 From the heart of the jungle comes a savage cry of victory. This is Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle. From the black core of dark Africa, land of enchantment, mystery and violence comes one of the most colorful figures of all time. Transcribed from the immortal pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan, the bronzed white son of the jungle. And now in the very words of Mr. Burroughs, the story of Tarzan's magic amulet. Tarzan had been on his way to the trading post at Anghiki. But now he suddenly halted his sleep passage through the upper level of jungle growth. For directly beneath him in a small clearing nature had cut in the primeval forest. A scene was being enacted that was dramatic and strange. At one side of the clearing, a tremendous lioness stood motionless. Her nostrils distended as she caught an alien scent. At the other side of the clearing stood a native youth, his face contracted with fear. At the youth's side was a young native girl, slender and beautifully formed and magnificent in her anger. This is your chance! Cannot do it, Kayo! Cannot kill lioness! You not kill lioness, she kill us! Let her kill us! Maybe it's better we are dead! Koroka, look! She crouched to spring. Quick, Koroka, draw a bow! No, Kayo, no! Then I kill, give me bow! No! Woman must not! Give to me! Now, give me arrow! No, Kayo, no! Not take arrow! I take! No! Lioness dead. But Kayo not tell she kill. She say Ruka kill. Now, Ruka take knife and rip heart from great animal. No! Ruka not want take knife to ugly beast. You must! It's ritual! Must cut heart from lioness and eat while still is warm. Ruka must get courage from saber. Daggered with the scent of blood and the lion had been drawn from his lair by the story it told. Now, crazed with the longing to avenge his mate, he tossed his mane furiously. Baird his great yellow teeth and bellowed at the cowering youth of the helpless girl. For a moment, the lion hesitated over which should be his first victim. And in that moment of hesitation, a powerful, bronzed figure catapulted downward. There was an instant in which Baird fangs in huge talons, muscular hands and gleaming steel were indistinguishable. Then, in the fury of the stroke, the steel was reddened and Tarzan's knife claimed another victory. You see Ruka, man can kill animal even without arrows or spears. There's no need for fear. He not ordinary man kill, Ruka knows. It's Tarzan, Lord of Jungle. Are you Tarzan? Yes, how did you know me Ruka? Father and warriors of tribe tell about Tarzan's bravery. Or we say Ruka should be like Tarzan. But Ruka not brave. You eat heart, lion while still warm, will make you brave. Is not true Tarzan? Many wise witch doctors and medicine men say it's true. See Ruka? E. No, cannot cut into warm flesh or eat heart, would make Ruka sick. Anyway, Ruka not believe lion's heart, make him brave. Then do not eat it, for if you do not believe it will help you if powerfully won't. All medicines require faith as one of the ingredients. How Ruka not believe in anything, not in customs of people or books of missionaries or words of KO. Well, you should listen to your words. Seldom have I seen a sister so concerned over her brother? I'm not sister, I'm promised one of Ruka. The promise is forgotten, it is no more. Leave me alone KO, leave me in woods to die. Oh, you're not being very gallant Ruka, why do you not desire this beautiful girl as a wife? Ruka will not take KO for wife, only to have her made widow almost before she is bride. A widow? Come now Ruka, I've known many men who were not physically brave but using reasonable caution they managed to live for many many years, even in the jungle. Ruka will not live, but KO wanted him to go through tribal ritual that make him warrior of tribe before he die. For only after he kill lion and eat heart can he become warrior and claim wife. We could be happy for little while. He looks strong, what makes you think he's going to die? Cannot tell, it's secret of tribe. What tribe do you belong to? Not tell, not tell KO. No, it would do no good to tell the business of our people. Perhaps it would do good if some sorceress or witch doctor is placed a curse on you. Is not curse of witch doctor or sorceress, before next moon has come Ruka's father to be poisoned. Once he is dead Ruka to be poisoned. To be poisoned? KO, is this the truth or something Ruka has invented? Is truth. KO try make Ruka brave and she fail, but whether he become brave or not is same in end. First Ruka's father poisoned, then Ruka. Nothing anyone can do, not even Tarzan. In