley the cliffs were occasionally cleft by deep gorges, verdure filled, giving the appearance of green rivers rioting downward toward a central sea of green.

PT "Jad Pele ul Jad-ben-Otho,"murmured Tarzan in the tongue of the pithecanthropi;"The Valley of the Great God -- it is beautiful!"

PT "Here, in A-lur, lives Ko-tan, the king, ruler over all Pal-ul-don,"said Ta-den.

PT "And here in these gorges live the Waz-don,"exclaimed Om-at,"who do not acknowledge that Ko-tan is the ruler over all the Land-of-man."

PT Ta-den smiled and shrugged."We will not quarrel, you and I,"he said to Om-at,"over that which all the ages have not proved sufficient time in which to reconcile the Ho-don and Waz-don; but let me whisper to you a secret, Om-at. The Ho-don live together in greater or less peace under one ruler so that when danger threatens them they face the enemy with many warriors, for every fighting Ho-don of Pal-ul-don is there. But you Waz-don, how is it with you? You have a dozen kings who fight not only with the Ho-don but with one another. When one of your tribes goes forth upon the fighting trail, even against the Ho-don, it must leave behind sufficient warriors to protect its women and its children from the neighbors upon either hand. When we want eunuchs for the temples or servants for the fields or the homes we march forth in great numbers upon one of your villages. You cannot even flee, for upon either side of you are enemies and though you fight bravely we come back with those who will presently be eunuchs in the temples and servants in our fields and homes. So long as the Waz-don are thus foolish the Ho-don will dominate and their king will be king of Pal-ul-don."

PT "Perhaps you are right,"admitted Om-at."It is because our neighbors are fools, each thinking that his tribe is the greatest and should rule among the Waz-don. They will not admit that the warriors of my tribe are the bravest and our shes the most beautiful."

PT Ta-den grinned."Each of the others presents precisely the same arguments that you present, Om-at,"he said,"which, my friend, is the strongest bulwark of defense possessed by the Ho-don."

PT "Come!"exclaimed Tarzan;"such discussions often lead to quarrels and we three must have no quarrels. I, of course, am interested in learning what I can of the political and economic conditions of your land; I should like to know something of your religion; but not at the expense of bitterness between my only friends in Pal-ul-don. Possibly, however, you hold to the same god?"

PT "There indeed we do differ,"cried Om-at, somewhat bitterly and with a trace of excitement in his voice.

PT "Differ!"almost shouted Ta-den;"and why should we not differ? Who could agree with the preposterous -- --"

PT "Stop!"cried Tarzan."Now, indeed, have I stirred up a hornets' nest. Let us speak no more of matters political or religious."

PT "That is wiser,"agreed Om-at;"but I might mention, for your information, that the one and only god has a long tail."

PT "It is sacrilege,"cried Ta-den, laying his hand upon his knife;"Jad-ben-Otho has no tail!"

PT "Stop!"shrieked Om-at, springing forward; but instantly Tarzan interposed himself between them.

PT "Enough!"he snapped."Let us be true to our oaths of friendship that we may be honorable in the sight of God in whatever form we conceive Him."

PT "You are right, Tailless One,"said Ta-den."Come, Om-at, let us look after our friendship and ourselves, secure in the conviction that Jad-ben-Otho is sufficiently powerful to look after himself."

PT "Done!"agreed Om-at,"but -- --"

PT "No 'buts,' Om-at,"admonished Tarzan.

PT The shaggy black shrugged his shoulders and smiled."Shall we make our way down toward the valley?"he asked."The gorge below us is uninhabited; that to the left contains the caves of my people. I would see Pan-at-lee once more. Ta-den would visit his father in the valley below and Tarzan seeks entrance to A-lur in search of the mate that would be better dead than in the clutches of the Ho-don priests of Jad-ben-Otho. How shall we proceed?"

PT "Let us remain together as long as possible,"urged Ta-den."You, Om-at, must seek Pan-at-lee by night and by stealth, for three, even we three, may not hope to overcome Es-sat and all his warriors. At any time may we go to the village where my father is chief, for Ja-don always will welcome the friends of his son. But for Tarzan to enter A-lur is another matter, though there is a way and he has the courage to put it to the test -- listen, come close for Jad-ben-Otho has keen ears and this he must not hear,"and with his lips close to the ears of his companions Ta-den, the Tall-tree, son of Ja-don, the Lion-man, unfolded his daring plan.

PT And at the same moment, a hundred miles away, a lithe figure, naked but for a loin cloth and weapons, moved silently across a thorn-covered, waterless steppe, searching always along the ground before him with keen eyes and sensitive nostrils.

Pan-at-lee

PT Night had fallen upon unchartered Pal-ul-don. A slender moon, low in the west, bathed the white faces of the chalk cliffs presented to her, in a mellow, unearthly glow. Black were the shadows in Kor-ul-JA, Gorge-of-lions, where dwelt the tribe of the same name under Es-sat, their chief. From an aperture near the summit of the lofty escarpment a hairy figure emerged -- the head and shoulders first -- and fierce eyes scanned the cliff side in every direction.

PT It was Es-sat, the chief. To right and left and below he looked as though to assure himself that he was unobserved, but no other figure moved upon the cliff face, nor did another hairy body protrude from any of the numerous cave mouths from the high-flung abode of the chief to the habitations of the more lowly members of the tribe nearer the cliff's base. Then he moved outward upon the sheer face of the white chalk wall. In the half-light of the baby moon it appeared that the heavy, shaggy black figure moved across the face of the perpendicular wall in some miraculous manner, but closer examination would have revealed stout pegs, as large around as a man's wrist protruding from holes in the cliff into which they were driven. Es-sat's four handlike members and his long, sinuous tail permitted him to move with consummate ease whither he chose -- a gigantic rat upon a mighty wall. As he progressed upon his way he avoided the cave mouths, passing either above or below those that lay in his path.

PT The outward appearance of these caves was similar. An opening from eight to as much as twenty feet long by eight high and four to six feet deep was cut into the chalklike rock of the cliff, in the back of this large opening, which formed what might be described as the front veranda of the home, was an opening about three feet wide and six feet high, evidently forming the doorway to the interior apartment or apartments. On either side of this doorway were smaller openings which it were easy to assume were windows through which light and air might find their way to the inhabitants. Similar windows were also dotted over the cliff face between the entrance porches, suggesting that the entire face of the cliff was honeycombed with apartments. From many of these smaller apertures small streams of water trickled down the escarpment, and the walls above others was blackened as by smoke. Where the water ran the wall was eroded to a depth of from a few inches to as much as a foot, suggesting that some of the tiny streams had been trickling downward to the green carpet of vegetation below for ages.

PT In this primeval setting the great pithecanthropus aroused no jarring discord for he was as much a part of it as the trees that grew upon the summit of the cliff or those that hid their feet among the dank ferns in the bottom of the gorge.

PT Now he paused before an entrance-way and listened and then, noiselessly as the moonlight upon the trickling waters, he merged with the shadows of the outer porch. At the doorway leading into the interior he paused again, listening, and then quietly pushing aside the heavy skin that covered the aperture he passed within a large chamber hewn from the living rock. From the far end, through another doorway, shone a light, dimly. Toward this he crept with utmost stealth, his naked feet giving forth no sound. The knotted club that had been hanging at his back from a thong about his neck he now removed and carried in his left hand.

PT Beyond the second doorway was a corridor running parallel with the cliff face. In this corridor were three more doorways, one at each end and a third almost opposite that in which Es-sat stood. The light was coming from an apartment at the end of the corridor at his left. A sputtering flame rose and fell in a small stone receptacle that stood upon a table or bench of the same material, a monolithic bench fashioned at the time the room was excavated, rising massively from the floor, of which it was a part.

PT In one corner of the room beyond the table had been left a dais of stone about four feet wide and eight feet long. Upon this were piled a foot or so of softly tanned pelts from which the fur had not been removed. Upon the edge of this dais sat a young female Waz-don. In one hand she held a thin piece of metal, apparently of hammered gold, with serrated edges, and in the other a short, stiff brush. With these she was occupied in going over her smooth, glossy coat which bore a remarkable resemblance to plucked sealskin. Her loin cloth of yellow and black striped JATO-skin lay on the couch beside her with the circular breastplates of beaten gold, revealing the symmetrical lines of her nude figure in all its beauty and harmony of contour, for even though the creature was jet black and entirely covered with hair yet she was undeniably beautiful.

PT That she was beautiful in the eyes of Es-sat, the chief, was evidenced by the gloating expression upon his fierce countenance and the increased rapidity of his breathing. Moving quickly forward he entered the room and as he did so the young she looked up. Instantly her eyes filled with terror and as quickly she seized the loin cloth and with a few deft movements adjusted it about her. As she gathered up her breastplates Es-sat rounded the table and moved quickly toward her.

PT "What do you want?"she whispered, though she knew full well.

PT "Pan-at-lee,"he said,"your chief has come for you."

PT "It was for this that you sent away my father and my brothers to spy upon the Kor-ul-lul? I will not have you. Leave the cave of my ancestors!"

PT Es-sat smiled. It was the smile of a strong and wicked man who knows his power -- not a pleasant smile at all."I will leave, Pan-at-lee,"he said;"but you shall go with me -- to the cave of Es-sat, the chief, to be the envied of the shes of Kor-ul-JA. Come!"

PT "Never!"cried Pan-at-lee."I hate you. Sooner would I mate with a Ho-don than with you, beater of women, murderer of babes."

PT A frightful scowl distorted the features of the chief."She-JATO!"he cried."I will tame you! I will break you! Es-sat, the chief, takes what he will and who dares question his right, or combat his least purpose, will first serve that purpose and then be broken as I break this,"and he picked a stone platter from the table and broke it in his powerful hands."You might have been first and most favored in the cave of the ancestors of Es-sat; but now shall you be last and least and when I am done with you you shall belong to all of the men of Es-sat's cave. Thus for those who spurn the love of their chief!"

PT He advanced quickly to seize her and as he laid a rough hand upon her she struck him heavily upon the side of his head with her golden breastplates. Without a sound Es-sat, the chief, sank to the floor of the apartment. For a moment Pan-at-lee bent over him, her improvised weapon raised to strike again should he show signs of returning consciousness, her glossy breasts rising and falling with her quickened breathing. Suddenly she stooped and removed Es-sat's knife with its scabbard and shoulder belt. Slipping it over her own shoulder she quickly adjusted her breastplates and keeping a watchful glance upon the figure of the fallen chief, backed from the room.

PT In a niche in the outer room, just beside the doorway leading to the balcony, were neatly piled a number of rounded pegs from eighteen to twenty inches in length. Selecting five of these she made them into a little bundle about which she twined the lower extremity of her sinuous tail and thus carrying them made her way to the outer edge of the balcony. Assuring herself that there was none about to see, or hinder her, she took quickly to the pegs already set in the face of the cliff and with the celerity of a monkey clambered swiftly aloft to the highest row of pegs which she followed in the direction of the lower end of the gorge for a matter of some hundred yards. Here, above her head, were a series of small round holes placed one above another in three parallel rows. Clinging only with her toes she removed two of the pegs from the bundle carried in her tail and taking one in either hand she inserted them in two opposite holes of the outer rows as far above her as she could reach. Hanging by these new holds she now took one of the three remaining pegs in each of her feet, leaving the fifth grasped securely in her tail. Reaching above her with this member she inserted the fifth peg in one of the holes of the center row and then, alternately hanging by her tail, her feet, or her hands, she moved the pegs upward to new holes, thus carrying her stairway with her as she ascended.

PT At the summit of the cliff a gnarled tree exposed its time-worn roots above the topmost holes forming the last step from the sheer face of the precipice to level footing. This was the last avenue of escape for members of the tribe hard pressed by enemies from below. There were three such emergency exits from the village and it were death to use them in other than an emergency. This Pan-at-lee well knew; but she knew, too, that it were worse than death to remain where the angered Es-sat might lay hands upon her.

PT When she had gained the summit, the girl moved quickly through the darkness in the direction of the next gorge which cut the mountain-side a mile beyond Kor-ul-JA. It was the Gorge-of-water, Kor-ul-lul, to which her father and two brothers had been sent by Es-sat ostensibly to spy upon the neighboring tribe. There was a chance, a slender chance, that she might find them; if not there was the deserted Kor-ul-GRYF several miles beyond, where she might hide indefinitely from man if she could elude the frightful monster from which the gorge derived its name and whose presence there had rendered its caves uninhabitable for generations.

PT Pan-at-lee crept stealthily along the rim of the Kor-ul-lul. Just where her father and brothers would watch she did not know. Sometimes their spies remained upon the rim, sometimes they watched from the gorge's bottom. Pan-at-lee was at a loss to know what to do or where to go. She felt very small and helpless alone in the vast darkness of the night. Strange noises fell upon her ears. They came from the lonely reaches of the towering mountains above her, from far away in the invisible valley and from the nearer foothills and once, in the distance, she heard what she thought was the bellow of a bull GRYF. It came from the direction of the Kor-ul-GRYF. She shuddered.

PT Presently there came to her keen ears another sound. Something approached her along the rim of the gorge. It was coming from above. She halted, listening. Perhaps it was her father, or a brother. It was coming closer. She strained her eyes through the darkness. She did not move -- she scarcely breathed. And then, of a sudden, quite close it seemed, there blazed through the black night two yellow-green spots of fire.

PT Pan-at-lee was brave, but as always with the primitive, the darkness held infinite terrors for her. Not alone the terrors of the known but more frightful ones as well -- those of the unknown. She had passed through much this night and her nerves were keyed to the highest pitch -- raw, taut nerves, they were, ready to react in an exaggerated form to the slightest shock.

PT But this was no slight shock. To hope for a father and a brother and to see death instead glaring out of the darkness! Yes, Pan-at-lee was brave, but she was not of iron. With a shriek that reverberated among the hills she turned and fled along the rim of Kor-ul-lul and behind her, swiftly, came the devil-eyed lion of the mountains of Pal-ul-don.

PT Pan-at-lee was lost. Death was inevitable. Of this there could be no doubt, but to die beneath the rending fangs of the carnivore, congenital terror of her kind -- it was unthinkable. But there was an alternative. The lion was almost upon her -- another instant and he would seize her. Pan-at-lee turned sharply to her left. Just a few steps she took in the new direction before she disappeared over the rim of Kor-ul-lul. The baffled lion, planting all four feet, barely stopped upon the verge of the abyss. Glaring down into the black shadows beneath he mounted an angry roar.

PT Through the darkness at the bottom of Kor-ul-JA, Om-at led the way toward the caves of his people. Behind him came Tarzan and Ta-den. Presently they halted beneath a great tree that grew close to the cliff.

PT "First,"whispered Om-at,"I will go to the cave of Pan-at-lee. Then will I seek the cave of my ancestors to have speech with my own blood. It will not take long. Wait here -- I shall return soon. Afterward shall we go together to Ta-den's people."

PT He moved silently toward the foot of the cliff up which Tarzan could presently see him ascending like a great fly on a wall. In the dim light the ape-man could not see the pegs set in the face of the cliff. Om-at moved warily. In the lower tier of caves there should be a sentry. His knowledge of his people and their customs told him, however, that in all probability the sentry was asleep. In this he was not mistaken, yet he did not in any way abate his wariness. Smoothly and swiftly he ascended toward the cave of Pan-at-lee while from below Tarzan and Ta-den watched him.

PT "How does he do it?"asked Tarzan."I can see no foothold upon that vertical surface and yet he appears to be climbing with the utmost ease."

PT Ta-den explained the stairway of pegs."You could ascend easily,"he said,"although a tail would be of great assistance."

PT They watched until Om-at was about to enter the cave of Pan-at-lee without seeing any indication that he had been observed and then, simultaneously, both saw a head appear in the mouth of one of the lower caves. It was quickly evident that its owner had discovered Om-at for immediately he started upward in pursuit. Without a word Tarzan and Ta-den sprang forward toward the foot of the cliff. The pithecanthropus was the first to reach it and the ape-man saw him spring upward for a handhold on the lowest peg above him. Now Tarzan saw other pegs roughly paralleling each other in zigzag rows up the cliff face. He sprang and caught one of these, pulled himself upward by one hand until he could reach a second with his other hand; and when he had ascended far enough to use his feet, discovered that he could make rapid progress. Ta-den was outstripping him, however, for these precarious ladders were no novelty to him and, further, he had an advantage in possessing a tail.

PT Nevertheless, the ape-man gave a good account of himself, being presently urged to redoubled efforts by the fact that the Waz-don above Ta-den glanced down and discovered his pursuers just before the Ho-don overtook him. Instantly a wild cry shattered the silence of the gorge -- a cry that was immediately answered by hundreds of savage throats as warrior after warrior emerged from the entrance to his cave.

PT The creature who had raised the alarm had now reached the recess before Pan-at-lee's cave and here he halted and turned to give battle to Ta-den. Unslinging his club which had hung down his back from a thong about his neck he stood upon the level floor of the entrance-way effectually blocking Ta-den's ascent. From all directions the warriors of Kor-ul-JA were swarming toward the interlopers. Tarzan, who had reached a point on the same level with Ta-den but a little to the latter's left, saw that nothing short of a miracle could save them. Just at the ape-man's left was the entrance to a cave that either was deserted or whose occupants had not as yet been aroused, for the level recess remained unoccupied. Resourceful was the alert mind of Tarzan of the Apes and quick to respond were the trained muscles. In the time that you or I might give to debating an action he would accomplish it and now, though only seconds separated his nearest antagonist from him, in the brief span of time at his disposal he had stepped into the recess, unslung his long rope and leaning far out shot the sinuous noose, with the precision of long habitude, toward the menacing figure wielding its heavy club above Ta-den. There was a momentary pause of the rope-hand as the noose sped toward its goal, a quick movement of the right wrist that closed it upon its victim as it settled over his head and then a surging tug as, seizing the rope in both hands, Tarzan threw back upon it all the weight of his great frame.

PT Voicing a terrified shriek, the Waz-don lunged headforemost from the recess above Ta-den. Tarzan braced himself for the coming shock when the creature's body should have fallen the full length of the rope and as it did there was a snap of the vertebrae that rose sickeningly in the momentary silence that had followed the doomed man's departing scream. Unshaken by the stress of the suddenly arrested weight at the end of the rope, Tarzan quickly pulled the body to his side that he might remove the noose from about its neck, for he could not afford to lose so priceless a weapon.

PT During the several seconds that had elapsed since he cast the rope the Waz-don warriors had remained inert as though paralyzed by wonder or by terror. Now, again, one of them found his voice and his head and straightway, shrieking invectives at the strange intruder, started upward for the ape-man, urging his fellows to attack. This man was the closest to Tarzan. But for him the ape-man could easily have reached Ta-den's side as the latter was urging him to do. Tarzan raised the body of the dead Waz-don above his head, held it poised there for a moment as with face raised to the heavens he screamed forth the horrid challenge of the bull apes of the tribe of Kerchak, and with all the strength of his giant sinews he hurled the corpse heavily upon the ascending warrior. So great was the force of the impact that not only was the Waz-don torn from his hold but two of the pegs to which he clung were broken short in their sockets.

PT As the two bodies, the living and the dead, hurtled downward toward the foot of the cliff a great cry arose from the Waz-don."Jad-guru-don! Jad-guru-don!"they screamed, and then:"Kill him! Kill him!"

PT And now Tarzan stood in the recess beside Ta-den."Jad-guru-don!"repeated the latter, smiling--"The terrible man! Tarzan the Terrible! They may kill you, but they will never forget you."

PT "They shall not ki -- What have we here?"Tarzan's statement as to what"they"should not do was interrupted by a sudden ejaculation as two figures, locked in deathlike embrace, stumbled through the doorway of the cave to the outer porch. One was Om-at, the other a creature of his own kind but with a rough coat, the hairs of which seemed to grow straight outward from the skin, stiffly, unlike Om-at's sleek covering. The two were quite evidently well matched and equally evident was the fact that each was bent upon murder. They fought almost in silence except for an occasional low growl as one or the other acknowledged thus some new hurt.

PT Tarzan, following a natural impulse to aid his ally, leaped forward to enter the dispute only to be checked by a grunted admonition from Om-at."Back!"he said."This fight is mine, alone."

PT The ape-man understood and stepped aside.

PT "It is a gund-bar,"explained Ta-den,"a chief-battle. This fellow must be Es-sat, the chief. If Om-at kills him without assistance Om-at may become chief."

PT Tarzan smiled. It was the law of his own jungle -- the law of the tribe of Kerchak, the bull ape -- the ancient law of primitive man that needed but the refining influences of civilization to introduce the hired dagger and the poison cup. Then his attention was drawn to the outer edge of the vestibule. Above it appeared the shaggy face of one of Es-sat's warriors. Tarzan sprang to intercept the man; but Ta-den was there ahead of him."Back!"cried the Ho-don to the newcomer."It is gund-bar."The fellow looked scrutinizingly at the two fighters, then turned his face downward toward his fellows."Back!"he cried,"it is gund-bar between Es-sat and Om-at."Then he looked back at Ta-den and Tarzan."Who are you?"he asked.

PT "We are Om-at's friends,"replied Ta-den.

PT The fellow nodded."We will attend to you later,"he said and disappeared below the edge of the recess.

PT The battle upon the ledge continued with unabated ferocity, Tarzan and Ta-den having difficulty in keeping out of the way of the contestants who tore and beat at each other with hands and feet and lashing tails. Es-sat was unarmed -- Pan-at-lee had seen to that -- but at Om-at's side swung a sheathed knife which he made no effort to draw. That would have been contrary to their savage and primitive code for the chief-battle must be fought with nature's weapons.

PT Sometimes they separated for an instant only to rush upon each other again with all the ferocity and nearly the strength of mad bulls. Presently one of them tripped the other but in that viselike embrace one could not fall alone -- Es-sat dragged Om-at with him, toppling upon the brink of the niche. Even Tarzan held his breath. There they surged to and fro perilously for a moment and then the inevitable happened -- the two, locked in murderous embrace, rolled over the edge and disappeared from the ape-man's view.

PT Tarzan voiced a suppressed sigh for he had liked Om-at and then, with Ta-den, approached the edge and looked over. Far below, in the dim light of the coming dawn, two inert forms should be lying stark in death; but, to Tarzan's amazement, such was far from the sight that met his eyes. Instead, there were the two figures still vibrant with life and still battling only a few feet below him. Clinging always to the pegs with two holds -- a hand and a foot, or a foot and a tail, they seemed as much at home upon the perpendicular wall as upon the level surface of the vestibule; but now their tactics were slightly altered, for each seemed particularly bent upon dislodging his antagonist from his holds and precipitating him to certain death below. It was soon evident that Om-at, younger and with greater powers of endurance than Es-sat, was gaining an advantage. Now was the chief almost wholly on the defensive. Holding him by the cross belt with one mighty hand Om-at was forcing his foeman straight out from the cliff, and with the other hand and one foot was rapidly breaking first one of Es-sat's holds and then another, alternating his efforts, or rather punctuating them, with vicious blows to the pit of his adversary's stomach. Rapidly was Es-sat weakening and with the knowledge of impending death there came, as there comes to every coward and bully under similar circumstances, a crumbling of the veneer of bravado which had long masqueraded as courage and with it crumbled his code of ethics. Now was Es-sat no longer chief of Kor-ul-JA -- instead he was a whimpering craven battling for life. Clutching at Om-at, clutching at the nearest pegs he sought any support that would save him from that awful fall, and as he strove to push aside the hand of death, whose cold fingers he already felt upon his heart, his tail sought Om-at's side and the handle of the knife that hung there.

PT Tarzan saw and even as Es-sat drew the blade from its sheath he dropped catlike to the pegs beside the battling men. Es-sat's tail had drawn back for the cowardly fatal thrust. Now many others saw the perfidious act and a great cry of rage and disgust arose from savage throats; but as the blade sped toward its goal, the ape-man seized the hairy member that wielded it, and at the same instant Om-at thrust the body of Es-sat from him with such force that its weakened holds were broken and it hurtled downward, a brief meteor of screaming fear, to death.

Tarzan-jad-guru

PT As Tarzan and Om-at clambered back to the vestibule of Pan-at-lee's cave and took their stand beside Ta-den in readiness for whatever eventuality might follow the death of Es-sat, the sun that topped the eastern hills touched also the figure of a sleeper upon a distant, thorn-covered steppe awakening him to another day of tireless tracking along a faint and rapidly disappearing spoor.

PT For a time silence reigned in the Kor-ul-JA. The tribesmen waited, looking now down upon the dead thing that had been their chief, now at one another, and now at Om-at and the two who stood upon his either side. Presently Om-at spoke."I am Om-at,"he cried."Who will say that Om-at is not gund of Kor-ul-JA?"

PT He waited for a taker of his challenge. One or two of the larger young bucks fidgeted restlessly and eyed him; but there was no reply.

PT "Then Om-at is gund,"he said with finality."Now tell me, where are Pan-at-lee, her father, and her brothers?"

PT An old warrior spoke."Pan-at-lee should be in her cave. Who should know that better than you who are there now? Her father and her brothers were sent to watch Kor-ul-lul; but neither of these questions arouse any tumult in our breasts. There is one that does: Can Om-at be chief of Kor-ul-JA and yet stand at bay against his own people with a Ho-don and that terrible man at his side -- that terrible man who has no tail? Hand the strangers over to your people to be slain as is the way of the Waz-don and then may Om-at be gund."

PT Neither Tarzan nor Ta-den spoke then, they but stood watching Om-at and waiting for his decision, the ghost of a smile upon the lips of the ape-man. Ta-den, at least, knew that the old warrior had spoken the truth -- the Waz-don entertain no strangers and take no prisoners of an alien race.

PT Then spoke Om-at."Always there is change,"he said."Even the old hills of Pal-ul-don appear never twice alike -- the brilliant sun, a passing cloud, the moon, a mist, the changing seasons, the sharp clearness following a storm; these things bring each a new change in our hills. From birth to death, day by day, there is constant change in each of us. Change, then, is one of Jad-ben-Otho's laws.

PT "And now I, Om-at, your gund, bring another change. Strangers who are brave men and good friends shall no longer be slain by the Waz-don of Kor-ul-JA!"

PT There were growls and murmurings and a restless moving among the warriors as each eyed the others to see who would take the initiative against Om-at, the iconoclast.

PT "Cease your mutterings,"admonished the new gund."I am your chief. My word is your law. You had no part in making me chief. Some of you helped Es-sat to drive me from the cave of my ancestors; the rest of you permitted it. I owe you nothing. Only these two, whom you would have me kill, were loyal to me. I am gund and if there be any who doubts it let him speak -- he cannot die younger."

PT Tarzan was pleased. Here was a man after his own heart. He admired the fearlessness of Om-at's challenge and he was a sufficiently good judge of men to know that he had listened to no idle bluff -- Om-at would back up his words to the death, if necessary, and the chances were that he would not be the one to die. Evidently the majority of the Kor-ul-jaians entertained the same conviction.

PT "I will make you a good gund,"said Om-at, seeing that no one appeared inclined to dispute his rights."Your wives and daughters will be safe -- they were not safe while Es-sat ruled. Go now to your crops and your hunting. I leave to search for Pan-at-lee. Ab-on will be gund while I am away -- look to him for guidance and to me for an accounting when I return -- and may Jad-ben-Otho smile upon you."

PT He turned toward Tarzan and the Ho-don."And you, my friends,"he said,"are free to go among my people; the cave of my ancestors is yours, do what you will."

PT "I,"said Tarzan,"will go with Om-at to search for Pan-at-lee."

PT "And I,"said Ta-den.

PT Om-at smiled."Good!"he exclaimed."And when we have found her we shall go together upon Tarzan's business and Ta-den's. Where first shall we search?"He turned toward his warriors."Who knows where she may be?"

PT None knew other than that Pan-at-lee had gone to her cave with the others the previous evening -- there was no clew, no suggestion as to her whereabouts.

PT "Show me where she sleeps,"said Tarzan;"let me see something that belongs to her -- an article of her apparel -- then, doubtless, I can help you."

PT Two young warriors climbed closer to the ledge upon which Om-at stood. They were In-sad and O-dan. It was the latter who spoke.

PT "Gund of Kor-ul-JA,"he said,"we would go with you to search for Pan-at-lee."

PT It was the first acknowledgment of Om-at's chieftainship and immediately following it the tenseness that had prevailed seemed to relax -- the warriors spoke aloud instead of in whispers, and the women appeared from the mouths of caves as with the passing of a sudden storm. In-sad and O-dan had taken the lead and now all seemed glad to follow. Some came to talk with Om-at and to look more closely at Tarzan; others, heads of caves, gathered their hunters and discussed the business of the day. The women and children prepared to descend to the fields with the youths and the old men, whose duty it was to guard them.

PT "O-dan and In-sad shall go with us,"announced Om-at,"we shall not need more. Tarzan, come with me and I shall show you where Pan-at-lee sleeps, though why you should wish to know I cannot guess -- she is not there. I have looked for myself."

PT The two entered the cave where Om-at led the way to the apartment in which Es-sat had surprised Pan-at-lee the previous night.

PT "All here are hers,"said Om-at,"except the war club lying on the floor -- that was Es-sat's."

PT The ape-man moved silently about the apartment, the quivering of his sensitive nostrils scarcely apparent to his companion who only wondered what good purpose could be served here and chafed at the delay.

PT "Come!"said the ape-man, presently, and led the way toward the outer recess.

