Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

} {ee alates as Mi bs htt al JA tO cae A Na ? \ fy Shh | Arg BSS ane ! ib AM Cheeta . . , i ‘oe : ’ id b | 1 OA : i ) d re. , NALS oe ry |e 7 5 a NEL : i) ay -* . ® , : ‘ nw) »! ; WAT AERC. Mocs eye COAL a aA SME RCN S TM VP T Doria, . da , ’ . * f ay i*e vil ay AM) 7 ; a . NOY The royal dome faced upon a large pa- rade where a body of mounted warriors was at drill. There were a thousand of them, forming an amak, consisting of four ovands of two hundred and fifty men each, the larger body being commanded by a kamak and the smaller by a novand. Five entex of fifty men each compose an ovand, there being five entals of ten men each to an entex; these latter units commanded by a venial and a ventex, respectively. The evo- lutions of the amak were performed with kaleidoscopic rapidity, so quick upon their feet and so well trained were the tiny dia- dets. There was one evolution in particular, performed while he was passing, that great- ly interested the ape-man. ‘Two ovands formed line at one end of the parade and two at the other and at the command of the kamak the thousand men charged swift- ly down the field in two solid ranks that ap- proached each other with the speed of an express train. Just when it appeared im- possible that a serious accident could be averted, when it seemed that in another instant diadets and riders must crash to- gether in a bloody jumble of broken bones, the warriors rushing so swiftly toward the east raised their agile mounts, which. fairly flew above the heads of the opposing force and, alighting upon the other side in an un- broken line, continued to the far end of the field. Tarzan was commenting on this maneu- ver and upon the beauties of the landscap- | ing of the city of Veltoptismakus to Komo- doflorensal as they proceeded along the Warriors’ Corridor, sufficiently ahead of their escort that Tarzan might speak in a low tone without the guard being cogniz- ant of the fact that he was using the lan- guage of Minuni. | . “Tt is a beautiful evolution,” replied Ko- modoflorensal, “‘ and it was performed with a precision seldom attained. I have heard that Elkomoelhago’s troops are famous for the perfection of their drill, and as justly so as is Veltoptismakus for the beauty of her walks and gardens; but, my friend, these very things constitute the weakness of the city. “While Elkomoelhago’s warriors are ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. practicing to perfect their appearance upon parade, the warriors of my father, Aden- drohahkis, are far afield, out of sight of admiring women and spying slaves, practic- ing the art of war under the rough condi- tions of the field and camp. The amaks of Elkomoelhago might easily defeat those of Adendrohahkis in a contest for the most beautiful; but it was not long since you saw less than fifteen thousand Trohanadal- makusians repulse fully thirty thousand warriors of .Veltoptismakus, for they never passed the infantry line that day. ‘Yes, they can drill beautifully upon pa- rade and they are courageous, all Minu- nians are that, but they have not been trained in the sterner arts of war—it is not the way of Elkomoelhago. He is soft and effeminate. He cares not for war. He lis- tens to the advice he likes best—the advice of the weaklings and the women who urge him to refrain from war entirely, which would be not altogether bad if he could persuade the other fellow to refrain also. “The beautiful trees and shrubs that al- most make a forest of Veltoptismakus, and which you so admire! TI, too, admire them —especially do I admire them in the city of an enemy. How easy it would be for a Trohanadalmakusian army to creep through the night, hidden by the beautiful trees and shrubs, to the very gateways of the domes of Veltoptismakus! Do you understand now, my friend, why you saw less perfect maneuvers upon the parade grounds of my city than you have seen here, and why, although we love trees and shrubbery, we have none planted within the city of Tro- hanadalmakus?” One of the guards who had approached him quickly from the rear touched Komo- doflorensal upon the shoulder. ‘“ You said that Zuanthrol does not understand our lan- guage. Why then do you speak to him in this tongue which he cannot understand?” the fellow demanded. Komodoflorensal did not know how much the warrior had overheard. If he had heard Tarzan speak in Minuni it might be diffi- cult to persuade the fellow that the “ giant ” did not understand the language; but he must act on the assumption that he alone had been overheard. Gomichbooks gee 8 ~~ ye ae << e