CHAPTER V: TANTOR TRUMPETSBobbie regained consciousness in the hut of Tarzan in the hut of Tarzan. He looked frightened at first at the strange surroundings, then seeing it was Tarzan holding him was reassured.
The face of Tarzan was a study. It was a new sensation that he was experiencing, this contact with his own kind. There had dawned in him that instinct which responds to the call of humanity to protect the weak against the strong, the eternal conflict of good and evil. Tarzan was starting in with the fundamental passions, love and hate, hope and fear, courage and cowardice, virtue and vice, benevolence and malevolence.
"I want Mary," cried Bobby "take me to her." Again and again he tried to make Tarzan understand but could not.
Once he went to the door of the hut, struck out into the jungle but stopped suddenly as he caught a glimpse of Numa, the lion, snarling. Tarzan heard it, too, leaped into action, grabbing Bobby in the nick of time, glaring at Numa who slunk away.
Bobby was willing enough now to return to the hut and together they spent the night, a strange pair, this man and boy.
In the morning when Bobby discovered the old picture book the roles were reversed. Here was the child instructing the man. As picture after picture was turned up Bobby found he had an apt pupil.
First it was a picture of a boy. There was no difficulty in getting the idea over with that. Next a girl. The next idea was therefore a picture of Mary. Tarzan himself spied a picture of an ape. But Bobby shook his head, turned the pages, found a man. Quickly they agreed on the difference. These were all new ideas to Tarzan's keen mind. He absorbed them rapidly.
But still that was not what Bobby wanted to convey. Quickly he turned the pages. Ah, there was what he wanted, fortunately. It was a picture of a girl struggling with a man. With signs and gestures Bobby tried to get over what was in his mind.
"Mary needs us! She is afraid of Black John!"
Slowly Tarzan began to get it, that was something wrong. It had been a great day for Tarzan. Compressed into hours had been the rudiments of education that with civilized man take years, just as compressed into one sudden swift , moment as he had first glimpsed. Mary at the pool had been thrust upon his emotions that cover childhood, youth and manhood. Yet Tarzan was not in a whirl. The very simplicity of life in the jungle was his protection against the complexities of modern man.
For the laws of the jungle are as old and as true as the sky. Man or beast who obey prosper. They who break suffer, are punished and perish. It is the same in the jungle and the hut, the lost village and the cabin, in university and slum, Wall street and the Bowery -- the game is the same; only the rules change. Fundamentals are the law of life, inexorable, universal, eternal. Tarzan had much to learn. That was superficial. He had far more to teach. That was deep. The boy and the man were fast friends. Yet there ws something supplementary, complementary that each lacked, sought. This wonderful day for each was crowned by it. It was Mary!
So it was that slowly, bit by bit, Bobby succeeded in making his jungle friend realize Mary's peril. And with Tarzan once and idea was realized it was translated into action.
It was dark, now. With his grass rope in one hand, his dagger about his neck, and Bobby caught up in his arms Tarzan issued forth into the night noises and among the prowlers of his jungle.
Once they encountered Numa again. Quick as a flash in the silvery moonbeams Tarzan had looped his rope, swung up into a tree, shot out defiance and again Numa slunk away impotent before his master.
Sometimes from tree to tree, where that showed the mastery of the jungle, again along ground trail or through soft meadow they hurried along. Bobby needed not now to urge on his friend.
They were at the stockade. It was no more of an obstacle than the lines of a tennis court. Tarzan was a three-dimensional human animal They were over it in a jiffy, Tarzan and Bobby, safe, high up in the crotch of a tree.
Such a sight Tarzan had never seen or dreamed. Excitedly Bobby explained and as he did Tarzan's eyes blazed as he got the idea, more from Black John's actions than from anything the boy could tell. It was more than Tarzan could stand. He had reached the breaking point.
He dropped suddenly, like a panther, before John and Mary. Black John released her, cowering back in utter surprise. Mary recovered herself with a rush, started back.
"It is Tarzan!" The Patriarch and the tribe took it up and echoed it, scattering in wild flight.
An instant later Mary cried out and swept Bobby safe in her arms. Together they watched, clinging.
Black John never took his eyes off Tarzan. Tarzan started slowly toward him There was no ruse of Black John's that could stay Tarzan now.
They grappled.
From behind trees an d cabins now the Patriarch was mustering the frightened natives, arming them.
The fight was swift and short. Tarzan flung the beaten Black John at Mary's feet.
"Oh! Look!"
In terror Mary pointed the Patriarch and the others were closing in. Tarzan was outnumbered a hundred to one. He turned, saw them coming. But there was no fear in his heart. He drew himself to his full height. Suddenly from his mouth issued the weirdest of sounds -- the cry of the jungle.
Tantor heard it and trumpeted. Taug and Teeka heard it and answered. Everywhere, throughout the jungle they heard it -- and it was returned.
The Patriarch and the tribe ringed him now. Tarzan faced them. They had no stomach for the fight. But the Patriarch cursed them and gave the signal. En mass they overcame their terror and fell upon Tarzan. Mary and Bobby were swept aside. Tarzan was down fighting overwhelmed by weight of numbers, pinned ot he ground.
Meanwhile Black John had revived. He scrambled to his feet, grasping his spear, shouting.
The tribe heard and in an instant they had Tarzan bound to a huge stake in the enclosure, as Bobby and Mary crouched back from the crowd. Black John raised his spear at the defiant Tarzan.
Louder and louder now came the trumpeting of Tantor the elephant. Nearer and nearer he was crashing through the jungle.
Black John smiled at the importance of it. Tantor would be too late. Defiantly Tarzan called to Tantor. There was a sudden change in Black John's countenance. Tantor was nearer than he had thought -- he was at the wall, crashing it!
With a scream Mary turned her head away. Black John had heaved his javelin at Tarzan.
Black John is foiled when he sees that Numa, the lion, not only knows Tarzan, but fears him as well. The beast runs from him. The villagers scatter as Tarzan utters his jungle cry. Mary calls him. He crashes through the hut to her side. He and Black John battle. Tarzan vanquishes him and would kill him, but Mary pleads with him not to commit murder. Tarzan lets him go and leaves the village, without further conflict, in the company of Mary and Bobby. They go to Tarzan's hut in the jungle.
TARZAN THE MIGHTY
FILM SERIAL SUMMARY
From Universal Weekly 1928
Chapter Five: Flames of HateIn the village Black John is rousing the tribesmen to go with him and take Mary from Tarzan. As they approach the hut, armed with spears, Bobby spies them and gives the alarm. Tarzan wishes to rush out and do battle, but Mary restrains him. Seeing that Tarzan will not come out Black John posts guards on every side and then throws a flaming spear into the roof of the brush hut. As Mary, Bobby and Tarzan huddle together in the middle of the hut the flaming roof drops in while the tribesmen hurl their huge spears.
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