PT Here their three companions were awaiting them. Tarzan passed to the left side of the niche and examined the pegs that lay within reach. He looked at them but it was not his eyes that were examining them. Keener than his keen eyes was that marvelously trained sense of scent that had first been developed in him during infancy under the tutorage of his foster mother, Kala, the she-ape, and further sharpened in the grim jungles by that master teacher -- the instinct of self-preservation.

PT From the left side of the niche he turned to the right. Om-at was becoming impatient.

PT "Let us be off,"he said."We must search for Pan-at-lee if we would ever find her."

PT "Where shall we search?"asked Tarzan.

PT Om-at scratched his head."Where?"he repeated."Why all Pal-ul-don, if necessary."

PT "A large job,"said Tarzan."Come,"he added,"she went this way,"and he took to the pegs that led aloft toward the summit of the cliff. Here he followed the scent easily since none had passed that way since Pan-at-lee had fled. At the point at which she had left the permanent pegs and resorted to those carried with her Tarzan came to an abrupt halt."She went this way to the summit,"he called back to Om-at who was directly behind him;"but there are no pegs here."

PT "I do not know how you know that she went this way,"said Om-at;"but we will get pegs. In-sad, return and fetch climbing pegs for five."

PT The young warrior was soon back and the pegs distributed. Om-at handed five to Tarzan and explained their use. The ape-man returned one."I need but four,"he said.

PT Om-at smiled."What a wonderful creature you would be if you were not deformed,"he said, glancing with pride at his own strong tail.

PT "I admit that I am handicapped,"replied Tarzan."You others go ahead and leave the pegs in place for me. I am afraid that otherwise it will be slow work as I cannot hold the pegs in my toes as you do."

PT "All right,"agreed Om-at;"Ta-den, In-sad, and I will go first, you follow and O-dan bring up the rear and collect the pegs -- we cannot leave them here for our enemies."

PT "Can't your enemies bring their own pegs?"asked Tarzan.

PT "Yes; but it delays them and makes easier our defense and -- they do not know which of all the holes you see are deep enough for pegs -- the others are made to confuse our enemies and are too shallow to hold a peg."

PT At the top of the cliff beside the gnarled tree Tarzan again took up the trail. Here the scent was fully as strong as upon the pegs and the ape-man moved rapidly across the ridge in the direction of the Kor-ul-lul.

PT Presently he paused and turned toward Om-at."Here she moved swiftly, running at top speed, and, Om-at, she was pursued by a lion."

PT "You can read that in the grass?"asked O-dan as the others gathered about the ape-man.

PT Tarzan nodded."I do not think the lion got her,"he added;"but that we shall determine quickly. No, he did not get her -- look!"and he pointed toward the southwest, down the ridge.

PT Following the direction indicated by his finger, the others presently detected a movement in some bushes a couple of hundred yards away.

PT "What is it?"asked Om-at."It is she?"and he started toward the spot.

PT "Wait,"advised Tarzan."It is the lion which pursued her."

PT "You can see him?"asked Ta-den.

PT "No, I can smell him."

PT The others looked their astonishment and incredulity; but of the fact that it was indeed a lion they were not left long in doubt. Presently the bushes parted and the creature stepped out in full view, facing them. It was a magnificent beast, large and beautifully maned, with the brilliant leopard spots of its kind well marked and symmetrical. For a moment it eyed them and then, still chafing at the loss of its prey earlier in the morning, it charged.

Versão em Português

1 - O Pithecanthropus

2 - "Até a Morte!"

3 - Pan-at-lee

4 - Tarzan-jad-guru

O Pithecanthropus

En A grande fera moveu-se pela selva da meia-noite, silenciosa como uma sombra. Seus olhos amarelo-esverdeados eram redondos e fixos, sua cauda ondulava e sua cabeça estava baixa enquanto caçava. A lua salpicava clareiras ocasionais, que o felino evitava. Movia-se pela vegetação densa sobre galhos e folhas sem fazer qualquer sombra que ouvidos humanos pudessem detectar.

En A criatura sendo caçada, cem passos à frente do leão, era menos cautelosa. Ela andava diretamente pelas clareiras iluminadas pela lua, buscando caminhos fáceis. Andava sobre dois pés e não tinha pelos, exceto por uma cabeleira preta no topo da cabeça. Seus braços eram bem formados e musculosos, suas mãos poderosas com dedos longos e polegares que quase alcançavam a primeira articulação dos indicadores. Suas pernas eram proporcionais, mas seus pés eram incomuns: os dedões se projetavam em ângulo reto, ao contrário da maioria das raças humanas, exceto algumas das mais primitivas.

En Fazendo uma pausa sob a luz plena da lua, a criatura escutou atrás de si. Quando ergueu a cabeça, suas feições estavam nítidas: fortes, bem definidas e bonitas. Seria notada por sua beleza em qualquer grande cidade. Mas era um homem? Um observador poderia ter se perguntado, porque de sob sua tanga de pele preta pendia uma longa cauda branca e sem pelos.

En Em uma mão, a criatura carregava um porrete robusto. Uma faca curta embainhada pendia de um cinto de ombro no lado esquerdo, e uma bolsa de um cinto transversal no quadril direito. Um largo cinturão, incrustado com o que parecia ser ouro virgem, prendia as tiras e a tanga no lugar. Era fechado no centro do abdômen com uma grande fivela ornamentada que brilhava com o que pareciam pedras preciosas.

En Numa, o leão, aproximou-se cada vez mais de sua vítima pretendida. A criatura estava ciente do perigo, como mostrava a frequência com que virava o ouvido e os olhos negros na direção do felino atrás dela. Não acelerou muito, mas usou uma longa passada balançante onde o chão era aberto. Afrouxou a faca na bainha e manteve o porrete pronto para ação imediata.

En Depois de forçar passagem por uma faixa densa de selva, o homem-coisa emergiu em uma grande área quase sem árvores. Ele hesitou por um momento, olhando para trás e para cima, para os galhos seguros acima, mas algo mais forte que o medo o impulsionou adiante. Ele deixou a segurança das árvores e atravessou a planície, movendo-se de um santuário frondoso a outro, embora as lacunas entre eles se tornassem maiores. Quando ele havia deixado duas árvores para trás, a distância até a próxima se tornou considerável. Naquele momento, Numa saiu da cobertura da selva e, vendo sua presa aparentemente indefesa, ergueu o rabo e avançou.

En Dois longos e cansativos meses haviam se passado desde que Tarzan dos Macacos soube, pelo diário de um capitão alemão morto, que sua esposa ainda estava viva. Com a ajuda entusiástica do Departamento de Inteligência da Expedição Britânica da África Oriental, ele descobriu que uma tentativa havia sido feita para esconder Lady Jane no interior. As razões para isso eram conhecidas apenas pelo Alto Comando Alemão.

En Ela havia sido enviada através da fronteira para o Estado Livre do Congo sob a responsabilidade do Tenente Obergatz e um destacamento de tropas alemãs nativas.

En Partindo sozinho, Tarzan conseguiu encontrar a vila onde sua esposa havia sido mantida, apenas para descobrir que ela havia escapado meses antes e que o oficial alemão havia desaparecido ao mesmo tempo. As histórias que ele ouviu de chefes e guerreiros eram vagas e frequentemente contraditórias. Ele só podia adivinhar a direção que os fugitivos haviam tomado juntando fragmentos de evidências de várias fontes.

En Tarzan foi forçado a considerar possibilidades sombrias com base em suas observações na vila. Ele encontrou provas incontestáveis de que o povo era canibal e viu vários artigos de uniformes e equipamentos alemães. Apesar das objeções mal-humoradas do chefe, o homem-macaco arriscou uma inspeção cuidadosa de cada cabana. Ele não encontrou nenhum artigo que pudesse ter pertencido à sua esposa, o que lhe deu um raio de esperança.

En Depois de deixar a aldeia, Tarzan viajou para o sudoeste. Ele suportou terríveis dificuldades ao cruzar uma vasta planície seca coberta de espinhos densos. Eventualmente, ele chegou a uma região que provavelmente nunca havia sido vista por nenhum homem branco, conhecida apenas nas lendas das tribos vizinhas. A paisagem incluía montanhas íngremes, planaltos bem irrigados, planícies amplas e vastos pântanos. No entanto, nenhum desses lugares era acessível até que, após semanas de esforço, ele encontrou um local para cruzar os pântanos — um trecho horrível infestado de cobras venenosas e outros répteis perigosos. Várias vezes ele vislumbrou o que poderiam ser enormes monstros reptilianos, mas porque havia muitos hipopótamos, rinocerontes e elefantes dentro e ao redor do pântano, ele nunca pôde ter certeza.

En Quando Tarzan finalmente ficou em terra firme após cruzar os pântanos, ele entendeu por que este território havia resistido à coragem e resistência das raças heroicas do mundo exterior por talvez inúmeras eras. Essas raças, após inúmeros contratempos e sofrimentos inacreditáveis, haviam penetrado em quase todas as outras regiões de polo a polo, mas não nesta.

En A abundância e variedade de caça sugeriam que todas as espécies conhecidas de aves, feras e répteis haviam buscado refúgio aqui, fazendo uma última resistência contra a propagação da humanidade. Os humanos haviam tomado constantemente os territórios de caça das ordens inferiores desde que o primeiro macaco perdeu seus pelos e parou de andar sobre os nós dos dedos. Até as espécies que Tarzan conhecia mostravam uma evolução divergente ou uma forma inalterada transmitida por inúmeras eras.

En Havia também muitas linhagens híbridas. Uma das mais interessantes para Tarzan era um leão listrado de amarelo e preto. Era menor do que os leões que ele conhecia, mas ainda assim uma fera formidável, com caninos afiados como sabres e uma disposição feroz. Para Tarzan, isso sugeria que tigres já haviam vagado pela África, possivelmente dentes-de-sabre gigantes de outra época, e que estes haviam cruzado com leões, produzindo as criaturas terríveis que ele ocasionalmente encontrava.

En Os verdadeiros leões deste novo e velho mundo diferiam pouco daqueles que Tarzan conhecia. Em tamanho e conformação eram quase idênticos, mas em vez de perder as manchas de leopardo da infância, eles as mantinham por toda a vida, tão marcadas quanto as de um leopardo.

En Tarzan procurou por dois meses e não encontrou nenhuma evidência de que a mulher que ele buscava havia entrado nesta terra bela, porém ameaçadora. No entanto, sua investigação de uma aldeia canibal e de outras tribos o convenceu de que, se Lady Jane ainda estava viva, ela devia ter ido nessa direção; ele havia eliminado todas as outras possibilidades. Ele não conseguia imaginar como ela havia atravessado o pântano, mas sentia fortemente que ela o havia feito, e que ele devia procurá-la ali. Este desconhecido deserto era vasto, com montanhas sombrias bloqueando seu caminho e torrentes dificultando seu progresso. Ele também tinha de enganar e lutar contra grandes predadores para encontrar comida.

En Tarzan e Numa frequentemente caçavam a mesma presa, e ora um, ora o outro levava o prêmio. Mas o homem-macaco raramente passava fome, pois a terra era rica em animais de caça, pássaros, peixes, frutas e muitos outros alimentos vegetais que um homem criado na selva podia consumir.

En Tarzan muitas vezes se perguntava por que, em um país tão rico, ele não encontrava sinais de humanos. Ele concluiu que a estepe seca e espinhosa e os terríveis pântanos formavam uma barreira suficiente para manter as pessoas afastadas.

En Após dias de busca, ele finalmente encontrou uma passagem pelas montanhas. Do outro lado, encontrou um país muito parecido com o que havia deixado. A caça era boa, e em um poço de água onde um desfiladeiro se abria para uma planície coberta de árvores, Bara, o veado, caiu facilmente diante da habilidade do homem-macaco.

En Era entardecer. Os chamados de grandes predadores surgiam de várias direções. O desfiladeiro não oferecia refúgio seguro entre suas árvores, então o homem-macaco colocou o veado no ombro e desceu para a planície. Do outro lado, erguiam-se árvores altas, uma grande floresta que prometia uma selva imponente. Ele seguiu em direção a ela, mas, no meio da planície, avistou uma árvore solitária que parecia perfeita para uma noite de descanso. Ele subiu levemente em seus galhos e logo encontrou um lugar confortável para dormir.

En Tendo comido a carne de Bara, Tarzan levou os restos para um local seguro no alto da árvore e então se acomodou para dormir. Logo se tornou alheio aos rugidos dos leões e ao uivo dos felinos menores.

En Os ruídos habituais da selva ajudavam Tarzan a dormir, mas um som incomum, por mais fraco que fosse, sempre o acordava. Assim, ao ouvir passos correndo perto de sua árvore, ele ficou instantaneamente alerta. Diferente dos homens comuns, Tarzan acordava totalmente alerta, com todos os sentidos aguçados e claros.

En Abaixo dele, Tarzan viu uma figura correndo em direção à sua árvore — à primeira vista um homem branco quase nu, mas uma longa cauda branca se estendia atrás. A figura estava sendo perseguida por Numa, o leão. Ambos se moviam silenciosamente, como espíritos em um mundo morto, precipitando-se para um desfecho sombrio.

En Num instante, Tarzan entendeu a cena: uma criatura de pele branca como ele estava sendo perseguida por seu inimigo hereditário. Sem tempo para planejar, ele mergulhou de cabeça da árvore em direção a Numa, com a faca na mão — uma lâmina que já havia provado sangue de leão muitas vezes.

En Uma garra rasgou o lado de Tarzan, deixando um ferimento profundo, mas ele caiu sobre as costas de Numa e cravou sua faca repetidamente na fera. A criatura que fugia, percebendo que estava sendo salva, virou-se e golpeou o crânio do leão com uma clava, atordoando-o. O golpe final de Tarzan encontrou o coração do leão, e o predador morreu.

En Tarzan saltou sobre seus pés, colocou o pé sobre a carcaça e olhou para a lua, a qual chamava de Goro. Em seguida, soltou o grito selvagem de vitória que tantas vezes ecoara por sua selva natal.

En Quando Tarzan soltou aquele grito terrível, a criatura parecida com um homem recuou como se estivesse com medo. No entanto, depois que Tarzan guardou sua faca de caça e se virou para ele, o outro notou sua calma dignidade e não sentiu ameaça.

En Por um momento, eles se estudaram. Então a criatura falou. Tarzan entendeu que os sons eram fala, expressando pensamentos em uma língua que ele não conhecia. A criatura tinha cauda e polegares de macaco, mas em todos os outros aspectos era claramente um homem com o poder da razão.

En A criatura notou o sangue escorrendo pelo lado de Tarzan. Ele tirou um pequeno saco de sua bolsa e fez sinal para Tarzan se deitar para que pudesse tratar o ferimento. Ele abriu o corte e polvilhou pó sobre a carne viva. A dor do remédio foi pior que a do próprio ferimento, mas Tarzan estava acostumado a sofrer e suportou sem reclamar. Em poucos momentos, o sangramento parou e a dor diminuiu.

En Tarzan tentou falar em vários dialetos tribais e na língua dos grandes símios, mas o homem não entendeu nenhum deles. Então o pitecantropo se aproximou e colocou a mão esquerda sobre o próprio coração e a palma direita sobre o coração de Tarzan. Tarzan entendeu isso como um cumprimento amigável e respondeu da mesma forma. Seu novo conhecido pareceu satisfeito e começou a falar novamente. Ele cheirou o ar, apontou para a carcaça do veado e tocou o estômago num claro sinal de fome. Tarzan o convidou para comer, e o outro subiu rapidamente para os galhos usando sua longa e forte cauda.

En A criatura parecida com um homem comeu em silêncio, cortando tiras do lombo de veado com sua faca afiada. De seu poleiro na árvore, Tarzan observou seu companheiro, notando as muitas características humanas tornadas mais óbvias por seus polegares, dedões dos pés e cauda paradoxais.

En Tarzan se perguntou se aquele ser pertencia a uma espécie estranha ou era simplesmente um retrocesso. Qualquer uma das ideias teria parecido ridícula se ele não estivesse olhando para a evidência. A criatura era um homem com cauda, e mãos e pés adaptados para a vida nas árvores. Seus ornamentos, cobertos de ouro e joias, deviam ter sido feitos por artesãos habilidosos. Mas Tarzan não conseguia dizer se foram criados por aquele indivíduo, por outros como ele ou por uma raça completamente diferente.

En Após a refeição, o convidado limpou os dedos e lábios com folhas de um galho próximo. Ele olhou para Tarzan com um sorriso agradável, mostrando dentes brancos e fortes, com caninos não maiores que os do próprio Tarzan. Ele disse algumas palavras que Tarzan acreditou serem um agradecimento educado e então encontrou um lugar confortável na árvore para passar a noite.

En A terra jazia na escuridão antes do amanhecer quando Tarzan foi acordado por um violento balanço de sua árvore. Ele viu seu companheiro se mexendo. Olhando ao redor para encontrar a causa, o homem-macaco ficou estupefato com o que viu.

En A sombra difusa de uma forma gigantesca surgiu perto da árvore; o corpo enorme da criatura havia raspado contra os galhos e acordado Tarzan. Ele ficou ao mesmo tempo admirado e irritado por um animal tão grande poder se aproximar sem perturbá-lo. No começo pensou que fosse um elefante, mas maior do que qualquer um que já vira. Conforme seus olhos se ajustaram, ele viu, na altura dos olhos e a seis metros do chão, o contorno de um dorso serrilhado, cada espinha com um chifre grosso. Apenas parte do dorso era visível; o resto estava escondido nas sombras profundas abaixo. De lá vinha o som de mandíbulas poderosas triturando carne e ossos. Pelos odores, Tarzan percebeu que um enorme réptil estava se alimentando do leão que havia sido morto mais cedo.

En Tarzan, olhando curiosamente para a escuridão, sentiu um toque leve no ombro. Virando-se, viu seu companheiro, que colocou um dedo sobre os lábios para pedir silêncio e então puxou o braço de Tarzan para indicar que deveriam sair imediatamente.

En Entendendo que estava em uma terra desconhecida, provavelmente habitada por criaturas enormes com hábitos desconhecidos, o homem-macaco permitiu ser levado. O pitecantropo desceu cuidadosamente da árvore do lado oposto à grande criatura noturna, e Tarzan o seguiu, movendo-se silenciosamente pela planície adentro na noite.

En Embora relutante em abrir mão da chance de examinar uma criatura tão estranha, Tarzan era sábio o suficiente para saber quando ser cauteloso. Como no passado, ele seguiu a lei da selva, que ensina a não buscar perigo desnecessário, já que suas vidas já tinham risco suficiente com a caça e o acasalamento.

En Ao amanhecer, Tarzan se viu novamente à beira de uma grande floresta. Seu guia subiu rapidamente pelos galhos, movendo-se com a agilidade de um longo hábito e instinto. Embora a criatura usasse sua cauda, dedos das mãos e dos pés, o homem-macaco se movia pela floresta com tanta facilidade e certeza.

En Durante a jornada, Tarzan lembrou do ferimento em seu lado causado pelo leão Numa na noite anterior. Quando o examinou, ficou surpreso ao descobrir que estava indolor e não apresentava sinais de infecção, sem dúvida por causa do pó antisséptico que seu estranho companheiro havia aplicado.

En Após viajar cerca de uma ou duas milhas, o companheiro de Tarzan pousou em uma encosta gramada sob uma grande árvore. Os galhos da árvore pendiam sobre um riacho claro. Eles pararam para beber, e Tarzan achou a água maravilhosamente pura, fresca e gelada. Sua temperatura sugeria que havia descido rapidamente das altas montanhas.

En Tarzan removeu sua tanga e armas e entrou na pequena poça debaixo da árvore. Após pouco tempo, saiu sentindo-se revigorado e muito faminto. Ao emergir, notou seu companheiro olhando para ele com uma expressão confusa. O companheiro pegou Tarzan pelo ombro e o virou de modo que suas costas ficassem viradas para ele. Então, tocando a ponta da coluna de Tarzan com o dedo, ele enrolou sua própria cauda sobre o ombro. Ele virou Tarzan novamente e apontou primeiro para Tarzan, depois para sua própria cauda, parecendo intrigado e tagarelando animadamente em sua língua estranha.

En Tarzan entendeu que seu companheiro provavelmente acabara de perceber que ele era naturalmente sem cauda, e não que sua cauda tivesse sido perdida por acidente. Para enfatizar que pertenciam a espécies diferentes, Tarzan apontou para seus próprios dedões dos pés e polegares.

En O companheiro balançou a cabeça duvidosamente, como se não pudesse entender por que Tarzan era tão diferente dele. Finalmente, pareceu desistir do enigma com um encolher de ombros. Ele removeu seu próprio arnês, pele e armas, e entrou na poça.

En Após se lavar e vestir novamente suas roupas simples, o companheiro sentou-se ao pé da árvore e fez sinal para Tarzan sentar ao seu lado. Ele abriu a bolsa pendurada em seu lado direito e retirou tiras de carne seca e alguns punhados de nozes de casca fina que Tarzan nunca tinha visto antes. Quando o companheiro quebrou as nozes com os dentes e comeu a amêndoa, Tarzan o imitou e descobriu que a polpa da noz era rica e saborosa. A carne seca também era bastante comestível, embora obviamente tivesse sido preparada sem sal — um recurso que Tarzan imaginou que poderia ser difícil de encontrar naquela região.

En Enquanto comiam, o companheiro de Tarzan mostrou-lhe vários objetos, como nozes e carne seca, repetindo seus nomes em sua língua nativa. Tarzan entendeu a intenção de seu novo amigo em ensiná-lo, o que poderia levar a uma comunicação futura. Tendo já dominado vários idiomas e dialetos, Tarzan sentiu-se confiante de que poderia aprender este novo, embora parecesse não ter relação com nenhum que conhecia.

En Estavam tão absortos no café da manhã e na aula de idiomas que nenhum deles notou os olhos brilhantes observando de cima. Tarzan não percebeu o perigo até que uma grande criatura peluda saltou dos galhos sobre seu companheiro.

"Até a Morte!"

En Tarzan viu que a criatura era semelhante em tamanho e forma ao seu companheiro, mas coberta por pelos pretos e desgrenhados que quase escondiam seu rosto. Suas armas e arreios lembravam os do companheiro que atacou. Antes que Tarzan pudesse intervir, a criatura golpeou seu companheiro na cabeça com uma clava nodosa, deixando-o inconsciente. Tarzan então enfrentou o atacante.

En Tarzan rapidamente percebeu que estava lutando contra uma criatura de força quase sobre-humana. Ela tentou agarrar sua garganta e levantar a clava, mas a própria força de Tarzan era grande. Ele desferiu um golpe poderoso no queixo do atacante, atordoando-o momentaneamente. Em seguida, agarrou sua garganta e o braço que segurava a clava, usou a perna para derrubar a criatura e a jogou ao chão, caindo sobre ela.

En A clava caiu da mão da criatura com o impacto, e Tarzan perdeu a pegada em sua garganta. Eles ficaram presos em um abraço desesperado. A criatura tentou morder, mas Tarzan percebeu que seus dentes não eram muito mais fortes que os seus. No entanto, ele teve que se proteger da cauda da criatura, que tentava constantemente enrolar-se em seu pescoço — uma ameaça que ele nunca havia enfrentado antes.

En Tarzan e seu oponente lutaram ferozmente, rolando pelo chão perto de uma árvore. Ambos estavam mais concentrados em defender suas gargantas do que em atacar. Eventualmente, Tarzan os manobrou para mais perto de uma poça, com a intenção de forçá-los ambos para debaixo d'água enquanto permanecia por cima.

En Naquele momento, Tarzan avistou uma criatura listrada com dentes de sabre e rosto diabólico agachada atrás de seu companheiro caído, olhando para ele com um rosnado hostil.

En Quase ao mesmo tempo, o oponente peludo de Tarzan notou o gato ameaçador. Ele parou imediatamente de atacar Tarzan e, tagarelando excitadamente, tentou se libertar do aperto de Tarzan, sinalizando que a luta havia terminado. Percebendo o perigo para seu amigo inconsciente, Tarzan o soltou, e ambos se levantaram.

En Tarzan sacou sua faca e se aproximou lentamente de seu companheiro, esperando que seu recente inimigo fugisse. No entanto, para sua surpresa, a criatura recuperou seu porrete andou ao lado dele.

En O grande gato permaneceu achatado de barriga, imóvel exceto por seu rabo contraindo e lábios rosna do, a cerca de quinze metros de distância. Quando Tarzan passou por cima de seu companheiro, viu suas pálpebras tremerem e se abrirem. Ele sentiu um estranho alívio por a criatura estar viva e percebeu que, sem saber, um laço de afeto havia se formado em seu coração selvagem por esse novo amigo.

En Tarzan e a besta peluda continuaram a se aproximar do dente-de-sabre. Quando o híbrido atacou, Tarzan saltou para frente e o tackleou como um jogador de rúgbi, envolvendo seus braços em volta do pescoço e da perna do animal. Eles rolaram no chão, o gato arranhando para se libertar enquanto Tarzan segurava firmemente.

En Embora o ataque parecesse selvagem e impensado, na verdade era guiado pela mente astuta do homem-macaco. Suas pernas fortes habilmente evitaram as garras do gato, e no momento certo ele se levantou, puxando o gato para cima e forçando-o para trás até que ele só pudesse arranhar o ar impotentemente.

En A criatura preta e peluda avançou e esfaqueou o dente-de-sabre com uma faca. Depois que o corpo do gato relaxou na morte, Tarzan soltou a presa e a empurrou para longe. Os dois antigos inimigos então ficaram frente a frente sobre o corpo do adversário em comum.

En Tarzan esperou, pronto para lutar ou fazer as pazes. O preto peludo ergueu ambas as mãos, colocou uma sobre o próprio coração e tocou a outra no peito de Tarzan — uma saudação amigável. Tarzan, ávido por aliados neste mundo estranho, aceitou rapidamente a oferta de amizade.

En Após a breve cerimônia, Tarzan viu que o pitencantropo sem pelos havia recuperado a consciência e os observava. O preto peludo falou com ele em sua língua comum, e eles se aproximaram lentamente. Conversaram rapidamente, ocasionalmente olhando ou acenando para Tarzan, mostrando que ele fazia parte da discussão.

En Eles avançaram e se encontraram novamente, repetindo a breve cerimônia de aliança que havia encerrado as hostilidades anteriormente. Então se aproximaram de Tarzan com gestos sérios, como se tentassem compartilhar notícias importantes. Eventualmente, abandonaram essa tentativa e usaram a linguagem de sinais para indicar que continuariam juntos e o convidaram a se juntar.

En Tarzan não havia percorrido aquela rota antes, então ficou feliz em concordar. Ele estava determinado a explorar minuciosamente esta terra desconhecida antes de desistir de sua busca por Lady Jane.

En Por vários dias, eles viajaram pelas colinas ao lado da imponente cordilheira. Frequentemente eram ameaçados pelas criaturas selvagens desta região remota, e à noite Tarzan às vezes avistava formas estranhas e gigantescas nas sombras.

En No terceiro dia, encontraram uma grande caverna natural em um penhasco baixo. Um riacho de montanha corria nas proximidades. Os três fizeram dela seu lar temporário, e o aprendizado de idiomas de Tarzan avançou mais rapidamente ali do que enquanto viajavam.

En A caverna apresentava sinais de ocupantes humanos anteriores. Havia uma lareira rústica de pedra, e as paredes e o teto estavam enegrecidos por muitos fogos. Arranhados na fuligem e na rocha, havia hieróglifos estranhos, junto com contornos de animais, pássaros e répteis – alguns dos quais lembravam criaturas jurássicas extintas. Os companheiros de Tarzan leram as marcações mais recentes com interesse, comentaram sobre elas e então usaram suas facas para adicionar as suas próprias ao registro antigo.

En Tarzan achou as marcações intrigantes e concluiu que elas poderiam ser um registro primitivo de hotel. Isso lhe deu mais conhecimento sobre as criaturas que havia encontrado, que possuíam linguagem falada e escrita, apesar de suas características animalescas, como caudas e pelos grossos. Sua curiosidade cresceu e ele redobrou seus esforços para aprender a língua deles, já sabendo os nomes de seus companheiros e das plantas e animais comuns da região.

En Ta-den, o homem sem pelos e de pele branca, tornou-se tutor de Tarzan e ensinou com tanta dedicação que Tarzan dominou rapidamente sua língua. Om-at, o homem peludo e negro, também se sentiu responsável pela educação de Tarzan, então um ou outro o instruía constantemente. Como resultado, Tarzan absorveu rapidamente os ensinamentos e logo eles puderam se comunicar por meio da fala.

En Tarzan explicou a seus companheiros o propósito de sua jornada, mas nenhum deles pôde oferecer esperança. Eles lhe disseram que sua terra nunca conhecera uma mulher como a que ele descreveu, nem jamais tinham visto um homem sem cauda além do próprio Tarzan.

En Ta-den disse que estava fora de A-lur há sete ciclos lunares e que muitas coisas poderiam ter acontecido nesse período. Ele duvidava que a mulher de Tarzan tivesse conseguido atravessar os pântanos terríveis, que até mesmo Tarzan considerara quase impossíveis. Mesmo que tivesse conseguido, Ta-den questionava se ela poderia ter sobrevivido aos perigos que Tarzan já enfrentara, sem falar nos que ainda estavam por vir. Ele observou que nem mesmo suas próprias mulheres se aventuravam nas terras selvagens além das cidades.

