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14 - The Chamber of Horrors · Tarzan and the Golden Lion

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Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen, The Chamber of Horrors, A black mained lamb
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Speaker 1: moved through the jungle night with majestic unconcern for all
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Speaker 1: other created things. He took his lordly way through the
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Speaker 1: primeval forest. He was not hunting, for he made no
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Speaker 1: efforts towards stealth, nor, on the other hand, did he
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Speaker 1: utter any vocal sound. He moved swiftly, though sometimes stopping
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Speaker 1: with uplifted nose to scent the air and to listen.
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Speaker 1: And thus at last he came to a high wall,
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Speaker 1: along the face of which he sniffed until the wall
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Speaker 1: was broken by a half opened gate, through which he
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Speaker 1: passed into the enclosure. Before him loomed a great building,
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Speaker 1: and presently, as he stood watching it and listening, there
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Speaker 1: broke from the interior the thunderous roar of an angry lion.
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Speaker 1: He of the Black Man cocked his head upon one
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Speaker 1: side and moved stealthily forward. At the very instant that
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Speaker 1: law was about to be thrust into the clutches of Numa,
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Speaker 1: Tarzan of the Apes leaped into the apartment with a
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Speaker 1: loud cry that brought to momentary pause the Gomongani that
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Speaker 1: were dragging her to her doom, and in that brief
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Speaker 1: instant of respite which the ape Man knew would follow
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Speaker 1: his interruption. The swift spear was launched, to the rage
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Speaker 1: and consternation of the Bolgani. They saw it bury itself
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Speaker 1: in the heart of their emperor, the great black maned Lion.
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Speaker 1: At Tarzan's sides stood the Gomangani whom he had terrified
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Speaker 1: into service, and as Tarzan rushed forward toward Law, the
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Speaker 1: black accompanied him, crying to his fellows that if they
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Speaker 1: would help this stranger, they might be free and escape
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Speaker 1: from the Bolgani. Forever. You have permitted the great Emperor
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Speaker 1: to be slain, he cried to the poor Gomangani who
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Speaker 1: guarded Numa. For this, the Bolgani will kill you. Help
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Speaker 1: to save the strange Tarmangani and his mate, and you
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Speaker 1: will have at least a chance for life and freedom.
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Speaker 1: And you, he added, addressing the two who had been
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Speaker 1: guarding Law, they will hold jub responsible also. Your only
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Speaker 1: hope lies with us. Tarzan had reached Law's side and
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Speaker 1: was dragging her up the steps of the dais, where
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Speaker 1: he hoped that he might make a momentary stand against
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Speaker 1: the fifty Bolgani who were now rushing forward from their
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Speaker 1: seats toward him. Slay the three who sit upon the dais,
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Speaker 1: cried Tarzan to the Gomangani, who were now evidently hesitating
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Speaker 1: as to which side they would cast their lot with.
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Speaker 1: Slay them if you wish your freedom, Slay them if
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Speaker 1: you wish to live. The authoritative tones of his voice,
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Speaker 1: the magnetic appeal of his personality, his natural leadership, won
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Speaker 1: them to him for the brief instant that was necessary
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Speaker 1: to turn them upon the hated authority that the three
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Speaker 1: Bolgani upon the dais represented. And as they drove their
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Speaker 1: spears into the shaggy black bodies of their masters, they
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Speaker 1: became then and forever the creatures of Tarzan of the Apes,
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Speaker 1: for there could be no future hope for them in
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Speaker 1: the land of the Bulgani. With one arm around Law's waist,
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Speaker 1: the ape man carried her to the summit of the dais,
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Speaker 1: where he seized his spear and drew it from the
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Speaker 1: body of the dead lion. Then, turning about facing the
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Speaker 1: advancing Bolgani, he placed one foot upon the carcass of
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Speaker 1: his kill and raised his voice in the terrifying victory
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Speaker 1: cry of the apes of Kerchak. Before him, the Bulgani
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Speaker 1: paused behind him. The Gomangani quailed in terror. Stop, cried Tarzan,
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Speaker 1: raising a palm toward the Bulghani. Listen, I am Tarzan
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Speaker 1: of the Apes. I sought no quarrel with your people.
