Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
Obergatz, his shattered mentality having never grasped fully the
meaning of much that was going on about him, cast a casual glance at
the bound and helpless prisoner, and as his eyes fell upon the noble
features of the ape-man, they went wide in astonishment and fright, and
his pasty countenance turned a sickly blue. Once before had he seen
Tarzan of the Apes, but many times had he dreamed that he had seen him
and always was the giant ape-man avenging the wrongs that had been
committed upon him and his by the ruthless hands of the three German
officers who had led their native troops in the ravishing of Tarzan's
peaceful home. Hauptmann Fritz Schneider had paid the penalty of his
needless cruelties; Unter-lieutenant von Goss, too, had paid; and now
Obergatz, the last of the three, stood face to face with the Nemesis
that had trailed him through his dreams for long, weary months. That he
was bound and helpless lessened not the German's terror--he seemed not
to realize that the man could not harm him. He but stood cringing and
jibbering and Lu-don saw and was filled with apprehension that others
might see and seeing realize that this bewhiskered idiot was no
god--that of the two Tarzan-jad-guru was the more godly figure. Already
the high priest noted that some of the palace warriors standing near
were whispering together and pointing. He stepped closer to Obergatz.
"You are Jad-ben-Otho," he whispered, "denounce him!"
The German shook himself. His mind cleared of all but his great terror
and the words of the high priest gave him the clue to safety.
"I am Jad-ben-Otho!" he screamed.
Tarzan looked him straight in the eye. "You are Lieutenant Obergatz of
the German Army," he said in excellent German. "You are the last of the
three I have sought so long and in your putrid heart you know that God
has not brought us together at last for nothing."
The mind of Lieutenant Obergatz was functioning clearly and rapidly at
last. He too saw the questioning looks upon the faces of some of those
around them. He saw the opposing warriors of both cities standing by
the gate inactive, every eye turned upon him, and the trussed figure of
the ape-man. He realized that indecision now meant ruin, and ruin,
death. He raised his voice in the sharp barking tones of a Prussian
officer, so unlike his former maniacal screaming as to quickly arouse
the attention of every ear and to cause an expression of puzzlement to
cross the crafty face of Lu-don.
"I am Jad-ben-Otho," snapped Obergatz. "This creature is no son of
mine. As a lesson to all blasphemers he shall die upon the altar at the
hand of the god he has profaned. Take him from my sight, and when the
sun stands at zenith let the faithful congregate in the temple court
and witness the wrath of this divine hand," and he held aloft his right
palm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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