En Tarzan refletiu sobre o nome 'A-lur', traduzindo-o para sua própria língua como 'Cidade da Luz' ou 'Cidade de Luz'. Ele então perguntou a Ta-den onde ficava A-lur e se era a cidade de ambos, Ta-den e Om-at.

En O homem sem pelos afirmou que o item pertencia a ele, mas esclareceu que não era de Om-at. Ele afirmou que os Waz-don não tinham cidades, vivendo em vez disso em árvores da floresta e cavernas nas colinas, e então perguntou ao homem negro ao seu lado se isso era verdade.

En Om-at afirmou que os Waz-don eram livres, ao contrário dos Hodon que se confinavam em cidades. Ele declarou que não gostaria de ser um homem branco.

En Tarzan sorriu, observando a distinção racial entre os Ho-don brancos e os Waz-don negros até mesmo naquele lugar. Apesar da aparente igualdade intelectual, o homem branco claramente se considerava superior, um fato evidente em seu sorriso tranquilo.

En Tarzan repetiu sua pergunta sobre A-lur, perguntando se eles estavam voltando para lá.

En Ta-den respondeu que A-lur ficava além das montanhas, e ele não voltaria para lá até que Ko-tan não existisse mais.

En Tarzan perguntou se seu nome era Ko-tan.

En O pitecantropo explicou que Ko-tan era o rei que governava a terra. Ele havia sido um dos guerreiros de Ko-tan e morava no palácio, onde conheceu O-lo-a, a filha do rei. Eles se apaixonaram, mas Ko-tan desaprovou. Para se livrar dele, Ko-tan o enviou para lutar contra os homens de Dak-at, uma vila que se recusara a pagar tributo, esperando que ele fosse morto, pois Dak-at tinha muitos guerreiros valentes. Em vez disso, ele voltou vitorioso, trazendo o tributo e o próprio Dak-at como prisioneiro. Ko-tan ficou descontente porque o amor de O-lo-a por ele só tinha se fortalecido, alimentado pelo orgulho de seu sucesso.

En Ta-den continuou, explicando que seu pai, Ja-don, era um chefe poderoso. Ko-tan hesitou em ofender Ja-don, então teve que elogiar o sucesso de Ta-den, mas o fez com um sorriso hipócrita que não alcançava os olhos. Ta-den esperava uma recompensa, talvez a mão de O-lo-a, mas Ko-tan pretendia casá-la com Bu-lot, filho de Mo-sar, que acreditava que deveria ser rei. Com esse casamento, Ko-tan esperava apaziguar Mo-sar e ganhar apoio daqueles que estavam ao lado de Mo-sar.

En Ta-den perguntou qual recompensa poderia ser dada a ele por sua lealdade. Ele observou que os sacerdotes eram muito honrados; até reis se curvavam diante deles nos templos. Tornar-se sacerdote seria uma grande honra, mas ele não queria, pois os sacerdotes (exceto o sumo sacerdote) tinham que se tornar eunucos e nunca poderiam se casar.

En A própria O-lo-a informou Ta-den que seu pai havia posto em movimento a maquinaria do templo. Um mensageiro estava vindo para convocá-lo a Ko-tan. Recusar o sacerdócio depois de oferecido significaria a morte, pois afrontaria o templo e os deuses. Mas se ele não aparecesse diante de Ko-tan, não teria que recusar. Então O-lo-a e Ta-den decidiram que ele deveria fugir, carregando um fio de esperança, em vez de ficar e perder toda a esperança ao se tornar sacerdote.

En Ele a segurou apertada sob as árvores no jardim do palácio, talvez pela última vez. Então, para evitar encontrar o mensageiro por azar, escalou o alto muro e atravessou a cidade escura. Seu nome e posição permitiram que ele saísse pelo portão da cidade. Desde então, ele vagou para longe das moradas dos Ho-don, mas sente um forte impulso de voltar, nem que seja para ver os muros da cidade que a abrigam, e para visitar sua aldeia natal e seus pais.

En Tarzan perguntou se o risco era grande demais.

En Ta-den respondeu que o risco era grande, mas não grande demais; ele iria.

En O homem-macaco disse que iria com Ta-den para ver a Cidade da Luz, A-lur, e procurar sua companheira perdida, mesmo que a chance fosse pequena. Ele também perguntou a Om-at se ele se juntaria a eles.

En Om-at concordou em ir. Ele disse que sua tribo vivia nos penhascos acima de A-lur, e embora seu chefe Es-sat o tivesse expulsado, ele queria voltar para ver uma fêmea chamada Pan-at-lee, que ficaria feliz em vê-lo. Es-sat temia que Om-at pudesse se tornar chefe, e talvez estivesse certo, mas Om-at estava mais interessado em encontrar Pan-at-lee do que em se tornar chefe.

En Tarzan declarou que os três viajariam juntos.

En Ta-den acrescentou que eles lutariam juntos, como um só, e puxou sua faca, segurando-a acima da cabeça.

En Om-at repetiu o voto de unidade, sacando sua arma imitando Ta-den, e declarou que estava acordado.

En Tarzan, o dos Macacos, gritou sua unidade e compromisso até a morte, com sua lâmina brilhando ao sol.

En Om-at insistiu que partissem, afirmando que sua faca estava ansiosa pelo sangue de Es-sat.

En O caminho que Ta-den e Om-at seguiram mal podia ser chamado de trilha. Seria mais adequado para cabras montanhesas, macacos ou pássaros do que para seres humanos. No entanto, os três homens estavam acostumados a viajar de maneiras que pessoas comuns não poderiam tentar. Nas encostas mais baixas, o caminho passava por florestas densas onde o chão estava tão coberto de árvores caídas e vinhas e arbustos espessos que eles tinham que se manter nos galhos balançantes bem acima do emaranhado. Em outras ocasiões, a trilha passava ao longo da borda de desfiladeiros profundos onde as rochas escorregadias ofereciam apenas apoio momentâneo, mesmo para pés descalços, enquanto saltavam como camurças de um ponto precário para o próximo. A rota que Om-at escolheu através do cume era vertiginosa e aterrorizante, enquanto os guiava ao redor do lado de um pico imponente que se erguia dois mil pés verticalmente acima de um rio caudaloso. Quando finalmente chegaram a um terreno relativamente plano, Om-at virou-se e olhou atentamente para ambos, especialmente para Tarzan dos Macacos.

En Om-at lhes disse que ambos eram aceitáveis e aptos para serem companheiros para ele, o Waz-don.

En Tarzan perguntou a Om-at o que ele queria dizer.

En Om-at explicou que os trouxera por aquele caminho para ver se algum deles faltava coragem para segui-lo onde ele liderava. Ele disse que os jovens guerreiros de Es-sat vinham ali para provar sua coragem. No entanto, mesmo tendo nascido e crescido em encostas de penhascos, não era desonra admitir que Pastar-ul-ved, o Pai das Montanhas, os havia derrotado. Daqueles que tentavam o desafio, apenas alguns conseguiam; os ossos dos outros jaziam aos pés de Pastar-ul-ved.

En Ta-den riu e disse que não gostaria de vir por este caminho com frequência.

En Om-at respondeu que não, mas a jornada havia sido encurtada em pelo menos um dia, para que Tarzan visse o Vale de Jad-ben-Otho mais cedo. Ele liderou o caminho subindo pelo ombro de Pastar-ul-ved até que uma cena de mistério e beleza se estendesse abaixo deles: um vale verde cercado por penhascos imponentes de brancura de mármore, salpicado de lagos azuis profundos e atravessado pelo rastro azul de um rio sinuoso. No centro, erguia-se uma cidade tão branca quanto os penhascos de mármore, que mesmo a uma grande distância exibia uma arquitetura estranha, porém artística. Fora da cidade, grupos isolados de edifícios eram visíveis ao redor do vale, às vezes um, às vezes dois, três ou quatro em um aglomerado, mas sempre da mesma brancura ofuscante e em alguma forma fantástica.

En Ao redor do vale, os penhascos eram ocasionalmente cortados por desfiladeiros profundos cheios de vegetação, dando a aparência de rios verdes correndo em direção a um mar central de verde.

En Na língua dos pithecantropos, Tarzan murmurou que o vale se chamava Jad Pele ul Jad-ben-Otho, que significa o Vale do Grande Deus, e que era bonito.

En Ta-den disse que em A-lur vivia Ko-tan, o rei que governava todo Pal-ul-don.

En Om-at exclamou que nestes desfiladeiros viviam os Waz-don, que não reconheciam Ko-tan como o governante de toda a Terra-do-homem.

En Ta-den sorriu e deu de ombros, sugerindo que não deveriam discutir por uma questão que nunca havia sido resolvida ao longo da história. Ele revelou um segredo: os Ho-don viviam juntos sob um único governante, apresentando uma frente unida em batalha. Em contraste, os Waz-don estavam divididos em uma dúzia de reis que lutavam não apenas contra os Ho-don, mas também entre si. Quando uma tribo Waz-don ia para a guerra, tinha que deixar guerreiros para trás para proteger suas mulheres e crianças das tribos vizinhas. Os Ho-don exploravam isso marchando em força contra uma única aldeia, capturando eunucos para os templos e servos para os campos e lares. Ta-den concluiu que enquanto os Waz-don permanecessem tolamente divididos, os Ho-don dominariam e seu rei seria o rei de Pal-ul-don.

En Om-at admitiu que Ta-den poderia estar certo. Ele atribuiu o problema à tolice de seus vizinhos, cada um acreditando que sua própria tribo era a maior e deveria governar entre os Waz-don. Eles se recusavam a reconhecer que sua tribo tinha os guerreiros mais corajosos e as mulheres mais bonitas.

En Ta-den sorriu e apontou que todas as outras tribos Waz-don faziam os mesmos argumentos. Essa mesma discordância, disse ele, era a defesa mais forte dos Ho-don.

En Tarzan exclamou que tais discussões frequentemente levavam a brigas, e os três deviam evitar brigas. Ele expressou interesse em aprender sobre as condições políticas, econômicas e religiosas da terra, mas não ao custo de amargura entre seus únicos amigos em Pal-ul-don. Ele perguntou se talvez eles compartilhassem o mesmo deus.

En Om-at respondeu com alguma amargura e entusiasmo, afirmando que de fato eles diferiam em seus deuses.

En Ta-den quase gritou que eles deveriam discordar. Ele argumentou por que não deveriam e questionou quem poderia concordar com algo tão absurdo.

En Tarzan gritou para que parassem. Ele reconheceu que havia provocado uma grande confusão e sugeriu que parassem de discutir política ou religião.

En Om-at concordou que era mais sensato, mas mencionou que o deus único e exclusivo deles tinha uma cauda longa.

En Ta-den gritou que era sacrilégio, colocando a mão na faca, e insistiu que Jad-ben-Otho não tinha cauda.

En Om-at gritou para que parassem e avançou, mas Tarzan imediatamente se interpôs entre eles.

En Tarzan disse a eles com firmeza que deveriam ser fiéis aos seus juramentos de amizade, para que pudessem ser honrados diante de Deus, da forma como O imaginam.

En Ta-den concordou com Tarzan, chamando-o de Sem Cauda, e sugeriu que ele e Om-at se concentrassem na amizade e na segurança deles, confiando que Jad-ben-Otho era poderoso o suficiente para cuidar de si mesmo.

En Om-at concordou a princípio, mas depois pareceu hesitar.

En Tarzan disse a Om-at para não discutir.

En Om-at deu de ombros e sorriu. Ele perguntou se eles deveriam descer em direção ao vale, observando que o desfiladeiro abaixo estava vazio e o da esquerda tinha cavernas do seu povo. Ele queria ver Pan-at-lee novamente. Ta-den queria visitar seu pai no vale, e Tarzan queria entrar em A-lur para encontrar sua companheira, que estaria melhor morta do que capturada pelos sacerdotes Ho-don. Ele perguntou qual era o plano deles.

En Ta-den insistiu que eles deveriam ficar juntos pelo maior tempo possível. Ele disse que Om-at deveria procurar Pan-at-lee à noite e em segredo, porque nem mesmo os três poderiam esperar derrotar Es-sat e todos os seus guerreiros. A qualquer momento eles poderiam ir para a vila onde seu pai era chefe, pois Ja-don sempre receberia bem os amigos de seu filho. No entanto, para Tarzan entrar em A-lur era outra questão, embora houvesse um caminho e ele tivesse coragem para tentá-lo. Então Ta-den se inclinou para sussurrar seu plano ousado, alertando que Jad-ben-Otho tinha ouvidos aguçados e não deveria ouvi-lo.

En Enquanto isso, a cem milhas de distância, uma figura magra, vestida apenas com uma tanga e armada, movia-se silenciosamente por uma estepe árida e espinhosa. Ele examinava constantemente o chão com olhos aguçados e um nariz sensível.

Pan-at-lee

En A noite caiu sobre a terra não mapeada de Pal-ul-don. Uma fina lua crescente pairava baixa no oeste, lançando uma luz suave e sobrenatural sobre as falésias brancas de giz. Sombras profundas preenchiam Kor-ul-JA, a Garganta-dos-leões, onde a tribo de mesmo nome vivia sob seu chefe, Es-sat. De uma abertura alta perto do topo do penhasco, uma figura peluda apareceu — primeiro cabeça e ombros — e seus olhos ferozes examinaram a encosta do penhasco em todas as direções.

En Es-sat, o chefe, olhou ao redor para confirmar que estava sozinho na face do penhasco. Ao não ver ninguém, começou a se mover pela parede vertical de giz branco. Na luz fraca da lua, sua figura negra e peluda parecia deslizar milagrosamente, mas ele na verdade usava estacas grossas de madeira fixadas em buracos no penhasco. Com quatro membros semelhantes a mãos e uma longa cauda flexível, ele se movia com grande facilidade, como um rato gigante em uma parede enorme. Ele evitava cuidadosamente as entradas das cavernas, passando acima ou abaixo delas enquanto avançava.

En Todas as cavernas pareciam semelhantes do lado de fora. Cada uma tinha uma grande abertura escavada na rocha calcária do penhasco, variando de oito a vinte pés de comprimento, oito pés de altura e quatro a seis pés de profundidade. Essa abertura formava uma espécie de varanda frontal. No fundo dessa varanda havia uma porta com cerca de três pés de largura e seis pés de altura, levando aos cômodos internos. De cada lado dessa porta havia aberturas menores, provavelmente janelas para deixar entrar luz e ar. Mais dessas janelas estavam espalhadas pela face do penhasco entre os alpendres de entrada, sugerindo que todo o penhasco era cheio de cômodos. A água escorria de muitas dessas pequenas aberturas, e as paredes acima de outras estavam enegrecidas pela fumaça. A água corrente havia erodido a rocha, criando canais de alguns centímetros a um pé de profundidade, indicando que alguns riachos estavam fluindo por muito tempo até a vegetação verde abaixo.

En Nesta paisagem antiga, o grande homem-macaco não parecia deslocado; ele pertencia a ela tão naturalmente quanto as árvores no topo do penhasco ou as samambaias no vale úmido abaixo.

En Ele parou em uma entrada, ouviu, então deslizou para as sombras da varanda tão silenciosamente quanto a luz da lua na água. Na porta interna, ele pausou novamente, ouvindo, antes de afastar silenciosamente a cortina de pele pesada e entrar em uma grande câmara esculpida na rocha. Uma luz fraca vinha de uma porta no extremo oposto. Ele rastejou em direção a ela, seus pés descalços não fazendo barulho, movendo o porrete nodoso de suas costas para a mão esquerda enquanto se movia.

En Depois da segunda porta, um corredor corria paralelo à face do penhasco, contendo mais três portas: uma em cada extremidade e uma terceira oposta aonde Es-sat estava. A luz vinha de uma sala no extremo esquerdo do corredor, onde uma chama bruxuleante subia e descia em um receptáculo de pedra sobre um banco monolítico esculpido no chão.

En Em um canto da sala, além da mesa, havia um estrado de pedra com cerca de quatro pés de largura e oito pés de comprimento, coberto com peles macias curtidas. Uma jovem fêmea Waz-don estava sentada em sua borda, segurando uma peça serrilhada de ouro martelado em uma mão e uma escova rígida na outra, alisando seu pelo liso e brilhante que lembrava pele de foca depilada. Sua tanga listrada e os peitorais circulares de ouro estavam ao seu lado, revelando os belos contornos de sua figura nua, que era inteiramente preta e coberta de cabelo, mas inegavelmente adorável.

En A expressão feroz e a respiração acelerada do chefe Es-sat revelaram seu desejo ao ver sua beleza. Ele avançou rapidamente para dentro da sala, e a jovem olhou para cima, seus olhos instantaneamente se enchendo de terror. Ela agarrou sua tanga e a ajustou rapidamente, então recolheu seus peitorais enquanto Es-sat contornava a mesa e avançava em direção a ela.

En Ela sussurrou, perguntando o que ele queria, embora soubesse perfeitamente bem.

En Ele se dirigiu a Pan-at-lee, dizendo que seu chefe tinha vindo buscá-la.

En Ela exigiu saber se era por isso que ele tinha mandado o pai e os irmãos dela para espionar os Kor-ul-lul. Declarou que não o aceitaria e ordenou que ele saísse da caverna de seus ancestrais.

En Es-sat sorriu, o sorriso desagradável de um homem cruel ciente de sua autoridade. Ele disse que iria embora, mas ela o acompanharia até sua caverna, onde seria invejada pelas mulheres de Kor-ul-JA. Ele ordenou que ela viesse.

En Pan-at-lee gritou que nunca iria, declarando seu ódio por ele. Ela disse que preferiria acasalar com um Ho-don do que com ele, a quem chamou de espancador de mulheres e assassino de bebês.

En O rosto do chefe se contorceu em uma expressão terrível. Ele gritou que domaria Pan-at-lee e quebraria sua vontade, declarando que Es-sat, o chefe, pega o que quer e que qualquer um que questione seu direito ou se oponha ao seu menor desejo deve primeiro servir a esse propósito e depois ser quebrado, como um prato de pedra que ele pegou e despedaçou com suas mãos poderosas. Ele disse que ela poderia ter sido a primeira e mais honrada na caverna de seus ancestrais, mas agora seria a última e a menor, e depois que ele terminasse com ela, ela pertenceria a todos os homens da caverna. Esse era o destino daqueles que rejeitavam o amor de seu chefe.

En Ele se moveu rapidamente para agarrá-la, mas, quando pousou uma mão áspera sobre ela, ela o golpeou com força no lado da cabeça com suas placas de peito douradas. Es-sat, o chefe, caiu silenciosamente no chão. Pan-at-lee se inclinou sobre ele por um momento, com sua arma improvisada erguida para golpear novamente se ele mostrasse sinais de recuperar a consciência, seus seios brilhantes subindo e descendo com sua respiração rápida. De repente, ela se abaixou e removeu a faca de Es-sat com sua bainha e cinto de ombro. Ela a colocou sobre o próprio ombro, ajustou rapidamente suas placas de peito e, saindo de costas da sala, manteve um olhar atento sobre o chefe caído.

En Em um nicho na sala externa, logo ao lado da porta da sacada, havia uma pilha organizada de estacas arredondadas com cerca de dezoito a vinte polegadas de comprimento. Ela escolheu cinco delas e fez um pequeno feixe, enrolando a parte inferior de sua cauda sinuosa ao redor delas e, assim carregando-as, foi até a borda externa da sacada. Depois de se certificar de que ninguém estava olhando ou a impediria, ela rapidamente pegou as estacas já fixadas na face do penhasco e, com a agilidade de um macaco, subiu rapidamente até a fileira mais alta de estacas. Ela as seguiu por cerca de cem jardas em direção à extremidade inferior do desfiladeiro. Acima de sua cabeça, havia pequenos buracos redondos dispostos em três fileiras paralelas. Agarrando-se apenas com os dedos dos pés, ela removeu duas estacas do feixe em sua cauda, pegou uma em cada mão e as inseriu em buracos opostos das fileiras externas, o mais alto que conseguiu alcançar. Pendurada por essas novas sustentações, ela então pegou uma das três estacas restantes em cada pé, deixando a quinta firmemente em sua cauda. Alcançando para cima com sua cauda, ela inseriu a quinta estaca em um buraco da fileira central e, então, alternadamente pendurada por sua cauda, pés ou mãos, moveu as estacas para cima em novos buracos, carregando assim sua escada consigo enquanto subia.

En No topo do penhasco, uma árvore retorcida expunha suas raízes desgastadas pelo tempo acima dos buracos mais altos, formando o último degrau do precipício íngreme para o terreno plano. Esta era a rota de fuga final para membros da tribo pressionados por inimigos vindos de baixo. Havia três dessas saídas de emergência da aldeia, e era morte usá-las exceto em uma emergência. Pan-at-lee sabia bem disso, mas também sabia que ficar onde o irado Es-sat pudesse pôr as mãos nela seria pior do que a morte.

En Depois de ganhar o topo, a garota se moveu rapidamente através da escuridão em direção ao desfiladeiro seguinte, que cortava a encosta da montanha a uma milha além de Kor-ul-JA. Era o Desfiladeiro-da-água, Kor-ul-lul, onde seu pai e dois irmãos haviam sido enviados por Es-sat, ostensivamente para espionar a tribo vizinha. Havia uma chance, uma chance pequena, de que ela pudesse encontrá-los; se não, havia o desertado Kor-ul-GRYF várias milhas adiante, onde ela poderia se esconder indefinidamente dos homens, desde que conseguisse evitar o monstro assustador do qual o desfiladeiro tirava seu nome e cuja presença tornara suas cavernas inabitáveis por gerações.

En Pan-at-lee rastejou ao longo da borda do Kor-ul-lul, sem saber onde seu pai e irmãos poderiam estar vigiando. Sentia-se pequena e indefesa na vasta escuridão, ouvindo ruídos estranhos das montanhas e vales. Ao longe, pensou ter ouvido o rugido de um GRYF macho e estremeceu.

En Então ela ouviu outro som se aproximando pela borda, vindo de cima. Ela parou, ouvindo, esperando que fosse seu pai ou um irmão. Conforme se aproximava, ela forçou a visão através da escuridão, sem se mover, mal respirando. De repente, bem perto, dois olhos amarelo-esverdeados brilharam na noite escura.

En Embora Pan-at-lee fosse corajosa, como todos os povos primitivos, a escuridão trazia grandes terrores para ela — não apenas os perigos conhecidos, mas também o desconhecido. Após os eventos da noite, seus nervos estavam esticados até o ponto de ruptura, prontos para reagir exageradamente ao menor choque.

En Este não foi um pequeno choque. Ela esperava ver seu pai ou um irmão, mas em vez disso viu a morte encarando-a da escuridão. Corajosa como era, ela não era feita de ferro. Ela gritou e fugiu ao longo da borda, com o leão de Pal-ul-don em perseguição rápida.

En Pan-at-lee sabia que estava perdida e a morte era certa. Morrer sob as presas do leão era impensável, mas havia uma alternativa. Quando o leão estava prestes a agarrá-la, ela virou bruscamente à esquerda e deu alguns passos antes de desaparecer sobre a borda do Kor-ul-lul. O leão parou na beirada, olhou fixamente para as sombras negras abaixo e rugiu com raiva.

En Om-at guiou Tarzan e Ta-den pela escuridão na base de Kor-ul-JA, em direção às cavernas de sua tribo. Logo pararam sob uma grande árvore que ficava perto do penhasco.

En Om-at sussurrou que primeiro iria à caverna de Pan-at-lee, depois à caverna de seus ancestrais para falar com sua família. Disse que não demoraria e pediu que eles esperassem por seu retorno. Depois disso, todos iriam juntos ao povo de Ta-den.

En Om-at moveu-se silenciosamente até a base do penhasco. Tarzan o observou subir como uma grande mosca na parede. Na luz fraca, ele não conseguia ver os pinos fixados na face do penhasco. Om-at movia-se com cuidado, sabendo que um sentinela deveria estar postado nas cavernas inferiores. Seu conhecimento dos costumes de seu povo sugeria que o sentinela provavelmente estava dormindo, e ele estava certo, mas permaneceu cauteloso. Subiu suave e rapidamente em direção à caverna de Pan-at-lee enquanto Tarzan e Ta-den observavam de baixo.

En Tarzan perguntou como Om-at conseguia escalar, pois não via pontos de apoio na superfície vertical, mas Om-at parecia escalar sem esforço.

En Ta-den explicou sobre a escada de pinos e disse que Tarzan poderia escalá-la facilmente, embora ter uma cauda fosse de grande ajuda.

En Tarzan e Ta-den observaram Om-at se aproximando da caverna de Pan-at-lee quando uma cabeça apareceu de uma caverna mais abaixo. A criatura viu Om-at e começou a escalar atrás dele. Sem falar, Tarzan e Ta-den correram até a base do penhasco. O pithecanthropus chegou primeiro e saltou para uma estaca. Tarzan viu uma fileira em zigue-zague de estacas e escalou rapidamente usando mãos e pés. Ta-den escalou mais rápido porque estava acostumado a essas escadas e tinha uma cauda.

En Tarzan escalou bem, impulsionado pela visão do Waz-don acima de Ta-den olhando para baixo e vendo-os pouco antes do Ho-don o alcançar. Um grito selvagem quebrou o silêncio do desfiladeiro, respondido por centenas de gargantas selvagens enquanto guerreiros emergiam de suas cavernas.

En A criatura que deu o alarme chegou à caverna de Pan-at-lee e se virou para lutar contra Ta-den, bloqueando a entrada com sua clava. Guerreiros surgiram de todas as direções. Tarzan, no mesmo nível, viu que precisavam de um milagre. Ele notou uma entrada de caverna vazia à sua esquerda. Rápido e engenhoso, ele entrou, desembainhou sua corda e lançou um laço no homem que ameaçava Ta-den. A corda se ajustou na cabeça do homem, e Tarzan puxou com força com todo o seu peso.

En O Waz-don gritou e caiu de cabeça do recesso. Tarzan se preparou para o impacto. Quando a corda se apertou, houve um estalo nauseante de vértebras no súbito silêncio. Tarzan rapidamente puxou o corpo para cima e removeu o laço do pescoço, não querendo perder uma arma tão valiosa.

En Por alguns segundos, os guerreiros Waz-don permaneceram imóveis, como se atordoados. Então um deles gritou e começou a escalar em direção a Tarzan, incitando os outros a atacar. Esse homem era o mais próximo. Tarzan levantou o corpo do Waz-don morto acima de sua cabeça, gritou o desafio dos macacos-boi e arremessou o cadáver no guerreiro que subia com toda a sua força. O impacto arrancou o guerreiro de sua posição e quebrou duas estacas.

En Enquanto os corpos vivos e mortos caíam em direção à base do penhasco, os Waz-don soltaram um grande grito, gritando o nome Jad-guru-don, e então pediram que Tarzan fosse morto.

En Tarzan ficou no recesso ao lado de Ta-den, que repetiu Jad-guru-don com um sorriso, explicando que isso significava o homem terrível, Tarzan, o Terrível, e que mesmo que o matassem, nunca o esqueceriam.

En Tarzan começou a dizer que não o matariam, mas parou abruptamente quando dois homens, presos em um abraço mortal, tropeçaram para fora da caverna no alpendre externo. Um era Om-at; o outro era semelhante, mas com uma pelagem áspera de pelos eriçados. Eles estavam igualmente combinados e cada um pretendia matar o outro, lutando em quase silêncio, exceto por rosnados baixos quando se machucavam.

En Tarzan, agindo por instinto para ajudar seu aliado, saltou para se juntar à luta, mas Om-at grunhiu um aviso, dizendo que aquela luta era só dele.

En Tarzan entendeu e recuou.

En Ta-den explicou que era um gund-bar, uma batalha pela liderança, e que o homem lutando era provavelmente Es-sat, o chefe. Se Om-at matasse Es-sat sozinho, ele poderia se tornar chefe.

En Tarzan sorriu, reconhecendo a lei de sua própria selva — o código primordial do macaco-boi — que a civilização apenas pervertia com punhais contratados e veneno. Sua atenção se voltou para um guerreiro de Es-sat que aparecia na borda externa. Tarzan moveu-se para interceptá-lo, mas Ta-den foi mais rápido, gritando para o recém-chegado voltar, pois um gund-bar estava em andamento. O guerreiro olhou para os combatentes, depois chamou seus companheiros lá embaixo, dizendo que era um gund-bar entre Es-sat e Om-at. Virando-se para Tarzan e Ta-den, perguntou quem eles eram.

En Ta-den respondeu que eles eram amigos de Om-at.

En O guerreiro acenou com a cabeça, disse que eles seriam tratados depois, e desapareceu abaixo da borda.

En A luta no parapeito continuou com ferocidade inabalável, forçando Tarzan e Ta-den a se esforçarem para se manterem longe dos combatentes, que se rasgavam e golpeavam com mãos, pés e caudas violentas. Es-sat estava desarmado, como Pan-at-lee havia garantido, mas Om-at usava uma faca embainhada que ele não fez menção de sacar, pois seu código primitivo exigia que uma batalha de chefia fosse travada com armas naturais.

En Tarzan observou enquanto os dois homens, presos em um abraço feroz, caíram sobre a borda e desapareceram de vista.

En Tarzan, que gostava de Om-at, sentiu um arrependimento momentâneo. Mas quando ele e Ta-den olharam sobre a borda, viram os dois homens ainda vivos e lutando logo abaixo. Agarrados a estacas, eles lutavam pelo controle. Om-at, mais jovem e mais forte, estava forçando Es-sat para longe da parede e quebrando suas pegadas uma por uma. Es-sat, enfraquecendo e desesperado, alcançou a faca de Om-at com sua cauda.

