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closed upon him with tooth and nail。 Seizing the stocky； stunted body in
his mighty hands Tarzan raised the creature high above his head； hurling
him at his fellows who were now gathered ready to bear down upon their
erstwhile captive。 La stood proudly with ready knife behind the ape…man。
No faint sign of fear marked her perfect browonly haughty disdain for
her priests and admiration for the man she loved so hopelessly filled her
thoughts。
Suddenly upon this scene burst the mad bulla huge tusker； his little
eyes inflamed with insane rage。 The priests stood for an instant paralyzed
with terror； but Tarzan turned and gathering La in his arms raced for the
nearest tree。 Tantor bore down upon him trumpeting shrilly。 La clung
with both white arms about the ape…man's neck。 She felt him leap into the
air and marveled at his strength and his ability as； burdened with her
weight； he swung nimbly into the lower branches of a large tree and
quickly bore her upward beyond reach of the sinuous trunk of the
pachyderm。
Momentarily baffled here； the huge elephant wheeled and bore down
upon the hapless priests who had now scattered； terror…stricken； in every
direction。 The nearest he gored and threw high among the branches of a
tree。 One he seized in the coils of his trunk and broke upon a huge bole；
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dropping the mangled pulp to charge； trumpeting； after another。 Two he
trampled beneath his huge feet and by then the others had disappeared into
the jungle。 Now Tantor turned his attention once more to Tarzan for one
of the symptoms of madness is a revulsion of affectionobjects of sane
love become the objects of insane hatred。 Peculiar in the unwritten
annals of the jungle was the proverbial love that had existed between the
ape…man and the tribe of Tantor。 No elephant in all the jungle would
harm the Tarmanganithe white…ape； but with the madness of MUST upon
him the great bull sought to destroy his long…time play…fellow。
Back to the tree where La and Tarzan perched came Tantor； the
elephant。 He reared up with his forefeet against the bole and reached
high toward them with his long trunk； but Tarzan had foreseen this and
clambered beyond the bull's longest reach。 Failure but tended to further
enrage the mad creature。 He bellowed and trumpeted and screamed until
the earth shook to the mighty volume of his noise。 He put his head
against the tree and pushed and the tree bent before his mighty strength；
yet still it held。
The actions of Tarzan were peculiar in the extreme。 Had Numa； or
Sabor； or Sheeta； or any other beast of the jungle been seeking to destroy
him； the ape…man would have danced about hurling missiles and
invectives at his assailant。 He would have insulted and taunted them；
reviling in the jungle Billingsgate he knew so well； but now he sat silent
out of Tantor's reach and upon his handsome face was an expression of
deep sorrow and pity； for of all the jungle folk Tarzan loved Tantor the best。
Could he have slain him he would not have thought of doing so。 His one
idea was to escape； for he knew that with the passing of the MUST Tantor
would be sane again and that once more he might stretch at full length
upon that mighty back and make foolish speech into those great； flapping
ears。
Finding that the tree would not fall to his pushing； Tantor was but
enraged the more。 He looked up at the two perched high above him； his
red…rimmed eyes blazing with insane hatred； and then he wound his trunk
about the bole of the tree； spread his giant feet wide apart and tugged to
uproot the jungle giant。 A huge creature was Tantor； an enormous bull in
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the full prime of all his stupendous strength。 Mightily he strove until
presently； to Tarzan's consternation； the great tree gave slowly at the roots。
The ground rose in little mounds and ridges about the base of the bole； the
tree tiltedin another moment it would be uprooted and fall。
The ape…man whirled La to his back and just as the tree inclined
slowly in its first movement out of the perpendicular； before the sudden
rush of its final collapse； he swung to the branches of a lesser neighbor。
It was a long and perilous leap。 La closed her eyes and shuddered； but
when she opened them again she found herself safe and Tarzan whirling
onward through the forest。 Behind them the uprooted tree crashed
heavily to the ground； carrying with it the lesser trees in its path and then
Tantor； realizing that his prey had escaped him； set up once more his
hideous trumpeting and followed at a rapid charge upon their trail。
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14
A Priestess But Yet a Woman
At first La closed her eyes and clung to Tarzan in terror； though she
made no outcry； but presently she gained sufficient courage to look about
her； to look down at the ground beneath and even to keep her eyes open
during the wide； perilous swings from tree to tree； and then there came
over her a sense of safety because of her confidence in the perfect physical
creature in whose strength and nerve and agility her fate lay。 Once she
raised her eyes to the burning sun and murmured a prayer of thanks to her
pagan god that she had not been permitted to destroy this godlike man； and
her long lashes were wet with tears。 A strange anomaly was La of Opar
a creature of circumstance torn by conflicting emotions。 Now the cruel
and bloodthirsty creature of a heartless god and again a melting woman
filled with compassion and tenderness。 Sometimes the incarnation of
jealousy and revenge and sometimes a sobbing maiden； generous and
forgiving； at once a virgin and a wanton； but alwaysa woman。 Such was
La。
She pressed her cheek close to