Out of the Niche

Tarzan the Untamed

by Edgar R. Burroughs

OUT OF THE NICHE, TARZAN THE UNTAMED by Edgar R. Burroughs
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Numa, the lion, growled futilely in baffled rage as he
slipped back to the ground at the foot of the wall after
his unsuccessful attempt to drag down the fleeing ape-
man. He poised to make a second effort to follow his escaping
quarry when his nose picked up a hitherto unnoticed quality
in the scent spoor of his intended prey. Sniffing at the ground
that Tarzan's feet had barely touched, Numa's growl changed
to a low whine, for he had recognized the scent spoor of the
man-thing that had rescued him from the pit of the Wama-
bos.

What thoughts passed through that massive head? Who
may say? But now there was no indication of baffled rage as
the great lion turned and moved majestically eastward along
the wall. At the eastern end of the city he turned toward the
south, continuing his way to the south side of the wall along
which were the pens and corrals where the herbivorous flocks
were fattened for the herds of domesticated lions within the
city. The great black lions of the forest fed with almost equal
impartiality upon the flesh of the grass-eaters and man. Like
Numa of the pit they occasionally made excursions across the
desert to the fertile valley of the Wamabos, but principally
they took their toll of meat from the herds of the walled city
of Herog, the mad king, or seized upon some of his luckless
subjects.

Numa of the pit was in some respect an exception to the
rule which guided his fellows of the forest in that as a cub he
had been trapped and carried into the city, where he was kept
for breeding purposes, only to escape in his second year. They
had tried to teach him in the city of maniacs that he must not
eat the flesh of man, and the result of their schooling was that
only when aroused to anger or upon that one occasion that
he had been impelled by the pangs of hunger, did he ever at-
tack man.

The animal corrals of the maniacs are protected by an outer
wall or palisade of upright logs, the lower ends of which are
imbedded in the ground, the logs themselves being placed as
close together as possible and further reinforced and bound
together by withes. At intervals there are gates through which
the flocks are turned on to the grazing land south of the city
during the daytime. It is at such times that the black lions
of the forest take their greatest toll from the herds, and it is
infrequent that a lion attempts to enter the corrals at night.
But Numa of the pit, having scented the spoor of his bene-
factor, was minded again to pass into the walled city, and with
that idea in his cunning brain he crept stealthily along the
outer side of the palisade, testing each gateway with a padded
foot until at last he discovered one which seemed insecurely
fastened. Lowering his great head he pressed against the gate,
surging forward with all the weight of his huge body and the
strength of his giant sinews -- one mighty effort and Numa was
within the corral.

The enclosure contained a herd of goats which immediately
upon the advent of the carnivore started a mad stampede to
the opposite end of the corral which was bounded by the south
wall of the city. Numa had been within such a corral as this
before, so that he knew that somewhere in the wall was a small
door through which the goatherd might pass from the city
to his flock; toward this door he made his way, whether by
plan or accident it is difficult to say, though in the light of
ensuing events it seems possible that the former was the case.

To reach the gate he must pass directly through the herd
which had huddled affrightedly close to the opening so that
once again there was a furious rush of hoofs as Numa strode
quickly to the side of the portal. If Numa had planned, he
had planned well, for scarcely had he reached his position
when the door opened and a herder's head was projected
into the enclosure, the fellow evidently seeking an explana-
tion of the disturbance among his flock. Possibly he discov-
ered the cause of the commotion, but it is doubtful, for it was
dark and the great, taloned paw that reached up and struck
downward a mighty blow that almost severed his head from
his body, moved so quickly and silently that the man was dead
within a fraction of a second from the moment that he opened
the door, and then Numa, knowing now his way, passed
through the wall into the dimly lighted streets of the city be-
yond.

Smith-Oldwick's first thought when he was accosted by the
figure in the yellow tunic of a soldier was to shoot the man
dead and trust to his legs and the dimly lighted, winding streets
to permit his escape, for he knew that to be accosted was
equivalent to recapture since no inhabitant of this weird city
but would recognize him as an alien. It would be a simple
thing to shoot the man from the pocket where the pistol lay
without drawing the weapon, and with this purpose in mind
the Englishman slipped his hands into the side pocket of his
blouse, but simultaneously with this action his wrist was seized
in a powerful grasp and a low voice whispered in English:
"Lieutenant, it is I, Tarzan of the Apes."

