THE apes and the Waziri spread throughout the whole city in the side of Kilimanjaro, killing as they went. Tarzan made no effort to halt them. This was an evil people, a race which did not belong in his beloved country. Two more of the "tame" yeti, under the influence of the mysterious drug, were found and immediately dispatched with enthusiasm.
Jack, for it was he who had killed the yeti in the arena, accompanied his father as they searched for Freddy Keys-Smythe, Al and Charley. They finally found them in a cold, dank room deep in the side of the mountain.
"What"s happened?" Freddy wanted to know.
"Practically everything," Tarzan replied, gravely. "I"m afraid your Sherpa was killed. Otherwise, we"re all of us all right, thanks to Jack. Son, perhaps you"d best leave Oxford for good and take over for your old dad. I think perhaps I"m losing my grip."
Jack laughed. "Of course you are. Practically feeble."
Jedak came shambling slowly into the arena where all had finally a.s.sembled. He was rather shamefacedly carrying a tiny yeti, perhaps two feet in height, and certainly no older than two years" if that old. Its strangely human face looked at the crowd of people imploringly, and it clutched Jedak"s rough hair with tiny fingers. "We killed its mother," Jedak said, apologetically. "Still, I have it in my mind that this is what the Englishman with the crippled silver bird came here for, so perhaps it is a good thing. Only . . . what shall I do with it? It will not turn loose of me."
Tarzan laughed. "Excellent. Take it outside, and give it over to Nendat. She can care for it until we arrange for the Englishman to get another silver bird." Changing to English, he said to Freddy, "Well, there"s your Abominable Snowman for you. Treat him kindly and he"ll grow into a great giant of a fellow."
Freddy shuddered delicately. "When he does, the London Zoo is going to have a new tenant. This "un"s just about as big as I want to ever see one again!"
"Well, on your way. Oh, yes-d"you have some explosive in that great tangle of equipment you never had a chance to use?"
"Absolutely. How much d"you need?"
"As much as you have. I want to make a really big bang. Take a couple of the Waziri with you and send them back up to the entrance with it." He spoke to Basuli, who detailed two men. Freddy, Charley and Al, followed by Jedak and the tiny yeti went with the party.
After they"d gone, Tarzan spoke to Jedak and then to Basuli.
"You"ve both been over this place with a fine-tooth comb. Is there another exit or entrance?"
"Only a few ventilator shafts, lord. Too small for any person to climb through. Natural chimneys in the rock."
"Good. Here is what is in my mind. Undoubtedly, many of these people escaped your tender attentions. There must be dozens, even hundreds of places to hide. To my way of thinking, these are anevil people. The so-called "tame" yeti were the vicious ones, the killers, because they had been drugged. The wild yeti are timid, shy and peace-loving. I would release them onto the mountainside, to let them find new caves in which to live their natural lives. And then I will use the explosive which is even now being fetched, and seal up this evil city, and such of its inhabitants as remain, forever."
"It is a good thing," Basuli said.
"One thing more," Tarzan asked. "What of the children here? They are innocent, certainly."
"There are no children. Lord," Jedak answered. "The little ones were placed in one large room for safekeeping. The "tame" yeti discovered them and killed them all. Every one. I saw this thing with my own eyes."
"So be it," Tarzan said. "Well, Jack, shall we go?" They left the arena, all of them, after a last long look around. On their way down the pa.s.sage, they opened the doors to the wild yeti pens, driving the docile beasts before them. The Abominable Snowmen raced in riotous freedom across the snowy slopes of Kilimanjaro, overjoyed in their liberty. In a few moments, all had disappeared from sight, and only an occasional whistle borne on a vagrant breeze attested to even their existence.
With the arrival of the explosives, Tarzan planted charges into and far above the entrance to the tunnel. Unreeling wire, he backed down the snowslope. At a safe distance, he pressed the plunger, and the entire side of the mountain rolled down with a mighty roar, sealing off the mysterious home of the Abominable Snowmen and the Lost Tribe of Egypt forever.
Jane, Tarzan and Jack, swung off through the trees, making their way back to the bungalow. Al, Charley, Keys-Smythe and the little yeti flew Lord Greystoke"s airplane back to its landing strip, leaving the others to bring up at a more leisurely pace.
