the beasts of tarzan-第28节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



that　would　be　his　while　the　heavy　dugout　drifted　its

slow　way　to　the　ocean。



Jane　Clayton；　working　furiously　to　shove　the　boat　beyond

his　reach；　suddenly　realized　that　she　was　to　be　successful；

for　with　a　little　lurch　the　dugout　swung　quickly　into　the

current；　just　as　the　Russian　reached　out　to　place　his　hand

upon　its　bow。



His　fingers　did　not　miss　their　goal　by　a　half…dozen　inches。　　

The　girl　almost　collapsed　with　the　reaction　from　the　terrific

mental；　physical；　and　nervous　strain　under　which　she　had

been　labouring　for　the　past　few　minutes。　　But；　thank　Heaven；

at　last　she　was　safe！



Even　as　she　breathed　a　silent　prayer　of　thanksgiving；　she

saw　a　sudden　expression　of　triumph　lighten　the　features　of

the　cursing　Russian；　and　at　the　same　instant　he　dropped

suddenly　to　the　ground；　grasping　firmly　upon　something　which

wriggled　through　the　mud　toward　the　water。



Jane　Clayton　crouched；　wide…eyed　and　horror…stricken；　in

the　bottom　of　the　boat　as　she　realized　that　at　the　last　instant

success　had　been　turned　to　failure；　and　that　she　was　indeed

again　in　the　power　of　the　malignant　Rokoff。



For　the　thing　that　the　man　had　seen　and　grasped　was　the

end　of　the　trailing　rope　with　which　the　dugout　had　been

moored　to　the　tree。









Chapter　15





Down　the　Ugambi





Halfway　between　the　Ugambi　and　the　village　of　the　Waganwazam；

Tarzan　came　upon　the　pack　moving　slowly　along　his　old　spoor。　　

Mugambi　could　scarce　believe　that　the　trail　of　the　Russian

and　the　mate　of　his　savage　master　had　passed　so　close　to

that　of　the　pack。



It　seemed　incredible　that　two　human　beings　should　have

come　so　close　to　them　without　having　been　detected　by　some

of　the　marvellously　keen　and　alert　beasts；　but　Tarzan　pointed

out　the　spoor　of　the　two　he　trailed；　and　at　certain　points　the

black　could　see　that　the　man　and　the　woman　must　have　been

in　hiding　as　the　pack　passed　them；　watching　every　move　of

the　ferocious　creatures。



It　had　been　apparent　to　Tarzan　from　the　first　that　Jane　and

Rokoff　were　not　travelling　together。　　The　spoor　showed

distinctly　that　the　young　woman　had　been　a　considerable　distance

ahead　of　the　Russian　at　first；　though　the　farther　the　ape…man

continued　along　the　trail　the　more　obvious　it　became　that　the

man　was　rapidly　overhauling　his　quarry。



At　first　there　had　been　the　spoor　of　wild　beasts　over　the

footprints　of　Jane　Clayton；　while　upon　the　top　of　all　Rokoff's

spoor　showed　that　he　had　passed　over　the　trail　after　the　animals

had　left　their　records　upon　the　ground。　　But　later　there

were　fewer　and　fewer　animal　imprints　occurring　between

those　of　Jane's　and　the　Russian's　feet；　until　as　he　approached

the　river　the　ape…man　became　aware　that　Rokoff　could　not

have　been　more　than　a　few　hundred　yards　behind　the　girl。



He　felt　they　must　be　close　ahead　of　him　now；　and；　with　a

little　thrill　of　expectation；　he　leaped　rapidly　forward　ahead

of　the　pack。　　Swinging　swiftly　through　the　trees；　he　came　out

upon　the　river…bank　at　the　very　point　at　which　Rokoff　had

overhauled　Jane　as　she　endeavoured　to　launch　the　cumbersome　dugout。



In　the　mud　along　the　bank　the　ape…man　saw　the　footprints

of　the　two　he　sought；　but　there　was　neither　boat　nor　people

there　when　he　arrived；　nor；　at　first　glance；　any　sign　of

their　whereabouts。



It　was　plain　that　they　had　shoved　off　a　native　canoe　and

embarked　upon　the　bosom　of　the　stream；　and　as　the　ape…man's

eye　ran　swiftly　down　the　course　of　the　river　beneath　the

shadows　of　the　overarching　trees　he　saw　in　the　distance；

just　as　it　rounded　a　bend　that　shut　it　off　from　his　view；

a　drifting　dugout　in　the　stern　of　which　was　the　figure　of　a　man。



Just　as　the　pack　came　in　sight　of　the　river　they　saw　their

agile　leader　racing　down　the　river's　bank；　leaping　from　hummock

to　hummock　of　the　swampy　ground　that　spread　between　them　and

a　little　promontory　which　rose　just　where　the　river　curved

inward　from　their　sight。



To　follow　him　it　was　necessary　for　the　heavy；　cumbersome

apes　to　make　a　wide　detour；　and　Sheeta；　too；　who　hated　water。　　

Mugambi　followed　after　them　as　rapidly　as　he　could

in　the　wake　of　the　great　white　master。



A　half…hour　of　rapid　travelling　across　the　swampy　neck　of

land　and　over　the　rising　promontory　brought　Tarzan；　by　a

short　cut；　to　the　inward　bend　of　the　winding　river；　and　there

before　him　upon　the　bosom　of　the　stream　he　saw　the　dugout；

and　in　its　stern　Nikolas　Rokoff。



Jane　was　not　with　the　Russian。



At　sight　of　his　enemy　the　broad　scar　upon　the　ape…man's

brow　burned　scarlet；　and　there　rose　to　his　lips　the　hideous；

bestial　challenge　of　the　bull…ape。



Rokoff　shuddered　as　the　weird　and　terrible　alarm　fell　upon

his　ears。　　Cowering　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　his　teeth

