Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan the Terrible Edgar Rice Burroughs

In the moment of discovery Tarzan saw that the creature was almost a counterpart of hiscompanion in size and conformation, with the exception that his body was entirely clothed with acoat of shaggy black hair which almost concealed his features, while his harness and weapons weresimilar to those of the creature he had attacked. Ere Tarzan could prevent the creature had struckthe ape-man's companion a blow upon the head with his knotted club that felled him, unconscious, to the earth; but before he could inflict further injury upon his defenseless prey the ape-man hadclosed with him. Instantly Tarzan realized that he was locked with a creature of almost superhuman strength. Thesinewy fingers of a powerful hand sought his throat while the other lifted the bludgeon above hishead. But if the strength of the hairy attacker was great, great too was that of his smooth-skinnedantagonist. Swinging a single terrific blow with clenched fist to the point of the other's chin, Tarzanmomentarily staggered his assailant and then his own fingers closed upon the shaggy throat, as withthe other hand he seized the wrist of the arm that swung the club. With equal celerity he shot hisright leg behind the shaggy brute and throwing his weight forward hurled the thing over his hipheavily to the ground, at the same time precipitating his own body upon the other's chest. With the shock of the impact the club fell from the brute's hand and Tarzan's hold waswrenched from its throat. Instantly the two were locked in a deathlike embrace. Though the creaturebit at Tarzan the latter was quickly aware that this was not a particularly formidable method ofoffense or defense, since its canines were scarcely more developed than his own. The thing that hehad principally to guard against was the sinuous tail which sought steadily to wrap itself about histhroat and against which experience had afforded him no defense