En Tarzan viu o ato covarde e agiu rapidamente. Enquanto a cauda de Es-sat puxava a faca, Tarzan a agarrou e, no mesmo instante, Om-at empurrou Es-sat para longe, fazendo-o perder o controle e cair gritando até a morte.

Tarzan-jad-guru

En Tarzan e Om-at subiram de volta à entrada da caverna, onde ficaram com Ta-den, preparados para qualquer consequência da morte de Es-sat. Enquanto isso, o sol nascente tocou um dorminhoco em uma planície distante e espinhosa, despertando-o para mais um dia de rastreamento de um rastro fraco.

En O silêncio caiu sobre a tribo. Eles olharam para o chefe morto, depois uns para os outros e, finalmente, para Om-at e seus companheiros. Então Om-at falou, declarando que agora era o líder de Kor-ul-JA e desafiando qualquer um a negar.

En Ele esperou que alguém aceitasse seu desafio. Alguns dos jovens maiores se mexeram inquietos e olharam para ele, mas ninguém respondeu.

En Ele disse com finalidade que Om-at era gund, e então perguntou onde estavam Pan-at-lee, seu pai e seus irmãos.

En Um velho guerreiro falou, dizendo que Pan-at-lee deveria estar em sua caverna e que Om-at, que estava lá, deveria saber disso melhor que ninguém. Ele acrescentou que o pai e os irmãos dela haviam sido enviados para vigiar Kor-ul-lul. Então questionou se Om-at poderia ser chefe de Kor-ul-JA enquanto se opunha ao seu próprio povo com um Ho-don e o homem sem cauda. Ele aconselhou Om-at a entregar os estranhos para serem mortos, como era o costume dos Waz-don, para que Om-at pudesse se tornar gund.

En Tarzan e Ta-den permaneceram em silêncio, observando Om-at e aguardando sua decisão. Um leve sorriso brincou nos lábios do homem-macaco. Ta-den reconheceu que o velho guerreiro falava a verdade: os Waz-don não recebiam estranhos e nunca faziam prisioneiros de outras raças.

En Om-at então falou sobre mudança. Ele disse que mesmo as antigas colinas de Pal-ul-don nunca pareciam duas vezes iguais, alteradas pelo sol, nuvem, lua, névoa, estações e a clareza após uma tempestade. Observou que, do nascimento à morte, cada pessoa muda diariamente. Portanto, concluiu, a mudança era uma das leis de Jad-ben-Otho.

En Om-at, o gund, anunciou que estava instituindo uma mudança: a partir de então, os Waz-don de Kor-ul-JA não mais matariam estranhos corajosos que fossem bons amigos.

En Os guerreiros murmuravam e resmungavam, movendo-se inquietos enquanto se observavam, esperando que alguém desafiasse Om-at, aquele que estava quebrando suas tradições.

En O novo gund ordenou que parassem de murmurar. Lembrou-lhes que ele era o chefe e sua palavra era lei. Eles não o haviam feito chefe; alguns haviam ajudado Es-sat a expulsá-lo, e os outros permitiram. Ele nada lhes devia. Apenas os dois estranhos que queriam que ele matasse haviam sido leais. Se alguém duvidasse de sua autoridade, que essa pessoa falasse, pois não viveria para envelhecer.

En Tarzan ficou satisfeito; reconheceu um espírito afim. Admirou o desafio destemido de Om-at e conhecia o suficiente sobre os homens para perceber que não era uma ameaça vazia — Om-at sustentaria suas palavras até a morte se necessário, e provavelmente não seria o que morreria. Evidentemente, a maioria dos Kor-ul-jaians compartilhava essa convicção.

En Vendo que ninguém parecia inclinado a contestar sua autoridade, Om-at declarou que seria um bom gund, garantindo a segurança de suas esposas e filhas, ao contrário do que ocorria sob o domínio de Es-sat. Disse-lhes que voltassem para suas plantações e caça. Ele estava saindo para procurar Pan-at-lee, e em sua ausência, Ab-on serviria como gund. Eles deveriam buscar orientação com Ab-on, e prestar contas a Om-at quando ele retornasse. Desejou-lhes a bênção de Jad-ben-Otho.

En Ele se dirigiu a Tarzan e aos Ho-don, informando-os de que estavam livres para se movimentar entre o seu povo. Ele declarou que a caverna de seus ancestrais pertencia a eles e que poderiam usá-la como desejassem.

En Tarzan afirmou que acompanharia Om-at na busca por Pan-at-lee.

En Ta-den acrescentou que também se juntaria à busca.

En Om-at sorriu e exclamou sua aprovação. Ele propôs que, assim que encontrassem Pan-at-lee, prosseguiriam juntos nas missões de Tarzan e Ta-den. Então, voltando-se para seus guerreiros, perguntou onde deveriam procurar primeiro e se alguém sabia de sua possível localização.

En Ninguém tinha qualquer conhecimento além do fato de que Pan-at-lee havia se retirado para sua caverna com os outros na noite anterior; não havia pista ou indício sobre seu paradeiro atual.

En Tarzan pediu para ser levado até onde a mulher dormia e insistiu em ver uma peça de sua roupa. Ele expressou confiança de que isso permitiria que ele os ajudasse.

En Dois jovens guerreiros, In-sad e O-dan, aproximaram-se do parapeito onde Om-at estava. Foi O-dan quem falou.

En O-dan dirigiu-se a Om-at como Gund de Kor-ul-JA e expressou o desejo deles de se juntar a ele na busca por Pan-at-lee.

En Este foi o primeiro reconhecimento da liderança de Om-at. Imediatamente, a tensão diminuiu; os guerreiros falaram abertamente e as mulheres saíram das cavernas. In-sad e O-dan haviam iniciado essa mudança, e agora todos pareciam ansiosos para seguir. Alguns vieram conversar com Om-at e examinar Tarzan, enquanto os líderes das cavernas reuniam seus caçadores para planejar o dia. Mulheres e crianças se prepararam para descer aos campos, acompanhadas pelos jovens e velhos cujo dever era protegê-los.

En Om-at declarou que O-dan e In-sad os acompanhariam, afirmando que não precisavam de mais ninguém. Ele então convidou Tarzan para segui-lo até o local onde Pan-at-lee dormia, embora tenha expressado perplexidade quanto à curiosidade de Tarzan, observando que Pan-at-lee não estava lá, pois ele já havia procurado.

En Os dois entraram na caverna, e Om-at os guiou até a sala onde Es-sat havia assustado Pan-at-lee na noite anterior.

En Om-at explicou que tudo na sala pertencia a Pan-at-lee, exceto o porrete de guerra no chão, que era de Es-sat.

En O homem-macaco moveu-se silenciosamente pela sala, suas narinas tremendo sutilmente, mal notado por seu companheiro, que ficou impaciente e se perguntou o que estavam conseguindo.

En Logo, o homem-macaco chamou seu companheiro e liderou o caminho até a parte externa da caverna.

En Seus três companheiros estavam esperando ali. Tarzan moveu-se para o lado esquerdo do nicho e estudou os pinos ao alcance. Ele olhou, mas não eram seus olhos que estavam trabalhando. Seu olfato, mais aguçado que seus olhos, havia sido treinado desde a infância por sua mãe adotiva Kala e aperfeiçoado na selva pelo instinto de sobrevivência.

En Ele virou do lado esquerdo do nicho para o direito. Nessa altura, Om-at já estava ficando impaciente.

En Ele insistiu que partissem, afirmando que precisavam procurar Pan-at-lee se esperavam encontrá-la.

En Tarzan perguntou onde deveriam procurar.

En Om-at coçou a cabeça e repetiu a pergunta, então declarou que procurariam por todo Pal-ul-don se necessário.

En Tarzan comentou que era uma tarefa grande. Ele então disse para virem, indicando que ela tinha ido por ali, e subiu as estacas que levavam até o topo do penhasco. Seguiu o rastro facilmente porque ninguém mais tinha passado desde que Pan-at-lee fugiu. No local onde ela havia deixado as estacas permanentes e usado as próprias, Tarzan parou de repente. Ele gritou para Om-at, que estava diretamente atrás dele, que ela tinha ido por ali até o topo, mas não havia estacas lá.

En Om-at expressou incerteza sobre como Tarzan sabia que a garota havia tomado aquele caminho, mas então instruiu In-sad a voltar e trazer estacas de escalada para cinco pessoas.

En In-sad rapidamente retornou com as estacas, que foram distribuídas. Om-at deu cinco a Tarzan e explicou como usá-las. Tarzan devolveu uma, afirmando que precisava apenas de quatro.

En Om-at sorriu e comentou que Tarzan seria uma criatura maravilhosa não fosse sua deformidade, enquanto olhava orgulhosamente para sua própria cauda forte.

En Tarzan reconheceu sua deficiência e pediu que os outros prosseguissem, deixando as estacas no lugar para ele, pois temia um progresso lento sem a capacidade de segurar estacas com os dedos dos pés como eles faziam.

En Om-at concordou com um plano: ele, Ta-den e In-sad iriam primeiro; Tarzan seguiria; e O-dan ficaria na retaguarda para recolher as estacas, para que os inimigos não as encontrassem.

En Tarzan perguntou se os inimigos não conseguiam trazer suas próprias estacas.

En Ele admitiu que isso atrasava os atacantes e simplificava a própria defesa, acrescentando que os inimigos não conseguiam distinguir quais buracos eram profundos o suficiente para segurar estacas — os demais eram rasos e destinados apenas a enganar.

En No topo do penhasco, ao lado da árvore retorcida, Tarzan retomou a trilha. O cheiro era tão forte quanto nas estacas, e ele apressou-se pela crista em direção ao Kor-ul-lul.

En Ele explicou a Om-at que ela havia corrido em velocidade máxima, e que um leão a perseguia.

En O-dan perguntou, enquanto o grupo se reunia ao redor do homem-macaco, se ele conseguia interpretar tais sinais na grama.

En Tarzan concordou e expressou dúvida de que o leão a tivesse pegado. Ele disse que descobririam em breve e, apontando para sudoeste descendo a crista, declarou que o leão não a havia capturado.

En Os outros olharam para onde Tarzan apontou e logo notaram algo se movendo em alguns arbustos a cerca de duzentos metros de distância.

En Om-at perguntou o que era o movimento e se era a mulher, então começou a caminhar em direção aos arbustos.

En Tarzan aconselhou-o a esperar, explicando que era o leão que estava perseguindo a mulher.

En Ta-den perguntou se Tarzan conseguia ver o leão.

En Ele respondeu que conseguia sentir o cheiro do leão.

En Os outros demonstraram espanto e incredulidade, mas suas dúvidas foram rapidamente esclarecidas. Logo os arbustos se abriram e o leão apareceu em plena vista. Era uma criatura magnífica, grande e com uma bela juba, com manchas bem definidas semelhantes às de um leopardo. Olhou para eles por um momento, então, ainda irritado por ter perdido sua presa mais cedo, atacou.

The Pithecanthropus

Português

A grande fera moveu-se pela selva da meia-noite, silenciosa como uma sombra. Seus olhos amarelo-esverdeados eram redondos e fixos, sua cauda ondulava e sua cabeça estava baixa enquanto caçava. A lua salpicava clareiras ocasionais, que o felino evitava. Movia-se pela vegetação densa sobre galhos e folhas sem fazer qualquer sombra que ouvidos humanos pudessem detectar.

Original English

Silent as the shadows through which he moved, the great beast slunk through the midnight jungle, his yellow-green eyes round and staring, his sinewy tail undulating behind him, his head lowered and flattened, and every muscle vibrant to the thrill of the hunt. The jungle moon dappled an occasional clearing which the great cat was always careful to avoid. Though he moved through thick verdure across a carpet of innumerable twigs, broken branches, and leaves, his passing gave forth no sound that might have been apprehended by dull human ears.

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Português

A criatura sendo caçada, cem passos à frente do leão, era menos cautelosa. Ela andava diretamente pelas clareiras iluminadas pela lua, buscando caminhos fáceis. Andava sobre dois pés e não tinha pelos, exceto por uma cabeleira preta no topo da cabeça. Seus braços eram bem formados e musculosos, suas mãos poderosas com dedos longos e polegares que quase alcançavam a primeira articulação dos indicadores. Suas pernas eram proporcionais, mas seus pés eram incomuns: os dedões se projetavam em ângulo reto, ao contrário da maioria das raças humanas, exceto algumas das mais primitivas.

Original English

Apparently less cautious was the hunted thing moving even as silently as the lion a hundred paces ahead of the tawny carnivore, for instead of skirting the moon-splashed natural clearings it passed directly across them, and by the tortuous record of its spoor it might indeed be guessed that it sought these avenues of least resistance, as well it might, since, unlike its grim stalker, it walked erect upon two feet -- it walked upon two feet and was hairless except for a black thatch upon its head; its arms were well shaped and muscular; its hands powerful and slender with long tapering fingers and thumbs reaching almost to the first joint of the index fingers. Its legs too were shapely but its feet departed from the standards of all races of men, except possibly a few of the lowest races, in that the great toes protruded at right angles from the foot.

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Português

Fazendo uma pausa sob a luz plena da lua, a criatura escutou atrás de si. Quando ergueu a cabeça, suas feições estavam nítidas: fortes, bem definidas e bonitas. Seria notada por sua beleza em qualquer grande cidade. Mas era um homem? Um observador poderia ter se perguntado, porque de sob sua tanga de pele preta pendia uma longa cauda branca e sem pelos.

Original English

Pausing momentarily in the full light of the gorgeous African moon the creature turned an attentive ear to the rear and then, his head lifted, his features might readily have been discerned in the moonlight. They were strong, clean cut, and regular -- features that would have attracted attention for their masculine beauty in any of the great capitals of the world. But was this thing a man? It would have been hard for a watcher in the trees to have decided as the lion's prey resumed its way across the silver tapestry that Luna had laid upon the floor of the dismal jungle, for from beneath the loin cloth of black fur that girdled its thighs there depended a long hairless, white tail.

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Português

Em uma mão, a criatura carregava um porrete robusto. Uma faca curta embainhada pendia de um cinto de ombro no lado esquerdo, e uma bolsa de um cinto transversal no quadril direito. Um largo cinturão, incrustado com o que parecia ser ouro virgem, prendia as tiras e a tanga no lugar. Era fechado no centro do abdômen com uma grande fivela ornamentada que brilhava com o que pareciam pedras preciosas.

Original English

In one hand the creature carried a stout club, and suspended at its left side from a shoulder belt was a short, sheathed knife, while a cross belt supported a pouch at its right hip. Confining these straps to the body and also apparently supporting the loin cloth was a broad girdle which glittered in the moonlight as though encrusted with virgin gold, and was clasped in the center of the belly with a huge buckle of ornate design that scintillated as with precious stones.

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Português

Numa, o leão, aproximou-se cada vez mais de sua vítima pretendida. A criatura estava ciente do perigo, como mostrava a frequência com que virava o ouvido e os olhos negros na direção do felino atrás dela. Não acelerou muito, mas usou uma longa passada balançante onde o chão era aberto. Afrouxou a faca na bainha e manteve o porrete pronto para ação imediata.

Original English

Closer and closer crept Numa, the lion, to his intended victim, and that the latter was not entirely unaware of his danger was evidenced by the increasing frequency with which he turned his ear and his sharp black eyes in the direction of the cat upon his trail. He did not greatly increase his speed, a long swinging walk where the open places permitted, but he loosened the knife in its scabbard and at all times kept his club in readiness for instant action.

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Português

Depois de forçar passagem por uma faixa densa de selva, o homem-coisa emergiu em uma grande área quase sem árvores. Ele hesitou por um momento, olhando para trás e para cima, para os galhos seguros acima, mas algo mais forte que o medo o impulsionou adiante. Ele deixou a segurança das árvores e atravessou a planície, movendo-se de um santuário frondoso a outro, embora as lacunas entre eles se tornassem maiores. Quando ele havia deixado duas árvores para trás, a distância até a próxima se tornou considerável. Naquele momento, Numa saiu da cobertura da selva e, vendo sua presa aparentemente indefesa, ergueu o rabo e avançou.

Original English

Forging at last through a narrow strip of dense jungle vegetation the man-thing broke through into an almost treeless area of considerable extent. For an instant he hesitated, glancing quickly behind him and then up at the security of the branches of the great trees waving overhead, but some greater urge than fear or caution influenced his decision apparently, for he moved off again across the little plain leaving the safety of the trees behind him. At greater or less intervals leafy sanctuaries dotted the grassy expanse ahead of him and the route he took, leading from one to another, indicated that he had not entirely cast discretion to the winds. But after the second tree had been left behind the distance to the next was considerable, and it was then that Numa walked from the concealing cover of the jungle and, seeing his quarry apparently helpless before him, raised his tail stiffly erect and charged.

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Português

Dois longos e cansativos meses haviam se passado desde que Tarzan dos Macacos soube, pelo diário de um capitão alemão morto, que sua esposa ainda estava viva. Com a ajuda entusiástica do Departamento de Inteligência da Expedição Britânica da África Oriental, ele descobriu que uma tentativa havia sido feita para esconder Lady Jane no interior. As razões para isso eram conhecidas apenas pelo Alto Comando Alemão.

Original English

Two months -- two long, weary months filled with hunger, with thirst, with hardships, with disappointment, and, greater than all, with gnawing pain -- had passed since Tarzan of the Apes learned from the diary of the dead German captain that his wife still lived. A brief investigation in which he was enthusiastically aided by the Intelligence Department of the British East African Expedition revealed the fact that an attempt had been made to keep Lady Jane in hiding in the interior, for reasons of which only the German High Command might be cognizant.

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Português

Ela havia sido enviada através da fronteira para o Estado Livre do Congo sob a responsabilidade do Tenente Obergatz e um destacamento de tropas alemãs nativas.

Original English

In charge of Lieutenant Obergatz and a detachment of native German troops she had been sent across the border into the Congo Free State.

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Português

Partindo sozinho, Tarzan conseguiu encontrar a vila onde sua esposa havia sido mantida, apenas para descobrir que ela havia escapado meses antes e que o oficial alemão havia desaparecido ao mesmo tempo. As histórias que ele ouviu de chefes e guerreiros eram vagas e frequentemente contraditórias. Ele só podia adivinhar a direção que os fugitivos haviam tomado juntando fragmentos de evidências de várias fontes.

Original English

Starting out alone in search of her, Tarzan had succeeded in finding the village in which she had been incarcerated only to learn that she had escaped months before, and that the German officer had disappeared at the same time. From there on the stories of the chiefs and the warriors whom he quizzed, were vague and often contradictory. Even the direction that the fugitives had taken Tarzan could only guess at by piecing together bits of fragmentary evidence gleaned from various sources.

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Português

Tarzan foi forçado a considerar possibilidades sombrias com base em suas observações na vila. Ele encontrou provas incontestáveis de que o povo era canibal e viu vários artigos de uniformes e equipamentos alemães. Apesar das objeções mal-humoradas do chefe, o homem-macaco arriscou uma inspeção cuidadosa de cada cabana. Ele não encontrou nenhum artigo que pudesse ter pertencido à sua esposa, o que lhe deu um raio de esperança.

Original English

Sinister conjectures were forced upon him by various observations which he made in the village. One was incontrovertible proof that these people were man-eaters; the other, the presence in the village of various articles of native German uniforms and equipment. At great risk and in the face of surly objection on the part of the chief, the ape-man made a careful inspection of every hut in the village from which at least a little ray of hope resulted from the fact that he found no article that might have belonged to his wife.

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Português

Depois de deixar a aldeia, Tarzan viajou para o sudoeste. Ele suportou terríveis dificuldades ao cruzar uma vasta planície seca coberta de espinhos densos. Eventualmente, ele chegou a uma região que provavelmente nunca havia sido vista por nenhum homem branco, conhecida apenas nas lendas das tribos vizinhas. A paisagem incluía montanhas íngremes, planaltos bem irrigados, planícies amplas e vastos pântanos. No entanto, nenhum desses lugares era acessível até que, após semanas de esforço, ele encontrou um local para cruzar os pântanos — um trecho horrível infestado de cobras venenosas e outros répteis perigosos. Várias vezes ele vislumbrou o que poderiam ser enormes monstros reptilianos, mas porque havia muitos hipopótamos, rinocerontes e elefantes dentro e ao redor do pântano, ele nunca pôde ter certeza.

Original English

Leaving the village he had made his way toward the southwest, crossing, after the most appalling hardships, a vast waterless steppe covered for the most part with dense thorn, coming at last into a district that had probably never been previously entered by any white man and which was known only in the legends of the tribes whose country bordered it. Here were precipitous mountains, well-watered plateaus, wide plains, and vast swampy morasses, but neither the plains, nor the plateaus, nor the mountains were accessible to him until after weeks of arduous effort he succeeded in finding a spot where he might cross the morasses -- a hideous stretch infested by venomous snakes and other larger dangerous reptiles. On several occasions he glimpsed at distances or by night what might have been titanic reptilian monsters, but as there were hippopotami, rhinoceri, and elephants in great numbers in and about the marsh he was never positive that the forms he saw were not of these.

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Português

Quando Tarzan finalmente ficou em terra firme após cruzar os pântanos, ele entendeu por que este território havia resistido à coragem e resistência das raças heroicas do mundo exterior por talvez inúmeras eras. Essas raças, após inúmeros contratempos e sofrimentos inacreditáveis, haviam penetrado em quase todas as outras regiões de polo a polo, mas não nesta.

Original English

When at last he stood upon firm ground after crossing the morasses he realized why it was that for perhaps countless ages this territory had defied the courage and hardihood of the heroic races of the outer world that had, after innumerable reverses and unbelievable suffering penetrated to practically every other region, from pole to pole.

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Português

A abundância e variedade de caça sugeriam que todas as espécies conhecidas de aves, feras e répteis haviam buscado refúgio aqui, fazendo uma última resistência contra a propagação da humanidade. Os humanos haviam tomado constantemente os territórios de caça das ordens inferiores desde que o primeiro macaco perdeu seus pelos e parou de andar sobre os nós dos dedos. Até as espécies que Tarzan conhecia mostravam uma evolução divergente ou uma forma inalterada transmitida por inúmeras eras.

Original English

From the abundance and diversity of the game it might have appeared that every known species of bird and beast and reptile had sought here a refuge wherein they might take their last stand against the encroaching multitudes of men that had steadily spread themselves over the surface of the earth, wresting the hunting grounds from the lower orders, from the moment that the first ape shed his hair and ceased to walk upon his knuckles. Even the species with which Tarzan was familiar showed here either the results of a divergent line of evolution or an unaltered form that had been transmitted without variation for countless ages.

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Português

Havia também muitas linhagens híbridas. Uma das mais interessantes para Tarzan era um leão listrado de amarelo e preto. Era menor do que os leões que ele conhecia, mas ainda assim uma fera formidável, com caninos afiados como sabres e uma disposição feroz. Para Tarzan, isso sugeria que tigres já haviam vagado pela África, possivelmente dentes-de-sabre gigantes de outra época, e que estes haviam cruzado com leões, produzindo as criaturas terríveis que ele ocasionalmente encontrava.

Original English

Too, there were many hybrid strains, not the least interesting of which to Tarzan was a yellow and black striped lion. Smaller than the species with which Tarzan was familiar, but still a most formidable beast, since it possessed in addition to sharp saber-like canines the disposition of a devil. To Tarzan it presented evidence that tigers had once roamed the jungles of Africa, possibly giant saber-tooths of another epoch, and these apparently had crossed with lions with the resultant terrors that he occasionally encountered at the present day.

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Português

Os verdadeiros leões deste novo e velho mundo diferiam pouco daqueles que Tarzan conhecia. Em tamanho e conformação eram quase idênticos, mas em vez de perder as manchas de leopardo da infância, eles as mantinham por toda a vida, tão marcadas quanto as de um leopardo.

Original English

The true lions of this new, Old World differed but little from those with which he was familiar; in size and conformation they were almost identical, but instead of shedding the leopard spots of cubhood, they retained them through life as definitely marked as those of the leopard.

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Português

Tarzan procurou por dois meses e não encontrou nenhuma evidência de que a mulher que ele buscava havia entrado nesta terra bela, porém ameaçadora. No entanto, sua investigação de uma aldeia canibal e de outras tribos o convenceu de que, se Lady Jane ainda estava viva, ela devia ter ido nessa direção; ele havia eliminado todas as outras possibilidades. Ele não conseguia imaginar como ela havia atravessado o pântano, mas sentia fortemente que ela o havia feito, e que ele devia procurá-la ali. Este desconhecido deserto era vasto, com montanhas sombrias bloqueando seu caminho e torrentes dificultando seu progresso. Ele também tinha de enganar e lutar contra grandes predadores para encontrar comida.

Original English

Two months of effort had revealed no slightest evidence that she he sought had entered this beautiful yet forbidding land. His investigation, however, of the cannibal village and his questioning of other tribes in the neighborhood had convinced him that if Lady Jane still lived it must be in this direction that he seek her, since by a process of elimination he had reduced the direction of her flight to only this possibility. How she had crossed the morass he could not guess and yet something within seemed to urge upon him belief that she had crossed it, and that if she still lived it was here that she must be sought. But this unknown, untraversed wild was of vast extent; grim, forbidding mountains blocked his way, torrents tumbling from rocky fastnesses impeded his progress, and at every turn he was forced to match wits and muscles with the great carnivora that he might procure sustenance.

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Português

Tarzan e Numa frequentemente caçavam a mesma presa, e ora um, ora o outro levava o prêmio. Mas o homem-macaco raramente passava fome, pois a terra era rica em animais de caça, pássaros, peixes, frutas e muitos outros alimentos vegetais que um homem criado na selva podia consumir.

Original English

Time and again Tarzan and Numa stalked the same quarry and now one, now the other bore off the prize. Seldom however did the ape-man go hungry for the country was rich in game animals and birds and fish, in fruit and the countless other forms of vegetable life upon which the jungle-bred man may subsist.

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Português

Tarzan muitas vezes se perguntava por que, em um país tão rico, ele não encontrava sinais de humanos. Ele concluiu que a estepe seca e espinhosa e os terríveis pântanos formavam uma barreira suficiente para manter as pessoas afastadas.

Original English

Tarzan often wondered why in so rich a country he found no evidences of man and had at last come to the conclusion that the parched, thorn-covered steppe and the hideous morasses had formed a sufficient barrier to protect this country effectively from the inroads of mankind.

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Português

Após dias de busca, ele finalmente encontrou uma passagem pelas montanhas. Do outro lado, encontrou um país muito parecido com o que havia deixado. A caça era boa, e em um poço de água onde um desfiladeiro se abria para uma planície coberta de árvores, Bara, o veado, caiu facilmente diante da habilidade do homem-macaco.

Original English

After days of searching he had succeeded finally in discovering a pass through the mountains and, coming down upon the opposite side, had found himself in a country practically identical with that which he had left. The hunting was good and at a water hole in the mouth of a canyon where it debouched upon a tree-covered plain Bara, the deer, fell an easy victim to the ape-man's cunning.

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Português

Era entardecer. Os chamados de grandes predadores surgiam de várias direções. O desfiladeiro não oferecia refúgio seguro entre suas árvores, então o homem-macaco colocou o veado no ombro e desceu para a planície. Do outro lado, erguiam-se árvores altas, uma grande floresta que prometia uma selva imponente. Ele seguiu em direção a ela, mas, no meio da planície, avistou uma árvore solitária que parecia perfeita para uma noite de descanso. Ele subiu levemente em seus galhos e logo encontrou um lugar confortável para dormir.

Original English

It was just at dusk. The voices of great four-footed hunters rose now and again from various directions, and as the canyon afforded among its trees no comfortable retreat the ape-man shouldered the carcass of the deer and started downward onto the plain. At its opposite side rose lofty trees -- a great forest which suggested to his practiced eye a mighty jungle. Toward this the ape-man bent his step, but when midway of the plain he discovered standing alone such a tree as best suited him for a night's abode, swung lightly to its branches and, presently, a comfortable resting place.

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Português

Tendo comido a carne de Bara, Tarzan levou os restos para um local seguro no alto da árvore e então se acomodou para dormir. Logo se tornou alheio aos rugidos dos leões e ao uivo dos felinos menores.

Original English

Here he ate the flesh of Bara and when satisfied carried the balance of the carcass to the opposite side of the tree where he deposited it far above the ground in a secure place. Returning to his crotch he settled himself for sleep and in another moment the roars of the lions and the howlings of the lesser cats fell upon deaf ears.

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Português

Os ruídos habituais da selva ajudavam Tarzan a dormir, mas um som incomum, por mais fraco que fosse, sempre o acordava. Assim, ao ouvir passos correndo perto de sua árvore, ele ficou instantaneamente alerta. Diferente dos homens comuns, Tarzan acordava totalmente alerta, com todos os sentidos aguçados e claros.

Original English

The usual noises of the jungle composed rather than disturbed the ape-man but an unusual sound, however imperceptible to the awakened ear of civilized man, seldom failed to impinge upon the consciousness of Tarzan, however deep his slumber, and so it was that when the moon was high a sudden rush of feet across the grassy carpet in the vicinity of his tree brought him to alert and ready activity. Tarzan does not awaken as you and I with the weight of slumber still upon his eyes and brain, for did the creatures of the wild awaken thus, their awakenings would be few. As his eyes snapped open, clear and bright, so, clear and bright upon the nerve centers of his brain, were registered the various perceptions of all his senses.

