Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

TARZAN AND THE GOLDEN LION. suit of Cadj. The fellow kept always just ahead of him, because Cadj knew his way through the labyrinthian mazes of the palace and temple and courtyards better than Tar- zan. ‘That the trail was leading toward the inner courts of the temple Tarzan was con- vinced. There Cadj would find easy in- gress to the pits beneath the palace and a hiding place from which it would be difficult to dislodge him, so numerous and winding were the dark subterranean tunnels. And so Tarzan put forth every effort to reach the sacrificial court in time to prevent Cadj from gaining the comparative safety of the underground passages. And as he finally leaped through the doorway into the court, a noose, cunningly laid, closed about one of his ankles and he was hurled heavily to the ground. Almost instantly a number of the crooked little men of Opar leaped upon him, where he lay, half-stunned by the fall, and before he had fully regained his faculties they had trussed him securely. Only about half conscious, he felt them raise him from the ground and carry him, and presently he was deposited upon a cold stone surface. Then it was that full con- sciousness returned to him, and he realized that he lay outstretched once more upon the sacrificial altar of the inner court of the Temple of the Flaming God and above him stood Cadj the High Priest, his cruel face contorted in a grimace of hate. “ At last!” gloated the creature of hate. “ This time, Tarzan of the Apes, you shall know the fury not of the Flaming God, but of Cadj, the man; nor shall there be any wait nor any interference.” He swung the sacrificial knife high above his head. Beyond the point of the knife Tarzan of the Apes saw the summit of the courtyard wall, and just surmounting it the head and shoulders of a mighty, black- maned lion. “ Jad-bal-ja!”’ he cried. “ Kill! Kill!” Cadj hesitated, his knife poised on high. He saw the direction of the Ape-man’s eyes and followed them, and in that instant the golden lion leaped to the pavement, and with two mighty bounds was upon the High Priest of Opar. The knife clattered to the floor and the great jaws closed upon the horrid face. 589 The lesser priests who had seized Tarzan and who had remained to witness his death at the hands of Cadj, had fled screaming from the court the instant that the golden lion had leaped upon their master, and now Tarzan and Jad-bal-ja and the corpse of | Cadj were the sole occupants of the sacrifi- cial courtyard of the temple. “Come, Jad-bal-ja,”’ commanded Tar- zan; “let no one harm Tarzan of the Apes.” An hour later the victorious forces of La were overrunning the ancient palace and temples of Opar. The priests and warriors who had not been killed had quickly sur- rendered and acknowledged La as their Queen and High Priestess, and now at La’s command the city was being searched for Tarzan and Cadj. It was thus that La her- self, leading a searching party, entered the sacrificial courtyard. The sight that met her eyes brought her to a sudden halt, for there, bound upon the altar lay Tarzan of the Apes, and standing above him, his snarling face and gleaming eyes glaring directly at her, was Jad-bal-ja. “Tarzan!” shrieked La, taking a step toward the altar. ‘‘ Cadj has had his way at last. God of my fathers have pity on me—Tarzan is dead!”’ “No,” cried the Ape-man, “ far from dead. Come and release me. I am only bound, but had it not been for Jad-bal-ja I had been dead beneath your sacrificial knife.” “Thank God!” cried La, and started to approach the altar, but paused before the menacing attitude of the growling lion, “Down,” cried Tarzan, “let her ap- proach,” Jad-bal-ja lay down beside his master and stretched his whiskered skin across the Ape-man’s breast. La came then, and picking up the sacri- ficial knife, cut the bonds that held the lord of the jungle captive, and then she saw be- yond the altar the corpse of Cadj. “Your worst enemy is dead,” said Tar- zan, “and for his death you may thank Jad-bal-ja, as I thank him for my life. You should rule now in peace and happiness and in friendship with the people of the Vallev of the Palace of Diamonds.” CORMICLOOO© com