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Speaker 1: I but look for a passage through your country to
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Speaker 1: my own. Let me go my way in peace with
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Speaker 1: this one, taking these Gomangani with me for answer. A
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Speaker 1: chorus of savage growls arose from the Bolgani as they
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Speaker 1: started forward again toward the Dais. From their ranks there
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Speaker 1: suddenly leaped the old man of the East Tower, who
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Speaker 1: ran swiftly toward Tarzan. Ah Trader cried the Ape man.
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Speaker 1: You would be first then to taste the wrath of Tarzan.
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Speaker 1: He spoke in English, and the old man replied in
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Speaker 1: the same tongue. Trader, he exclaimed in surprise. Yes, Trader
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Speaker 1: thundered Tarzan. Did you not hurry here to tell the
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Speaker 1: Bolgani that I was in the palace, that they might
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Speaker 1: send the Gomangani to lure me to a trap. I
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Speaker 1: did nothing of the kind, replied the other. I came
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Speaker 1: here to place myself near the white woman, with the
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Speaker 1: thought that I might be of service to her or
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Speaker 1: you if I were needed, I come now Englishmen, to
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Speaker 1: stand at your side and die at your side. For
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Speaker 1: die you shall, as sure as there is a god
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Speaker 1: in heaven. Nothing can save you now from the wrath
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Speaker 1: of the Bulgani, whose emperor you have killed. Come, then,
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Speaker 1: cried Tarzan, and prove your loyalty. It were better to
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Speaker 1: dine now than to live in slavery forever. The six
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Speaker 1: Gomangani had ranged themselves three upon either side of Tarzan
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Speaker 1: in law, while the seventh, who had entered the chamber
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Speaker 1: with Tarzan unarmed, was taking weapons from the body of
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Speaker 1: one of the three Bolgani who had been slain upon
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Speaker 1: the Dais before. This array of force so new to them,
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Speaker 1: the Bolgani paused at the foot of the steps leading
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Speaker 1: to the Dais, but only for a moment. They paused,
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Speaker 1: for there were but nine against fifty, and as they
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Speaker 1: surged up the steps, Tarzan and his Gomangani met them
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Speaker 1: with battle axe and spear and bludgeon. For a moment
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Speaker 1: they pressed them back, but the numbers against them were
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Speaker 1: too great, and once again a wave swept up that
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Speaker 1: seemed likely to overwhelm them. When they broke upon the
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Speaker 1: ears of the contestants. A heartful roar, which coming from
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Speaker 1: almost at their sides, brought a sudden, momentary cessation of
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Speaker 1: the battle. Turning their eyes in the direction of the sound,
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Speaker 1: they saw a huge, black made lion standing upon the
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Speaker 1: floor of the apartment, just within one of the windows.
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Speaker 1: For an instant he stood like a statue of golden bronze,
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Speaker 1: and then again the building trembled the reverberations of his
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Speaker 1: mighty roar. Towering above them all, Tarzan of the Apes
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Speaker 1: looked down from the dais upon the great beasts below him,
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Speaker 1: and then, in quick elation, he raised his voice above
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Speaker 1: the growlings of the Bolgani jad Balja. He cried, and,
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Speaker 1: pointing toward the Bolgani, kill, Kill. Scarcely had the words
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Speaker 1: been uttered, ere the huge monster, a veritable devil incarnate,
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Speaker 1: was upon the hairy guerrilla min And simultaneously there occurred
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Speaker 1: to the mind of the ape man a daring plan
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Speaker 1: of salvation for himself and the others who were dependent
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Speaker 1: upon him. Quick he cried to the Gomangani, fall upon
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Speaker 1: the Bolgani. Here at last is the true Numa, king
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Speaker 1: of beasts and ruler of all creation. He slays his
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Speaker 1: enemies but he will protect Tarzan of the apes and
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Speaker 1: the Gomangani, who are his friends. Seeing their hated masters
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Speaker 1: falling before the terrific onsoughts of the lion, the Gomangani
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Speaker 1: rushed in with battle axes and clubs, while Tarzan, casting
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Speaker 1: aside his spear, took his place among them. With drawn
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Speaker 1: knife and keeping close to Jad, Balja directed the lion
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Speaker 1: from one victim to another, lest he fall by mistake
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Speaker 1: upon the Gomangani, or the little old white man, or
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Speaker 1: even lah herself. Twenty of the Bolgani lay dead upon
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Speaker 1: the floor before the balance managed to escape from the chamber.
