by J. T. Edson
With each passing day, Dawn and Bunduki’s feelings grew into a rich and rewarding love. However, up to that moment, they had not carried it to its culmination. Almost without conscious thought, their lips came together and from then on they made no attempt to hold back their natural longing for each other.
Half an hour later, following a final dip in the river, Dawn and Bunduki were dressing ready to return to the village. The girl knew that, pleasurable and satisfying as the interlude had been, it would not produce any after effects. While the Telongas approved of their young people making love, they did not countenance having babies until after the couple in question were married. To avoid this, probably with the aid of the ‘Suppliers’, they produced a very effective oral contraceptive from a variety of local herbs. Aware of the ever-growing feeling between herself and the blond giant, as well as to avoid offending her host nations established customs, Dawn had accepted a supply from Joar-Fane and had started to dose herself with it.
‘You ought to spray me with water more often,’ Bunduki remarked as they walked side by side and hand in hand towards the waiting gatahs.
‘Not so fast, my lad,’ the girl countered. ‘You haven’t brought my bride price yet.’
‘That’s true enough,’ the blond giant admitted, releasing Dawn’s hand to pick up the banar-gatah’s bridle. ‘But I’m a businessman and, before I buy anything, I always ask for samples.’
‘I’m just as good at business as you are,’ the girl declared and eyed her adoptive cousin—although she had practically stopped thinking about him in such a fashion—with truculence. ‘And it’s my rule never to give samples—but I’ll let you read some of my references.’
‘Only some of them?’ Bunduki asked.
The distant rumbling of a ‘talking drum’ brought the banter to a halt. Although neither Dawn nor the blond giant could read the message, they estimated that it was originating from the neighboring community of Rol-Mat. They had no reason to believe that the drum signal was referring to them, but they were meaning anyway to return to Jey-Mat and so they set to work bridling and saddling the gatahs. Having done so, the girl took the ocha-gatah and Bunduki mounted the larger animal.
While riding through the jungle at a steady trot, Dawn and Bunduki stayed alert for any lurking danger. They also discussed the business of ‘putting away’ and decided that they would give the Elders a couple of weeks more to divulge the secret. If they had not learned of it at the end of that time, they would carry out an investigation to see if the theories they had already formed were correct.
‘Oh ho!’ Dawn ejaculated as they approached the main gate of the village, nodding to where At-Vee, Tav-Han, Mo-Han and several other hunters were coming towards them. ‘I’d say there’s trouble in the air.’
‘You could be right—for once,’ Bunduki conceded, swinging from the saddle and walking forward with the banar-gatah following on his heels.
‘Bunduki!’ At-Vee greeted. ‘A tiger has taken to man-eating at Rol-Mat and they’ve asked for you to go and deal with it.’
‘It’s a test for you, my son,’ Tav-Han went on. “They’ve had trouble with that tiger for many moons now and their hunters haven’t been able to stop it, but there’s never been a call for outside help before today.’
‘Then I’d better go and see what I can do,’ the blond giant declared, knowing that to refuse would alienate him from the hunters of Rol-Mat. Their leader had been the least eager of the fraternity in the general agreement to make a stand against the Mun-Gatahs. He looked at the sky and went on, ‘Have the “talking drums” tell them that I’ll leave her in the morning.’
‘I’ll come with you if you like, brother,’ At-Vee offered.
‘I’d be pleased to have you,’ Bunduki admitted and looked at his adoptive cousin. ‘Can At-Vee use your mount, Dawn.’
‘Certainly,’ the girl replied without hesitation. However, she paused for a few seconds before continuing, ‘Providing that you bring the skin back for Tav-Han.’
There were chuckles and knowing glances exchanged between the hunters as, having delivered the final comment, Dawn hurried away. All of them had noted the emphasis she put upon the word ‘you’. They knew too that the traditional bride price of the hunting fraternity was the presentation of a major predator’s skin—leopard, jaguar or, in rare cases, due to the extreme difficulty in obtaining one single-handed, tiger—to the girl’s father. Tav-Han was accepted in that capacity where Dawn was concerned.
