READ THE NOVEL- Chapters 1-31 - ERBzine

Tarzan on Mars
XIX
ON THE EVE OF BATTLE
TARZAN awoke from deep slumber, triggered to instant
wakefulness by the awareness of danger. The full light of day
revealed that he was closely surrounded by a horde of
ferocious looking green giants who were seated on adult
replicas of the animal he had killed
He raised himself slowly onto his elbows, watching them
warily. There were at least twenty of the four-armed monstrosities.
They sat there silently surveying him, and so
inhuman were their physiognomies that he could not judge
their immediate disposition.
Recognizing them, however, by Jules Carter's description,
he realized that he was in the presence of creatures who
would undoubtedly wish to take him alive so that they might
relish his death by torture later. The apeman rose very slowly
and cautiously to his feet, studying these notoriously bloodthirsty
and uncompromising savages with a practiced eye.
Long years of experience among the tribes of darkest Africa
had developed in him certain powers of evaluation and
judgement with regard to the primordial temperaments and
mannerisms of uncivilized men which had often meant the
difference between life and death.
This particular tribe, he noted, had a flare for bravado as
well as sadism. He noted their colorful headbands of white
220