just a moment we shall learn what Tarzan does about the future of the strange Ruka and the beautiful KO. Tarzan had stripped the hides from the two dead animals and the rough pelts had been cashed together with most of the meat in a small cave near where he had encountered Ruka and KO. Now although the jungle sweethearts had firmly refused to tell the direction in which their village lay, they walked in an easterly direction with Tarzan. Ruka hung back walking slowly, but KO's long legs moving smoothly beneath her brilliantly colored skirt kept pace with the giant strides of the jungle lord. Am I walking too quickly for you? No Tarzan. Ruka seems to be having difficulty keeping up with us. Ruka very strong, but walks slow. For him, danger is behind each rock. He afraid snakes, animals, man. He seems to resent my presence, yet my only desire is to help him. Well, if he doesn't want to walk with us, let him follow. We will hear if he encounters any danger. His life short, and yet KO worries for him with falling of each leaf. You seem to worry only about Ruka's fate, and yet unless your people are far different from other jungle tribes I've known, you too may face death. If they discover you broke in taboos by entering the forest alone with Ruka, you will be... KO wise in ways of woman. We get back soon. Warrior's not discover, she gone. KO, that cloth you're wearing, not about your waist, it's an American cloth made by a white man. Perhaps. Your village must be near a white man's settlement. Perhaps. The quiver which holds Ruka's arrows is most interesting. It's a hippopotamus hide, isn't it? The deal. Did he make it himself? Was made by his umbo. Well, if his sister made it, then your people must have access to the hides of hippos. I also like living by the side of a river. KO know what you tried to find out. She not tell name of river, not tell what our tribe, or where is village. But why should you want to keep these things secret? If was KO's secret, she asked Tarzan's help. But is secret of Ruka, and Ruka must shape own fate. But perhaps if you encourage him to trust me, where is Ruka gone? He's not following us. Oh, he must have lost long path. Please, Tarzan, look for Ruka. He not able to find animals. Please, find Ruka. I'll retrace my steps. You wait here, and call if danger threatens. Tarzan hurried in the direction from which he had come, but nowhere was there any trace of the native youth. There had been no sound of an animal attacking, yet the boy had vanished as though he'd been swallowed whole by some great monster. Tarzan searched the brush on either side of the jungle path, but there was no sign of him at all. Now Tarzan turned back to rejoin KO, but she too had disappeared, leaving no spore that might be followed. Together, Ruka and KO must have planned this method of shaking off the man who threatened to pierce their tribal secrets. For a week, Tarzan roamed the district, searching for the two who had vanished into the jungle night. And then his search exhausted, he resumed his journey to Angiiki. When he entered the lazy African settlement, he went directly to the small store of Alfred Blount. Strange that his store should be shuttered in the middle of the afternoon. Mr. Blount? Mr. Blount? Hold your horses, whoever it is. There's no need to break down me, plume in door. I'm sorry if I pondered too hard, but I thought, Tarzan! Well, bless me, soldier, if you don't, the lord of the jungle himself. Here I am, not back in Angiiki a full day yet, and I have the jungle aristocracy coming to call on me. Have you been away, Mr. Blount? Oh, I've been clear to Mombasa to back, I have, but you can stow the Mr. Blunt business. I'm out to a gent like you. All right, Elf. Come in, come on in, close the door behind you if you don't do much trouble. I'm not officially open for business. Were you on a pleasure or a business trip, Elf? A pleasure trip? Not bloody lightly, no. I haven't the money to take trips for pleasure, I haven't business, strictly business. And I've bought back a slew of fine merchandise, you can bet you'll ask Bob on that. Oh, it's fine. Now, I might ask if you'll visit Angiiki's business or pleasure. Well, mostly pleasure, for I love to roam, but I thought I might take some things back with me. I'll name it, and Elf Blunt's got it. Tea, coffee, tobacco, salt, flour, tin, butter, canned fruits and meats, bees, cloth, thread, needles, toys, trinkets, mining equipment, safari equipment, water bags, tents, ropes, gunshells, bridles, harnesses, shoes, boots, nose rings or corn cure. I have little use for any of the