~*~
‘If anybody laughs—!’ At-Vee growled menacingly, glaring at the assembled Rol-Mat hunters who were looking at him.
There was good reason for the comment. The brawny Telonga had a woman’s clothing over his loincloth and his hair was decorated by a floral band such as the maidens wore.
Combined with his definitely masculine features, the grass skirt and appropriately padded halter gave him a comical appearance.
‘I think you look very fetching, brother,’ Bunduki declared with a grin as he strung his powerful bow. ‘In fact, I think I’ll present the tiger’s skin to your—’
‘Keep that up and you’ll have nothing left to make it worthwhile giving to either of us,’ At-Vee threatened, shaking his spear in the blond giant’s direction. ‘Come on, let’s get started. And, if you ever tell Joar-Fane—’
Leaving the threat uncompleted, the hunter accompanied Bunduki towards the Rol-Mat Telongas’ cultivated land. Despite their light-hearted comments, neither of them doubted the gravity of the situation. Nor did they forget that, in a very short time, At-Vee’s life would be in the blond giant’s hands.
Setting off on the gatahs, Bunduki and At-Vee had reached their destination shortly before sundown. On arriving, they had been informed that the tiger had killed a woman shortly before the drum message was sent and the local hunters had recovered her body almost untouched by driving it off. Since then, it had remained in the vicinity and was obviously seeking another victim.
When At-Vee had asked why the Rol-Mat hunters felt it necessary to call in outside assistance, their leader, Gar-Zok, had explained that their repeated failure to deal with the tiger led them to assume it was possessed of magical powers. While such things were accepted as valid by the Telongas, Bunduki and his companion had known there was more than superstition behind the request for help. The hunting fraternity had evolved their own counter-magic defenses for use on such occasions. Clearly, as Tav-Han had suggested, the affair was being used as a test of the blond giant’s prowess. If he failed, it would weigh heavily against Gar-Zok bringing the other hunters to learn how to fight against the Mun-Gatahs.
There had been insufficient daylight left for Bunduki to set out after the tiger that day. Not even Gar-Zok had expected him to do so. With traditional Telonga hospitality, they had been invited to spend the night in one of the hunter’s homes.
Refusing the offer of a maiden’s services on the grounds that his ‘counter-magic’ demanded abstinence prior to the hunt, the blond giant had learned all he could about the habits of the man-eater.
Being in favor of resisting the Mun-Gatahs, their host, Am-Kok, had given willingly of his knowledge. Being a skilled hunter, he was aware of the kind of details which would be of most use. It had become apparent to Bunduki and At-Vee that the tiger could be more accurately termed a ‘woman-eater’. With the exception of a hunter killed while it had been fighting its way through a cordon that had been thrown around it following the first attack, all of the victims had been female. What was more, it always followed the same general modus operandi by apparently lying up in the jungle and slipping across the open ground when the women had started work. Such predictable behavior ought to have ensured its early demise, but that had not been the case.
Learning that the usual tactics of having a lone man acting as a decoy—with his companions hidden at strategic points ready to rush to his rescue—had repeatedly failed because of the tiger’s refusal to take the bait, Bunduki had reached a conclusion. Furthe
r questioning had produced the information that the tiger would not even put in an appearance when male non-hunting members of the community were working with the women. Clearly the hunters had failed to take that very important fact into consideration. Bunduki had deduced that the tiger had learned a lesson early in its career. Having been slightly but painfully wounded, as well as frightened, it had restricted itself to hunting women and had refused to attack when men were in the vicinity. With that in mind, the blond giant had laid out a plan of campaign. Despite realizing the risks involved, At-Vee had not hesitated to accept the part he was asked to play.
Passing through the gate, the two young men made their way in silence towards the cultivated area. Although Bunduki had an arrow nocked to his bow’s string and At-Vee was carrying his spear ready for use, neither anticipated a meeting with their quarry. By setting off at first light, well before the hour at which the women normally started work, they hoped to be in their positions before the beast commenced its hunting.