The great apes, with no particular destination in mind, just wandered off, and Basuli and his Waziri made good time with their mile-consuming lope. Arthur Burke was preparing to do on-the-spot interviews when he arrived back at. the Greystoke estate, and was elated when London told him the newspapers had enjoyed another boost in circulation, and that there would be a fat bonus waiting for him upon his return.
Finally, all was over. The gear had been transported back to dockside and loaded. Most of it hadn"t been unpacked. It was the night before the expedition"s departure, and a huge dinner had been enjoyed by all. Patricia looked wonderingly at Jane in a simple frock. Tarzan, who insisted that this "be a comfortable dinner," was lounging about, examining Jack"s Manniicher rifle, dressed in a pair of comfortable slacks, shoes especially made for him in London of eland hide, and a short sleeved shirt. The publisher"s daughter shook her head. Impossible that these were the people who could, if necessary, live at the same level as the beasts of the jungle, who could face death so unflinchingly. She felt less than adequate. Al and Charley had got into the brandy and were standing on the broad verandah, speculating on what the morrow"s weather might be like. Jack and Freddy were seated out in the gra.s.s, knees up, talking about old friends. Jack promised to look Freddy up as soon as he returned to Oxford, which would not likely be for a matter of two or three weeks. Romping in the gra.s.s beside them was the baby yeti, which had, finally adopted Freddy as its "mother," much to his expressed disgust. "Just look at the little blighter. Rather revolting, actually."
"What have you decided to call him?" Patricia asked, strolling out onto the gra.s.s. The small yeti saw her, ran whistling and leaped into Freddy"s arms.
" "Steamboat" seems rather a good name for him," Freddy said. "Just hear that whistle. I wonder if you can housebreak the blighters?"
"What a curious thought!"
"Not really. He"s terribly shy, the little monster, and -well, he seems to have made up his mind firmly that I"m "family," so to speak. He"ll be getting a h.e.l.l of a lot of going-over you know; biologists, scientists, all that. I could probably make life a bit easier for him if I could at least take him home nights. Just for a while, of course, until he gets a bit older, more independent."
"Freddy Keys-Smythe, you"re actually blushing!"
"Don"t talk nonsense. Where"s that newspaper feller of yours?"
"Probably at the wireless again." She shrugged, indifferently. "He"s hardly been away for a moment since we got back."
"Fine romance. Just you wait until he sees tonight"s moon. I have it on authority it"s going to be a wizard one!"
"If he sees it," Patricia said, abruptly turning on her heel, and speaking the last words over her shoulder "he"ll see it alone. I"m going to break off our engagement, just ais soon as I can pry him loose from the wireless."
Tarzan put Jack"s rifle carefully in the rack, went ovci to join his wife. He put his arm about her, tenderly "Well," he said, "that"s that, isn"t it? And tomorrow we"ll have Jack all to ourselves. I believe I"ll stroll about a bit, perhaps stop by the native compound and chat with old Basuli for a bit and then turn in. Jane," he complained, "do you know I"m actually tired? Exhausted!"
"And no wonder, dear. You"ve had a rather exhausting few days and nights."
"I think I"m getting too old for this sort of thing," he said. "Perhaps we ought to give it up and move to London. You"ve always wanted to go to London."
Jane reached up and kissed her mate on the cheek with soft, loving lips. "Darling fool. Of course I want to go to London. I love London. But only to visit. This is ,our home, dear. Now go chat with your friend Basuli. Oh, did you give young Burke a story?"
Tarzan grinned. "Sort of. All he needs to know, anyway."
"I"m afraid he has rather a shock coming, poor fellow. Patricia has decided to call off their engagement."
"Ah? Bully for her. Well, I"ll just be off, then."
Jane watched with fond eyes as the broad back of her man walked away into the night. She sighed, took a last look around at her guests, then slipped into the house to supervise the girls in the cleaning and washing-up after dinner.
Out on the gra.s.s the little Abominable Snowman rolled over clumsily, like a puppy, and Freddy"s rich, ringing laugh could be heard by everyone there.