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Speaker 1: And then Tarzan, turning to jod Balja called him to
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Speaker 1: heal go, he said, turning toward the Gomangani, and dragged
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Speaker 1: the body of the false Numa from the dais. Remove
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Speaker 1: it from the room, for the true emperor has come
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Speaker 1: to claim his throne. The old Man and Law were
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Speaker 1: eyeing Tarzan and the lion in amazement. Who are you?
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Speaker 1: Asked the former, that you can work such miracles with
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Speaker 1: a savage beast of the jungle. Who are you and
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Speaker 1: what do you intend to do? Wait and see, said
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Speaker 1: Tarzan with a grim smile. I think that we shall
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Speaker 1: all be safe now, and that the Gomangani made live
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Speaker 1: in comfort for a long time hereafter, when the Blacks
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Speaker 1: had removed the carcass of the lion from the dais
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Speaker 1: and thrown it from one of the windows of the chamber,
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Speaker 1: Tarzan sent jod Balja to sit in the place upon
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Speaker 1: the dais that had formerly been occupied by the lion. Numa. There,
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Speaker 1: he said, turning to the Gomangani, you see the true
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Speaker 1: emperor who does not have to be chained to his throne.
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Speaker 1: Three of you will go to the huts of your
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Speaker 1: people behind the palace and summon them to the throne room,
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Speaker 1: that they too may see what has transpired. Hurry, that
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Speaker 1: we may have many warriors here before the Bulghani return
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Speaker 1: in force, filled with an excitement which almost shook their
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Speaker 1: dull minds into a semblance of intelligence. Three of the
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Speaker 1: Gomangani hastened to do Tarzan's bidding, while the others stood
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Speaker 1: gazing at Tarzan with such expressions of awe that might
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Speaker 1: only be engendered by the sight of a deity. Law
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Speaker 1: came then and stood beside Tarzan, looking up into his
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Speaker 1: face with eyes that reflected a reverence fully as deep
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Speaker 1: as that held by the Blacks. I have not thanked you,
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Speaker 1: Tarzan of the Apes, she said, for what you have
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Speaker 1: risked and done for me. I know that you must
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Speaker 1: have come here in search of me to save me
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Speaker 1: from these creatures. And I know that it was not
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Speaker 1: love that impelled you to this heroic and wellnigh hopeless act.
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Speaker 1: That you have succeeded thus far is little short of miraculous.
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Speaker 1: But I, and the legends of whose people are recounted
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Speaker 1: the exploits of the Bulgar, know that there can be
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Speaker 1: no hope of eventual escape for us all. And so
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Speaker 1: I beseech that you go at once and make good
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Speaker 1: your escape alone, if possible, for you alone of us
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Speaker 1: have any possible chance of escape. I do not agree
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Speaker 1: with you that we have no chance of escape, law,
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Speaker 1: replied the ape man. It seems to me that now
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Speaker 1: we not only have every reason to believe that we
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Speaker 1: are practically assured of escape, but that we may insure
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Speaker 1: also to these poor Gomongani freedom from slavery and from
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Speaker 1: the tyranny of the Bolgani. But this is not all.
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Speaker 1: With this, I shall not be satisfied. Not only must
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Speaker 1: these people who show no hospitality to strangers, be punished,
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Speaker 1: but your own disloyal priests as well. To this latter end,
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Speaker 1: I intend to march out of the valley of the
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Speaker 1: Palace of Diamonds down upon the city of Opar with
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Speaker 1: a force of Gomongani sufficient to compel Khaj to relinquish
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Speaker 1: the power he is usurped, and replace you upon the
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Speaker 1: throne of o Par. Nothing less than this shall satisfy me,
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Speaker 1: and nothing less than this shall I accomplish before I leave.
