the beasts of tarzan-第10节
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they lurched from side to side in their grotesque advance。
The beasts of Tarzan had come in answer to his call。
Before the Wagambi could recover from their astonishment
the frightful horde was upon them from one side and
Tarzan of the Apes from the other。 Heavy spears were hurled
and mighty war…clubs wielded; and though apes went down
never to rise; so; too; went down the men of Ugambi。
Sheeta's cruel fangs and tearing talons ripped and tore at
the black hides。 Akut's mighty yellow tusks found the jugular
of more than one sleek…skinned savage; and Tarzan of the Apes
was here and there and everywhere; urging on his fierce allies
and taking a heavy toll with his long; slim knife。
In a moment the blacks had scattered for their lives; but
of the score that had crept down the grassy sides of the
promontory only a single warrior managed to escape the horde
that had overwhelmed his people。
This one was Mugambi; chief of the Wagambi of Ugambi;
and as he disappeared in the tangled luxuriousness of the
rank growth upon the ridge's summit only the keen eyes of
the ape…man saw the direction of his flight。
Leaving his pack to eat their fill upon the flesh of their
victimsflesh that he could not touchTarzan of the Apes
pursued the single survivor of the bloody fray。 Just beyond
the ridge he came within sight of the fleeing black; making
with headlong leaps for a long war…canoe that was drawn
well up upon the beach above the high tide surf。
Noiseless as the fellow's shadow; the ape…man raced after the
terror…stricken black。 In the white man's mind was a new plan;
awakened by sight of the war…canoe。 If these men had
come to his island from another; or from the mainland;
why not utilize their craft to make his way to the country from
which they had come? Evidently it was an inhabited country;
and no doubt had occasional intercourse with the mainland;
if it were not itself upon the continent of Africa。
A heavy hand fell upon the shoulder of the escaping Mugambi
before he was aware that he was being pursued; and as he
turned to do battle with his assailant giant fingers closed
about his wrists and he was hurled to earth with a giant
astride him before he could strike a blow in his own defence。
In the language of the West Coast; Tarzan spoke to the
prostrate man beneath him。
〃Who are you?〃 he asked。
〃Mugambi; chief of the Wagambi;〃 replied the black。
〃I will spare your life;〃 said Tarzan; 〃if you will promise
to help me to leave this island。 What do you answer?〃
〃I will help you;〃 replied Mugambi。 〃But now that you
have killed all my warriors; I do not know that even I can
leave your country; for there will be none to wield the paddles;
and without paddlers we cannot cross the water。〃
Tarzan rose and allowed his prisoner to come to his feet。
The fellow was a magnificent specimen of manhooda black
counterpart in physique of the splendid white man whom he faced。
〃Come!〃 said the ape…man; and started back in the direction
from which they could hear the snarling and growling
of the feasting pack。 Mugambi drew back。
〃They will kill us;〃 he said。
〃I think not;〃 replied Tarzan。 〃They are mine。〃
Still the black hesitated; fearful of the consequences of
approaching the terrible creatures that were dining upon the
bodies of his warriors; but Tarzan forced him to accompany him;
and presently the two emerged from the jungle in full view
of the grisly spectacle upon the beach。 At sight of the
men the beasts looked up with menacing growls; but Tarzan
strode in among them; dragging the trembling Wagambi with him。
As he had taught the apes to accept Sheeta; so he taught
them to adopt Mugambi as well; and much more easily; but
Sheeta seemed quite unable to understand that though he had
been called upon to devour Mugambi's warriors he was not
to be allowed to proceed after the same fashion with Mugambi。
However; being well filled; he contented himself with
walking round the terror…stricken savage; emitting low;
menacing growls the while he kept his flaming; baleful
eyes riveted upon the black。
Mugambi; on his part; clung closely to Tarzan; so that the
ape…man could scarce control his laughter at the pitiable
condition to which the chief's fear had reduced him; but at length
the white took the great cat by the scruff of the neck and;
dragging it quite close to the Wagambi; slapped it sharply