chattering　in　terror；　he　watched　the　man　he　feared　above　all

other　creatures　upon　the　face　of　the　earth　as　he　ran　quickly

to　the　edge　of　the　water。



Even　though　the　Russian　knew　that　he　was　safe　from　his　enemy；

the　very　sight　of　him　threw　him　into　a　frenzy　of　trembling　cowardice；

which　became　frantic　hysteria　as　he　saw　the　white　giant　dive　fearlessly

into　the　forbidding　waters　of　the　tropical　river。



With　steady；　powerful　strokes　the　ape…man　forged　out　into

the　stream　toward　the　drifting　dugout。　　Now　Rokoff　seized

one　of　the　paddles　lying　in　the　bottom　of　the　craft；　and；

with　terrorwide　eyes　still　glued　upon　the　living　death　that

pursued　him；　struck　out　madly　in　an　effort　to　augment　the　speed

of　the　unwieldy　canoe。



And　from　the　opposite　bank　a　sinister　ripple；　unseen　by

either　man；　moving　steadily　toward　the　half…naked　swimmer。



Tarzan　had　reached　the　stern　of　the　craft　at　last。　　One　hand

upstretched　grasped　the　gunwale。　　Rokoff　sat　frozen　with　fear；

unable　to　move　a　hand　or　foot；　his　eyes　riveted　upon　the　face

of　his　Nemesis。



Then　a　sudden　commotion　in　the　water　behind　the　swimmer　caught

his　attention。　　He　saw　the　ripple；　and　he　knew　what　caused　it。



At　the　same　instant　Tarzan　felt　mighty　jaws　close　upon　his

right　leg。　　He　tried　to　struggle　free　and　raise　himself　over　the

side　of　the　boat。　　His　efforts　would　have　succeeded　had　not

this　unexpected　interruption　galvanized　the　malign　brain　of

the　Russian　into　instant　action　with　its　sudden　promise　of

deliverance　and　revenge。



Like　a　venomous　snake　the　man　leaped　toward　the　stern　of　the　boat；

and　with　a　single　swift　blow　struck　Tarzan　across　the　head　with

the　heavy　paddle。　　The　ape…man's　fingers　slipped　from　their　hold

upon　the　gunwale。



There　was　a　short　struggle　at　the　surface；　and　then　a　swirl　of　waters；

a　little　eddy；　and　a　burst　of　bubbles　soon　smoothed　out　by　the　flowing

current　marked　for　the　instant　the　spot　where　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；

Lord　of　the　Jungle；　disappeared　from　the　sight　of　men　beneath　the

gloomy　waters　of　the　dark　and　forbidding　Ugambi。



Weak　from　terror；　Rokoff　sank　shuddering　into　the　bottom　of　the　dugout。

For　a　moment　he　could　not　realize　the　good　fortune　that　had　befallen　him

all　that　he　could　see　was　the　figure　of　a　silent；　struggling　white　man

disappearing　beneath　the　surface　of　the　river　to　unthinkable　death　in

the　slimy　mud　of　the　bottom。



Slowly　all　that　it　meant　to　him　filtered　into　the　mind　of　the

Russian；　and　then　a　cruel　smile　of　relief　and　triumph　touched

his　lips；　but　it　was　short…lived；　for　just　as　he　was

congratulating　himself　that　he　was　now　comparatively　safe　to

proceed　upon　his　way　to　the　coast　unmolested；　a　mighty

pandemonium　rose　from　the　river…bank　close　by。



As　his　eyes　sought　the　authors　of　the　frightful　sound　he

saw　standing　upon　the　shore；　glaring　at　him　with　hate…filled

eyes；　a　devil…faced　panther　surrounded　by　the　hideous　apes

of　Akut；　and　in　the　forefront　of　them　a　giant　black　warrior

who　shook　his　fist　at　him；　threatening　him　with　terrible　death。



The　nightmare　of　that　flight　down　the　Ugambi　with　the　hideous　horde

racing　after　him　by　day　and　by　night；　now　abreast　of　him；　now　lost

in　the　mazes　of　the　jungle　far　behind　for　hours　and　once　for　a　whole　day；

only　to　reappear　again　upon　his　trail　grim；　relentless；　and　terrible；

reduced　the　Russian　from　a　strong　and　robust　man　to　an　emaciated；

white…haired；　fear…gibbering　thing　before　ever　the　bay　and　the　ocean

broke　upon　his　hopeless　vision。



Past　populous　villages　he　had　fled。　　Time　and　again　warriors

had　put　out　in　their　canoes　to　intercept　him；　but　each

time　the　hideous　horde　had　swept　into　view　to　send　the

terrified　natives　shrieking　back　to　the　shore　to　lose

themselves　in　the　jungle。



Nowhere　in　his　flight　had　he　seen　aught　of　Jane　Clayton。　　

Not　once　had　his　eyes　rested　upon　her　since　that　moment　at

the　river's　brim　his　hand　had　closed　upon　the　rope　attached

to　the　bow　of　her　dugout　and　he　had　believed　her　safely　in

his　power　again；　only　to　be　thwarted　an　instant　later　as　the

girl　snatched　up　a　heavy　express　rifle　from　the　bottom　of　the

craft　and　levelled　it　full　at　his　b