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Speaker 1: You are apprieved, man, said the old man, and you
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Speaker 1: have succeeded beyond what I thought could be possible. But
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Speaker 1: law is right. You do not know the ferocity or
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Speaker 1: the resources of the Bolgani, or the power which they
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Speaker 1: wheeled over the Gomangani. Could you raise from the stupid
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Speaker 1: minds of the Blacks the incubus of fear that rests
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Speaker 1: so heavily upon them, You might win over a sufficient
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Speaker 1: number to make good your escape from the valley, But
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Speaker 1: that I fear is beyond you. Our only hope, therefore,
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Speaker 1: is to escape from the palace while they are momentarily disorganized,
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Speaker 1: and to trust fleetness and to luck to carry us
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Speaker 1: beyond the limits of the valley. Before we are apprehended, see,
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Speaker 1: cried law, pointing, even now it is too late. They retang.
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Speaker 1: Tarzan looked in the direction that she indicated, and saw
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Speaker 1: through the open doorway at the far end of the
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Speaker 1: chamber a large number of guerrilla men. Approaching his eyes,
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Speaker 1: moved swiftly to the windows in the other wall. But wait,
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Speaker 1: he said, behold another factor in the equation. The others
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Speaker 1: looked toward the windows which opened upon the terrace, and
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Speaker 1: they saw beyond them what appeared to to be a
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Speaker 1: crowd of several hundred blacks running rapidly toward the windows.
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Speaker 1: The other blacks upon the Dais cried out excitedly. They come,
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Speaker 1: they come, We shall be free, and no longer shall
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Speaker 1: the Bulgani be able to make us work until we
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Speaker 1: drop from exhaustion, or beat us, or tortures or feed
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Speaker 1: us to numa. As the first of the Bolgani reached
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Speaker 1: the doorway leading into the chamber, the Gomangani commenced to
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Speaker 1: pour through the several windows in the opposite wall. They
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Speaker 1: were led by the three who had been sent to
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Speaker 1: fetch them, and to such good effect had these carried
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Speaker 1: their message that the blacks already seemed like a new people,
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Speaker 1: so transfigured were they by the thought of immediate freedom.
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Speaker 1: At sight of them, the leader of the Bolgani cried
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Speaker 1: aloud for them to seize the intruders upon the dais,
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Speaker 1: but his answer was a spear hurled by the nearest Black,
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Speaker 1: and as he lunged forward dead. The battle was on.
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Speaker 1: The Bolgani in the palace greatly outnumbered the Blacks, but
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Speaker 1: the latter had the advantage of holding the interior of
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Speaker 1: the throne room in sufficient numbers to prevent the entry
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Speaker 1: of many Bolgani simultaneously. Tarzan, immediately he recognized the temper
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Speaker 1: of the blacks, called jad Balja to follow him. Descending
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Speaker 1: from the dais, he took command of the Gomangani. At
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Speaker 1: each opening, he placed sufficient men to guard it, and
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Speaker 1: at the center of the room he held the balance
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Speaker 1: and reserve. Then he called the old man into consultation.
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Speaker 1: The gate in the east wall is open, he said,
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Speaker 1: I left it, so when I entered, would it be
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Speaker 1: possible for twenty or thirty blacks to reach it in safety?
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Speaker 1: And entering the forest, carry word to the villagers of
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Speaker 1: what is transpiring here in the palace, and prevail upon
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Speaker 1: them to send all their warriors immediately to complete the
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Speaker 1: work of emancipation that we have begun. It is an
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Speaker 1: excellent plan, replied the old Man. The Bulghani are not
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Speaker 1: upon that side of the palace between us and the gate,
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Speaker 1: and if it may ever be accomplished, now is the
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Speaker 1: time I will pick your men for you. They must
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Speaker 1: be head men whose words will carry some weight with
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Speaker 1: the villagers outside the palace walls. Good, replied Tarzan. Select them, immediately,
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Speaker 1: tell them what we want, and urge upon them the
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Speaker 1: necessity for haste. One by one, the old Man chose
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Speaker 1: them warriors, whose duty he carefully explained to each, and
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Speaker 1: assured Tarzan that in less than an hour the first
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Speaker 1: of the reinforcements would come. As you leave the enclosure,
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Speaker 1: said the ape Man, destroy the lock if you can,
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Speaker 1: so that the Bolgani may not lock it again and
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Speaker 1: bar out our reinforcements. Carrie also the word that the
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Speaker 1: first two come are to remain outside the wall until
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Speaker 1: a sufficient number have arrived to make entry into the
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Speaker 1: palace grounds reasonably safe, at least as many as are
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Speaker 1: within this room now. The Blacks signified their understanding, and
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Speaker 1: a moment later passed out of the room through one
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Speaker 1: of the windows and disappeared into the darkness of the
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Speaker 1: night beyond. Shortly after the Blacks had left, the Bolgani
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Speaker 1: made a determined rush upon the Gomangani guarding the main
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Speaker 1: entrance to the throne room, with the result that a
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Speaker 1: score or more of the grilla men succeeded in cutting
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Speaker 1: their way into the room. At this first indication of reversal,
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Speaker 1: the black showed signs of faltering, the fear of the
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Speaker 1: Bulghani that was inherent in them, showing in their wavering
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Speaker 1: attitude and seeming reluctance to force a counter attack. As
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Speaker 1: Tarzan leaped forward to assist in checking the rush of
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Speaker 1: the Bolgani into the three, he called to jad Baljaw
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Speaker 1: and as the great Lion leaped from the dais, the
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Speaker 1: ape man, pointing to the nearest Bulgani, cried, kill, kill,
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Speaker 1: straight for the throat of the nearest leaped jod Balja.