One of the things Bunduki had learned from Am-Kok was the best point for them to lay the ambush. Reaching it, they decided it would be perfect for their needs. It was a clearing, surrounded on three sides by the trees and bushes of the cultivated area. The fourth side formed part of the open ground.
‘This will be fine,’ Bunduki declared in a whisper, looking at the branches of a tree at the edge of the clearing. ‘Don’t forget, you’re a carefree, singing maiden. Although, the way you look, I’d rather have the tiger eat me than have to take your father its hide.’
‘If I was a maiden, I’d rather have that happen, too,’ At-Vee countered in no louder tones. ‘And I hope you fall out of the tree and break both your legs.’
Returning the arrow to the quiver attached to the side of the bow, the blond giant handed the weapon to his companion. Raising his hands above his head, he jumped up to catch hold of the sturdy lowest branch, pulling himself up onto it. Fortune appeared to be favoring him. Not only did the branch command an unrestricted view of the clearing, but he would have no difficulty in either making the twenty-eight inch draw required to flex the bow’s limbs to the maximum power of one hundred pounds, or in aiming the arrow. Satisfied on those vital points, he took the weapon from the hunter.
With a grin and a maiden-like flutter of his left hand, At-Vee walked into the centre of the clearing. Sitting on the branch, Bunduki made certain that he could handle the bow from his position. Before returning the arrow to the string, he also ensured that he would be comfortable enough to face an extended wait. Knowing that there would be no time to utilize its contents, he had left his back-quiver with his saddle in Am-Kok’s house.
The wait proved to be far less protracted than either of the men anticipated. Acting as they had agreed, At-Vee began to swing his spear in the manner of a woman wielding a hoe.
Before he had struck his fifth blow, a racket-tail drongo gave its alarm call from the trees behind Bunduki. On the point of taking an arrow from the bow-quiver, he looked over his shoulder.
About fifty yards away, the tiger was emerging from a clump of bushes that bore edible berries of the kind the Telongas called macrumbo and which did not grow on Earth. Halting just clear of the cover, it stood with head raised, ears pricked and tail moving slowly from side to side. Then, as Bunduki had seen one of its kind do in India, it lowered its head until parallel to the ground and began to advance in a stealthy fashion. It was clearly alert and watchful, scanning the terrain about it instead of concentrating solely upon its intended prey.
As if a cold hand had touched him, Bunduki saw he had made an error in his tactics. They had been based on the expectation that the tiger would come from the jungle. While he could see the great beast, he would not be able to turn and use his bow because of the foliage.
What Bunduki did not know, or Am-Kok for that matter, was that the tiger invariably laid up in the cultivated area and, once satisfied that no men were present, made its stalk. If hunters, or non-hunting men entered the area, it withdrew to the jungle and did not return until after dark. Due to the silence with which the blond giant and At-Vee had moved, and because of the route they had taken to reach the clearing, the woman-eater had not been aware of their arrival until hearing the thud of the hunter’s spear.
Suddenly Bunduki realized that the tiger was coming straight towards him. What was more, it would be passing under the branch upon which he was sitting. However, that did not improve matters where archery was concerned. He would have to let it advance into the clearing before he could aim at it. Except that its advance was likely to be in the form of a charge which would render it an exceedingly difficult target to hit.
Another thought came to the blond giant. He remembered Dawn’s playful request that he deliver the tiger’s hide to Tav-Han. While it might have been made in jest, there was a serious side to it. If they were to continue living together and enjoying the pleasures offered by doing so, they must marry. As there was no minister of the Christian church to perform the ceremony, the Telongas’ rites would suffice. To take the skin and have it accepted as a bride price, he must kill the tiger without aid. There was not much hope of doing so with the bow and arrows. From the start, he had accepted that At-Vee would probably have to deliver the coup-de-grace. Unlike a heavy caliber rifle bullet, an arrow lacked shock power and killed by causing hemorrhage. Even struck in a vital organ, the tiger might not go down instantly.
A broken branch close above Bunduki’s head seemed almost like an omen.