things you name for myself, but I am returning to my Seacoast cabin from here and I want to lay in a small supply. Oh, that'll mean tea and sugar for when Captain Lawrence visits you. That's right. And some bandages for strangers who poke their blooming noses where they don't belong. Some bandages, some toys from my small friend Targo's, an Americanic cloth for the women of the Pugna tribe and some trinkets to give as gifts. We'll all go and fetch the tea and the other supplies. You'll find a slew of trinkets in this carton right here. You just pick out what you like and I'll give you the prices in a moment. Oh, you certainly did bring back a slew of trinkets. I got some rare bargains I did, some first class things. Maybe no one would buy that stuff in Paris or London, but the natives will like them. They will. I've already picked out some of the things I want. It won't take me long to select a rest. You take your time, take your time. Elf Blunt's not opening his store today anyway. Wait until my Pugna friends see these barbels. They shine more brightly than gold. I told you that was first class. Say, why aren't you opening your shop right away, Elf? It's not like you to pass up a day's business. Well, there won't be much business any day unless the trouble stops. Trouble? It's a mulberry country, just down the river. Those natives are really carrying on. That's all I've heard since the minute I got back. I thought things were both peaceful and prosperous there now. Ooh, not since the river started rising about six weeks ago. Just before I left on my trip, wiped out the morgue's fields, destroyed all their crops. Now they've become complete savages again. Killed two white men yesterday, they did not even a trace of the poor blighters left. I know that at one time they were as savage as the hippos that lived on the small alits near their village. But I thought that since Yaki became their chief several years ago, they'd given up such practices. Oh, they had? But he ain't chief no more. No, the way I hear it, Yaki's dead. Poisoned by some of the people of his own tribe. Poisoned? And that's not all of it. Now, according to reports, they're going to do away with his son. He's a likable lad, too. He's been inside this very store, he has. His name? What's his name? Well, I don't remember for sure. Let's see now, um... Rooker. That's it. Rooker. Oh, so he was telling the truth. How long should it take me to reach the mulberry village? You daft man, you can't go there. I'm going. Well, you can't get through the jungle. Everything's underwater for miles. It's like a blooming swamp. It isn't every creature that's still alive. He's angry and dangerous. Well, I'll go by the river. Where can I get a bullet off? Well, I've got a boat of sorts, but it'd never make that river, no. The last man who came up barely made it. He said the river near the mulberry country was like a churning cataract. I'll take a chance. Well, I suppose your life's your own to do with as you see fit. But if you go, you're nothing but a fool. Even if you get through, those rampaging savages will kill you. Well, spring at you like it was a tasty tidbit sent by one of the blasted voodoo gods. But I'm going there to help them. Oh, that's what the two they killed went there for. Oh, maybe you're a jungle man, a sort of a savage to us. But to them, mogus, you're just another white. And they'd as soon kill you as they would spear an alligator. Sooner, maybe. Where is your boat, Doc Delph? There's no time left for words. In just a moment, the exciting conclusion of our story, Tarzan's magic amulet. It looks so peaceful here. Hard to believe what you told me about Fuddwater's elf. Make no mistake, John, the river near the mogul country's not like it is at the dock at Unyiki. It's a rating torrent it is. Well, your boat seems sturdy. Oh, sturdy enough, all right, but it'll be as much as we can manage to pull it through them rapids. As we can manage? Oh, you're not coming with me, elf, just because I choose to risk my life is no reason why. Well, there's no sense in my opening shop before this ruckus is settled, so I really ain't got nothing better to do. Oh, you've contributed food and fresh water and other valuable supplies for me to take to the moguls. That's quite enough for one man to do. Like you said back in my shop, Tarzan, there's no time left for words. Now, man, those sails, mighty, I'm cast in awe. The small craft had progressed only a few miles of stream when the deceptive calm of the river harbor gave way to the turbulent fury of the Fuddwater. Now the tiny boat