Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
Those who had brought Tarzan took him away then as Obergatz had
directed, and the German turned once more to the warriors by the gate.
"Throw down your arms, warriors of Ja-don," he cried, "lest I call down
my lightnings to blast you where you stand. Those who do as I bid shall
be forgiven. Come! Throw down your arms."
The warriors of Ja-don moved uneasily, casting looks of appeal at their
leader and of apprehension toward the figures upon the palace roof.
Ja-don sprang forward among his men. "Let the cowards and knaves throw
down their arms and enter the palace," he cried, "but never will Ja-don
and the warriors of Ja-lur touch their foreheads to the feet of Lu-don
and his false god. Make your decision now," he cried to his followers.
A few threw down their arms and with sheepish looks passed through the
gateway into the palace, and with the example of these to bolster their
courage others joined in the desertion from the old chieftain of the
north, but staunch and true around him stood the majority of his
warriors and when the last weakling had left their ranks Ja-don voiced
the savage cry with which he led his followers to the attack, and once
again the battle raged about the palace gate.
At times Ja-don's forces pushed the defenders far into the palace
ground and then the wave of combat would recede and pass out into the
city again. And still Ta-den and the reinforcements did not come. It
was drawing close to noon. Lu-don had mustered every available man that
was not actually needed for the defense of the gate within the temple,
and these he sent, under the leadership of Pan-sat, out into the city
through the secret passageway and there they fell upon Ja-don's forces
from the rear while those at the gate hammered them in front.
Attacked on two sides by a vastly superior force the result was
inevitable and finally the last remnant of Ja-don's little army
capitulated and the old chief was taken a prisoner before Lu-don. "Take
him to the temple court," cried the high priest. "He shall witness the
death of his accomplice and perhaps Jad-ben-Otho shall pass a similar
sentence upon him as well."
The inner temple court was packed with humanity. At either end of the
western altar stood Tarzan and his mate, bound and helpless. The sounds
of battle had ceased and presently the ape-man saw Ja-don being led
into the inner court, his wrists bound tightly together before him.
Tarzan turned his eyes toward Jane and nodded in the direction of
Ja-don. "This looks like the end," he said quietly. "He was our last
and only hope."
"We have at least found each other, John," she replied, "and our last
days have been spent together. My only prayer now is that if they take
you they do not leave me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account