Instead of freeing the arrow from the clamps of the bow-quiver, the blond giant slowly and carefully hung the weapon on the stump. While doing so, he continued to keep the tiger under observation. Absorbed in its potential quarry and searching for enemies at ground level, it failed to look upwards. Moving with equal care, Bunduki reached across and eased the bowie knife from its sheath. He held it in the way Tarzan had taught him was best suited for the work that lay ahead, with the blade emerging below the heel of his hand.
Having reached the tree, the tiger halted. Armed and ready, the blond giant watched it. He estimated that it was close to six hundred pounds in weight, with a body length—excluding the tail—of around one hundred and twenty inches, a male in its prime; but with a taste for human flesh which it would never lose as long as it lived.
Slowly the great yellow and black striped body sank until the white hairs of the stomach brushed against the ground. Inch by inch, it crept forward. It was getting ready to hurl itself into sudden and lightning fast motion as it rushed at its prey.
Sucking in a silent breath, Bunduki thrust himself from the branch. He had not moved a moment too soon. Even as he dropped, spreading his legs apart, the tiger was starting to rise.
Watching the open land as he worked, At-Vee was oblivious of the danger behind him. The first intimation that there had been an unexpected change in the plan came when the tiger’s first startled roar reached his ears. Leaping around and bringing his spear into a defensive position, he saw a sight which he would never forget.
The tiger was down, with Bunduki astride its back. His legs were locked around the striped body exerting a crushing pressure and pointing to the rear between its thighs, to be clear of the wildly flailing unsheathed claws. His left arm was under the beast’s chin, biceps swelling under the strain of drawing back the head.
In the fury of its struggles, the tiger turned until it was lying on top of its tenacious assailant. Realizing the danger, At-Vee ran forward. Before he arrived, the great blade of the bowie knife flashed in the early morning’s sun. As Dawn had done with the impala, so Bunduki cut the ‘woman-eater’s’ throat. Blood spurted from the mortal wound and the blond giant had to exert all of his enormous strength to hold on as the stricken tiger thrashed in its death throes.
Although At-Vee appreciated the danger if Bunduki lost the hold, he made no attempt to intervene. He guessed why the blond giant was taking such a peril-filled chance. So he halted and stood clear of the struggle. Ready to supply any a
id that might be required, he soon saw that none would be necessary. With its throat ripped open to the bone,-the tiger’s lifeblood was flooding out and its struggles soon came to an end.
Feeling the cessation of the great beast’s movements, Bunduki released his two grips and rolled clear. Leaping to his feet, a feeling of immense satisfaction and fulfillment flowed through him. At last he felt that he could call himself a true son of Tarzan.
Throwing back his head, the blond giant gave the victory call of a bull-Mangani. While he had done so in the past as part of the signaling system used by the various male members of his adoptive family, never before had he achieved the full triumphant and primevally exultant sound which filled the jungle at that moment.
With the call still echoing, Bunduki lowered his gaze to meet that of his companion.
‘Shall we get the hide off and go home, brother?’ the blond giant asked.
‘Yes,’ At-Vee agreed, then he grinned and went on, ‘It will look good on the floor of Tav-Han’s house.’
There was an air of festivity among the crowd who were assembled about the great fire which was burning in the centre of the Jey-Mat Telonga village’s Dancing Circle. With a large meal over, calabashes of wine were being carried around by the older women. Off to one side, a band started to play. It consisted of four drums of various sizes, the same number of flutes and half-a-dozen string-instruments which gave the lilting sound of Hawaiian guitars.
Most of the arrangements for the celebration had been made while Bunduki and At-Vee were at Rol-Mat. On their return, clearly not entirely to the hunter’s surprise, it had been announced that his marriage to Joar-Fane was to take place. Acting in the capacity of best man, the blond giant had helped supply the meat for the feast. Dawn had been equally busy helping the bride-to-be and the other women with the arrangements. In fact, she had been kept so occupied that she had barely found time to congratulate her adoptive cousin, or comment on the fact that he had presented the tiger’s skin to Tav-Han.
