tarzan and the jewels of opar()-第3节
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excused himself and retired； Lady Greystoke following him very soon
after。 Werper； sitting upon the veranda； could hear their voices in earnest
discussion； and having realized that something of unusual moment was
afoot； he quietly rose from his chair； and keeping well in the shadow of the
shrubbery growing profusely about the bungalow； made his silent way to a
point beneath the window of the room in which his host and hostess slept。
Here he listened； and not without result； for almost the first words he
overheard filled him with excitement。 Lady Greystoke was speaking as
Werper came within hearing。
〃I always feared for the stability of the company；〃 she was saying； 〃but
it seems incredible that they should have failed for so enormous a sum
unless there has been some dishonest manipulation。〃
〃That is what I suspect；〃 replied Tarzan； 〃but whatever the cause； the
fact remains that I have lost everything； and there is nothing for it but to
return to Opar and get more。〃
〃Oh； John；〃 cried Lady Greystoke； and Werper could feel the shudder
through her voice； 〃is there no other way？ I cannot bear to think of you
returning to that frightful city。 I would rather live in poverty always than
to have you risk the hideous dangers of Opar。〃
〃You need have no fear；〃 replied Tarzan； laughing。 〃I am pretty well
able to take care of myself； and were I not； the Waziri who will
accompany me will see that no harm befalls me。〃
〃They ran away from Opar once； and left you to your fate；〃 she
reminded him。
〃They will not do it again；〃 he answered。 〃They were very much
ashamed of themselves； and were coming back when I met them。〃
〃But there must be some other way；〃 insisted the woman。
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
〃There is no other way half so easy to obtain another fortune； as to go
to the treasure vaults of Opar and bring it away；〃 he replied。 〃I shall be
very careful； Jane； and the chances are that the inhabitants of Opar will
never know that I have been there again and despoiled them of another
portion of the treasure； the very existence of which they are as ignorant of
as they would be of its value。〃
The finality in his tone seemed to assure Lady Greystoke that further
argument was futile； and so she abandoned the subject。
Werper remained； listening； for a short time； and then； confident that
he had overheard all that was necessary and fearing discovery； returned to
the veranda； where he smoked numerous cigarets in rapid succession
before retiring。
The following morning at breakfast； Werper announced his intention
of making an early departure； and asked Tarzan's permission to hunt big
game in the Waziri country on his way outpermission which Lord
Greystoke readily granted。
The Belgian consumed two days in completing his preparations； but
finally got away with his safari； accompanied by a single Waziri guide
whom Lord Greystoke had loaned him。 The party made but a single
short march when Werper simulated illness； and announced his intention
of remaining where he was until he had fully recovered。 As they had
gone but a short distance from the Greystoke bungalow； Werper dismissed
the Waziri guide； telling the warrior that he would send for him when he
was able to proceed。 The Waziri gone； the Belgian summoned one of
Achmet Zek's trusted blacks to his tent； and dispatched him to watch for
the departure of Tarzan； returning immediately to advise Werper of the
event and the direction taken by the Englishman。
The Belgian did not have long to wait； for the following day his
emissary returned with word that Tarzan and a party of fifty Waziri
warriors had set out toward the southeast early in the morning。
Werper called his head man to him； after writing a long letter to
Achmet Zek。 This letter he handed to the head man。
〃Send a runner at once to Achmet Zek with this；〃 he instructed the
head man。 〃Remain here in camp awaiting further instructions from him
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
or from me。 If any come from the bungalow of the Englishman； tell them
that I am very ill within my tent and can see no one。 Now； give me six
porters and six askaristhe strongest and bravest of the safariand I will
march after the Englishman and discover where his gold is hidden。〃
And so it was that as Tarzan； stripped to the loin cloth and armed after
the primitive fashion he best loved； led his loyal Waziri toward the dead
city of Opar； Werper； the renegade； haunted his trail through the long； hot
days； and camped close behind him by night。
And as they marched； Achmet Zek rode with his entire following
southward toward the Greystoke farm。
To Tarzan of the Apes the expedition was in the nature of a holiday
outing。 His civilization was at best but an outward veneer which he
gladly peeled off with his uncomfortable European clothes whenever any
reasonable pretext presented itself。 It was a woman's love which kept
Tarzan even to the semblance of civilizationa condition for which
familiarity had bred contempt。 He hated the shams and the hypocrisies
of it and with the clear vision of an unspoiled mind he had penetrated to
the rotten core of the heart of the thingthe cowardly greed for peace and
ease and the safe…guarding of property rights。 That the fine things of life…
…art； music and literaturehad thriven upon such enervating ideals he
strenuously denied； insisting； rather； that they had endured in spite of
civilization。
〃Show me the fat； opulent coward；〃 he was wont to say； 〃who ever
originated a beautiful ideal。 In the clash of arms； in the battle for survival；
amid hunger and death and danger； in the face of God as manifested in the
display of Nature's most terrific forces； is born all that is finest and best in
the human heart and mind。〃
And so Tarzan always came back to Nature in the spirit of a lover
keeping a long deferred tryst after a period behind prison walls。 His
Waziri； at marrow； were more civilized than he。 They cooked their meat
before they ate it and they shunned many articles of food as unclean that
Tarzan had eaten with gusto all his life and so insidious is the virus of
hypocrisy that even the stalwart ape…man hesitated to give rein to his
natural longings before them。 He ate burnt flesh when he would have
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
preferred it raw and unspoiled； and he brought down game with arrow or
spear when he would far rather have leaped upon it from ambush and sunk
his strong teeth in its jugular； but at last the call of the milk of the savage
mother that had suckled him in infancy rose to an insistent demandhe
craved the hot blood of a fresh kill and his muscles yearned to pit
themselves against the savage jungle in the battle for existence that had
been his sole birthright for the first twenty years of his life。
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
3
The Call of the Jungle
Moved by these vague yet all…powerful urgings the ape…man lay
awake one night in the little thorn boma that protected； in a way； his party
from the depredations of the great carnivora of the jungle。 A single
warrior stood sleepy guard beside the fire that yellow eyes out of the
darkness beyond the camp made imperative。 The moans and the coughing
of the big cats mingled with the myriad noises of the