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Speaker 1: The great jaws closed upon the snarling face of the
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Speaker 1: frightened guerrilla man, but once and then, at the command
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Speaker 1: of his master, the golden Lion dropped the carcass after
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Speaker 1: a single shake and leaped upon another. Three had died
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Speaker 1: thus in quick succession, when the balance of the Bolgani
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Speaker 1: turned to flee this chamber of horrors, but the Gomangani,
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Speaker 1: their confidence restored by the ease with which this fierce
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Speaker 1: ally brought death in terror to the tyrants, interposed themselves
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Speaker 1: between the Bolgani and the doorway, shutting off their retreat.
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Speaker 1: Hold them, hold them, cried Tarzan, Do not kill them,
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Speaker 1: and then to the Bulgani, surrender and you will not
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Speaker 1: be harmed. Jad Baljah clung close to the side of
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Speaker 1: his master, glaring and growling at the Bulgani and casting
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Speaker 1: an occasional beseeching look at the ape man, which said,
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Speaker 1: plainer than words, send me among them. Fifteen of the
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Speaker 1: Bolgani who had entered the room survived for a moment.
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Speaker 1: They hesitated, and then one of them threw his weapons
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Speaker 1: upon the floor. Immediately the others followed suit. Tarzan turned
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Speaker 1: toward jad Baljah. Back, he said, pointing toward the Dais,
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Speaker 1: and as the lion wheeled and slunk away toward the platform,
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Speaker 1: Tarzan turned again toward the Bolgani. Let one of your
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Speaker 1: number go, he said, and announce to your fellows that
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Speaker 1: I demand their immediate surrender. The Bolgani whispered among themselves
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Speaker 1: for a few moments, and finally one of them announced
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Speaker 1: that he would go and seek the others. After he
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Speaker 1: had left the room, the old man approached Tarzan. They
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Speaker 1: will never surrender, he said. Look out for treachery. It
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Speaker 1: is all right, said Tarzan. I am expecting that, but
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Speaker 1: I am gaining time, and that is what we need most.
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Speaker 1: If there were a place near where I might confine
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Speaker 1: these others, I should feel better, for it would cut
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Speaker 1: down our antagonists by at least that many. There is
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Speaker 1: a room there, said the old man, pointing toward one
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Speaker 1: of the doorways in the throne room where you can
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Speaker 1: confine them. There are many such rooms in the Tower
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Speaker 1: of the Emperors. Good, said Tarzan, and a moment later,
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Speaker 1: following his instructions, the Bolgani were safely locked in a
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Speaker 1: room adjoining the throne room in the quarridors. Without they
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Speaker 1: could hear the main body of the Grilla mean in argument.