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Português

Abaixo dele, Tarzan viu uma figura correndo em direção à sua árvore — à primeira vista um homem branco quase nu, mas uma longa cauda branca se estendia atrás. A figura estava sendo perseguida por Numa, o leão. Ambos se moviam silenciosamente, como espíritos em um mundo morto, precipitando-se para um desfecho sombrio.

Original English

Almost beneath him, racing toward his tree was what at first glance appeared to be an almost naked white man, yet even at the first instant of discovery the long, white tail projecting rearward did not escape the ape-man. Behind the fleeing figure, escaping, came Numa, the lion, in full charge. Voiceless the prey, voiceless the killer; as two spirits in a dead world the two moved in silent swiftness toward the culminating tragedy of this grim race.

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Português

Num instante, Tarzan entendeu a cena: uma criatura de pele branca como ele estava sendo perseguida por seu inimigo hereditário. Sem tempo para planejar, ele mergulhou de cabeça da árvore em direção a Numa, com a faca na mão — uma lâmina que já havia provado sangue de leão muitas vezes.

Original English

Even as his eyes opened and took in the scene beneath him -- even in that brief instant of perception, followed reason, judgment, and decision, so rapidly one upon the heels of the other that almost simultaneously the ape-man was in mid-air, for he had seen a white-skinned creature cast in a mold similar to his own, pursued by Tarzan's hereditary enemy. So close was the lion to the fleeing man-thing that Tarzan had no time carefully to choose the method of his attack. As a diver leaps from the springboard headforemost into the waters beneath, so Tarzan of the Apes dove straight for Numa, the lion; naked in his right hand the blade of his father that so many times before had tasted the blood of lions.

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Português

Uma garra rasgou o lado de Tarzan, deixando um ferimento profundo, mas ele caiu sobre as costas de Numa e cravou sua faca repetidamente na fera. A criatura que fugia, percebendo que estava sendo salva, virou-se e golpeou o crânio do leão com uma clava, atordoando-o. O golpe final de Tarzan encontrou o coração do leão, e o predador morreu.

Original English

A raking talon caught Tarzan on the side, inflicting a long, deep wound and then the ape-man was on Numa's back and the blade was sinking again and again into the savage side. Nor was the man-thing either longer fleeing, or idle. He too, creature of the wild, had sensed on the instant the truth of the miracle of his saving, and turning in his tracks, had leaped forward with raised bludgeon to Tarzan's assistance and Numa's undoing. A single terrific blow upon the flattened skull of the beast laid him insensible and then as Tarzan's knife found the wild heart a few convulsive shudders and a sudden relaxation marked the passing of the carnivore.

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Português

Tarzan saltou sobre seus pés, colocou o pé sobre a carcaça e olhou para a lua, a qual chamava de Goro. Em seguida, soltou o grito selvagem de vitória que tantas vezes ecoara por sua selva natal.

Original English

Leaping to his feet the ape-man placed his foot upon the carcass of his kill and, raising his face to Goro, the moon, voiced the savage victory cry that had so often awakened the echoes of his native jungle.

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Português

Quando Tarzan soltou aquele grito terrível, a criatura parecida com um homem recuou como se estivesse com medo. No entanto, depois que Tarzan guardou sua faca de caça e se virou para ele, o outro notou sua calma dignidade e não sentiu ameaça.

Original English

As the hideous scream burst from the ape-man's lips the man-thing stepped quickly back as in sudden awe, but when Tarzan returned his hunting knife to its sheath and turned toward him the other saw in the quiet dignity of his demeanor no cause for apprehension.

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Português

Por um momento, eles se estudaram. Então a criatura falou. Tarzan entendeu que os sons eram fala, expressando pensamentos em uma língua que ele não conhecia. A criatura tinha cauda e polegares de macaco, mas em todos os outros aspectos era claramente um homem com o poder da razão.

Original English

For a moment the two stood appraising each other, and then the man-thing spoke. Tarzan realized that the creature before him was uttering articulate sounds which expressed in speech, though in a language with which Tarzan was unfamiliar, the thoughts of a man possessing to a greater or less extent the same powers of reason that he possessed. In other words, that though the creature before him had the tail and thumbs and great toes of a monkey, it was, in all other respects, quite evidently a man.

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Português

A criatura notou o sangue escorrendo pelo lado de Tarzan. Ele tirou um pequeno saco de sua bolsa e fez sinal para Tarzan se deitar para que pudesse tratar o ferimento. Ele abriu o corte e polvilhou pó sobre a carne viva. A dor do remédio foi pior que a do próprio ferimento, mas Tarzan estava acostumado a sofrer e suportou sem reclamar. Em poucos momentos, o sangramento parou e a dor diminuiu.

Original English

The blood, which was now flowing down Tarzan's side, caught the creature's attention. From the pocket-pouch at his side he took a small bag and approaching Tarzan indicated by signs that he wished the ape-man to lie down that he might treat the wound, whereupon, spreading the edges of the cut apart, he sprinkled the raw flesh with powder from the little bag. The pain of the wound was as nothing to the exquisite torture of the remedy but, accustomed to physical suffering, the ape-man withstood it stoically and in a few moments not only had the bleeding ceased but the pain as well.

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Português

Tarzan tentou falar em vários dialetos tribais e na língua dos grandes símios, mas o homem não entendeu nenhum deles. Então o pitecantropo se aproximou e colocou a mão esquerda sobre o próprio coração e a palma direita sobre o coração de Tarzan. Tarzan entendeu isso como um cumprimento amigável e respondeu da mesma forma. Seu novo conhecido pareceu satisfeito e começou a falar novamente. Ele cheirou o ar, apontou para a carcaça do veado e tocou o estômago num claro sinal de fome. Tarzan o convidou para comer, e o outro subiu rapidamente para os galhos usando sua longa e forte cauda.

Original English

In reply to the soft and far from unpleasant modulations of the other's voice, Tarzan spoke in various tribal dialects of the interior as well as in the language of the great apes, but it was evident that the man understood none of these. Seeing that they could not make each other understood, the pithecanthropus advanced toward Tarzan and placing his left hand over his own heart laid the palm of his right hand over the heart of the ape-man. To the latter the action appeared as a form of friendly greeting and, being versed in the ways of uncivilized races, he responded in kind as he realized it was doubtless intended that he should. His action seemed to satisfy and please his new-found acquaintance, who immediately fell to talking again and finally, with his head tipped back, sniffed the air in the direction of the tree above them and then suddenly pointing toward the carcass of Bara, the deer, he touched his stomach in a sign language which even the densest might interpret. With a wave of his hand Tarzan invited his guest to partake of the remains of his savage repast, and the other, leaping nimbly as a little monkey to the lower branches of the tree, made his way quickly to the flesh, assisted always by his long, strong sinuous tail.

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Português

A criatura parecida com um homem comeu em silêncio, cortando tiras do lombo de veado com sua faca afiada. De seu poleiro na árvore, Tarzan observou seu companheiro, notando as muitas características humanas tornadas mais óbvias por seus polegares, dedões dos pés e cauda paradoxais.

Original English

The pithecanthropus ate in silence, cutting small strips from the deer's loin with his keen knife. From his crotch in the tree Tarzan watched his companion, noting the preponderance of human attributes which were doubtless accentuated by the paradoxical thumbs, great toes, and tail.

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Português

Tarzan se perguntou se aquele ser pertencia a uma espécie estranha ou era simplesmente um retrocesso. Qualquer uma das ideias teria parecido ridícula se ele não estivesse olhando para a evidência. A criatura era um homem com cauda, e mãos e pés adaptados para a vida nas árvores. Seus ornamentos, cobertos de ouro e joias, deviam ter sido feitos por artesãos habilidosos. Mas Tarzan não conseguia dizer se foram criados por aquele indivíduo, por outros como ele ou por uma raça completamente diferente.

Original English

He wondered if this creature was representative of some strange race or if, what seemed more likely, but an atavism. Either supposition would have seemed preposterous enough did he not have before him the evidence of the creature's existence. There he was, however, a tailed man with distinctly arboreal hands and feet. His trappings, gold encrusted and jewel studded, could have been wrought only by skilled artisans; but whether they were the work of this individual or of others like him, or of an entirely different race, Tarzan could not, of course, determine.

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Português

Após a refeição, o convidado limpou os dedos e lábios com folhas de um galho próximo. Ele olhou para Tarzan com um sorriso agradável, mostrando dentes brancos e fortes, com caninos não maiores que os do próprio Tarzan. Ele disse algumas palavras que Tarzan acreditou serem um agradecimento educado e então encontrou um lugar confortável na árvore para passar a noite.

Original English

His meal finished, the guest wiped his fingers and lips with leaves broken from a nearby branch, looked up at Tarzan with a pleasant smile that revealed a row of strong white teeth, the canines of which were no longer than Tarzan's own, spoke a few words which Tarzan judged were a polite expression of thanks and then sought a comfortable place in the tree for the night.

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Português

A terra jazia na escuridão antes do amanhecer quando Tarzan foi acordado por um violento balanço de sua árvore. Ele viu seu companheiro se mexendo. Olhando ao redor para encontrar a causa, o homem-macaco ficou estupefato com o que viu.

Original English

The earth was shadowed in the darkness which precedes the dawn when Tarzan was awakened by a violent shaking of the tree in which he had found shelter. As he opened his eyes he saw that his companion was also astir, and glancing around quickly to apprehend the cause of the disturbance, the ape-man was astounded at the sight which met his eyes.

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Português

A sombra difusa de uma forma gigantesca surgiu perto da árvore; o corpo enorme da criatura havia raspado contra os galhos e acordado Tarzan. Ele ficou ao mesmo tempo admirado e irritado por um animal tão grande poder se aproximar sem perturbá-lo. No começo pensou que fosse um elefante, mas maior do que qualquer um que já vira. Conforme seus olhos se ajustaram, ele viu, na altura dos olhos e a seis metros do chão, o contorno de um dorso serrilhado, cada espinha com um chifre grosso. Apenas parte do dorso era visível; o resto estava escondido nas sombras profundas abaixo. De lá vinha o som de mandíbulas poderosas triturando carne e ossos. Pelos odores, Tarzan percebeu que um enorme réptil estava se alimentando do leão que havia sido morto mais cedo.

Original English

The dim shadow of a colossal form reared close beside the tree and he saw that it was the scraping of the giant body against the branches that had awakened him. That such a tremendous creature could have approached so closely without disturbing him filled Tarzan with both wonderment and chagrin. In the gloom the ape-man at first conceived the intruder to be an elephant; yet, if so, one of greater proportions than any he had ever before seen, but as the dim outlines became less indistinct he saw on a line with his eyes and twenty feet above the ground the dim silhouette of a grotesquely serrated back that gave the impression of a creature whose each and every spinal vertebra grew a thick, heavy horn. Only a portion of the back was visible to the ape-man, the rest of the body being lost in the dense shadows beneath the tree, from whence there now arose the sound of giant jaws powerfully crunching flesh and bones. From the odors that rose to the ape-man's sensitive nostrils he presently realized that beneath him was some huge reptile feeding upon the carcass of the lion that had been slain there earlier in the night.

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Português

Tarzan, olhando curiosamente para a escuridão, sentiu um toque leve no ombro. Virando-se, viu seu companheiro, que colocou um dedo sobre os lábios para pedir silêncio e então puxou o braço de Tarzan para indicar que deveriam sair imediatamente.

Original English

As Tarzan's eyes, straining with curiosity, bored futilely into the dark shadows he felt a light touch upon his shoulder, and, turning, saw that his companion was attempting to attract his attention. The creature, pressing a forefinger to his own lips as to enjoin silence, attempted by pulling on Tarzan's arm to indicate that they should leave at once.

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Português

Entendendo que estava em uma terra desconhecida, provavelmente habitada por criaturas enormes com hábitos desconhecidos, o homem-macaco permitiu ser levado. O pitecantropo desceu cuidadosamente da árvore do lado oposto à grande criatura noturna, e Tarzan o seguiu, movendo-se silenciosamente pela planície adentro na noite.

Original English

Realizing that he was in a strange country, evidently infested by creatures of titanic size, with the habits and powers of which he was entirely unfamiliar, the ape-man permitted himself to be drawn away. With the utmost caution the pithecanthropus descended the tree upon the opposite side from the great nocturnal prowler, and, closely followed by Tarzan, moved silently away through the night across the plain.

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Português

Embora relutante em abrir mão da chance de examinar uma criatura tão estranha, Tarzan era sábio o suficiente para saber quando ser cauteloso. Como no passado, ele seguiu a lei da selva, que ensina a não buscar perigo desnecessário, já que suas vidas já tinham risco suficiente com a caça e o acasalamento.

Original English

The ape-man was rather loath thus to relinquish an opportunity to inspect a creature which he realized was probably entirely different from anything in his past experience; yet he was wise enough to know when discretion was the better part of valor and now, as in the past, he yielded to that law which dominates the kindred of the wild, preventing them from courting danger uselessly, whose lives are sufficiently filled with danger in their ordinary routine of feeding and mating.

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Português

Ao amanhecer, Tarzan se viu novamente à beira de uma grande floresta. Seu guia subiu rapidamente pelos galhos, movendo-se com a agilidade de um longo hábito e instinto. Embora a criatura usasse sua cauda, dedos das mãos e dos pés, o homem-macaco se movia pela floresta com tanta facilidade e certeza.

Original English

As the rising sun dispelled the shadows of the night, Tarzan found himself again upon the verge of a great forest into which his guide plunged, taking nimbly to the branches of the trees through which he made his way with the celerity of long habitude and hereditary instinct, but though aided by a prehensile tail, fingers, and toes, the man-thing moved through the forest with no greater ease or surety than did the giant ape-man.

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Português

Durante a jornada, Tarzan lembrou do ferimento em seu lado causado pelo leão Numa na noite anterior. Quando o examinou, ficou surpreso ao descobrir que estava indolor e não apresentava sinais de infecção, sem dúvida por causa do pó antisséptico que seu estranho companheiro havia aplicado.

Original English

It was during this journey that Tarzan recalled the wound in his side inflicted upon him the previous night by the raking talons of Numa, the lion, and examining it was surprised to discover that not only was it painless but along its edges were no indications of inflammation, the results doubtless of the antiseptic powder his strange companion had sprinkled upon it.

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Português

Após viajar cerca de uma ou duas milhas, o companheiro de Tarzan pousou em uma encosta gramada sob uma grande árvore. Os galhos da árvore pendiam sobre um riacho claro. Eles pararam para beber, e Tarzan achou a água maravilhosamente pura, fresca e gelada. Sua temperatura sugeria que havia descido rapidamente das altas montanhas.

Original English

They had proceeded for a mile or two when Tarzan's companion came to earth upon a grassy slope beneath a great tree whose branches overhung a clear brook. Here they drank and Tarzan discovered the water to be not only deliciously pure and fresh but of an icy temperature that indicated its rapid descent from the lofty mountains of its origin.

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Português

Tarzan removeu sua tanga e armas e entrou na pequena poça debaixo da árvore. Após pouco tempo, saiu sentindo-se revigorado e muito faminto. Ao emergir, notou seu companheiro olhando para ele com uma expressão confusa. O companheiro pegou Tarzan pelo ombro e o virou de modo que suas costas ficassem viradas para ele. Então, tocando a ponta da coluna de Tarzan com o dedo, ele enrolou sua própria cauda sobre o ombro. Ele virou Tarzan novamente e apontou primeiro para Tarzan, depois para sua própria cauda, parecendo intrigado e tagarelando animadamente em sua língua estranha.

Original English

Casting aside his loin cloth and weapons Tarzan entered the little pool beneath the tree and after a moment emerged, greatly refreshed and filled with a keen desire to breakfast. As he came out of the pool he noticed his companion examining him with a puzzled expression upon his face. Taking the ape-man by the shoulder he turned him around so that Tarzan's back was toward him and then, touching the end of Tarzan's spine with his forefinger, he curled his own tail up over his shoulder and, wheeling the ape-man about again, pointed first at Tarzan and then at his own caudal appendage, a look of puzzlement upon his face, the while he jabbered excitedly in his strange tongue.

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Português

Tarzan entendeu que seu companheiro provavelmente acabara de perceber que ele era naturalmente sem cauda, e não que sua cauda tivesse sido perdida por acidente. Para enfatizar que pertenciam a espécies diferentes, Tarzan apontou para seus próprios dedões dos pés e polegares.

Original English

The ape-man realized that probably for the first time his companion had discovered that he was tailless by nature rather than by accident, and so he called attention to his own great toes and thumbs to further impress upon the creature that they were of different species.

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Português

O companheiro balançou a cabeça duvidosamente, como se não pudesse entender por que Tarzan era tão diferente dele. Finalmente, pareceu desistir do enigma com um encolher de ombros. Ele removeu seu próprio arnês, pele e armas, e entrou na poça.

Original English

The fellow shook his head dubiously as though entirely unable to comprehend why Tarzan should differ so from him but at last, apparently giving the problem up with a shrug, he laid aside his own harness, skin, and weapons and entered the pool.

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Português

Após se lavar e vestir novamente suas roupas simples, o companheiro sentou-se ao pé da árvore e fez sinal para Tarzan sentar ao seu lado. Ele abriu a bolsa pendurada em seu lado direito e retirou tiras de carne seca e alguns punhados de nozes de casca fina que Tarzan nunca tinha visto antes. Quando o companheiro quebrou as nozes com os dentes e comeu a amêndoa, Tarzan o imitou e descobriu que a polpa da noz era rica e saborosa. A carne seca também era bastante comestível, embora obviamente tivesse sido preparada sem sal — um recurso que Tarzan imaginou que poderia ser difícil de encontrar naquela região.

Original English

His ablutions completed and his meager apparel redonned he seated himself at the foot of the tree and motioning Tarzan to a place beside him, opened the pouch that hung at his right side taking from it strips of dried flesh and a couple of handfuls of thin-shelled nuts with which Tarzan was unfamiliar. Seeing the other break them with his teeth and eat the kernel, Tarzan followed the example thus set him, discovering the meat to be rich and well flavored. The dried flesh also was far from unpalatable, though it had evidently been jerked without salt, a commodity which Tarzan imagined might be rather difficult to obtain in this locality.

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Português

Enquanto comiam, o companheiro de Tarzan mostrou-lhe vários objetos, como nozes e carne seca, repetindo seus nomes em sua língua nativa. Tarzan entendeu a intenção de seu novo amigo em ensiná-lo, o que poderia levar a uma comunicação futura. Tendo já dominado vários idiomas e dialetos, Tarzan sentiu-se confiante de que poderia aprender este novo, embora parecesse não ter relação com nenhum que conhecia.

Original English

As they ate Tarzan's companion pointed to the nuts, the dried meat, and various other nearby objects, in each instance repeating what Tarzan readily discovered must be the names of these things in the creature's native language. The ape-man could but smile at this evident desire upon the part of his new-found acquaintance to impart to him instructions that eventually might lead to an exchange of thoughts between them. Having already mastered several languages and a multitude of dialects the ape-man felt that he could readily assimilate another even though this appeared one entirely unrelated to any with which he was familiar.

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Português

Estavam tão absortos no café da manhã e na aula de idiomas que nenhum deles notou os olhos brilhantes observando de cima. Tarzan não percebeu o perigo até que uma grande criatura peluda saltou dos galhos sobre seu companheiro.

Original English

So occupied were they with their breakfast and the lesson that neither was aware of the beady eyes glittering down upon them from above; nor was Tarzan cognizant of any impending danger until the instant that a huge, hairy body leaped full upon his companion from the branches above them.

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"To the Death!"

Português

Tarzan viu que a criatura era semelhante em tamanho e forma ao seu companheiro, mas coberta por pelos pretos e desgrenhados que quase escondiam seu rosto. Suas armas e arreios lembravam os do companheiro que atacou. Antes que Tarzan pudesse intervir, a criatura golpeou seu companheiro na cabeça com uma clava nodosa, deixando-o inconsciente. Tarzan então enfrentou o atacante.

Original English

In the moment of discovery Tarzan saw that the creature was almost a counterpart of his companion in size and conformation, with the exception that his body was entirely clothed with a coat of shaggy black hair which almost concealed his features, while his harness and weapons were similar to those of the creature he had attacked. Ere Tarzan could prevent the creature had struck the ape-man's companion a blow upon the head with his knotted club that felled him, unconscious, to the earth; but before he could inflict further injury upon his defenseless prey the ape-man had closed with him.

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Português

Tarzan rapidamente percebeu que estava lutando contra uma criatura de força quase sobre-humana. Ela tentou agarrar sua garganta e levantar a clava, mas a própria força de Tarzan era grande. Ele desferiu um golpe poderoso no queixo do atacante, atordoando-o momentaneamente. Em seguida, agarrou sua garganta e o braço que segurava a clava, usou a perna para derrubar a criatura e a jogou ao chão, caindo sobre ela.

Original English

Instantly Tarzan realized that he was locked with a creature of almost superhuman strength. The sinewy fingers of a powerful hand sought his throat while the other lifted the bludgeon above his head. But if the strength of the hairy attacker was great, great too was that of his smooth-skinned antagonist. Swinging a single terrific blow with clenched fist to the point of the other's chin, Tarzan momentarily staggered his assailant and then his own fingers closed upon the shaggy throat, as with the other hand he seized the wrist of the arm that swung the club. With equal celerity he shot his right leg behind the shaggy brute and throwing his weight forward hurled the thing over his hip heavily to the ground, at the same time precipitating his own body upon the other's chest.

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Português

A clava caiu da mão da criatura com o impacto, e Tarzan perdeu a pegada em sua garganta. Eles ficaram presos em um abraço desesperado. A criatura tentou morder, mas Tarzan percebeu que seus dentes não eram muito mais fortes que os seus. No entanto, ele teve que se proteger da cauda da criatura, que tentava constantemente enrolar-se em seu pescoço — uma ameaça que ele nunca havia enfrentado antes.

Original English

With the shock of the impact the club fell from the brute's hand and Tarzan's hold was wrenched from its throat. Instantly the two were locked in a deathlike embrace. Though the creature bit at Tarzan the latter was quickly aware that this was not a particularly formidable method of offense or defense, since its canines were scarcely more developed than his own. The thing that he had principally to guard against was the sinuous tail which sought steadily to wrap itself about his throat and against which experience had afforded him no defense.

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Português

Tarzan e seu oponente lutaram ferozmente, rolando pelo chão perto de uma árvore. Ambos estavam mais concentrados em defender suas gargantas do que em atacar. Eventualmente, Tarzan os manobrou para mais perto de uma poça, com a intenção de forçá-los ambos para debaixo d'água enquanto permanecia por cima.

Original English

Struggling and snarling the two rolled growling about the sward at the foot of the tree, first one on top and then the other but each more occupied at present in defending his throat from the other's choking grasp than in aggressive, offensive tactics. But presently the ape-man saw his opportunity and as they rolled about he forced the creature closer and closer to the pool, upon the banks of which the battle was progressing. At last they lay upon the very verge of the water and now it remained for Tarzan to precipitate them both beneath the surface but in such a way that he might remain on top.

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Português

Naquele momento, Tarzan avistou uma criatura listrada com dentes de sabre e rosto diabólico agachada atrás de seu companheiro caído, olhando para ele com um rosnado hostil.

Original English

At the same instant there came within range of Tarzan's vision, just behind the prostrate form of his companion, the crouching, devil-faced figure of the striped saber-tooth hybrid, eyeing him with snarling, malevolent face.

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Português

Quase ao mesmo tempo, o oponente peludo de Tarzan notou o gato ameaçador. Ele parou imediatamente de atacar Tarzan e, tagarelando excitadamente, tentou se libertar do aperto de Tarzan, sinalizando que a luta havia terminado. Percebendo o perigo para seu amigo inconsciente, Tarzan o soltou, e ambos se levantaram.

Original English

Almost simultaneously Tarzan's shaggy antagonist discovered the menacing figure of the great cat. Immediately he ceased his belligerent activities against Tarzan and, jabbering and chattering to the ape-man, he tried to disengage himself from Tarzan's hold but in such a way that indicated that as far as he was concerned their battle was over. Appreciating the danger to his unconscious companion and being anxious to protect him from the saber-tooth the ape-man relinquished his hold upon his adversary and together the two rose to their feet.

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Português

Tarzan sacou sua faca e se aproximou lentamente de seu companheiro, esperando que seu recente inimigo fugisse. No entanto, para sua surpresa, a criatura recuperou seu porrete andou ao lado dele.

Original English

Drawing his knife Tarzan moved slowly toward the body of his companion, expecting that his recent antagonist would grasp the opportunity for escape. To his surprise, however, the beast, after regaining its club, advanced at his side.

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Português

O grande gato permaneceu achatado de barriga, imóvel exceto por seu rabo contraindo e lábios rosna do, a cerca de quinze metros de distância. Quando Tarzan passou por cima de seu companheiro, viu suas pálpebras tremerem e se abrirem. Ele sentiu um estranho alívio por a criatura estar viva e percebeu que, sem saber, um laço de afeto havia se formado em seu coração selvagem por esse novo amigo.

Original English

The great cat, flattened upon its belly, remained motionless except for twitching tail and snarling lips where it lay perhaps fifty feet beyond the body of the pithecanthropus. As Tarzan stepped over the body of the latter he saw the eyelids quiver and open, and in his heart he felt a strange sense of relief that the creature was not dead and a realization that without his suspecting it there had arisen within his savage bosom a bond of attachment for this strange new friend.

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Português

Tarzan e a besta peluda continuaram a se aproximar do dente-de-sabre. Quando o híbrido atacou, Tarzan saltou para frente e o tackleou como um jogador de rúgbi, envolvendo seus braços em volta do pescoço e da perna do animal. Eles rolaram no chão, o gato arranhando para se libertar enquanto Tarzan segurava firmemente.

Original English

Tarzan continued to approach the saber-tooth, nor did the shaggy beast at his right lag behind. Closer and closer they came until at a distance of about twenty feet the hybrid charged. Its rush was directed toward the shaggy manlike ape who halted in his tracks with upraised bludgeon to meet the assault. Tarzan, on the contrary, leaped forward and with a celerity second not even to that of the swift-moving cat, he threw himself headlong upon him as might a Rugby tackler on an American gridiron. His right arm circled the beast's neck in front of the right shoulder, his left behind the left foreleg, and so great was the force of the impact that the two rolled over and over several times upon the ground, the cat screaming and clawing to liberate itself that it might turn upon its attacker, the man clinging desperately to his hold.

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Português

Embora o ataque parecesse selvagem e impensado, na verdade era guiado pela mente astuta do homem-macaco. Suas pernas fortes habilmente evitaram as garras do gato, e no momento certo ele se levantou, puxando o gato para cima e forçando-o para trás até que ele só pudesse arranhar o ar impotentemente.

Original English

Seemingly the attack was one of mad, senseless ferocity unguided by either reason or skill. Nothing, however, could have been farther from the truth than such an assumption since every muscle in the ape-man's giant frame obeyed the dictates of the cunning mind that long experience had trained to meet every exigency of such an encounter. The long, powerful legs, though seemingly inextricably entangled with the hind feet of the clawing cat, ever as by a miracle, escaped the raking talons and yet at just the proper instant in the midst of all the rolling and tossing they were where they should be to carry out the ape-man's plan of offense. So that on the instant that the cat believed it had won the mastery of its antagonist it was jerked suddenly upward as the ape-man rose to his feet, holding the striped back close against his body as he rose and forcing it backward until it could but claw the air helplessly.

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Português

A criatura preta e peluda avançou e esfaqueou o dente-de-sabre com uma faca. Depois que o corpo do gato relaxou na morte, Tarzan soltou a presa e a empurrou para longe. Os dois antigos inimigos então ficaram frente a frente sobre o corpo do adversário em comum.

Original English

Instantly the shaggy black rushed in with drawn knife which it buried in the beast's heart. For a few moments Tarzan retained his hold but when the body had relaxed in final dissolution he pushed it from him and the two who had formerly been locked in mortal combat stood facing each other across the body of the common foe.

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Português

Tarzan esperou, pronto para lutar ou fazer as pazes. O preto peludo ergueu ambas as mãos, colocou uma sobre o próprio coração e tocou a outra no peito de Tarzan — uma saudação amigável. Tarzan, ávido por aliados neste mundo estranho, aceitou rapidamente a oferta de amizade.

Original English

Tarzan waited, ready either for peace or war. Presently two shaggy black hands were raised; the left was laid upon its own heart and the right extended until the palm touched Tarzan's breast. It was the same form of friendly salutation with which the pithecanthropus had sealed his alliance with the ape-man and Tarzan, glad of every ally he could win in this strange and savage world, quickly accepted the proffered friendship.

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Português

Após a breve cerimônia, Tarzan viu que o pitencantropo sem pelos havia recuperado a consciência e os observava. O preto peludo falou com ele em sua língua comum, e eles se aproximaram lentamente. Conversaram rapidamente, ocasionalmente olhando ou acenando para Tarzan, mostrando que ele fazia parte da discussão.

Original English

At the conclusion of the brief ceremony Tarzan, glancing in the direction of the hairless pithecanthropus, discovered that the latter had recovered consciousness and was sitting erect watching them intently. He now rose slowly and at the same time the shaggy black turned in his direction and addressed him in what evidently was their common language. The hairless one replied and the two approached each other slowly. Tarzan watched interestedly the outcome of their meeting. They halted a few paces apart, first one and then the other speaking rapidly but without apparent excitement, each occasionally glancing or nodding toward Tarzan, indicating that he was to some extent the subject of their conversation.