The relief from the nervous strain under which he had
been laboring for so long, left Smith-Oldwick suddenly as
weak as a babe, so that he was forced to grasp the ape-man's
arm for support -- and when he found his voice all he could
do was to repeat: "You? You? I thought you were dead!"

"No, not dead," replied Tarzan, "and I see that you are not
either. But how about the girl?"

"I haven't seen her," replied the Englishman, "since we
were brought here. We were taken into a building on the
plaza close by and there we were separated. She was led away
by guards and I was put into a den of lions. I haven't seen
her since."

"How did you escape?" asked the ape-man.

"The lions didn't seem to pay much attention to me and I
climbed out of the place by way of a tree and through a win-
dow into a room on the second floor. Had a little scrimmage
there with a fellow and was hidden by one of their women
in a hole in the wall. The loony thing then betrayed me to
another bounder who happened in, but I found a way out
and up onto the roof where I have been for quite some time
now waiting for a chance to get down into the street without
being seen. That's all I know, but I haven't the slightest idea
in the world where to look for Miss Kircher."

"Where were you going now?" asked Tarzan.

Smith-Oldwick hesitated. "I -- well, I couldn't do anything
here alone and I was going to try to get out of the city and
in some way reach the British forces east and bring help."

"You couldn't do it," said Tarzan. "Even if you got through
the forest alive you could never cross the desert country with-
out food or water."

"What shall we do, then?" asked the Englishman.

"We will see if we can find the girl," replied the ape-man,
and then, as though he had forgotten the presence of the Eng-
lishman and was arguing to convince himself, "She may be a
German and a spy, but she is a woman -- a white woman -- I
can't leave her here."

"But how are we going to find her?" asked the Englishman.

"I have followed her this far," replied Tarzan, "and unless
I am greatly mistaken I can follow her still farther."

"But I cannot accompany you in these clothes without ex-
posing us both to detection and arrest," argued Smith-Oldwick.

"We will get you other clothes, then," said Tarzan.

"How?" asked the Englishman.

"Go back to the roof beside the city wall where I entered,"
replied the ape-man with a grim smile, "and ask the naked
dead man there how I got my disguise."

Smith-Oldwick looked quickly up at his companion. "I have
it," he exclaimed. "I know where there is a fellow who doesn't
need his clothes anymore, and if we can get back on this roof
I think we can find him and get his apparel without much
resistance. Only a girl and a young fellow whom we could
easily surprise and overcome."

"What do you mean?" asked Tarzan. "How do you know
that the man doesn't need his clothes any more."

"I know he doesn't need them," replied the Englishman,
"because I killed him."

"Oh!" exclaimed the ape-man, "I see. I guess it might be
easier that way than to tackle one of these fellows in the street
where there is more chance of our being interrupted."

"But how are we going to reach the roof again, after all?"
queried Smith-Oldwick.

"The same way you came down," replied Tarzan. "This
roof is low and there is a little ledge formed by the capital
of each column; I noticed that when you descended. Some of
the buildings wouldn't have been so easy to negotiate."

Smith-Oldwick looked up toward the eaves of the low roof.
"It's not very high," he said, "but I am afraid I can't make it.
I'll try -- I've been pretty weak since a lion mauled me and
the guards beat me up, and too, I haven't eaten since yester-
day."

Tarzan thought a moment. "You've got to go with me," he
said at last. "I can't leave you here. The only chance you have
of escape is through me and I can't go with you now until
we have found the girl."

"I want to go with you," replied Smith-Oldwick. "I'm not
much good now but at that two of us may be better than
one."

"All right," said Tarzan, "come on," and before the Eng-
lishman realized what the other contemplated Tarzan had
picked him up and thrown him across his shoulder. "Now,
hang on," whispered the ape-man, and with a short run he
clambered apelike up the front of the low arcade. So quickly
and easily was it done that the Englishman scarcely had time
to realize what was happening before he was deposited safely
upon the roof.

"There," remarked Tarzan. "Now, lead me to the place
you speak of."