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Speaker 1: It was evident that they were discussing the message sent
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Speaker 1: to them by Tarzan. Fifteen minutes passed and finally thirty
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Speaker 1: with no word from the Bolgani and no resumption of hostilities,
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Speaker 1: And then there came to the main entrance of the
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Speaker 1: throne room. The fellow whom Tarzan had dispatched with his
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Speaker 1: demand for surrender, well, asked the ape man, what is
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Speaker 1: their answer. They will not surrender, replied the Bolgani, But
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Speaker 1: they will permit you to leave the valley, provided that
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Speaker 1: you will release those whom you have taken prisoner and
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Speaker 1: harm no others. The ape man shook his head. That
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Speaker 1: will not do, he replied, I hold the power to
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Speaker 1: crush the Bolgani of the Valley of Diamonds. Look, and
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Speaker 1: he pointed toward Joad Baljah. Here is the true Numa.
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Speaker 1: The creature you had upon your throne was but a
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Speaker 1: wild beast. But this is Numa, king of beasts, emperor
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Speaker 1: of all created things. Look at him. Must he be
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Speaker 1: held in leash by golden chains like some prisoner or slave? No,
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Speaker 1: he is indeed an emperor. But there is one yet
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Speaker 1: greater than he, one from whom he takes commands, And
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Speaker 1: that one is I Tarzan of the apes. Anger me,
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Speaker 1: and you shall feel not only the wrath of Numa,
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Speaker 1: but the wrath of Tarzan as well. The Gomangani are
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Speaker 1: my people. The Bolgani shall be my slaves. Go and
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Speaker 1: tell your fellows that, and that if they would live
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Speaker 1: at all, they had best come soon and sue for mercy. Go.
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Speaker 1: When the messenger had again departed, Tarzan looked at the
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Speaker 1: old man, who was eyeing him with an expression which
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Speaker 1: might have denoted either awe or reverence, were it not
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Speaker 1: for the vaguest hint of a twinkle in the corners
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Speaker 1: of the eyes. The ape man breathed the deep sigh
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Speaker 1: of relief. That will give us at least another half hour,
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Speaker 1: he said, We shall need it, and more, too, replied
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Speaker 1: the old man. Though at that you have accomplished more
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Speaker 1: than I had thought possible. For at least you have
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Speaker 1: put a doubt in the minds of the Bolgani, who
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Speaker 1: never before have had cause to question their own power. Presently,
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Speaker 1: from the outer corridors, the sounds of argument and discussion
17:07
Speaker 1: gave place to that of movement among the Bolgani. A
17:09
Speaker 1: company comprising some fifty of the Grilla men took posts
17:12
Speaker 1: directly outside the main entrance of the throne room, where
17:15
Speaker 1: they stood in silence, their weapons ready, as though for
17:17
Speaker 1: the purpose of disputing any effort upon the part of
17:20
Speaker 1: the inmates of the room to escape beyond them. The
17:22
Speaker 1: balance of the grilla men could be seen moving away
17:25
Speaker 1: and disappearing through doorways and corridors leading from the main
17:28
Speaker 1: hallway of the palace. The Gomangani, together with Law and
17:31
Speaker 1: the old Man, watched impatiently for the coming of the
17:34
Speaker 1: Black reinforcements, while Tarzan sat upon the edge of the dais,
17:37
Speaker 1: half reclining with an arm about the neck of jad Baljah.
17:41
Speaker 1: They are up to something, said the old man. We
17:44
Speaker 1: must watch carefully against a surprise. If the Blacks would
17:48
Speaker 1: but come now, while the doorway is held by only fifty,
17:51
Speaker 1: we should overcome them easily and have I do verily
17:55
Speaker 1: believe some slight chance of escaping from the palace grounds
18:00
Speaker 1: residence here, said Tarzan, has filled you with the same
18:03
Speaker 1: senseless fear of the Bolgani that the Gomangani hold. From
18:06
Speaker 1: the attitude of mind which you hold toward them, one
18:08
Speaker 1: might thank them some manner of supermen. They are only beasts,
18:11
Speaker 1: my friend, and if we remain loyal to our cause,
18:14
Speaker 1: we shall overcome them. Beasts they may be, cried the
18:18
Speaker 1: old man, but they are beasts with the brains of men.
