Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle

They wouldn't want to trust themselves on a long trek with you. You divided the junk, now let me handle the men —that's more in my line—and I'll see that you get a square deal and a good, safe bunch, and I'll put the fear of God into 'em so they won't dare be anything but loyal to you.'

'Just how do you propose selecting the men?' asked Blake.

'Well, in the first place I'd like you to have those men who may wish to accompany you—I'll grant there are a few—so well just have 'em all up, explain that we are separating, and I'll tell all those who wish to return with your safari to step forward, then I'll choose some good men from what are left and make up enough that way to complete your quota—see? That's fair enough, isn't it?'

'It's quite fair,' agreed Blake. He was hoping that the plan would work out as easily as Stimbol appeared to believe that it would, but he was far from believing and so he thought it best to suggest an alternative that he was confident would have to be resorted to in the end. 'In the event that one of us has difficulty in securing the requisite number of volunteers,' he said, 'I believe that we can enlist the necessary men by offering a bonus to be paid upon safe arrival at railhead. If I am short of men I shall be willing to do so.'

'Not a bad idea if you're afraid you can't hold 'em together after I leave you,' said Stimbol. 'It will be an added factor of safety for you, too; but as for me my men will live up to their original agreement or there'll be some mighty sick porters in these parts. What say we have 'em up and find out just how much of a job we've got on our hands?' He glanced about until his eyes fell on a head man. 'Here, you!' he called. 'Come here and make it snappy.'

The black approached and stopped before the two white men. 'You called me, Bwana?' he asked.

'Gather up every one in camp,' directed Stimbol. 'Have them up here in five minutes for a palaver—every last man-jack of them.'

'Yes, Bwana.'

As the head man withdrew Stimbol turned to Blake. 'Any stranger in camp today?' he asked.

'No, why?'

'Ran across a wild man while I was hunting,' replied Stimboi. 'He ordered me out of the jungle. What do you know about that?' and Stimbol laughed.

'A wild man?'

'Yes. Some crazy nut I suppose. The askari seemed to know about him.'

'Who is he?'

'Calls himself Tarzan.'

Blake elevated his brows. 'Ah!' he exclaimed. 'You have met Tarzan of the Apes and he has ordered you out of the jungle?'

'You've heard of him?'

'Certainly, and if he ever orders me out of his jungle, I'll go.'

"You would, but not Wilbur Stimbol.'

'Why did he order you out?' asked Blake.

'He just ordered me out, that's all. Wouldn't let me shoot a gorilla I'd been stalking. The fellow saved the gorilla from a python, killed the python, ordered me out of the jungle, said he'd visit us in camp later and walked away with the gorilla like they were old pals. I never saw anything like it, but it doesn't make any difference to me who or what he thinks he is, I know who and what I am and it's going to take more than a half-wit to scare me out of this country till I'm good and ready to go.'

'So you think Tarzan of the Apes is a half-wit?'

'I think anyone's a half-wit who'd run about this jungle naked and unarmed.'

'You'll find he's not a half-wit, Stimbol; and unless you want to get in more trouble than you ever imagined existed, you'll do just as Tarzan of the Apes tells you to do.'

'What do you know about him? Have you ever seen him?'

'No,' replied Blake. 'But I have heard a lot about him from our men. He's as much a part of this locality as the jungle, or the lions. Very few, if any, of our men have seen him, but he has the same hold upon their imaginations and superstitions as any of their demons, and they are even more fearful of incurring his displeasure. If they think Tarzan has it in for us we're out of luck.'

'Well, all I've got to say is that if this monkey-man knows when he's well off he'll not come butting into the affairs of Wilbur Stimbol.'

'And he's coming to visit us, is he?' said Blake. 'Well, I certainly want to see him. I've heard of little else since we struck his country.'

'It's funny I never heard of him,' said Stimbol.

'You never talk with the men,' Blake reminded him.

'Gad, it seems as though I'm doing nothing but talk to them,' grumbled Stimbol.

'I said, talk with them.'

'I don't chum with porters,' sneered Stimbol.

Blake grinned.

'Here are the men,' said Stimbol. He turned toward the waiting porters and askari and cleared his throat. 'Mr. Blake and I are going to separate,' he announced. 'Everything has been divided. I am going to hunt a little farther to the west, make a circle toward the south and return to the coast by a new route. I do not know what Mr. Blake's plans are, but he is going to get half the porters and half the askari, and I want to tell you right now that there isn't going to be any funny business about it. Half of you are going with Mr. Blake whether you like it or not.'

He paused, impressively, to let the full weight of his pronouncement sink home. 'As usual,' he continued, 'I wish to keep everyone contented and happy, so I'm going to give you who may want to go with Mr. Blake an opportunity to do so. Now listen! The packs over on that side are Mr. Blake's; those on this side are mine. All those who are willing to accompany Mr. Blake go over on that side!'

There was a moment's hesitation upon the part of the men and then some of them moved quietly over among Blake's packs. Others followed as their understandings slowly grasped the meaning of Stimbol's words until all of the men stood upon Blake's side.

Stimbol turned to Blake with a laugh and a shake of his head. 'Gad!' he exclaimed. 'Did you ever see such a dumb bunch? No one could have explained the thing more simply than I and yet look at 'em! Not one of them understood me!'

'Are you quite sure of that, Stimbol?' inquired Blake.

Stimbol did not immediately grasp the insinuation. When he did he scowled. 'Don't be a fool,' he snapped. 'Of course they misunderstood me.' He turned angrily toward the men. 'You thick-skulled, black idiots! Can't you understand anything?' he demanded. 'I did not say that you all had to go with Mr. Blake—only those who wished to. Now the rest of you—those who wish to accompany me—get back over here on this side with my packs, and step lively!'

No one moved in the direction of Stimbol's packs. The man flushed.

'This is mutiny!' he stormed. 'Whoever is at the bottom of this is going to suffer. Come here, you!' He motioned to a head man. 'Who put you fellows up to this? Has Mr. Blake been telling you what to do?'

'Don't be a fool, Stimbol,' said Blake. 'No one has influenced the men and there is no mutiny. The plan was yours. The men have done just what you told them to. If it had not been for your insufferable egotism, you would have known precisely what the outcome would be. These black men are human beings. In some respects they are extremely sensitive human beings, and in many ways they are like children. You strike them, you curse them, you insult them and they will fear you and hate you. You have done all these things to them and they do fear you and hate you. You have sowed and now you are reaping. I hope to God that it will teach you a lesson. There is just one way to get your men and that is to offer them a big bonus. Are you willing to do that?'

Stimbol, his self assurance momentarily shaken at last, wilted in the face of the realization that Blake was right. He looked about helplessly for a moment. The blacks, sullen-faced, stood there like dumb beasts, staring at him. In all those eyes there was no single friendly glance. He turned back to Blake. 'See what you can do with them,' he said.

Blake faced the men. 'It will be necessary for half of you to accompany Mr. Stimbol back to the coast,' he said. 'He will pay double wages to all those who go with him, provided that you serve him loyally. Talk it over among yourselves and send word to us later by your head man. That is all. You may go.'