Smith-Oldwick had no difficulty in locating the trap in the
roof through which he had escaped. Removing the cover the
ape-man bent low, listening and sniffing. "Come," he said
after a moment's investigation and lowered himself to the
floor beneath. Smith-Oldwick followed him, and together the
two crept through the darkness toward the door in the back
wall of the niche in which the Englishman had been hidden
by the girl. They found the door ajar and opening it Tarzan
saw a streak of light showing through the hangings that sep-
arated it from the alcove.

Placing his eye close to the aperture he saw the girl and
the young man of which the Englishman had spoken seated
on opposite sides of a low table upon which food was spread.
Serving them was a giant Negro and it was he whom the ape-
man watched most closely. Familiar with the tribal idiosyn-
crasies of a great number of African tribes over a considerable
proportion of the Dark Continent, the Tarmangani at last felt
reasonably assured that he knew from what part of Africa this
slave had come, and the dialect of his people. There was, how-
ever, the chance that the fellow had been captured in child-
hood and that through long years of non-use his native lan-
guage had become lost to him, but then there always had been
an element of chance connected with nearly every event of
Tarzan's life, so he waited patiently until in the performance
of his duties the black man approached a little table which
stood near the niche in which Tarzan and the Englishman hid.

As the slave bent over some dish which stood upon the table
his ear was not far from the aperture through which Tarzan
looked. Apparently from a solid wall, for the Negro had no
knowledge of the existence of the niche, came to him in the
tongue of his own people, the whispered words: "If you would
return to the land of the Wamabo say nothing, but do as I
bid you."

The black rolled terrified eyes toward the hangings at his
side. The ape-man could see him tremble and for a moment
was fearful that in his terror he would betray them. "Fear
not," he whispered, "we are your friends."

At last the Negro spoke in a low whisper, scarcely audible
even to the keen ears of the ape-man. "What," he asked, "can
poor Otobu do for the god who speaks to him out of the solid
wall?"

"This," replied Tarzan. "Two of us are coming into this
room. Help us prevent this man and woman from escaping
or raising an outcry that will bring others to their aid."

"I will help you," replied the Negro, "to keep them within
this room, but do not fear that their outcries will bring others.
These walls are built so that no sound may pass through, and
even if it did what difference would it make in this village
which is constantly filled with the screams of its mad people.
Do not fear their cries. No one will notice them. I go to do
your bidding."

Tarzan saw the black cross the room to the table upon which
he placed another dish of food before the feasters. Then he
stepped to a place behind the man and as he did so raised his
eyes to the point in the wall from which the ape-man's voice
had come to him, as much as to say, "Master, I am ready."

Without more delay Tarzan threw aside the hangings and
stepped into the room. As he did so the young man rose from
the table to be instantly seized from behind by the black slave.
The girl, whose back was toward the ape-man and his com-
panion, was not at first aware of their presence but saw only
the attack of the slave upon her lover, and with a loud scream
she leaped forward to assist the latter. Tarzan sprang to her
side and laid a heavy hand upon her arm before she could
interfere with Otobu's attentions to the young man. At first,
as she turned toward the ape-man, her face reflected only mad
rage, but almost instantly this changed into the vapid smile
with which Smith-Oldwick was already familiar and her slim
fingers commenced their soft appraisement of the newcomer.

Almost immediately she discovered Smith-Oldwick but there
was neither surprise nor anger upon her countenance. Evi-
dently the poor mad creature knew but two principal moods,
from one to the other of which she changed with lightning-
like rapidity.

"Watch her a moment," said Tarzan to the Englishman,
"while I disarm that fellow," and stepping to the side of the
young man whom Otobu was having difficulty in subduing
Tarzan relieved him of his saber. "Tell them," he said to the
Negro, "if you speak their language, that we will not harm
them if they leave us alone and let us depart in peace."

The black had been looking at Tarzan with wide eyes, evi-
dently not comprehending how this god could appear in so
material a form, and with the voice of a white bwana and the
uniform of a warrior of this city to which he quite evidently
did not belong. But nevertheless his first confidence in the
voice
that offered him freedom was not lessened and he did as
Tarzan bid him.