buckled and strained as the African river, like some monstrous reptile, thrives and twisted with the convulsions of whirling cataracts. Waves like those of an angry ocean pounded against the frail craft. The sails were shredded by gusts of frantic wind. Only the strength and the courage of two men kept the prowl ever headed in the direction of the mogul country. It seemed that each moment must be the last for the battered ship. Hour after hour, it prodded onward until it neared the now-ravaged dock where once the moguls' war canoes had stood in proud array. Now, the dock's just ahead. I can see it. Shall I help you, man, the rudder? I can manage it, Tarzan. You take that grappling hook and try to help me easily. Right. Let me get close enough. I'll jump ashore and try to find something to moor to. All right, I might eat, but jump clear. If you miss the dock, you'll be grand to a bloody pulp. I won't miss. Careful of the elves just coming in. In another minute, you'll... Why, matey, I am and you. I'm all right. How's the cargo? It's still fast. We had our lash proper, we did it. I'll start passing it over the side. We'll have to find a place where it'll be safe until we can get some of the moguls to help us carry it to their village. Oh, they'll help us, they will. You can bet your last bobbit won't be a mo until their reception committee comes to greet us. Only they won't have the keys to the city in their hands. It'll be knives. Oh, that's a relief getting away from that riverfront it is. How much farther is it to the village? We're almost to it, Tarzan. It's slow walking through this muck it is. Oh, look. Thatched hut ahead. Oh, you're right. Hey, that's strange. Huts setting all alone out there. There's still quite a way to their village. Look. A door has been nailed shut. And the sign of taboo placed on the doorpost. Well, we're most likely the people who lived here moved farther inland and closed the place up so no one would take their property. It's on a little hill and there couldn't be more than a foot of water inside. If we were to place some rocks on the floor, it would be a safe place for the ship's cargo. It might that. If we don't get it soon, it'll be washed away, it will. Now let's rip off these boards and see what it's like inside. It doesn't look as though anyone's lived here in a long time. Nothing but a long box and some native masks. Oh, wait a minute. I see something else there on the ground. Oh, well, I can't see a bloody thing. Black is pitching here. I don't see a... But you're making a mistake, man of Molgo. We've come to help you. If you come help, why you break into burial hut? Great Chief Yoki. Ah, so that's the reason for this hut. What does he mean? That long box is Yaki's coffin. It's left there so that his spirit may come and go at will for a year. And then the cabin and all his personal belongings are burned. It's a great honor to him. Whoa, first they poison the blotter and then they do him honor, eh? What white men know about poison of chief? Everything you've done here is now known in the village of the white men. But despite all we've learned, we came here to bring you food. Where is food? It's slashed to a very heavy log lying at the edge of an airstrip of land that leads to the dock. Ibuko, no place. If white men tell truth, we not kill. If white men lie, we still have food. Well, after what I've gone through, I'm not ending up in any blooming stew pot. We'll be all right, Alf. We'll, uh, we'll show you where we place the supplies. We find if you not lie. Makar, Riga, Zutani, Ruka, go big log. Look for food white men say they bring. Rest, take white men prison hut of village. This is a nice tidy little hut, I must say. Well, at least it's fairly dry. The sight of the village will be safe unless the river continues to rise. Not that it's being sable to us any good, not without their tribe guarding us and the rest of them licking their chops. They promised to release us once they found the food we brought. I take their word. And even should they go back on it, there's still some possibility of escape. Oh, I suppose you're going to bribe the guards with those trinkets I bought in Mombasa. Who, you look like a bloomin' witch doctor with a grey grease bag around your neck. What are you still carrying them for, Tarzan? Oh, perhaps some early member of the Grey Stoke family came from Scotland. I'm loathed apart with things I've paid for. Ruka! Hey, blowmates are some of the old chief. Listen, river is rising, your cargo gone, whole strip land washed away. Now tribe, get ready, take your lives. Oh, for one