the beasts of tarzan-第30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！



swept　to　sea；　finally　succeeded　in　making　the　shore　far　down

the　bay　and　upon　the　opposite　side　from　that　on　which　the

horde　of　beasts　stood　snarling　and　roaring。



Jane　Clayton　knew　that　the　fellow　could　not　alone　and

unaided　bring　his　heavy　craft　back　up…stream　to　the

Kincaid；　and　so　she　had　no　further　fear　of　an　attack　by　him。　　

The　hideous　crew　upon　the　shore　she　thought　she　recognized　as

the　same　that　had　passed　her　in　the　jungle　far　up　the　Ugambi

several　days　before；　for　it　seemed　quite　beyond　reason　that

there　should　be　more　than　one　such　a　strangely　assorted　pack；

but　what　had　brought　them　down…stream　to　the　mouth　of　the

river　she　could　not　imagine。



Toward　the　day's　close　the　girl　was　suddenly　alarmed　by

the　shouting　of　the　Russian　from　the　opposite　bank　of　the

stream；　and　a　moment　later；　following　the　direction　of　his

gaze；　she　was　terrified　to　see　a　ship's　boat　approaching　from

up…stream；　in　which；　she　felt　assured；　there　could　be　only

members　of　the　Kincaid's　missing　crewonly　heartless

ruffians　and　enemies。









Chapter　16





In　the　Darkness　of　the　Night





When　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　realized　that　he　was　in　the

grip　of　the　great　jaws　of　a　crocodile　he　did　not；　as　an

ordinary　man　might　have　done；　give　up　all　hope　and　resign

himself　to　his　fate。



Instead；　he　filled　his　lungs　with　air　before　the　huge　reptile

dragged　him　beneath　the　surface；　and　then；　with　all　the　might

of　his　great　muscles；　fought　bitterly　for　freedom。　　But　out　of

his　native　element　the　ape…man　was　too　greatly　handicapped

to　do　more　than　excite　the　monster　to　greater　speed　as　it

dragged　its　prey　swiftly　through　the　water。



Tarzan's　lungs　were　bursting　for　a　breath　of　pure　fresh　air。　　

He　knew　that　he　could　survive　but　a　moment　more；　and　in

the　last　paroxysm　of　his　suffering　he　did　what　he　could　to

avenge　his　own　death。



His　body　trailed　out　beside　the　slimy　carcass　of　his　captor；

and　into　the　tough　armour　the　ape…man　attempted　to　plunge

his　stone　knife　as　he　was　borne　to　the　creature's　horrid　den。



His　efforts　but　served　to　accelerate　the　speed　of　the　crocodile；

and　just　as　the　ape…man　realized　that　he　had　reached　the　limit

of　his　endurance　he　felt　his　body　dragged　to　a　muddy　bed　and

his　nostrils　rise　above　the　water's　surface。　　All　about　him

was　the　blackness　of　the　pitthe　silence　of　the　grave。



For　a　moment　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　lay　gasping　for　breath

upon　the　slimy；　evil…smelling　bed　to　which　the　animal　had

borne　him。　　Close　at　his　side　he　could　feel　the　cold；　hard

plates　of　the　creatures　coat　rising　and　falling　as　though　with

spasmodic　efforts　to　breathe。



For　several　minutes　the　two　lay　thus；　and　then　a　sudden

convulsion　of　the　giant　carcass　at　the　man's　side；　a　tremor；

and　a　stiffening　brought　Tarzan　to　his　knees　beside　the　crocodile。　　

To　his　utter　amazement　he　found　that　the　beast　was　dead。　　

The　slim　knife　had　found　a　vulnerable　spot　in　the　scaly　armour。



Staggering　to　his　feet；　the　ape…man　groped　about　the　reeking；

oozy　den。　　He　found　that　he　was　imprisoned　in　a　subterranean

chamber　amply　large　enough　to　have　accommodated　a　dozen　or

more　of　the　huge　animals　such　as　the　one　that　had

dragged　him　thither。



He　realized　that　he　was　in　the　creature's　hidden　nest　far

under　the　bank　of　the　stream；　and　that　doubtless　the　only

means　of　ingress　or　egress　lay　through　the　submerged　opening

through　which　the　crocodile　had　brought　him。



His　first　thought；　of　course；　was　of　escape；　but　that　he

could　make　his　way　to　the　surface　of　the　river　beyond　and

then　to　the　shore　seemed　highly　improbable。　　There　might　be

turns　and　windings　in　the　neck　of　the　passage；　or；　most　to

be　feared；　he　might　meet　another　of　the　slimy　inhabitants　of

the　retreat　upon　his　journey　outward。



Even　should　he　reach　the　river　in　safety；　there　was　still　the

danger　of　his　being　again　attacked　before　he　could　effect　a

safe　landing。　　Still　there　was　no　alternative；　and；　filling　his

lungs　with　the　close　and　reeking　air　of　the　chamber；　Tarzan

of　the　Apes　dived　into　the　dark　and　watery　hole　which　he

could　not　see　but　had　felt　out　and　found　with　his　feet　and　legs。



The　leg　which　had　been　held　within　the　jaws　of　the　crocodile

was　badly　lacerated；　but　the　bone　had　not　been　broken；

nor　were　the　muscles　or　tendons　sufficiently　injured　to　render

it　useless。　　It　gave　him　excruciating　pain；　that　was　all。



But　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　accustomed　to　pain；　and　gave