18:21
Speaker 1: Their cunning and their cruelty are diabolical. A long silence ensued,
18:26
Speaker 1: broken only by the nervous whisperings of the Gomangani, whose morale,
18:30
Speaker 1: it was evident, was solely disintegrating under the nervous strain
18:33
Speaker 1: of the enforced weight, and the failure of their fellows
18:35
Speaker 1: of the forest to come quickly to their aid. To
18:37
Speaker 1: this was added the demoralizing effect of speculation upon what
18:40
Speaker 1: the Bolgani were planning, or what plan they were already
18:43
Speaker 1: putting into effect. The very silence of the grillament was
18:46
Speaker 1: more terrible than the din of actual assault. Law was
18:49
Speaker 1: the first of the Whites to break the silence. If
18:52
Speaker 1: thirty of the Gomangani could leave the palace so easily,
18:55
Speaker 1: why might we not leave? Also, there are two reasons,
18:58
Speaker 1: replied Tarzan. Was that should we have left simultaneously, the Bolgani,
19:02
Speaker 1: greatly outnumbering us as they did, could have harassed us
19:05
Speaker 1: and detained us for a sufficient length of time to
19:07
Speaker 1: have permitted their messengers to reach the villagers ahead of us,
19:10
Speaker 1: with the result that in a short time we should
19:13
Speaker 1: have been surrounded by thousands of hostile warriors. The second
19:16
Speaker 1: reason is that I desire to punish the creatures so
19:18
Speaker 1: that in future a stranger may be safe in the
19:20
Speaker 1: valley of the Palace of Diamonds, he paused, And now
19:24
Speaker 1: I shall give you a third reason why we may
19:25
Speaker 1: not seek to escape at this moment. He pointed toward
19:28
Speaker 1: the windows overlooking the terrace. Look he said, the terrace
19:32
Speaker 1: and the gardens are filled with Bolgani. Whatever their plan,
19:35
Speaker 1: I think its success depends upon our attempt to escape
19:37
Speaker 1: from this room through the windows. For unless I am mistaken,
19:40
Speaker 1: the Bolgani upon the terrace and in the gardens are
19:42
Speaker 1: making an attempt to hide themselves from us. The bi
19:45
Speaker 1: Olban walked to a part of the room from which
19:47
Speaker 1: he could see the greater part of the terrace and gardens,
19:49
Speaker 1: upon which the windows of the throne room looked. You
19:52
Speaker 1: are right, he said, when he returned to the ape
19:55
Speaker 1: man's side. The Bolgani are all massed outside the windows,
19:58
Speaker 1: with the exception of those to guard the entrance, and
20:01
Speaker 1: possibly some others at the doorways at other portions of
20:04
Speaker 1: the throne room. That, however, we must determine. He walked
20:09
Speaker 1: quickly to the opposite side of the chamber and drew
20:12
Speaker 1: back the hangs before one of the apertures, disclosing beyond
20:15
Speaker 1: a small band of Bolgani. They stood there motionless, not
20:18
Speaker 1: making any effort to seize or harm him. To another exit,
20:21
Speaker 1: and to another he went, and beyond each discovered to
20:24
Speaker 1: the occupants of the chamber the same silent guerrilla guardians.
20:28
Speaker 1: He made the circle of the room, passing over the
20:30
Speaker 1: dais behind the three thrones, and then he came back
20:32
Speaker 1: to Tarzan in law. It is as I suspected, he said,
20:37
Speaker 1: we are entirely surrounded. Unless help come soon, we are lost.
20:42
Speaker 1: But their force is divided, Tarzan reminded him. Even so,
20:47
Speaker 1: it is sufficient to account for us, replied the old man.
20:51
Speaker 1: Perhaps you are right, said Tarzan, but at least we
20:53
Speaker 1: shall have a bully fight. What is that? Exclaimed La
20:57
Speaker 1: And simultaneously, attracted by the same noise, the inmates of
21:00
Speaker 1: the throne room raised their eyes to the ceiling above them,
21:02
Speaker 1: where they saw that traps had been lifted from a
21:04
Speaker 1: dozen openings, revealing the scowling faces of several score of
21:07
Speaker 1: guerrilla men. What are they up to now? Exclaimed Tarzan, And,
21:12
Speaker 1: as though in answer to the query, the Bulgani above
21:14
Speaker 1: began hurling bundles of burning, oil soaked rags tied in
21:17
Speaker 1: goat skins into the throne room, which immediately commenced to
21:20
Speaker 1: fill up with a thick, suffocating smoke, accompanied by the
21:23
Speaker 1: stench of burning hide and hair. End of chapter