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Português

Eles avançaram e se encontraram novamente, repetindo a breve cerimônia de aliança que havia encerrado as hostilidades anteriormente. Então se aproximaram de Tarzan com gestos sérios, como se tentassem compartilhar notícias importantes. Eventualmente, abandonaram essa tentativa e usaram a linguagem de sinais para indicar que continuariam juntos e o convidaram a se juntar.

Original English

Presently they advanced again until they met, whereupon was repeated the brief ceremony of alliance which had previously marked the cessation of hostilities between Tarzan and the black. They then advanced toward the ape-man addressing him earnestly as though endeavoring to convey to him some important information. Presently, however, they gave it up as an unprofitable job and, resorting to sign language, conveyed to Tarzan that they were proceeding upon their way together and were urging him to accompany them.

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Português

Tarzan não havia percorrido aquela rota antes, então ficou feliz em concordar. Ele estava determinado a explorar minuciosamente esta terra desconhecida antes de desistir de sua busca por Lady Jane.

Original English

As the direction they indicated was a route which Tarzan had not previously traversed he was extremely willing to accede to their request, as he had determined thoroughly to explore this unknown land before definitely abandoning search for Lady Jane therein.

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Português

Por vários dias, eles viajaram pelas colinas ao lado da imponente cordilheira. Frequentemente eram ameaçados pelas criaturas selvagens desta região remota, e à noite Tarzan às vezes avistava formas estranhas e gigantescas nas sombras.

Original English

For several days their way led through the foothills parallel to the lofty range towering above. Often were they menaced by the savage denizens of this remote fastness, and occasionally Tarzan glimpsed weird forms of gigantic proportions amidst the shadows of the nights.

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Português

No terceiro dia, encontraram uma grande caverna natural em um penhasco baixo. Um riacho de montanha corria nas proximidades. Os três fizeram dela seu lar temporário, e o aprendizado de idiomas de Tarzan avançou mais rapidamente ali do que enquanto viajavam.

Original English

On the third day they came upon a large natural cave in the face of a low cliff at the foot of which tumbled one of the numerous mountain brooks that watered the plain below and fed the morasses in the lowlands at the country's edge. Here the three took up their temporary abode where Tarzan's instruction in the language of his companions progressed more rapidly than while on the march.

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Português

A caverna apresentava sinais de ocupantes humanos anteriores. Havia uma lareira rústica de pedra, e as paredes e o teto estavam enegrecidos por muitos fogos. Arranhados na fuligem e na rocha, havia hieróglifos estranhos, junto com contornos de animais, pássaros e répteis – alguns dos quais lembravam criaturas jurássicas extintas. Os companheiros de Tarzan leram as marcações mais recentes com interesse, comentaram sobre elas e então usaram suas facas para adicionar as suas próprias ao registro antigo.

Original English

The cave gave evidence of having harbored other manlike forms in the past. Remnants of a crude, rock fireplace remained and the walls and ceiling were blackened with the smoke of many fires. Scratched in the soot, and sometimes deeply into the rock beneath, were strange hieroglyphics and the outlines of beasts and birds and reptiles, some of the latter of weird form suggesting the extinct creatures of Jurassic times. Some of the more recently made hieroglyphics Tarzan's companions read with interest and commented upon, and then with the points of their knives they too added to the possibly age-old record of the blackened walls.

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Português

Tarzan achou as marcações intrigantes e concluiu que elas poderiam ser um registro primitivo de hotel. Isso lhe deu mais conhecimento sobre as criaturas que havia encontrado, que possuíam linguagem falada e escrita, apesar de suas características animalescas, como caudas e pelos grossos. Sua curiosidade cresceu e ele redobrou seus esforços para aprender a língua deles, já sabendo os nomes de seus companheiros e das plantas e animais comuns da região.

Original English

Tarzan's curiosity was aroused, but the only explanation at which he could arrive was that he was looking upon possibly the world's most primitive hotel register. At least it gave him a further insight into the development of the strange creatures with which Fate had thrown him. Here were men with the tails of monkeys, one of them as hair covered as any fur-bearing brute of the lower orders, and yet it was evident that they possessed not only a spoken, but a written language. The former he was slowly mastering and at this new evidence of unlooked-for civilization in creatures possessing so many of the physical attributes of beasts, Tarzan's curiosity was still further piqued and his desire quickly to master their tongue strengthened, with the result that he fell to with even greater assiduity to the task he had set himself. Already he knew the names of his companions and the common names of the fauna and flora with which they had most often come in contact.

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Português

Ta-den, o homem sem pelos e de pele branca, tornou-se tutor de Tarzan e ensinou com tanta dedicação que Tarzan dominou rapidamente sua língua. Om-at, o homem peludo e negro, também se sentiu responsável pela educação de Tarzan, então um ou outro o instruía constantemente. Como resultado, Tarzan absorveu rapidamente os ensinamentos e logo eles puderam se comunicar por meio da fala.

Original English

Ta-den, he of the hairless, white skin, having assumed the role of tutor, prosecuted his task with a singleness of purpose that was reflected in his pupil's rapid mastery of Ta-den's mother tongue. Om-at, the hairy black, also seemed to feel that there rested upon his broad shoulders a portion of the burden of responsibility for Tarzan's education, with the result that either one or the other of them was almost constantly coaching the ape-man during his waking hours. The result was only what might have been expected -- a rapid assimilation of the teachings to the end that before any of them realized it, communication by word of mouth became an accomplished fact.

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Português

Tarzan explicou a seus companheiros o propósito de sua jornada, mas nenhum deles pôde oferecer esperança. Eles lhe disseram que sua terra nunca conhecera uma mulher como a que ele descreveu, nem jamais tinham visto um homem sem cauda além do próprio Tarzan.

Original English

Tarzan explained to his companions the purpose of his mission but neither could give him any slightest thread of hope to weave into the fabric of his longing. Never had there been in their country a woman such as he described, nor any tailless man other than himself that they ever had seen.

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Português

Ta-den disse que estava fora de A-lur há sete ciclos lunares e que muitas coisas poderiam ter acontecido nesse período. Ele duvidava que a mulher de Tarzan tivesse conseguido atravessar os pântanos terríveis, que até mesmo Tarzan considerara quase impossíveis. Mesmo que tivesse conseguido, Ta-den questionava se ela poderia ter sobrevivido aos perigos que Tarzan já enfrentara, sem falar nos que ainda estavam por vir. Ele observou que nem mesmo suas próprias mulheres se aventuravam nas terras selvagens além das cidades.

Original English

"I have been gone from A-lur while Bu, the moon, has eaten seven times,"said Ta-den."Many things may happen in seven times twenty-eight days; but I doubt that your woman could have entered our country across the terrible morasses which even you found an almost insurmountable obstacle, and if she had, could she have survived the perils that you already have encountered beside those of which you have yet to learn? Not even our own women venture into the savage lands beyond the cities."

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Português

Tarzan refletiu sobre o nome 'A-lur', traduzindo-o para sua própria língua como 'Cidade da Luz' ou 'Cidade de Luz'. Ele então perguntou a Ta-den onde ficava A-lur e se era a cidade de ambos, Ta-den e Om-at.

Original English

"'A-lur,' Light-city, City of Light,"mused Tarzan, translating the word into his own tongue."And where is A-lur?"he asked."Is it your city, Ta-den, and Om-at's?"

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Português

O homem sem pelos afirmou que o item pertencia a ele, mas esclareceu que não era de Om-at. Ele afirmou que os Waz-don não tinham cidades, vivendo em vez disso em árvores da floresta e cavernas nas colinas, e então perguntou ao homem negro ao seu lado se isso era verdade.

Original English

"It is mine,"replied the hairless one;"but not Om-at's. The Waz-don have no cities -- they live in the trees of the forests and the caves of the hills -- is it not so, black man?"he concluded, turning toward the hairy giant beside him.

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Português

Om-at afirmou que os Waz-don eram livres, ao contrário dos Hodon que se confinavam em cidades. Ele declarou que não gostaria de ser um homem branco.

Original English

"Yes,"replied Om-at,"We Waz-don are free -- only the Hodon imprison themselves in cities. I would not be a white man!"

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Português

Tarzan sorriu, observando a distinção racial entre os Ho-don brancos e os Waz-don negros até mesmo naquele lugar. Apesar da aparente igualdade intelectual, o homem branco claramente se considerava superior, um fato evidente em seu sorriso tranquilo.

Original English

Tarzan smiled. Even here was the racial distinction between white man and black man -- Ho-don and Waz-don. Not even the fact that they appeared to be equals in the matter of intelligence made any difference -- one was white and one was black, and it was easy to see that the white considered himself superior to the other -- one could see it in his quiet smile.

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Português

Tarzan repetiu sua pergunta sobre A-lur, perguntando se eles estavam voltando para lá.

Original English

"Where is A-lur?"Tarzan asked again."You are returning to it?"

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Português

Ta-den respondeu que A-lur ficava além das montanhas, e ele não voltaria para lá até que Ko-tan não existisse mais.

Original English

"It is beyond the mountains,"replied Ta-den."I do not return to it -- not yet. Not until Ko-tan is no more."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou se seu nome era Ko-tan.

Original English

"Ko-tan?"queried Tarzan.

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Português

O pitecantropo explicou que Ko-tan era o rei que governava a terra. Ele havia sido um dos guerreiros de Ko-tan e morava no palácio, onde conheceu O-lo-a, a filha do rei. Eles se apaixonaram, mas Ko-tan desaprovou. Para se livrar dele, Ko-tan o enviou para lutar contra os homens de Dak-at, uma vila que se recusara a pagar tributo, esperando que ele fosse morto, pois Dak-at tinha muitos guerreiros valentes. Em vez disso, ele voltou vitorioso, trazendo o tributo e o próprio Dak-at como prisioneiro. Ko-tan ficou descontente porque o amor de O-lo-a por ele só tinha se fortalecido, alimentado pelo orgulho de seu sucesso.

Original English

"Ko-tan is king,"explained the pithecanthropus."He rules this land. I was one of his warriors. I lived in the palace of Ko-tan and there I met O-lo-a, his daughter. We loved, Likestar-light, and I; but Ko-tan would have none of me. He sent me away to fight with the men of the village of Dak-at, who had refused to pay his tribute to the king, thinking that I would be killed, for Dak-at is famous for his many fine warriors. And I was not killed. Instead I returned victorious with the tribute and with Dak-at himself my prisoner; but Ko-tan was not pleased because he saw that O-lo-a loved me even more than before, her love being strengthened and fortified by pride in my achievement.

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Português

Ta-den continuou, explicando que seu pai, Ja-don, era um chefe poderoso. Ko-tan hesitou em ofender Ja-don, então teve que elogiar o sucesso de Ta-den, mas o fez com um sorriso hipócrita que não alcançava os olhos. Ta-den esperava uma recompensa, talvez a mão de O-lo-a, mas Ko-tan pretendia casá-la com Bu-lot, filho de Mo-sar, que acreditava que deveria ser rei. Com esse casamento, Ko-tan esperava apaziguar Mo-sar e ganhar apoio daqueles que estavam ao lado de Mo-sar.

Original English

"Powerful is my father, Ja-don, the Lion-man, chief of the largest village outside of A-lur. Him Ko-tan hesitated to affront and so he could not but praise me for my success, though he did it with half a smile. But you do not understand! It is what we call a smile that moves only the muscles of the face and affects not the light of the eyes -- it means hypocrisy and duplicity. I must be praised and rewarded. What better than that he reward me with the hand of O-lo-a, his daughter? But no, he saves O-lo-a for Bu-lot, son of Mo-sar, the chief whose great-grandfather was king and who thinks that he should be king. Thus would Ko-tan appease the wrath of Mo-sar and win the friendship of those who think with Mo-sar that Mo-sar should be king.

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Português

Ta-den perguntou qual recompensa poderia ser dada a ele por sua lealdade. Ele observou que os sacerdotes eram muito honrados; até reis se curvavam diante deles nos templos. Tornar-se sacerdote seria uma grande honra, mas ele não queria, pois os sacerdotes (exceto o sumo sacerdote) tinham que se tornar eunucos e nunca poderiam se casar.

Original English

"But what reward shall repay the faithful Ta-den? Greatly do we honor our priests. Within the temples even the chiefs and the king himself bow down to them. No greater honor could Ko-tan confer upon a subject -- who wished to be a priest, but I did not so wish. Priests other than the high priest must become eunuchs for they may never marry.

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Português

A própria O-lo-a informou Ta-den que seu pai havia posto em movimento a maquinaria do templo. Um mensageiro estava vindo para convocá-lo a Ko-tan. Recusar o sacerdócio depois de oferecido significaria a morte, pois afrontaria o templo e os deuses. Mas se ele não aparecesse diante de Ko-tan, não teria que recusar. Então O-lo-a e Ta-den decidiram que ele deveria fugir, carregando um fio de esperança, em vez de ficar e perder toda a esperança ao se tornar sacerdote.

Original English

"It was O-lo-a herself who brought word to me that her father had given the commands that would set in motion the machinery of the temple. A messenger was on his way in search of me to summon me to Ko-tan's presence. To have refused the priesthood once it was offered me by the king would have been to have affronted the temple and the gods -- that would have meant death; but if I did not appear before Ko-tan I would not have to refuse anything. O-lo-a and I decided that I must not appear. It was better to fly, carrying in my bosom a shred of hope, than to remain and, with my priesthood, abandon hope forever.

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Português

Ele a segurou apertada sob as árvores no jardim do palácio, talvez pela última vez. Então, para evitar encontrar o mensageiro por azar, escalou o alto muro e atravessou a cidade escura. Seu nome e posição permitiram que ele saísse pelo portão da cidade. Desde então, ele vagou para longe das moradas dos Ho-don, mas sente um forte impulso de voltar, nem que seja para ver os muros da cidade que a abrigam, e para visitar sua aldeia natal e seus pais.

Original English

"Beneath the shadows of the great trees that grow within the palace grounds I pressed her to me for, perhaps, the last time and then, lest by ill-fate I meet the messenger, I scaled the great wall that guards the palace and passed through the darkened city. My name and rank carried me beyond the city gate. Since then I have wandered far from the haunts of the Ho-don but strong within me is the urge to return if even but to look from without her walls upon the city that holds her most dear to me and again to visit the village of my birth, to see again my father and my mother."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou se o risco era grande demais.

Original English

"But the risk is too great?"asked Tarzan.

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Português

Ta-den respondeu que o risco era grande, mas não grande demais; ele iria.

Original English

"It is great, but not too great,"replied Ta-den."I shall go."

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Português

O homem-macaco disse que iria com Ta-den para ver a Cidade da Luz, A-lur, e procurar sua companheira perdida, mesmo que a chance fosse pequena. Ele também perguntou a Om-at se ele se juntaria a eles.

Original English

"And I shall go with you, if I may,"said the ape-man,"for I must see this City of Light, this A-lur of yours, and search there for my lost mate even though you believe that there is little chance that I find her. And you, Om-at, do you come with us?"

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Português

Om-at concordou em ir. Ele disse que sua tribo vivia nos penhascos acima de A-lur, e embora seu chefe Es-sat o tivesse expulsado, ele queria voltar para ver uma fêmea chamada Pan-at-lee, que ficaria feliz em vê-lo. Es-sat temia que Om-at pudesse se tornar chefe, e talvez estivesse certo, mas Om-at estava mais interessado em encontrar Pan-at-lee do que em se tornar chefe.

Original English

"Why not?"asked the hairy one."The lairs of my tribe lie in the crags above A-lur and though Es-sat, our chief, drove me out I should like to return again, for there is a she there upon whom I should be glad to look once more and who would be glad to look upon me. Yes, I will go with you. Es-sat feared that I might become chief and who knows but that Es-sat was right. But Pan-at-lee! it is she I seek first even before a chieftainship."

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Português

Tarzan declarou que os três viajariam juntos.

Original English

"We three, then, shall travel together,"said Tarzan.

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Português

Ta-den acrescentou que eles lutariam juntos, como um só, e puxou sua faca, segurando-a acima da cabeça.

Original English

"And fight together,"added Ta-den;"the three as one,"and as he spoke he drew his knife and held it above his head.

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Português

Om-at repetiu o voto de unidade, sacando sua arma imitando Ta-den, e declarou que estava acordado.

Original English

"The three as one,"repeated Om-at, drawing his weapon and duplicating Ta-den's act."It is spoken!"

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Português

Tarzan, o dos Macacos, gritou sua unidade e compromisso até a morte, com sua lâmina brilhando ao sol.

Original English

"The three as one!"cried Tarzan of the Apes."To the death!"and his blade flashed in the sunlight.

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Português

Om-at insistiu que partissem, afirmando que sua faca estava ansiosa pelo sangue de Es-sat.

Original English

"Let us go, then,"said Om-at;"my knife is dry and cries aloud for the blood of Es-sat."

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Português

O caminho que Ta-den e Om-at seguiram mal podia ser chamado de trilha. Seria mais adequado para cabras montanhesas, macacos ou pássaros do que para seres humanos. No entanto, os três homens estavam acostumados a viajar de maneiras que pessoas comuns não poderiam tentar. Nas encostas mais baixas, o caminho passava por florestas densas onde o chão estava tão coberto de árvores caídas e vinhas e arbustos espessos que eles tinham que se manter nos galhos balançantes bem acima do emaranhado. Em outras ocasiões, a trilha passava ao longo da borda de desfiladeiros profundos onde as rochas escorregadias ofereciam apenas apoio momentâneo, mesmo para pés descalços, enquanto saltavam como camurças de um ponto precário para o próximo. A rota que Om-at escolheu através do cume era vertiginosa e aterrorizante, enquanto os guiava ao redor do lado de um pico imponente que se erguia dois mil pés verticalmente acima de um rio caudaloso. Quando finalmente chegaram a um terreno relativamente plano, Om-at virou-se e olhou atentamente para ambos, especialmente para Tarzan dos Macacos.

Original English

The trail over which Ta-den and Om-at led and which scarcely could be dignified even by the name of trail was suited more to mountain sheep, monkeys, or birds than to man; but the three that followed it were trained to ways which no ordinary man might essay. Now, upon the lower slopes, it led through dense forests where the ground was so matted with fallen trees and over-rioting vines and brush that the way held always to the swaying branches high above the tangle; again it skirted yawning gorges whose slippery-faced rocks gave but momentary foothold even to the bare feet that lightly touched them as the three leaped chamois-like from one precarious foothold to the next. Dizzy and terrifying was the way that Om-at chose across the summit as he led them around the shoulder of a towering crag that rose a sheer two thousand feet of perpendicular rock above a tumbling river. And when at last they stood upon comparatively level ground again Om-at turned and looked at them both intently and especially at Tarzan of the Apes.

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Português

Om-at lhes disse que ambos eram aceitáveis e aptos para serem companheiros para ele, o Waz-don.

Original English

"You will both do,"he said."You are fit companions for Om-at, the Waz-don."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou a Om-at o que ele queria dizer.

Original English

"What do you mean?"asked Tarzan.

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Português

Om-at explicou que os trouxera por aquele caminho para ver se algum deles faltava coragem para segui-lo onde ele liderava. Ele disse que os jovens guerreiros de Es-sat vinham ali para provar sua coragem. No entanto, mesmo tendo nascido e crescido em encostas de penhascos, não era desonra admitir que Pastar-ul-ved, o Pai das Montanhas, os havia derrotado. Daqueles que tentavam o desafio, apenas alguns conseguiam; os ossos dos outros jaziam aos pés de Pastar-ul-ved.

Original English

"I brought you this way,"replied the black,"to learn if either lacked the courage to follow where Om-at led. It is here that the young warriors of Es-sat come to prove their courage. And yet, though we are born and raised upon cliff sides, it is considered no disgrace to admit that Pastar-ul-ved, the Father of Mountains, has defeated us, for of those who try it only a few succeed -- the bones of the others lie at the feet of Pastar-ul-ved."

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Português

Ta-den riu e disse que não gostaria de vir por este caminho com frequência.

Original English

Ta-den laughed."I would not care to come this way often,"he said.

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Português

Om-at respondeu que não, mas a jornada havia sido encurtada em pelo menos um dia, para que Tarzan visse o Vale de Jad-ben-Otho mais cedo. Ele liderou o caminho subindo pelo ombro de Pastar-ul-ved até que uma cena de mistério e beleza se estendesse abaixo deles: um vale verde cercado por penhascos imponentes de brancura de mármore, salpicado de lagos azuis profundos e atravessado pelo rastro azul de um rio sinuoso. No centro, erguia-se uma cidade tão branca quanto os penhascos de mármore, que mesmo a uma grande distância exibia uma arquitetura estranha, porém artística. Fora da cidade, grupos isolados de edifícios eram visíveis ao redor do vale, às vezes um, às vezes dois, três ou quatro em um aglomerado, mas sempre da mesma brancura ofuscante e em alguma forma fantástica.

Original English

"No,"replied Om-at;"but it has shortened our journey by at least a full day. So much the sooner shall Tarzan look upon the Valley of Jad-ben-Otho. Come!"and he led the way upward along the shoulder of Pastar-ul-ved until there lay spread below them a scene of mystery and of beauty -- a green valley girt by towering cliffs of marble whiteness -- a green valley dotted by deep blue lakes and crossed by the blue trail of a winding river. In the center a city of the whiteness of the marble cliffs -- a city which even at so great a distance evidenced a strange, yet artistic architecture. Outside the city there were visible about the valley isolated groups of buildings -- sometimes one, again two and three and four in a cluster -- but always of the same glaring whiteness, and always in some fantastic form.

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Português

Ao redor do vale, os penhascos eram ocasionalmente cortados por desfiladeiros profundos cheios de vegetação, dando a aparência de rios verdes correndo em direção a um mar central de verde.

Original English

About the valley the cliffs were occasionally cleft by deep gorges, verdure filled, giving the appearance of green rivers rioting downward toward a central sea of green.

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Português

Na língua dos pithecantropos, Tarzan murmurou que o vale se chamava Jad Pele ul Jad-ben-Otho, que significa o Vale do Grande Deus, e que era bonito.

Original English

"Jad Pele ul Jad-ben-Otho,"murmured Tarzan in the tongue of the pithecanthropi;"The Valley of the Great God -- it is beautiful!"

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Português

Ta-den disse que em A-lur vivia Ko-tan, o rei que governava todo Pal-ul-don.

Original English

"Here, in A-lur, lives Ko-tan, the king, ruler over all Pal-ul-don,"said Ta-den.

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Português

Om-at exclamou que nestes desfiladeiros viviam os Waz-don, que não reconheciam Ko-tan como o governante de toda a Terra-do-homem.

Original English

"And here in these gorges live the Waz-don,"exclaimed Om-at,"who do not acknowledge that Ko-tan is the ruler over all the Land-of-man."

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Português

Ta-den sorriu e deu de ombros, sugerindo que não deveriam discutir por uma questão que nunca havia sido resolvida ao longo da história. Ele revelou um segredo: os Ho-don viviam juntos sob um único governante, apresentando uma frente unida em batalha. Em contraste, os Waz-don estavam divididos em uma dúzia de reis que lutavam não apenas contra os Ho-don, mas também entre si. Quando uma tribo Waz-don ia para a guerra, tinha que deixar guerreiros para trás para proteger suas mulheres e crianças das tribos vizinhas. Os Ho-don exploravam isso marchando em força contra uma única aldeia, capturando eunucos para os templos e servos para os campos e lares. Ta-den concluiu que enquanto os Waz-don permanecessem tolamente divididos, os Ho-don dominariam e seu rei seria o rei de Pal-ul-don.

Original English

Ta-den smiled and shrugged."We will not quarrel, you and I,"he said to Om-at,"over that which all the ages have not proved sufficient time in which to reconcile the Ho-don and Waz-don; but let me whisper to you a secret, Om-at. The Ho-don live together in greater or less peace under one ruler so that when danger threatens them they face the enemy with many warriors, for every fighting Ho-don of Pal-ul-don is there. But you Waz-don, how is it with you? You have a dozen kings who fight not only with the Ho-don but with one another. When one of your tribes goes forth upon the fighting trail, even against the Ho-don, it must leave behind sufficient warriors to protect its women and its children from the neighbors upon either hand. When we want eunuchs for the temples or servants for the fields or the homes we march forth in great numbers upon one of your villages. You cannot even flee, for upon either side of you are enemies and though you fight bravely we come back with those who will presently be eunuchs in the temples and servants in our fields and homes. So long as the Waz-don are thus foolish the Ho-don will dominate and their king will be king of Pal-ul-don."

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Português

Om-at admitiu que Ta-den poderia estar certo. Ele atribuiu o problema à tolice de seus vizinhos, cada um acreditando que sua própria tribo era a maior e deveria governar entre os Waz-don. Eles se recusavam a reconhecer que sua tribo tinha os guerreiros mais corajosos e as mulheres mais bonitas.

Original English

"Perhaps you are right,"admitted Om-at."It is because our neighbors are fools, each thinking that his tribe is the greatest and should rule among the Waz-don. They will not admit that the warriors of my tribe are the bravest and our shes the most beautiful."

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Português

Ta-den sorriu e apontou que todas as outras tribos Waz-don faziam os mesmos argumentos. Essa mesma discordância, disse ele, era a defesa mais forte dos Ho-don.

Original English

Ta-den grinned."Each of the others presents precisely the same arguments that you present, Om-at,"he said,"which, my friend, is the strongest bulwark of defense possessed by the Ho-don."

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Português

Tarzan exclamou que tais discussões frequentemente levavam a brigas, e os três deviam evitar brigas. Ele expressou interesse em aprender sobre as condições políticas, econômicas e religiosas da terra, mas não ao custo de amargura entre seus únicos amigos em Pal-ul-don. Ele perguntou se talvez eles compartilhassem o mesmo deus.

Original English

"Come!"exclaimed Tarzan;"such discussions often lead to quarrels and we three must have no quarrels. I, of course, am interested in learning what I can of the political and economic conditions of your land; I should like to know something of your religion; but not at the expense of bitterness between my only friends in Pal-ul-don. Possibly, however, you hold to the same god?"

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Português

Om-at respondeu com alguma amargura e entusiasmo, afirmando que de fato eles diferiam em seus deuses.

Original English

"There indeed we do differ,"cried Om-at, somewhat bitterly and with a trace of excitement in his voice.

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Português

Ta-den quase gritou que eles deveriam discordar. Ele argumentou por que não deveriam e questionou quem poderia concordar com algo tão absurdo.

Original English

"Differ!"almost shouted Ta-den;"and why should we not differ? Who could agree with the preposterous -- --"

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Português

Tarzan gritou para que parassem. Ele reconheceu que havia provocado uma grande confusão e sugeriu que parassem de discutir política ou religião.

Original English

"Stop!"cried Tarzan."Now, indeed, have I stirred up a hornets' nest. Let us speak no more of matters political or religious."

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Português

Om-at concordou que era mais sensato, mas mencionou que o deus único e exclusivo deles tinha uma cauda longa.

Original English

"That is wiser,"agreed Om-at;"but I might mention, for your information, that the one and only god has a long tail."

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Português

Ta-den gritou que era sacrilégio, colocando a mão na faca, e insistiu que Jad-ben-Otho não tinha cauda.

Original English

"It is sacrilege,"cried Ta-den, laying his hand upon his knife;"Jad-ben-Otho has no tail!"

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Português

Om-at gritou para que parassem e avançou, mas Tarzan imediatamente se interpôs entre eles.

Original English

"Stop!"shrieked Om-at, springing forward; but instantly Tarzan interposed himself between them.

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Português

Tarzan disse a eles com firmeza que deveriam ser fiéis aos seus juramentos de amizade, para que pudessem ser honrados diante de Deus, da forma como O imaginam.

Original English

"Enough!"he snapped."Let us be true to our oaths of friendship that we may be honorable in the sight of God in whatever form we conceive Him."

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Português

Ta-den concordou com Tarzan, chamando-o de Sem Cauda, e sugeriu que ele e Om-at se concentrassem na amizade e na segurança deles, confiando que Jad-ben-Otho era poderoso o suficiente para cuidar de si mesmo.

Original English

"You are right, Tailless One,"said Ta-den."Come, Om-at, let us look after our friendship and ourselves, secure in the conviction that Jad-ben-Otho is sufficiently powerful to look after himself."

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Português

Om-at concordou a princípio, mas depois pareceu hesitar.

Original English

"Done!"agreed Om-at,"but -- --"

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Português

Tarzan disse a Om-at para não discutir.

Original English

"No 'buts,' Om-at,"admonished Tarzan.

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Português

Om-at deu de ombros e sorriu. Ele perguntou se eles deveriam descer em direção ao vale, observando que o desfiladeiro abaixo estava vazio e o da esquerda tinha cavernas do seu povo. Ele queria ver Pan-at-lee novamente. Ta-den queria visitar seu pai no vale, e Tarzan queria entrar em A-lur para encontrar sua companheira, que estaria melhor morta do que capturada pelos sacerdotes Ho-don. Ele perguntou qual era o plano deles.

Original English

The shaggy black shrugged his shoulders and smiled."Shall we make our way down toward the valley?"he asked."The gorge below us is uninhabited; that to the left contains the caves of my people. I would see Pan-at-lee once more. Ta-den would visit his father in the valley below and Tarzan seeks entrance to A-lur in search of the mate that would be better dead than in the clutches of the Ho-don priests of Jad-ben-Otho. How shall we proceed?"

