READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
of him but had not been equal to his more than earthly
strength. He either pulled loose in each case or actually broke
the arm or the hand which held him. And ever that swinging
club exacted its toll, crushing, killing, breaking and maiming.
Two apes were left standing when the club was finally
torn from his grasp. The other club had been hurled at him,
but it missed, striking his own club, and both weapons
shattered, falling in splintered shards to the ground.
One of the apes facing him only had its two left arms
available, for the whole right side of its body was a bleeding,
pulpy mass of mutilation. This one hesitated to attack him
and, at last, fell back on its haunches, whimpering.
But not so the other. With an insane bellow, it charged,
using its four arms to guard against Tarzan's fists. And then
it closed with him, holding him fast and reaching for his throat
with its froth-flecked fangs.
Only then, did Tarzan have opportunity to measure his
strength. Sorely fatigued and bleeding as he was, he was yet
able to overcome the power of those quadruple arms. His
hands found the anthropoid's thick neck and slowly he throttled
it, pressing back the huge, grimacing gorilla face from his
own, until, at last, blood poured from the flat nostrils and it
went limp.
He let the great body sag to the ground and, breathing
heavily, watched the other ape which his club had so badly
crippled. It make no move toward him, but still sat there
whimpering in its pain and slowly bleeding to death.
Faint with fatigue, Tarzan yet stood there, catching his
breath. He looked about him at the unbelievable carnage he
had wrought, then at himself. His flying suit was all but torn
from is body, as were the rest of his garments underneath. A
great bruise swelled on his head, and blood coagulated down
the side of his face.
Such had been his welcome to Barsoom. If this were
symbolic of what was to come, he reflected, then well had he
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