EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
cheered the low-browed murderer. They shouted insults at the noble patrician who was master of the games, for they knew the safety and irresponsibility of numbers.
As the word was given the contestants to engage one another, Tarzan turned to face the low-browed, hulking brute against whom he had been pitted and he saw that some one had been at pains to select a worthy antagonist for him. The man was somewhat shorter than Tarzan, but great, hard muscles bulged beneath his brown hide, bulking so thick across his back and shoulders as almost to suggest deformity. His long arms hung almost to his knees, and his thick, gnarled legs suggested a man of bronze upon a pedestal of granite. The fellow circled Tarzan, looking for an opening. He scowled ferociously as though to frighten his adversary.
“There is the gate, barbarian,” he cried in a low voice, pointing to the far end of the arena. “Escape while you are yet alive.”
The crowd roared in approbation. It enjoyed glorious sallies such as these. “I shall tear you limb from limb,” shouted the murderer, and again the crowd applauded.
“I am here,” said Tarzan, calmly.
“Flee!” screamed the murderer, and lowering his head he charged like an angry bull.
The ape-man sprang into the air and came down upon his antagonist, and what happened happened so quickly that no one there, other than Tarzan, knew how it had been accomplished; only he knew that he clamped a reverse headlock upon the murderer.
What the crowd saw was the hulking figure hurtling to a hard fall. They saw him lying half-stunned upon the sand, while the giant barbarian stood with folded arms looking down upon him.
The fickle crowd rose from its benches, shrieking with delight. “Habet! Habet!” they cried, and thousands of closed fists were outstretched with the thumbs pointing downward, but Tarzan only stood there waiting, as the murderer, shaking his head to clear his brain, crawled slowly to his feet.
The fellow looked about him half-bewildered and then his eyes found Tarzan and with a growl of rage he charged
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