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Português

Ta-den insistiu que eles deveriam ficar juntos pelo maior tempo possível. Ele disse que Om-at deveria procurar Pan-at-lee à noite e em segredo, porque nem mesmo os três poderiam esperar derrotar Es-sat e todos os seus guerreiros. A qualquer momento eles poderiam ir para a vila onde seu pai era chefe, pois Ja-don sempre receberia bem os amigos de seu filho. No entanto, para Tarzan entrar em A-lur era outra questão, embora houvesse um caminho e ele tivesse coragem para tentá-lo. Então Ta-den se inclinou para sussurrar seu plano ousado, alertando que Jad-ben-Otho tinha ouvidos aguçados e não deveria ouvi-lo.

Original English

"Let us remain together as long as possible,"urged Ta-den."You, Om-at, must seek Pan-at-lee by night and by stealth, for three, even we three, may not hope to overcome Es-sat and all his warriors. At any time may we go to the village where my father is chief, for Ja-don always will welcome the friends of his son. But for Tarzan to enter A-lur is another matter, though there is a way and he has the courage to put it to the test -- listen, come close for Jad-ben-Otho has keen ears and this he must not hear,"and with his lips close to the ears of his companions Ta-den, the Tall-tree, son of Ja-don, the Lion-man, unfolded his daring plan.

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Português

Enquanto isso, a cem milhas de distância, uma figura magra, vestida apenas com uma tanga e armada, movia-se silenciosamente por uma estepe árida e espinhosa. Ele examinava constantemente o chão com olhos aguçados e um nariz sensível.

Original English

And at the same moment, a hundred miles away, a lithe figure, naked but for a loin cloth and weapons, moved silently across a thorn-covered, waterless steppe, searching always along the ground before him with keen eyes and sensitive nostrils.

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Pan-at-lee

Português

A noite caiu sobre a terra não mapeada de Pal-ul-don. Uma fina lua crescente pairava baixa no oeste, lançando uma luz suave e sobrenatural sobre as falésias brancas de giz. Sombras profundas preenchiam Kor-ul-JA, a Garganta-dos-leões, onde a tribo de mesmo nome vivia sob seu chefe, Es-sat. De uma abertura alta perto do topo do penhasco, uma figura peluda apareceu — primeiro cabeça e ombros — e seus olhos ferozes examinaram a encosta do penhasco em todas as direções.

Original English

Night had fallen upon unchartered Pal-ul-don. A slender moon, low in the west, bathed the white faces of the chalk cliffs presented to her, in a mellow, unearthly glow. Black were the shadows in Kor-ul-JA, Gorge-of-lions, where dwelt the tribe of the same name under Es-sat, their chief. From an aperture near the summit of the lofty escarpment a hairy figure emerged -- the head and shoulders first -- and fierce eyes scanned the cliff side in every direction.

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Português

Es-sat, o chefe, olhou ao redor para confirmar que estava sozinho na face do penhasco. Ao não ver ninguém, começou a se mover pela parede vertical de giz branco. Na luz fraca da lua, sua figura negra e peluda parecia deslizar milagrosamente, mas ele na verdade usava estacas grossas de madeira fixadas em buracos no penhasco. Com quatro membros semelhantes a mãos e uma longa cauda flexível, ele se movia com grande facilidade, como um rato gigante em uma parede enorme. Ele evitava cuidadosamente as entradas das cavernas, passando acima ou abaixo delas enquanto avançava.

Original English

It was Es-sat, the chief. To right and left and below he looked as though to assure himself that he was unobserved, but no other figure moved upon the cliff face, nor did another hairy body protrude from any of the numerous cave mouths from the high-flung abode of the chief to the habitations of the more lowly members of the tribe nearer the cliff's base. Then he moved outward upon the sheer face of the white chalk wall. In the half-light of the baby moon it appeared that the heavy, shaggy black figure moved across the face of the perpendicular wall in some miraculous manner, but closer examination would have revealed stout pegs, as large around as a man's wrist protruding from holes in the cliff into which they were driven. Es-sat's four handlike members and his long, sinuous tail permitted him to move with consummate ease whither he chose -- a gigantic rat upon a mighty wall. As he progressed upon his way he avoided the cave mouths, passing either above or below those that lay in his path.

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Português

Todas as cavernas pareciam semelhantes do lado de fora. Cada uma tinha uma grande abertura escavada na rocha calcária do penhasco, variando de oito a vinte pés de comprimento, oito pés de altura e quatro a seis pés de profundidade. Essa abertura formava uma espécie de varanda frontal. No fundo dessa varanda havia uma porta com cerca de três pés de largura e seis pés de altura, levando aos cômodos internos. De cada lado dessa porta havia aberturas menores, provavelmente janelas para deixar entrar luz e ar. Mais dessas janelas estavam espalhadas pela face do penhasco entre os alpendres de entrada, sugerindo que todo o penhasco era cheio de cômodos. A água escorria de muitas dessas pequenas aberturas, e as paredes acima de outras estavam enegrecidas pela fumaça. A água corrente havia erodido a rocha, criando canais de alguns centímetros a um pé de profundidade, indicando que alguns riachos estavam fluindo por muito tempo até a vegetação verde abaixo.

Original English

The outward appearance of these caves was similar. An opening from eight to as much as twenty feet long by eight high and four to six feet deep was cut into the chalklike rock of the cliff, in the back of this large opening, which formed what might be described as the front veranda of the home, was an opening about three feet wide and six feet high, evidently forming the doorway to the interior apartment or apartments. On either side of this doorway were smaller openings which it were easy to assume were windows through which light and air might find their way to the inhabitants. Similar windows were also dotted over the cliff face between the entrance porches, suggesting that the entire face of the cliff was honeycombed with apartments. From many of these smaller apertures small streams of water trickled down the escarpment, and the walls above others was blackened as by smoke. Where the water ran the wall was eroded to a depth of from a few inches to as much as a foot, suggesting that some of the tiny streams had been trickling downward to the green carpet of vegetation below for ages.

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Português

Nesta paisagem antiga, o grande homem-macaco não parecia deslocado; ele pertencia a ela tão naturalmente quanto as árvores no topo do penhasco ou as samambaias no vale úmido abaixo.

Original English

In this primeval setting the great pithecanthropus aroused no jarring discord for he was as much a part of it as the trees that grew upon the summit of the cliff or those that hid their feet among the dank ferns in the bottom of the gorge.

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Português

Ele parou em uma entrada, ouviu, então deslizou para as sombras da varanda tão silenciosamente quanto a luz da lua na água. Na porta interna, ele pausou novamente, ouvindo, antes de afastar silenciosamente a cortina de pele pesada e entrar em uma grande câmara esculpida na rocha. Uma luz fraca vinha de uma porta no extremo oposto. Ele rastejou em direção a ela, seus pés descalços não fazendo barulho, movendo o porrete nodoso de suas costas para a mão esquerda enquanto se movia.

Original English

Now he paused before an entrance-way and listened and then, noiselessly as the moonlight upon the trickling waters, he merged with the shadows of the outer porch. At the doorway leading into the interior he paused again, listening, and then quietly pushing aside the heavy skin that covered the aperture he passed within a large chamber hewn from the living rock. From the far end, through another doorway, shone a light, dimly. Toward this he crept with utmost stealth, his naked feet giving forth no sound. The knotted club that had been hanging at his back from a thong about his neck he now removed and carried in his left hand.

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Português

Depois da segunda porta, um corredor corria paralelo à face do penhasco, contendo mais três portas: uma em cada extremidade e uma terceira oposta aonde Es-sat estava. A luz vinha de uma sala no extremo esquerdo do corredor, onde uma chama bruxuleante subia e descia em um receptáculo de pedra sobre um banco monolítico esculpido no chão.

Original English

Beyond the second doorway was a corridor running parallel with the cliff face. In this corridor were three more doorways, one at each end and a third almost opposite that in which Es-sat stood. The light was coming from an apartment at the end of the corridor at his left. A sputtering flame rose and fell in a small stone receptacle that stood upon a table or bench of the same material, a monolithic bench fashioned at the time the room was excavated, rising massively from the floor, of which it was a part.

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Português

Em um canto da sala, além da mesa, havia um estrado de pedra com cerca de quatro pés de largura e oito pés de comprimento, coberto com peles macias curtidas. Uma jovem fêmea Waz-don estava sentada em sua borda, segurando uma peça serrilhada de ouro martelado em uma mão e uma escova rígida na outra, alisando seu pelo liso e brilhante que lembrava pele de foca depilada. Sua tanga listrada e os peitorais circulares de ouro estavam ao seu lado, revelando os belos contornos de sua figura nua, que era inteiramente preta e coberta de cabelo, mas inegavelmente adorável.

Original English

In one corner of the room beyond the table had been left a dais of stone about four feet wide and eight feet long. Upon this were piled a foot or so of softly tanned pelts from which the fur had not been removed. Upon the edge of this dais sat a young female Waz-don. In one hand she held a thin piece of metal, apparently of hammered gold, with serrated edges, and in the other a short, stiff brush. With these she was occupied in going over her smooth, glossy coat which bore a remarkable resemblance to plucked sealskin. Her loin cloth of yellow and black striped JATO-skin lay on the couch beside her with the circular breastplates of beaten gold, revealing the symmetrical lines of her nude figure in all its beauty and harmony of contour, for even though the creature was jet black and entirely covered with hair yet she was undeniably beautiful.

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Português

A expressão feroz e a respiração acelerada do chefe Es-sat revelaram seu desejo ao ver sua beleza. Ele avançou rapidamente para dentro da sala, e a jovem olhou para cima, seus olhos instantaneamente se enchendo de terror. Ela agarrou sua tanga e a ajustou rapidamente, então recolheu seus peitorais enquanto Es-sat contornava a mesa e avançava em direção a ela.

Original English

That she was beautiful in the eyes of Es-sat, the chief, was evidenced by the gloating expression upon his fierce countenance and the increased rapidity of his breathing. Moving quickly forward he entered the room and as he did so the young she looked up. Instantly her eyes filled with terror and as quickly she seized the loin cloth and with a few deft movements adjusted it about her. As she gathered up her breastplates Es-sat rounded the table and moved quickly toward her.

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Português

Ela sussurrou, perguntando o que ele queria, embora soubesse perfeitamente bem.

Original English

"What do you want?"she whispered, though she knew full well.

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Português

Ele se dirigiu a Pan-at-lee, dizendo que seu chefe tinha vindo buscá-la.

Original English

"Pan-at-lee,"he said,"your chief has come for you."

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Português

Ela exigiu saber se era por isso que ele tinha mandado o pai e os irmãos dela para espionar os Kor-ul-lul. Declarou que não o aceitaria e ordenou que ele saísse da caverna de seus ancestrais.

Original English

"It was for this that you sent away my father and my brothers to spy upon the Kor-ul-lul? I will not have you. Leave the cave of my ancestors!"

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Português

Es-sat sorriu, o sorriso desagradável de um homem cruel ciente de sua autoridade. Ele disse que iria embora, mas ela o acompanharia até sua caverna, onde seria invejada pelas mulheres de Kor-ul-JA. Ele ordenou que ela viesse.

Original English

Es-sat smiled. It was the smile of a strong and wicked man who knows his power -- not a pleasant smile at all."I will leave, Pan-at-lee,"he said;"but you shall go with me -- to the cave of Es-sat, the chief, to be the envied of the shes of Kor-ul-JA. Come!"

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Português

Pan-at-lee gritou que nunca iria, declarando seu ódio por ele. Ela disse que preferiria acasalar com um Ho-don do que com ele, a quem chamou de espancador de mulheres e assassino de bebês.

Original English

"Never!"cried Pan-at-lee."I hate you. Sooner would I mate with a Ho-don than with you, beater of women, murderer of babes."

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Português

O rosto do chefe se contorceu em uma expressão terrível. Ele gritou que domaria Pan-at-lee e quebraria sua vontade, declarando que Es-sat, o chefe, pega o que quer e que qualquer um que questione seu direito ou se oponha ao seu menor desejo deve primeiro servir a esse propósito e depois ser quebrado, como um prato de pedra que ele pegou e despedaçou com suas mãos poderosas. Ele disse que ela poderia ter sido a primeira e mais honrada na caverna de seus ancestrais, mas agora seria a última e a menor, e depois que ele terminasse com ela, ela pertenceria a todos os homens da caverna. Esse era o destino daqueles que rejeitavam o amor de seu chefe.

Original English

A frightful scowl distorted the features of the chief."She-JATO!"he cried."I will tame you! I will break you! Es-sat, the chief, takes what he will and who dares question his right, or combat his least purpose, will first serve that purpose and then be broken as I break this,"and he picked a stone platter from the table and broke it in his powerful hands."You might have been first and most favored in the cave of the ancestors of Es-sat; but now shall you be last and least and when I am done with you you shall belong to all of the men of Es-sat's cave. Thus for those who spurn the love of their chief!"

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Português

Ele se moveu rapidamente para agarrá-la, mas, quando pousou uma mão áspera sobre ela, ela o golpeou com força no lado da cabeça com suas placas de peito douradas. Es-sat, o chefe, caiu silenciosamente no chão. Pan-at-lee se inclinou sobre ele por um momento, com sua arma improvisada erguida para golpear novamente se ele mostrasse sinais de recuperar a consciência, seus seios brilhantes subindo e descendo com sua respiração rápida. De repente, ela se abaixou e removeu a faca de Es-sat com sua bainha e cinto de ombro. Ela a colocou sobre o próprio ombro, ajustou rapidamente suas placas de peito e, saindo de costas da sala, manteve um olhar atento sobre o chefe caído.

Original English

He advanced quickly to seize her and as he laid a rough hand upon her she struck him heavily upon the side of his head with her golden breastplates. Without a sound Es-sat, the chief, sank to the floor of the apartment. For a moment Pan-at-lee bent over him, her improvised weapon raised to strike again should he show signs of returning consciousness, her glossy breasts rising and falling with her quickened breathing. Suddenly she stooped and removed Es-sat's knife with its scabbard and shoulder belt. Slipping it over her own shoulder she quickly adjusted her breastplates and keeping a watchful glance upon the figure of the fallen chief, backed from the room.

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Português

Em um nicho na sala externa, logo ao lado da porta da sacada, havia uma pilha organizada de estacas arredondadas com cerca de dezoito a vinte polegadas de comprimento. Ela escolheu cinco delas e fez um pequeno feixe, enrolando a parte inferior de sua cauda sinuosa ao redor delas e, assim carregando-as, foi até a borda externa da sacada. Depois de se certificar de que ninguém estava olhando ou a impediria, ela rapidamente pegou as estacas já fixadas na face do penhasco e, com a agilidade de um macaco, subiu rapidamente até a fileira mais alta de estacas. Ela as seguiu por cerca de cem jardas em direção à extremidade inferior do desfiladeiro. Acima de sua cabeça, havia pequenos buracos redondos dispostos em três fileiras paralelas. Agarrando-se apenas com os dedos dos pés, ela removeu duas estacas do feixe em sua cauda, pegou uma em cada mão e as inseriu em buracos opostos das fileiras externas, o mais alto que conseguiu alcançar. Pendurada por essas novas sustentações, ela então pegou uma das três estacas restantes em cada pé, deixando a quinta firmemente em sua cauda. Alcançando para cima com sua cauda, ela inseriu a quinta estaca em um buraco da fileira central e, então, alternadamente pendurada por sua cauda, pés ou mãos, moveu as estacas para cima em novos buracos, carregando assim sua escada consigo enquanto subia.

Original English

In a niche in the outer room, just beside the doorway leading to the balcony, were neatly piled a number of rounded pegs from eighteen to twenty inches in length. Selecting five of these she made them into a little bundle about which she twined the lower extremity of her sinuous tail and thus carrying them made her way to the outer edge of the balcony. Assuring herself that there was none about to see, or hinder her, she took quickly to the pegs already set in the face of the cliff and with the celerity of a monkey clambered swiftly aloft to the highest row of pegs which she followed in the direction of the lower end of the gorge for a matter of some hundred yards. Here, above her head, were a series of small round holes placed one above another in three parallel rows. Clinging only with her toes she removed two of the pegs from the bundle carried in her tail and taking one in either hand she inserted them in two opposite holes of the outer rows as far above her as she could reach. Hanging by these new holds she now took one of the three remaining pegs in each of her feet, leaving the fifth grasped securely in her tail. Reaching above her with this member she inserted the fifth peg in one of the holes of the center row and then, alternately hanging by her tail, her feet, or her hands, she moved the pegs upward to new holes, thus carrying her stairway with her as she ascended.

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Português

No topo do penhasco, uma árvore retorcida expunha suas raízes desgastadas pelo tempo acima dos buracos mais altos, formando o último degrau do precipício íngreme para o terreno plano. Esta era a rota de fuga final para membros da tribo pressionados por inimigos vindos de baixo. Havia três dessas saídas de emergência da aldeia, e era morte usá-las exceto em uma emergência. Pan-at-lee sabia bem disso, mas também sabia que ficar onde o irado Es-sat pudesse pôr as mãos nela seria pior do que a morte.

Original English

At the summit of the cliff a gnarled tree exposed its time-worn roots above the topmost holes forming the last step from the sheer face of the precipice to level footing. This was the last avenue of escape for members of the tribe hard pressed by enemies from below. There were three such emergency exits from the village and it were death to use them in other than an emergency. This Pan-at-lee well knew; but she knew, too, that it were worse than death to remain where the angered Es-sat might lay hands upon her.

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Português

Depois de ganhar o topo, a garota se moveu rapidamente através da escuridão em direção ao desfiladeiro seguinte, que cortava a encosta da montanha a uma milha além de Kor-ul-JA. Era o Desfiladeiro-da-água, Kor-ul-lul, onde seu pai e dois irmãos haviam sido enviados por Es-sat, ostensivamente para espionar a tribo vizinha. Havia uma chance, uma chance pequena, de que ela pudesse encontrá-los; se não, havia o desertado Kor-ul-GRYF várias milhas adiante, onde ela poderia se esconder indefinidamente dos homens, desde que conseguisse evitar o monstro assustador do qual o desfiladeiro tirava seu nome e cuja presença tornara suas cavernas inabitáveis por gerações.

Original English

When she had gained the summit, the girl moved quickly through the darkness in the direction of the next gorge which cut the mountain-side a mile beyond Kor-ul-JA. It was the Gorge-of-water, Kor-ul-lul, to which her father and two brothers had been sent by Es-sat ostensibly to spy upon the neighboring tribe. There was a chance, a slender chance, that she might find them; if not there was the deserted Kor-ul-GRYF several miles beyond, where she might hide indefinitely from man if she could elude the frightful monster from which the gorge derived its name and whose presence there had rendered its caves uninhabitable for generations.

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Português

Pan-at-lee rastejou ao longo da borda do Kor-ul-lul, sem saber onde seu pai e irmãos poderiam estar vigiando. Sentia-se pequena e indefesa na vasta escuridão, ouvindo ruídos estranhos das montanhas e vales. Ao longe, pensou ter ouvido o rugido de um GRYF macho e estremeceu.

Original English

Pan-at-lee crept stealthily along the rim of the Kor-ul-lul. Just where her father and brothers would watch she did not know. Sometimes their spies remained upon the rim, sometimes they watched from the gorge's bottom. Pan-at-lee was at a loss to know what to do or where to go. She felt very small and helpless alone in the vast darkness of the night. Strange noises fell upon her ears. They came from the lonely reaches of the towering mountains above her, from far away in the invisible valley and from the nearer foothills and once, in the distance, she heard what she thought was the bellow of a bull GRYF. It came from the direction of the Kor-ul-GRYF. She shuddered.

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Português

Então ela ouviu outro som se aproximando pela borda, vindo de cima. Ela parou, ouvindo, esperando que fosse seu pai ou um irmão. Conforme se aproximava, ela forçou a visão através da escuridão, sem se mover, mal respirando. De repente, bem perto, dois olhos amarelo-esverdeados brilharam na noite escura.

Original English

Presently there came to her keen ears another sound. Something approached her along the rim of the gorge. It was coming from above. She halted, listening. Perhaps it was her father, or a brother. It was coming closer. She strained her eyes through the darkness. She did not move -- she scarcely breathed. And then, of a sudden, quite close it seemed, there blazed through the black night two yellow-green spots of fire.

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Português

Embora Pan-at-lee fosse corajosa, como todos os povos primitivos, a escuridão trazia grandes terrores para ela — não apenas os perigos conhecidos, mas também o desconhecido. Após os eventos da noite, seus nervos estavam esticados até o ponto de ruptura, prontos para reagir exageradamente ao menor choque.

Original English

Pan-at-lee was brave, but as always with the primitive, the darkness held infinite terrors for her. Not alone the terrors of the known but more frightful ones as well -- those of the unknown. She had passed through much this night and her nerves were keyed to the highest pitch -- raw, taut nerves, they were, ready to react in an exaggerated form to the slightest shock.

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Português

Este não foi um pequeno choque. Ela esperava ver seu pai ou um irmão, mas em vez disso viu a morte encarando-a da escuridão. Corajosa como era, ela não era feita de ferro. Ela gritou e fugiu ao longo da borda, com o leão de Pal-ul-don em perseguição rápida.

Original English

But this was no slight shock. To hope for a father and a brother and to see death instead glaring out of the darkness! Yes, Pan-at-lee was brave, but she was not of iron. With a shriek that reverberated among the hills she turned and fled along the rim of Kor-ul-lul and behind her, swiftly, came the devil-eyed lion of the mountains of Pal-ul-don.

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Português

Pan-at-lee sabia que estava perdida e a morte era certa. Morrer sob as presas do leão era impensável, mas havia uma alternativa. Quando o leão estava prestes a agarrá-la, ela virou bruscamente à esquerda e deu alguns passos antes de desaparecer sobre a borda do Kor-ul-lul. O leão parou na beirada, olhou fixamente para as sombras negras abaixo e rugiu com raiva.

Original English

Pan-at-lee was lost. Death was inevitable. Of this there could be no doubt, but to die beneath the rending fangs of the carnivore, congenital terror of her kind -- it was unthinkable. But there was an alternative. The lion was almost upon her -- another instant and he would seize her. Pan-at-lee turned sharply to her left. Just a few steps she took in the new direction before she disappeared over the rim of Kor-ul-lul. The baffled lion, planting all four feet, barely stopped upon the verge of the abyss. Glaring down into the black shadows beneath he mounted an angry roar.

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Português

Om-at guiou Tarzan e Ta-den pela escuridão na base de Kor-ul-JA, em direção às cavernas de sua tribo. Logo pararam sob uma grande árvore que ficava perto do penhasco.

Original English

Through the darkness at the bottom of Kor-ul-JA, Om-at led the way toward the caves of his people. Behind him came Tarzan and Ta-den. Presently they halted beneath a great tree that grew close to the cliff.

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Português

Om-at sussurrou que primeiro iria à caverna de Pan-at-lee, depois à caverna de seus ancestrais para falar com sua família. Disse que não demoraria e pediu que eles esperassem por seu retorno. Depois disso, todos iriam juntos ao povo de Ta-den.

Original English

"First,"whispered Om-at,"I will go to the cave of Pan-at-lee. Then will I seek the cave of my ancestors to have speech with my own blood. It will not take long. Wait here -- I shall return soon. Afterward shall we go together to Ta-den's people."

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Português

Om-at moveu-se silenciosamente até a base do penhasco. Tarzan o observou subir como uma grande mosca na parede. Na luz fraca, ele não conseguia ver os pinos fixados na face do penhasco. Om-at movia-se com cuidado, sabendo que um sentinela deveria estar postado nas cavernas inferiores. Seu conhecimento dos costumes de seu povo sugeria que o sentinela provavelmente estava dormindo, e ele estava certo, mas permaneceu cauteloso. Subiu suave e rapidamente em direção à caverna de Pan-at-lee enquanto Tarzan e Ta-den observavam de baixo.

Original English

He moved silently toward the foot of the cliff up which Tarzan could presently see him ascending like a great fly on a wall. In the dim light the ape-man could not see the pegs set in the face of the cliff. Om-at moved warily. In the lower tier of caves there should be a sentry. His knowledge of his people and their customs told him, however, that in all probability the sentry was asleep. In this he was not mistaken, yet he did not in any way abate his wariness. Smoothly and swiftly he ascended toward the cave of Pan-at-lee while from below Tarzan and Ta-den watched him.

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Português

Tarzan perguntou como Om-at conseguia escalar, pois não via pontos de apoio na superfície vertical, mas Om-at parecia escalar sem esforço.

Original English

"How does he do it?"asked Tarzan."I can see no foothold upon that vertical surface and yet he appears to be climbing with the utmost ease."

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Português

Ta-den explicou sobre a escada de pinos e disse que Tarzan poderia escalá-la facilmente, embora ter uma cauda fosse de grande ajuda.

Original English

Ta-den explained the stairway of pegs."You could ascend easily,"he said,"although a tail would be of great assistance."

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Português

Tarzan e Ta-den observaram Om-at se aproximando da caverna de Pan-at-lee quando uma cabeça apareceu de uma caverna mais abaixo. A criatura viu Om-at e começou a escalar atrás dele. Sem falar, Tarzan e Ta-den correram até a base do penhasco. O pithecanthropus chegou primeiro e saltou para uma estaca. Tarzan viu uma fileira em zigue-zague de estacas e escalou rapidamente usando mãos e pés. Ta-den escalou mais rápido porque estava acostumado a essas escadas e tinha uma cauda.

Original English

They watched until Om-at was about to enter the cave of Pan-at-lee without seeing any indication that he had been observed and then, simultaneously, both saw a head appear in the mouth of one of the lower caves. It was quickly evident that its owner had discovered Om-at for immediately he started upward in pursuit. Without a word Tarzan and Ta-den sprang forward toward the foot of the cliff. The pithecanthropus was the first to reach it and the ape-man saw him spring upward for a handhold on the lowest peg above him. Now Tarzan saw other pegs roughly paralleling each other in zigzag rows up the cliff face. He sprang and caught one of these, pulled himself upward by one hand until he could reach a second with his other hand; and when he had ascended far enough to use his feet, discovered that he could make rapid progress. Ta-den was outstripping him, however, for these precarious ladders were no novelty to him and, further, he had an advantage in possessing a tail.

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Português

Tarzan escalou bem, impulsionado pela visão do Waz-don acima de Ta-den olhando para baixo e vendo-os pouco antes do Ho-don o alcançar. Um grito selvagem quebrou o silêncio do desfiladeiro, respondido por centenas de gargantas selvagens enquanto guerreiros emergiam de suas cavernas.

Original English

Nevertheless, the ape-man gave a good account of himself, being presently urged to redoubled efforts by the fact that the Waz-don above Ta-den glanced down and discovered his pursuers just before the Ho-don overtook him. Instantly a wild cry shattered the silence of the gorge -- a cry that was immediately answered by hundreds of savage throats as warrior after warrior emerged from the entrance to his cave.

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Português

A criatura que deu o alarme chegou à caverna de Pan-at-lee e se virou para lutar contra Ta-den, bloqueando a entrada com sua clava. Guerreiros surgiram de todas as direções. Tarzan, no mesmo nível, viu que precisavam de um milagre. Ele notou uma entrada de caverna vazia à sua esquerda. Rápido e engenhoso, ele entrou, desembainhou sua corda e lançou um laço no homem que ameaçava Ta-den. A corda se ajustou na cabeça do homem, e Tarzan puxou com força com todo o seu peso.

Original English

The creature who had raised the alarm had now reached the recess before Pan-at-lee's cave and here he halted and turned to give battle to Ta-den. Unslinging his club which had hung down his back from a thong about his neck he stood upon the level floor of the entrance-way effectually blocking Ta-den's ascent. From all directions the warriors of Kor-ul-JA were swarming toward the interlopers. Tarzan, who had reached a point on the same level with Ta-den but a little to the latter's left, saw that nothing short of a miracle could save them. Just at the ape-man's left was the entrance to a cave that either was deserted or whose occupants had not as yet been aroused, for the level recess remained unoccupied. Resourceful was the alert mind of Tarzan of the Apes and quick to respond were the trained muscles. In the time that you or I might give to debating an action he would accomplish it and now, though only seconds separated his nearest antagonist from him, in the brief span of time at his disposal he had stepped into the recess, unslung his long rope and leaning far out shot the sinuous noose, with the precision of long habitude, toward the menacing figure wielding its heavy club above Ta-den. There was a momentary pause of the rope-hand as the noose sped toward its goal, a quick movement of the right wrist that closed it upon its victim as it settled over his head and then a surging tug as, seizing the rope in both hands, Tarzan threw back upon it all the weight of his great frame.

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Português

O Waz-don gritou e caiu de cabeça do recesso. Tarzan se preparou para o impacto. Quando a corda se apertou, houve um estalo nauseante de vértebras no súbito silêncio. Tarzan rapidamente puxou o corpo para cima e removeu o laço do pescoço, não querendo perder uma arma tão valiosa.

Original English

Voicing a terrified shriek, the Waz-don lunged headforemost from the recess above Ta-den. Tarzan braced himself for the coming shock when the creature's body should have fallen the full length of the rope and as it did there was a snap of the vertebrae that rose sickeningly in the momentary silence that had followed the doomed man's departing scream. Unshaken by the stress of the suddenly arrested weight at the end of the rope, Tarzan quickly pulled the body to his side that he might remove the noose from about its neck, for he could not afford to lose so priceless a weapon.