"They want to know what you want," said Otobu, after he
had spoken to the man and the girl.

"Tell them that we want food for one thing," said Tarzan,
"and something else that we know where to find in this room.
Take the man's spear, Otobu; I see it leaning against the wall
in the corner of the room. And you, Lieutenant, take his
saber," and then again to Otobu, "I will watch the man while
you go and bring forth that which is beneath the couch over
against this wall," and Tarzan indicated the location of the
piece of furniture.

Otobu, trained to obey, did as he was bid. The eyes of the
man and the girl followed him, and as he drew back the hang-
ings and dragged forth the corpse of the man Smith-Oldwick
had slain, the girl's lover voiced a loud scream and attempted
to leap forward to the side of the corpse. Tarzan, however,
seized him and then the fellow turned upon him with teeth
and nails. It was with no little difficulty that Tarzan finally
sub-
dued the man, and while Otobu was removing the outer cloth-
ing from the corpse, Tarzan asked the black to question the
young man as to his evident excitement at the sight of the body.

"I can tell you Bwana," replied Otobu. "This man was his
father."

"What is he saying to the girl?" asked Tarzan.

"He is asking her if she knew that the body of his father was
under the couch. And she is saying that she did not know it."

Tarzan repeated the conversation to Smith-Oldwick, who
smiled. "If the chap could have seen her removing all evi-
dence of the crime and arranging the hangings of the couch
so that the body was concealed after she had helped me drag
it across the room, he wouldn't have very much doubt as to her
knowledge of the affair. The rug you see draped over the
bench in the corner was arranged to hide the blood stain -- in
some ways they are not so loony after all."

The black man had now removed the outer garments from
the dead man, and Smith-Oldwick was hastily drawing them
on over his own clothing. "And now," said Tarzan, "we will
sit down and eat. One accomplishes little on an empty stom-
ach." As they ate the ape-man attempted to carry on a conver-
sation with the two natives through Otobu. He learned that
they were in the palace which had belonged to the dead man
lying upon the floor beside them. He had held an official posi-
tion of some nature, and he and his family were of the ruling
class but were not members of the court.

When Tarzan questioned them about Bertha Kircher, the
young man said that she had been taken to the king's palace;
and when asked why replied: "For the king, of course."

During the conversation both the man and the girl appeared
quite rational, even asking some questions as to the country
from which their uninvited guests had come, and evidencing
much surprise when informed that there was anything but
waterless wastes beyond their own valley.

When Otobu asked the man, at Tarzan's suggestion, if he
was familiar with the interior of the king's palace, he replied
that he was; that he was a friend of Prince Metak, one of the
king's sons, and that he often visited the palace and that Metak
also came here to his father's palace frequently. As Tarzan
ate he racked his brain for some plan whereby he might utilize
the knowledge of the young man to gain entrance to the
palace, but he had arrived at nothing which he considered
feasible when there came a loud knocking upon the door of
the outer room.

For a moment no one spoke and then the young man raised
his voice and cried aloud to those without. Immediately
Otobu sprang for the fellow and attempted to smother his
words by clapping a palm over his mouth.

"What is he saying?" asked Tarzan.

"He is telling them to break down the door and rescue him
and the girl from two strangers who entered and made them
prisoners. If they enter they will kill us all."

"Tell him," said Tarzan, "to hold his peace or I will slay
him."

Otobu did as he was instructed and the young maniac lapsed
into scowling silence. Tarzan crossed the alcove and entered
the outer room to note the effect of the assaults upon the door.
Smith-Oldwick followed him a few steps, leaving Otobu to
guard the two prionsers. The ape-man saw that the door could
not long withstand the heavy blows being dealt the panels
from without. "I wanted to use that fellow in the other room,"
he said to Smith-Oldwick, "but I am afraid we will have to get
out of here the way we came. We can't accomplish anything
by waiting here and meeting these fellows. From the noise out
there there must be a dozen of them. Come," he said, "you go
first and I will follow."

As the two turned back from the alcove they witnessed an
entirely different scene from that upon which they had turned
their backs but a moment or two before. Stretched on the
floor and apparently lifeless lay the body of the black slave,
while the two prisoners had vanished completely.