upon the nose each time that it growled at the stranger。
At the sight of the thinga man mauling with his bare
hands one of the most relentless and fierce of the jungle
carnivoraMugambi's eyes bulged from their sockets; and
from entertaining a sullen respect for the giant white man
who had made him prisoner; the black felt an almost
worshipping awe of Tarzan。
The education of Sheeta progressed so well that in a short
time Mugambi ceased to be the object of his hungry attention;
and the black felt a degree more of safety in his society。
To say that Mugambi was entirely happy or at ease in his
new environment would not be to adhere strictly to the truth。
His eyes were constantly rolling apprehensively from side to
side as now one and now another of the fierce pack chanced
to wander near him; so that for the most of the time it was
principally the whites that showed。
Together Tarzan and Mugambi; with Sheeta and Akut; lay
in wait at the ford for a deer; and when at a word from the
ape…man the four of them leaped out upon the affrighted animal
the black was sure that the poor creature died of fright
before ever one of the great beasts touched it。
Mugambi built a fire and cooked his portion of the kill;
but Tarzan; Sheeta; and Akut tore theirs; raw; with their
sharp teeth; growling among themselves when one ventured
to encroach upon the share of another。
It was not; after all; strange that the white man's ways
should have been so much more nearly related to those of
the beasts than were the savage blacks。 We are; all of us;
creatures of habit; and when the seeming necessity for
schooling ourselves in new ways ceases to exist; we fall
naturally and easily into the manners and customs which long
usage has implanted ineradicably within us。
Mugambi from childhood had eaten no meat until it had
been cooked; while Tarzan; on the other hand; had never
tasted cooked food of any sort until he had grown almost to
manhood; and only within the past three or four years had
he eaten cooked meat。 Not only did the habit of a lifetime
prompt him to eat it raw; but the craving of his palate as well;
for to him cooked flesh was spoiled flesh when compared
with the rich and juicy meat of a fresh; hot kill。
That he could; with relish; eat raw meat that had been
buried by himself weeks before; and enjoy small rodents and
disgusting grubs; seems to us who have been always 〃civilized〃
a revolting fact; but had we learned in childhood to
eat these things; and had we seen all those about us eat them;
they would seem no more sickening to us now than do many
of our greatest dainties; at which a savage African cannibal
would look with repugnance and turn up his nose。
For instance; there is a tribe in the vicinity of Lake Rudolph
that will eat no sheep or cattle; though its next neighbors
do so。 Near by is another tribe that eats donkey…meata
custom most revolting to the surrounding tribes that do not
eat donkey。 So who may say that it is nice to eat snails and
frogs' legs and oysters; but disgusting to feed upon grubs
and beetles; or that a raw oyster; hoof; horns; and tail; is less
revolting than the sweet; clean meat of a fresh…killed buck?
The next few days Tarzan devoted to the weaving of a barkcloth
sail with which to equip the canoe; for he despaired of being able
to teach the apes to wield the paddles; though he did manage to get
several of them to embark in the frail craft which he and Mugambi
paddled about inside the reef where the water was quite smooth。
During these trips he had placed paddles in their hands;
when they attempted to imitate the movements of him and
Mugambi; but so difficult is it for them long to concentrate
upon a thing that he soon saw that it would require weeks of
patient training before they would be able to make any
effective use of these new implements; if; in fact;
they should ever do so。
There was one exception; however; and he was Akut。 Almost from
the first he showed an interest in this new sport that
revealed a much higher plane of intelligence than that
attained by any of his tribe。 He seemed to grasp the purpose
of the paddles; and when Tarzan saw that this was so he took
much pains to explain in the meagre language of the anthropoid
how they might be used to the best advantage。
From Mugambi Tarzan learned that the mainland lay but
a short distance from the island。 It seemed tha