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Português

Por alguns segundos, os guerreiros Waz-don permaneceram imóveis, como se atordoados. Então um deles gritou e começou a escalar em direção a Tarzan, incitando os outros a atacar. Esse homem era o mais próximo. Tarzan levantou o corpo do Waz-don morto acima de sua cabeça, gritou o desafio dos macacos-boi e arremessou o cadáver no guerreiro que subia com toda a sua força. O impacto arrancou o guerreiro de sua posição e quebrou duas estacas.

Original English

During the several seconds that had elapsed since he cast the rope the Waz-don warriors had remained inert as though paralyzed by wonder or by terror. Now, again, one of them found his voice and his head and straightway, shrieking invectives at the strange intruder, started upward for the ape-man, urging his fellows to attack. This man was the closest to Tarzan. But for him the ape-man could easily have reached Ta-den's side as the latter was urging him to do. Tarzan raised the body of the dead Waz-don above his head, held it poised there for a moment as with face raised to the heavens he screamed forth the horrid challenge of the bull apes of the tribe of Kerchak, and with all the strength of his giant sinews he hurled the corpse heavily upon the ascending warrior. So great was the force of the impact that not only was the Waz-don torn from his hold but two of the pegs to which he clung were broken short in their sockets.

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Português

Enquanto os corpos vivos e mortos caíam em direção à base do penhasco, os Waz-don soltaram um grande grito, gritando o nome Jad-guru-don, e então pediram que Tarzan fosse morto.

Original English

As the two bodies, the living and the dead, hurtled downward toward the foot of the cliff a great cry arose from the Waz-don."Jad-guru-don! Jad-guru-don!"they screamed, and then:"Kill him! Kill him!"

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Português

Tarzan ficou no recesso ao lado de Ta-den, que repetiu Jad-guru-don com um sorriso, explicando que isso significava o homem terrível, Tarzan, o Terrível, e que mesmo que o matassem, nunca o esqueceriam.

Original English

And now Tarzan stood in the recess beside Ta-den."Jad-guru-don!"repeated the latter, smiling--"The terrible man! Tarzan the Terrible! They may kill you, but they will never forget you."

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Português

Tarzan começou a dizer que não o matariam, mas parou abruptamente quando dois homens, presos em um abraço mortal, tropeçaram para fora da caverna no alpendre externo. Um era Om-at; o outro era semelhante, mas com uma pelagem áspera de pelos eriçados. Eles estavam igualmente combinados e cada um pretendia matar o outro, lutando em quase silêncio, exceto por rosnados baixos quando se machucavam.

Original English

"They shall not ki -- What have we here?"Tarzan's statement as to what"they"should not do was interrupted by a sudden ejaculation as two figures, locked in deathlike embrace, stumbled through the doorway of the cave to the outer porch. One was Om-at, the other a creature of his own kind but with a rough coat, the hairs of which seemed to grow straight outward from the skin, stiffly, unlike Om-at's sleek covering. The two were quite evidently well matched and equally evident was the fact that each was bent upon murder. They fought almost in silence except for an occasional low growl as one or the other acknowledged thus some new hurt.

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Português

Tarzan, agindo por instinto para ajudar seu aliado, saltou para se juntar à luta, mas Om-at grunhiu um aviso, dizendo que aquela luta era só dele.

Original English

Tarzan, following a natural impulse to aid his ally, leaped forward to enter the dispute only to be checked by a grunted admonition from Om-at."Back!"he said."This fight is mine, alone."

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Português

Tarzan entendeu e recuou.

Original English

The ape-man understood and stepped aside.

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Português

Ta-den explicou que era um gund-bar, uma batalha pela liderança, e que o homem lutando era provavelmente Es-sat, o chefe. Se Om-at matasse Es-sat sozinho, ele poderia se tornar chefe.

Original English

"It is a gund-bar,"explained Ta-den,"a chief-battle. This fellow must be Es-sat, the chief. If Om-at kills him without assistance Om-at may become chief."

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Português

Tarzan sorriu, reconhecendo a lei de sua própria selva — o código primordial do macaco-boi — que a civilização apenas pervertia com punhais contratados e veneno. Sua atenção se voltou para um guerreiro de Es-sat que aparecia na borda externa. Tarzan moveu-se para interceptá-lo, mas Ta-den foi mais rápido, gritando para o recém-chegado voltar, pois um gund-bar estava em andamento. O guerreiro olhou para os combatentes, depois chamou seus companheiros lá embaixo, dizendo que era um gund-bar entre Es-sat e Om-at. Virando-se para Tarzan e Ta-den, perguntou quem eles eram.

Original English

Tarzan smiled. It was the law of his own jungle -- the law of the tribe of Kerchak, the bull ape -- the ancient law of primitive man that needed but the refining influences of civilization to introduce the hired dagger and the poison cup. Then his attention was drawn to the outer edge of the vestibule. Above it appeared the shaggy face of one of Es-sat's warriors. Tarzan sprang to intercept the man; but Ta-den was there ahead of him."Back!"cried the Ho-don to the newcomer."It is gund-bar."The fellow looked scrutinizingly at the two fighters, then turned his face downward toward his fellows."Back!"he cried,"it is gund-bar between Es-sat and Om-at."Then he looked back at Ta-den and Tarzan."Who are you?"he asked.

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Português

Ta-den respondeu que eles eram amigos de Om-at.

Original English

"We are Om-at's friends,"replied Ta-den.

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Português

O guerreiro acenou com a cabeça, disse que eles seriam tratados depois, e desapareceu abaixo da borda.

Original English

The fellow nodded."We will attend to you later,"he said and disappeared below the edge of the recess.

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Português

A luta no parapeito continuou com ferocidade inabalável, forçando Tarzan e Ta-den a se esforçarem para se manterem longe dos combatentes, que se rasgavam e golpeavam com mãos, pés e caudas violentas. Es-sat estava desarmado, como Pan-at-lee havia garantido, mas Om-at usava uma faca embainhada que ele não fez menção de sacar, pois seu código primitivo exigia que uma batalha de chefia fosse travada com armas naturais.

Original English

The battle upon the ledge continued with unabated ferocity, Tarzan and Ta-den having difficulty in keeping out of the way of the contestants who tore and beat at each other with hands and feet and lashing tails. Es-sat was unarmed -- Pan-at-lee had seen to that -- but at Om-at's side swung a sheathed knife which he made no effort to draw. That would have been contrary to their savage and primitive code for the chief-battle must be fought with nature's weapons.

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Português

Tarzan observou enquanto os dois homens, presos em um abraço feroz, caíram sobre a borda e desapareceram de vista.

Original English

Sometimes they separated for an instant only to rush upon each other again with all the ferocity and nearly the strength of mad bulls. Presently one of them tripped the other but in that viselike embrace one could not fall alone -- Es-sat dragged Om-at with him, toppling upon the brink of the niche. Even Tarzan held his breath. There they surged to and fro perilously for a moment and then the inevitable happened -- the two, locked in murderous embrace, rolled over the edge and disappeared from the ape-man's view.

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Português

Tarzan, que gostava de Om-at, sentiu um arrependimento momentâneo. Mas quando ele e Ta-den olharam sobre a borda, viram os dois homens ainda vivos e lutando logo abaixo. Agarrados a estacas, eles lutavam pelo controle. Om-at, mais jovem e mais forte, estava forçando Es-sat para longe da parede e quebrando suas pegadas uma por uma. Es-sat, enfraquecendo e desesperado, alcançou a faca de Om-at com sua cauda.

Original English

Tarzan voiced a suppressed sigh for he had liked Om-at and then, with Ta-den, approached the edge and looked over. Far below, in the dim light of the coming dawn, two inert forms should be lying stark in death; but, to Tarzan's amazement, such was far from the sight that met his eyes. Instead, there were the two figures still vibrant with life and still battling only a few feet below him. Clinging always to the pegs with two holds -- a hand and a foot, or a foot and a tail, they seemed as much at home upon the perpendicular wall as upon the level surface of the vestibule; but now their tactics were slightly altered, for each seemed particularly bent upon dislodging his antagonist from his holds and precipitating him to certain death below. It was soon evident that Om-at, younger and with greater powers of endurance than Es-sat, was gaining an advantage. Now was the chief almost wholly on the defensive. Holding him by the cross belt with one mighty hand Om-at was forcing his foeman straight out from the cliff, and with the other hand and one foot was rapidly breaking first one of Es-sat's holds and then another, alternating his efforts, or rather punctuating them, with vicious blows to the pit of his adversary's stomach. Rapidly was Es-sat weakening and with the knowledge of impending death there came, as there comes to every coward and bully under similar circumstances, a crumbling of the veneer of bravado which had long masqueraded as courage and with it crumbled his code of ethics. Now was Es-sat no longer chief of Kor-ul-JA -- instead he was a whimpering craven battling for life. Clutching at Om-at, clutching at the nearest pegs he sought any support that would save him from that awful fall, and as he strove to push aside the hand of death, whose cold fingers he already felt upon his heart, his tail sought Om-at's side and the handle of the knife that hung there.

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Português

Tarzan viu o ato covarde e agiu rapidamente. Enquanto a cauda de Es-sat puxava a faca, Tarzan a agarrou e, no mesmo instante, Om-at empurrou Es-sat para longe, fazendo-o perder o controle e cair gritando até a morte.

Original English

Tarzan saw and even as Es-sat drew the blade from its sheath he dropped catlike to the pegs beside the battling men. Es-sat's tail had drawn back for the cowardly fatal thrust. Now many others saw the perfidious act and a great cry of rage and disgust arose from savage throats; but as the blade sped toward its goal, the ape-man seized the hairy member that wielded it, and at the same instant Om-at thrust the body of Es-sat from him with such force that its weakened holds were broken and it hurtled downward, a brief meteor of screaming fear, to death.

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Tarzan-jad-guru

Português

Tarzan e Om-at subiram de volta à entrada da caverna, onde ficaram com Ta-den, preparados para qualquer consequência da morte de Es-sat. Enquanto isso, o sol nascente tocou um dorminhoco em uma planície distante e espinhosa, despertando-o para mais um dia de rastreamento de um rastro fraco.

Original English

As Tarzan and Om-at clambered back to the vestibule of Pan-at-lee's cave and took their stand beside Ta-den in readiness for whatever eventuality might follow the death of Es-sat, the sun that topped the eastern hills touched also the figure of a sleeper upon a distant, thorn-covered steppe awakening him to another day of tireless tracking along a faint and rapidly disappearing spoor.

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Português

O silêncio caiu sobre a tribo. Eles olharam para o chefe morto, depois uns para os outros e, finalmente, para Om-at e seus companheiros. Então Om-at falou, declarando que agora era o líder de Kor-ul-JA e desafiando qualquer um a negar.

Original English

For a time silence reigned in the Kor-ul-JA. The tribesmen waited, looking now down upon the dead thing that had been their chief, now at one another, and now at Om-at and the two who stood upon his either side. Presently Om-at spoke."I am Om-at,"he cried."Who will say that Om-at is not gund of Kor-ul-JA?"

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Português

Ele esperou que alguém aceitasse seu desafio. Alguns dos jovens maiores se mexeram inquietos e olharam para ele, mas ninguém respondeu.

Original English

He waited for a taker of his challenge. One or two of the larger young bucks fidgeted restlessly and eyed him; but there was no reply.

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Português

Ele disse com finalidade que Om-at era gund, e então perguntou onde estavam Pan-at-lee, seu pai e seus irmãos.

Original English

"Then Om-at is gund,"he said with finality."Now tell me, where are Pan-at-lee, her father, and her brothers?"

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Português

Um velho guerreiro falou, dizendo que Pan-at-lee deveria estar em sua caverna e que Om-at, que estava lá, deveria saber disso melhor que ninguém. Ele acrescentou que o pai e os irmãos dela haviam sido enviados para vigiar Kor-ul-lul. Então questionou se Om-at poderia ser chefe de Kor-ul-JA enquanto se opunha ao seu próprio povo com um Ho-don e o homem sem cauda. Ele aconselhou Om-at a entregar os estranhos para serem mortos, como era o costume dos Waz-don, para que Om-at pudesse se tornar gund.

Original English

An old warrior spoke."Pan-at-lee should be in her cave. Who should know that better than you who are there now? Her father and her brothers were sent to watch Kor-ul-lul; but neither of these questions arouse any tumult in our breasts. There is one that does: Can Om-at be chief of Kor-ul-JA and yet stand at bay against his own people with a Ho-don and that terrible man at his side -- that terrible man who has no tail? Hand the strangers over to your people to be slain as is the way of the Waz-don and then may Om-at be gund."

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Português

Tarzan e Ta-den permaneceram em silêncio, observando Om-at e aguardando sua decisão. Um leve sorriso brincou nos lábios do homem-macaco. Ta-den reconheceu que o velho guerreiro falava a verdade: os Waz-don não recebiam estranhos e nunca faziam prisioneiros de outras raças.

Original English

Neither Tarzan nor Ta-den spoke then, they but stood watching Om-at and waiting for his decision, the ghost of a smile upon the lips of the ape-man. Ta-den, at least, knew that the old warrior had spoken the truth -- the Waz-don entertain no strangers and take no prisoners of an alien race.

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Português

Om-at então falou sobre mudança. Ele disse que mesmo as antigas colinas de Pal-ul-don nunca pareciam duas vezes iguais, alteradas pelo sol, nuvem, lua, névoa, estações e a clareza após uma tempestade. Observou que, do nascimento à morte, cada pessoa muda diariamente. Portanto, concluiu, a mudança era uma das leis de Jad-ben-Otho.

Original English

Then spoke Om-at."Always there is change,"he said."Even the old hills of Pal-ul-don appear never twice alike -- the brilliant sun, a passing cloud, the moon, a mist, the changing seasons, the sharp clearness following a storm; these things bring each a new change in our hills. From birth to death, day by day, there is constant change in each of us. Change, then, is one of Jad-ben-Otho's laws.

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Português

Om-at, o gund, anunciou que estava instituindo uma mudança: a partir de então, os Waz-don de Kor-ul-JA não mais matariam estranhos corajosos que fossem bons amigos.

Original English

"And now I, Om-at, your gund, bring another change. Strangers who are brave men and good friends shall no longer be slain by the Waz-don of Kor-ul-JA!"

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Português

Os guerreiros murmuravam e resmungavam, movendo-se inquietos enquanto se observavam, esperando que alguém desafiasse Om-at, aquele que estava quebrando suas tradições.

Original English

There were growls and murmurings and a restless moving among the warriors as each eyed the others to see who would take the initiative against Om-at, the iconoclast.

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Português

O novo gund ordenou que parassem de murmurar. Lembrou-lhes que ele era o chefe e sua palavra era lei. Eles não o haviam feito chefe; alguns haviam ajudado Es-sat a expulsá-lo, e os outros permitiram. Ele nada lhes devia. Apenas os dois estranhos que queriam que ele matasse haviam sido leais. Se alguém duvidasse de sua autoridade, que essa pessoa falasse, pois não viveria para envelhecer.

Original English

"Cease your mutterings,"admonished the new gund."I am your chief. My word is your law. You had no part in making me chief. Some of you helped Es-sat to drive me from the cave of my ancestors; the rest of you permitted it. I owe you nothing. Only these two, whom you would have me kill, were loyal to me. I am gund and if there be any who doubts it let him speak -- he cannot die younger."

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Português

Tarzan ficou satisfeito; reconheceu um espírito afim. Admirou o desafio destemido de Om-at e conhecia o suficiente sobre os homens para perceber que não era uma ameaça vazia — Om-at sustentaria suas palavras até a morte se necessário, e provavelmente não seria o que morreria. Evidentemente, a maioria dos Kor-ul-jaians compartilhava essa convicção.

Original English

Tarzan was pleased. Here was a man after his own heart. He admired the fearlessness of Om-at's challenge and he was a sufficiently good judge of men to know that he had listened to no idle bluff -- Om-at would back up his words to the death, if necessary, and the chances were that he would not be the one to die. Evidently the majority of the Kor-ul-jaians entertained the same conviction.

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Português

Vendo que ninguém parecia inclinado a contestar sua autoridade, Om-at declarou que seria um bom gund, garantindo a segurança de suas esposas e filhas, ao contrário do que ocorria sob o domínio de Es-sat. Disse-lhes que voltassem para suas plantações e caça. Ele estava saindo para procurar Pan-at-lee, e em sua ausência, Ab-on serviria como gund. Eles deveriam buscar orientação com Ab-on, e prestar contas a Om-at quando ele retornasse. Desejou-lhes a bênção de Jad-ben-Otho.

Original English

"I will make you a good gund,"said Om-at, seeing that no one appeared inclined to dispute his rights."Your wives and daughters will be safe -- they were not safe while Es-sat ruled. Go now to your crops and your hunting. I leave to search for Pan-at-lee. Ab-on will be gund while I am away -- look to him for guidance and to me for an accounting when I return -- and may Jad-ben-Otho smile upon you."

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Português

Ele se dirigiu a Tarzan e aos Ho-don, informando-os de que estavam livres para se movimentar entre o seu povo. Ele declarou que a caverna de seus ancestrais pertencia a eles e que poderiam usá-la como desejassem.

Original English

He turned toward Tarzan and the Ho-don."And you, my friends,"he said,"are free to go among my people; the cave of my ancestors is yours, do what you will."

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Português

Tarzan afirmou que acompanharia Om-at na busca por Pan-at-lee.

Original English

"I,"said Tarzan,"will go with Om-at to search for Pan-at-lee."

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Português

Ta-den acrescentou que também se juntaria à busca.

Original English

"And I,"said Ta-den.

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Português

Om-at sorriu e exclamou sua aprovação. Ele propôs que, assim que encontrassem Pan-at-lee, prosseguiriam juntos nas missões de Tarzan e Ta-den. Então, voltando-se para seus guerreiros, perguntou onde deveriam procurar primeiro e se alguém sabia de sua possível localização.

Original English

Om-at smiled."Good!"he exclaimed."And when we have found her we shall go together upon Tarzan's business and Ta-den's. Where first shall we search?"He turned toward his warriors."Who knows where she may be?"

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Português

Ninguém tinha qualquer conhecimento além do fato de que Pan-at-lee havia se retirado para sua caverna com os outros na noite anterior; não havia pista ou indício sobre seu paradeiro atual.

Original English

None knew other than that Pan-at-lee had gone to her cave with the others the previous evening -- there was no clew, no suggestion as to her whereabouts.

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Português

Tarzan pediu para ser levado até onde a mulher dormia e insistiu em ver uma peça de sua roupa. Ele expressou confiança de que isso permitiria que ele os ajudasse.

Original English

"Show me where she sleeps,"said Tarzan;"let me see something that belongs to her -- an article of her apparel -- then, doubtless, I can help you."

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Português

Dois jovens guerreiros, In-sad e O-dan, aproximaram-se do parapeito onde Om-at estava. Foi O-dan quem falou.

Original English

Two young warriors climbed closer to the ledge upon which Om-at stood. They were In-sad and O-dan. It was the latter who spoke.

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Português

O-dan dirigiu-se a Om-at como Gund de Kor-ul-JA e expressou o desejo deles de se juntar a ele na busca por Pan-at-lee.

Original English

"Gund of Kor-ul-JA,"he said,"we would go with you to search for Pan-at-lee."

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Português

Este foi o primeiro reconhecimento da liderança de Om-at. Imediatamente, a tensão diminuiu; os guerreiros falaram abertamente e as mulheres saíram das cavernas. In-sad e O-dan haviam iniciado essa mudança, e agora todos pareciam ansiosos para seguir. Alguns vieram conversar com Om-at e examinar Tarzan, enquanto os líderes das cavernas reuniam seus caçadores para planejar o dia. Mulheres e crianças se prepararam para descer aos campos, acompanhadas pelos jovens e velhos cujo dever era protegê-los.

Original English

It was the first acknowledgment of Om-at's chieftainship and immediately following it the tenseness that had prevailed seemed to relax -- the warriors spoke aloud instead of in whispers, and the women appeared from the mouths of caves as with the passing of a sudden storm. In-sad and O-dan had taken the lead and now all seemed glad to follow. Some came to talk with Om-at and to look more closely at Tarzan; others, heads of caves, gathered their hunters and discussed the business of the day. The women and children prepared to descend to the fields with the youths and the old men, whose duty it was to guard them.

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Português

Om-at declarou que O-dan e In-sad os acompanhariam, afirmando que não precisavam de mais ninguém. Ele então convidou Tarzan para segui-lo até o local onde Pan-at-lee dormia, embora tenha expressado perplexidade quanto à curiosidade de Tarzan, observando que Pan-at-lee não estava lá, pois ele já havia procurado.

Original English

"O-dan and In-sad shall go with us,"announced Om-at,"we shall not need more. Tarzan, come with me and I shall show you where Pan-at-lee sleeps, though why you should wish to know I cannot guess -- she is not there. I have looked for myself."

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Português

Os dois entraram na caverna, e Om-at os guiou até a sala onde Es-sat havia assustado Pan-at-lee na noite anterior.

Original English

The two entered the cave where Om-at led the way to the apartment in which Es-sat had surprised Pan-at-lee the previous night.

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Português

Om-at explicou que tudo na sala pertencia a Pan-at-lee, exceto o porrete de guerra no chão, que era de Es-sat.

Original English

"All here are hers,"said Om-at,"except the war club lying on the floor -- that was Es-sat's."

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Português

O homem-macaco moveu-se silenciosamente pela sala, suas narinas tremendo sutilmente, mal notado por seu companheiro, que ficou impaciente e se perguntou o que estavam conseguindo.

Original English

The ape-man moved silently about the apartment, the quivering of his sensitive nostrils scarcely apparent to his companion who only wondered what good purpose could be served here and chafed at the delay.

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Português

Logo, o homem-macaco chamou seu companheiro e liderou o caminho até a parte externa da caverna.

Original English

"Come!"said the ape-man, presently, and led the way toward the outer recess.

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Português

Seus três companheiros estavam esperando ali. Tarzan moveu-se para o lado esquerdo do nicho e estudou os pinos ao alcance. Ele olhou, mas não eram seus olhos que estavam trabalhando. Seu olfato, mais aguçado que seus olhos, havia sido treinado desde a infância por sua mãe adotiva Kala e aperfeiçoado na selva pelo instinto de sobrevivência.

Original English

Here their three companions were awaiting them. Tarzan passed to the left side of the niche and examined the pegs that lay within reach. He looked at them but it was not his eyes that were examining them. Keener than his keen eyes was that marvelously trained sense of scent that had first been developed in him during infancy under the tutorage of his foster mother, Kala, the she-ape, and further sharpened in the grim jungles by that master teacher -- the instinct of self-preservation.

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Português

Ele virou do lado esquerdo do nicho para o direito. Nessa altura, Om-at já estava ficando impaciente.

Original English

From the left side of the niche he turned to the right. Om-at was becoming impatient.

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Português

Ele insistiu que partissem, afirmando que precisavam procurar Pan-at-lee se esperavam encontrá-la.

Original English

"Let us be off,"he said."We must search for Pan-at-lee if we would ever find her."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou onde deveriam procurar.

Original English

"Where shall we search?"asked Tarzan.

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Português

Om-at coçou a cabeça e repetiu a pergunta, então declarou que procurariam por todo Pal-ul-don se necessário.

Original English

Om-at scratched his head."Where?"he repeated."Why all Pal-ul-don, if necessary."

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Português

Tarzan comentou que era uma tarefa grande. Ele então disse para virem, indicando que ela tinha ido por ali, e subiu as estacas que levavam até o topo do penhasco. Seguiu o rastro facilmente porque ninguém mais tinha passado desde que Pan-at-lee fugiu. No local onde ela havia deixado as estacas permanentes e usado as próprias, Tarzan parou de repente. Ele gritou para Om-at, que estava diretamente atrás dele, que ela tinha ido por ali até o topo, mas não havia estacas lá.

Original English

"A large job,"said Tarzan."Come,"he added,"she went this way,"and he took to the pegs that led aloft toward the summit of the cliff. Here he followed the scent easily since none had passed that way since Pan-at-lee had fled. At the point at which she had left the permanent pegs and resorted to those carried with her Tarzan came to an abrupt halt."She went this way to the summit,"he called back to Om-at who was directly behind him;"but there are no pegs here."

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Português

Om-at expressou incerteza sobre como Tarzan sabia que a garota havia tomado aquele caminho, mas então instruiu In-sad a voltar e trazer estacas de escalada para cinco pessoas.

Original English

"I do not know how you know that she went this way,"said Om-at;"but we will get pegs. In-sad, return and fetch climbing pegs for five."

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Português

In-sad rapidamente retornou com as estacas, que foram distribuídas. Om-at deu cinco a Tarzan e explicou como usá-las. Tarzan devolveu uma, afirmando que precisava apenas de quatro.

Original English

The young warrior was soon back and the pegs distributed. Om-at handed five to Tarzan and explained their use. The ape-man returned one."I need but four,"he said.

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Português

Om-at sorriu e comentou que Tarzan seria uma criatura maravilhosa não fosse sua deformidade, enquanto olhava orgulhosamente para sua própria cauda forte.

Original English

Om-at smiled."What a wonderful creature you would be if you were not deformed,"he said, glancing with pride at his own strong tail.

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Português

Tarzan reconheceu sua deficiência e pediu que os outros prosseguissem, deixando as estacas no lugar para ele, pois temia um progresso lento sem a capacidade de segurar estacas com os dedos dos pés como eles faziam.

Original English

"I admit that I am handicapped,"replied Tarzan."You others go ahead and leave the pegs in place for me. I am afraid that otherwise it will be slow work as I cannot hold the pegs in my toes as you do."

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Português

Om-at concordou com um plano: ele, Ta-den e In-sad iriam primeiro; Tarzan seguiria; e O-dan ficaria na retaguarda para recolher as estacas, para que os inimigos não as encontrassem.

Original English

"All right,"agreed Om-at;"Ta-den, In-sad, and I will go first, you follow and O-dan bring up the rear and collect the pegs -- we cannot leave them here for our enemies."

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Português

Tarzan perguntou se os inimigos não conseguiam trazer suas próprias estacas.

Original English

"Can't your enemies bring their own pegs?"asked Tarzan.

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Português

Ele admitiu que isso atrasava os atacantes e simplificava a própria defesa, acrescentando que os inimigos não conseguiam distinguir quais buracos eram profundos o suficiente para segurar estacas — os demais eram rasos e destinados apenas a enganar.

Original English

"Yes; but it delays them and makes easier our defense and -- they do not know which of all the holes you see are deep enough for pegs -- the others are made to confuse our enemies and are too shallow to hold a peg."

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Português

No topo do penhasco, ao lado da árvore retorcida, Tarzan retomou a trilha. O cheiro era tão forte quanto nas estacas, e ele apressou-se pela crista em direção ao Kor-ul-lul.

Original English

At the top of the cliff beside the gnarled tree Tarzan again took up the trail. Here the scent was fully as strong as upon the pegs and the ape-man moved rapidly across the ridge in the direction of the Kor-ul-lul.

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Português

Ele explicou a Om-at que ela havia corrido em velocidade máxima, e que um leão a perseguia.

Original English

Presently he paused and turned toward Om-at."Here she moved swiftly, running at top speed, and, Om-at, she was pursued by a lion."

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Português

O-dan perguntou, enquanto o grupo se reunia ao redor do homem-macaco, se ele conseguia interpretar tais sinais na grama.

Original English

"You can read that in the grass?"asked O-dan as the others gathered about the ape-man.

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Português

Tarzan concordou e expressou dúvida de que o leão a tivesse pegado. Ele disse que descobririam em breve e, apontando para sudoeste descendo a crista, declarou que o leão não a havia capturado.

Original English

Tarzan nodded."I do not think the lion got her,"he added;"but that we shall determine quickly. No, he did not get her -- look!"and he pointed toward the southwest, down the ridge.

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Português

Os outros olharam para onde Tarzan apontou e logo notaram algo se movendo em alguns arbustos a cerca de duzentos metros de distância.

Original English

Following the direction indicated by his finger, the others presently detected a movement in some bushes a couple of hundred yards away.

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Português

Om-at perguntou o que era o movimento e se era a mulher, então começou a caminhar em direção aos arbustos.

Original English

"What is it?"asked Om-at."It is she?"and he started toward the spot.

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Português

Tarzan aconselhou-o a esperar, explicando que era o leão que estava perseguindo a mulher.

Original English

"Wait,"advised Tarzan."It is the lion which pursued her."

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Português

Ta-den perguntou se Tarzan conseguia ver o leão.

Original English

"You can see him?"asked Ta-den.

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Português

Ele respondeu que conseguia sentir o cheiro do leão.

Original English

"No, I can smell him."

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Português

Os outros demonstraram espanto e incredulidade, mas suas dúvidas foram rapidamente esclarecidas. Logo os arbustos se abriram e o leão apareceu em plena vista. Era uma criatura magnífica, grande e com uma bela juba, com manchas bem definidas semelhantes às de um leopardo. Olhou para eles por um momento, então, ainda irritado por ter perdido sua presa mais cedo, atacou.

Original English

The others looked their astonishment and incredulity; but of the fact that it was indeed a lion they were not left long in doubt. Presently the bushes parted and the creature stepped out in full view, facing them. It was a magnificent beast, large and beautifully maned, with the brilliant leopard spots of its kind well marked and symmetrical. For a moment it eyed them and then, still chafing at the loss of its prey earlier in the morning, it charged.

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