tarzan and the jewels of opar()-第21节
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love of La； the woman； and for this he should die horribly with great
anguish。
The march of La and her priests was not without its adventures。
Unused were these to the ways of the jungle； since seldom did any venture
forth from behind Opar's crumbling walls； yet their very numbers
protected them and so they came without fatalities far along the trail of
Tarzan and Werper。 Three great apes accompanied them and to these was
delegated the business of tracking the quarry； a feat beyond the senses of
the Oparians。 La commanded。 She arranged the order of march； she
selected the camps； she set the hour for halting and the hour for resuming
and though she was inexperienced in such matters； her native intelligence
was so far above that of the men or the apes that she did better than they
could have done。 She was a hard taskmaster； too； for she looked down
with loathing and contempt upon the misshapen creatures amongst which
cruel Fate had thrown her and to some extent vented upon them her
dissatisfaction and her thwarted love。 She made them build her a strong
protection and shelter each night and keep a great fire burning before it
from dusk to dawn。 When she tired of walking they were forced to carry
her upon an improvised litter； nor did one dare to question her authority or
her right to such services。 In fact they did not question either。 To them
she was a goddess and each loved her and each hoped that he would be
chosen as her mate； so they slaved for her and bore the stinging lash of her
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
displeasure and the habitually haughty disdain of her manner without a
murmur。
For many days they marched； the apes following the trail easily and
going a little distance ahead of the body of the caravan that they might
warn the others of impending danger。 It was during a noonday halt while
all were lying resting after a tiresome march that one of the apes rose
suddenly and sniffed the breeze。 In a low guttural he cautioned the
others to silence and a moment later was swinging quietly up wind into the
jungle。 La and the priests gathered silently together； the hideous little
men fingering their knives and bludgeons； and awaited the return of the
shaggy anthropoid。
Nor had they long to wait before they saw him emerge from a leafy
thicket and approach them。 Straight to La he came and in the language of
the great apes which was also the language of decadent Opar he addressed
her。
〃The great Tarmangani lies asleep there；〃 he said； pointing in the
direction from which he had just come。 〃Come and we can kill him。〃
〃Do not kill him；〃 commanded La in cold tones。 〃Bring the great
Tarmangani to me alive and unhurt。 The vengeance is La's。 Go； but make
no sound！〃 and she waved her hands to include all her followers。
Cautiously the weird party crept through the jungle in the wake of the
great ape until at last he halted them with a raised hand and pointed
upward and a little ahead。 There they saw the giant form of the ape…man
stretched along a low bough and even in sleep one hand grasped a stout
limb and one strong； brown leg reached out and overlapped another。 At
ease lay Tarzan of the Apes； sleeping heavily upon a full stomach and
dreaming of Numa； the lion； and Horta； the boar； and other creatures of the
jungle。 No intimation of danger assailed the dormant faculties of the
ape…manhe saw no crouching hairy figures upon the ground beneath him
nor the three apes that swung quietly into the tree beside him。
The first intimation of danger that came to Tarzan was the impact of
three bodies as the three apes leaped upon him and hurled him to the
ground； where he alighted half stunned beneath their combined weight and
was immediately set upon by the fifty hairy men or as many of them as
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
could swarm upon his person。 Instantly the ape…man became the center
of a whirling； striking； biting maelstrom of horror。 He fought nobly but
the odds against him were too great。 Slowly they overcame him though
there was scarce one of them that did not feel the weight of his mighty fist
or the rending of his fangs。
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
13
Condemned To Torture and Death
La had followed her company and when she saw them clawing and
biting at Tarzan； she raised her voice and cautioned them not to kill him。
She saw that he was weakening and that soon the greater numbers would
prevail over him； nor had she long to wait before the mighty jungle
creature lay helpless and bound at her feet。
〃Bring him to the place at which we stopped；〃 she commanded and
they carried Tarzan back to the little clearing and threw him down beneath
a tree。
〃Build me a shelter！〃 ordered La。 〃We shall stop here tonight and
tomorrow in the face of the Flaming God； La will offer up the heart of this
defiler of the temple。 Where is the sacred knife？ Who took it from him？〃
But no one had seen it and each was positive in his assurance that the
sacrificial weapon had not been upon Tarzan's person when they captured
him。 The ape…man looked upon the menacing creatures which
surrounded him and snarled his defiance。 He looked upon La and smiled。
In the face of death he was unafraid。
〃Where is the knife？〃 La asked him。
〃I do not know；〃 replied Tarzan。 〃The man took it with him when he
slipped away during the night。 Since you are so desirous for its return I
would look for him and get it back for you； did you not hold me prisoner；
but now that I am to die I cannot get it back。 Of what good was your
knife； anyway？ You can make another。 Did you follow us all this way for
nothing more than a knife？ Let me go and find him and I will bring it
back to you。〃
La laughed a bitter laugh； for in her heart she knew that Tarzan's sin
was greater than the purloining of the sacrificial knife of Opar； yet as she
looked at him lying bound and helpless before her； tears rose to her eyes
so that she had to turn away to hide them； but she remained inflexible in
her determination to make him pay in frightful suffering and in eventual
death for daring to spurn the love of La。
When the shelter was completed La had Tarzan transferred to it。 〃All
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night I shall torture him；〃 she muttered to her priests； 〃and at the first
streak of dawn you may prepare the flaming altar upon which his heart
shall be offered up to the Flaming God。 Gather wood well filled with pitch；
lay it in the form and size of the altar at Opar in the center of the clearing
that the Flaming God may look down upon our handiwork and be
pleased。〃
During the balance of the day the priests of Opar were busy erecting
an altar in the center of the clearing； and while they worked they chanted
weird hymns in the ancient tongue of that lost continent that lies at the
bottom of the Atlantic。 They knew not the meanings of the words they
mouthed； they but repeated the ritual that had been handed down from
preceptor to neophyte since that long…gone day when the ancestors of the
Piltdown man still swung by their tails in the humid jungles that are
England now。
And in the shelter of the hut； La paced to and fro beside the stoic ape…
man。 Resigned to his fate was Tarzan。 No hope of succor gleamed
through the dead black of the death sentence hanging over him。 He knew
that hi