who professes to be a coward, you've shown great bravery in coming here to warn us. I am coward. No, you say not. But if Malgo take white men's life, it's dishonor to tribe. Why are you so anxious to save the honour of the people who killed your father and plot to kill you? That too, for honour tribe. Father weak, old, not able rule tribe. For good of people, father must die. Ruka coward cannot be chief. If other made chief, might be much trouble. Is right Ruka be killed too? Well, now I've heard everything I have. What can you do to help us escape? What can we do to save your life? Ruka's life not important, but is important save tribe. Each hour more land washed away. Only place safe now is islands of Duro. The islands of the hippos? Yes, the land's right. Those are volcanic islets. They're the only places that are safe from the flood. But how about them blooming beasts? Yes, Ruka, what about the colony of hippos? That's why Ruka come to Tarzan. Ruka help white men escape. They drive hippos from islets. Ruka would do if he brave like Tarzan. I don't know whether I'm brave enough to tackle a herd of hippos, many of which are more than three tonnes in size. Tarzan brave enough. Tarzan bravest man in world. If only Ruka brave like Tarzan. Tarzan, what secret charm gives you such bravery? Why, I have a small amulet, a magical charm that guards my life. If Ruka had such a charm, he could save his people. Well, you shall have it, Ruka. The charm shall be yours. It's in the small grigories back here. Tarzan's magic amulet is Ruka's now. Nothing harm Ruka now. Ah, nothing. That's right. You're safe as ours is. Ruka go now. He come back. Save Tarzan when a blunt. Then he drive Duro from islands. Save people of Morgul. Within a few hours the river had reached the edges of the village itself. The white prisoners were forgotten now as the panic natives attempted to save their few meager possessions. But although Tarzan and Alf could have escaped without help, they waited for the brave Ruka to assist them. They followed his orders as he organized his tribe for their migration to the islands of the hippos. And then while the women and the children and the old men lashed crude rafts together, they accepted Ruka's leadership as he led the warriors to their battered war canoes. Ruka and Tarzan were among those in the first canoe to reach the home of the hippos. They sprang ashore, leading a horde of painted war bedecked savages. They began their onslaught upon the mammoth hippos. You'll find a safe home elsewhere. And this be safe home for my people until the river go down. For Ruka, very brave chief. K.O., how did you get here? Women and children are not arrived yet. Oh, K.O. come with warriors. She wants help, Ruka. Ruka not need help of women. Never do again, K.O. It's not dignified for wife of chief. I not do again, Ruka? Ruka, all animals gone. What we do now? Warriors go back mainland, help bring women, children, all men to island. Ruka lead because he brave, cannot be hurt by flood or beast or man. Well, Tarzan, it's nice being back on dry land it is. I believe the mogus are convinced of that too. And the seeds and the farming equipment you sent them should enable them to get back on their feet quickly. That was a fine thing for you to have done. Well, Alph Plunt believes in helping them that helped themselves. After all, they punished those that took the white men's lives, they elected Ruka chief, and they become a right orderly tribe again, they have. Well, with an invincible chief, they should become a powerful influence for good. Invisible, eh? And all with a trinket I brought back from Mombasa. Even a small trinket that would not have brought up penny in civilized countries can be like magic. One has faith. Tarzan, I've got a confession to make. Yes? I never did learn how to read. What did it say on that magic amulet? The magical words were written in the English tongue. They said, World's Fair, Chicago, 1893. In just a moment, a preview of our next exciting story of Tarzan. The possessor of the book is a strange man, a sunken, cheeked Arab with great luminous eyes. But the book itself is even more miraculous. It is worn and shabby, a relic of a day-long past. But it contains not only a remarkable history of the past, but a fantastic frightening glimpse into the future. There are weird things indeed in The Strange Book of Arabi. Tarzan, the transcribed creation of the famous Edgar Rice Burroughs, is produced by Walter White Jr., prepared for radio by Bud Lesser, with original music by Albert Glasser. This is the Commodore production.