it　no　further　thought　when　he　found　that　the　use　of　his　legs

was　not　greatly　impaired　by　the　sharp　teeth　of　the　monster。



Rapidly　he　crawled　and　swam　through　the　passage　which

inclined　downward　and　finally　upward　to　open　at　last　into

the　river　bottom　but　a　few　feet　from　the　shore　line。　　As　the

ape…man　reached　the　surface　he　saw　the　heads　of　two　great

crocodiles　but　a　short　distance　from　him。　　They　were　making

rapidly　in　his　direction；　and　with　a　superhuman　effort　the

man　struck　out　for　the　overhanging　branches　of　a　near…by　tree。



Nor　was　he　a　moment　too　soon；　for　scarcely　had　he　drawn

himself　to　the　safety　of　the　limb　than　two　gaping　mouths

snapped　venomously　below　him。　　For　a　few　minutes　Tarzan

rested　in　the　tree　that　had　proved　the　means　of　his　salvation。　　

His　eyes　scanned　the　river　as　far　down…stream　as　the　tortuous

channel　would　permit；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　the　Russian

or　his　dugout。



When　he　had　rested　and　bound　up　his　wounded　leg　he　started

on　in　pursuit　of　the　drifting　canoe。　　He　found　himself

upon　the　opposite　of　the　river　to　that　at　which　he　had

entered　the　stream；　but　as　his　quarry　was　upon　the　bosom

of　the　water　it　made　little　difference　to　the　ape…man

upon　which　side　he　took　up　the　pursuit。



To　his　intense　chagrin　he　soon　found　that　his　leg　was　more

badly　injured　than　he　had　thought；　and　that　its　condition

seriously　impeded　his　progress。　　It　was　only　with　the　greatest

difficulty　that　he　could　proceed　faster　than　a　walk　upon　the

ground；　and　in　the　trees　he　discovered　that　it　not　only　impeded

his　progress；　but　rendered　travelling　distinctly　dangerous。



From　the　old　negress；　Tambudza；　Tarzan　had　gathered　a　suggestion

that　now　filled　his　mind　with　doubts　and　misgivings。　　When　the

old　woman　had　told　him　of　the　child's　death　she　had　also　added

that　the　white　woman；　though　grief…stricken；　had　confided　to　her

that　the　baby　was　not　hers。



Tarzan　could　see　no　reason　for　believing　that　Jane　could

have　found　it　advisable　to　deny　her　identity　or　that　of　the

child；　the　only　explanation　that　he　could　put　upon　the　matter

was　that；　after　all；　the　white　woman　who　had　accompanied

his　son　and　the　Swede　into　the　jungle　fastness　of　the　interior

had　not　been　Jane　at　all。



The　more　he　gave　thought　to　the　problem；　the　more　firmly

convinced　he　became　that　his　son　was　dead　and　his　wife　still

safe　in　London；　and　in　ignorance　of　the　terrible　fate　that　had

overtaken　her　first…born。



After　all；　then；　his　interpretation　of　Rokoff's　sinister　taunt

had　been　erroneous；　and　he　had　been　bearing　the　burden　of　a

double　apprehension　needlesslyat　least　so　thought　the　ape…man。　　

From　this　belief　he　garnered　some　slight　surcease　from　the

numbing　grief　that　the　death　of　his　little　son　had　thrust　upon　him。



And　such　a　death！　　Even　the　savage　beast　that　was　the　real

Tarzan；　inured　to　the　sufferings　and　horrors　of　the　grim　jungle；

shuddered　as　he　contemplated　the　hideous　fate　that　had

overtaken　the　innocent　child。



As　he　made　his　way　painfully　towards　the　coast；　he　let　his

mind　dwell　so　constantly　upon　the　frightful　crimes　which　the

Russian　had　perpetrated　against　his　loved　ones　that　the　great

scar　upon　his　forehead　stood　out　almost　continuously　in　the

vivid　scarlet　that　marked　the　man's　most　relentless　and　bestial

moods　of　rage。　　At　times　he　startled　even　himself　and　sent　the

lesser　creatures　of　the　wild　jungle　scampering　to　their　hiding

places　as　involuntary　roars　and　growls　rumbled　from　his　throat。



Could　he　but　lay　his　hand　upon　the　Russian！



Twice　upon　the　way　to　the　coast　bellicose　natives　ran

threateningly　from　their　villages　to　bar　his　further　progress；

but　when　the　awful　cry　of　the　bull…ape　thundered　upon　their

affrighted　ears；　and　the　great　white　giant　charged　bellowing

upon　them；　they　had　turned　and　fled　into　the　bush；　nor　ventured

thence　until　he　had　safely　passed。



Though　his　progress　seemed　tantalizingly　slow　to　the　ape…man

whose　idea　of　speed　had　been　gained　by　such　standards　as　the

lesser　apes　attain；　he　made；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　almost　as

rapid　progress　as　the　drifting　canoe　that　bore　Rokoff　on

ahead　of　him；　so　that　he　came　to　the　bay　and　within　sight　of

the　ocean　just　after　darkness　had　fallen　upon　the　same　day　that

Jane　Clayton　and　the　Russian　ended　their　flights　from　the　interior。



The　darkness　lowered　so　heavily　upon　the　black　river　and

the　encircling　jungle　that　Tarzan；　even　with　eyes　accustomed

to　much　use　aft