the son of tarzan-第2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！


with　the　agility　of　a　small　monkey。

The　fight　had　been　witnessed　by　the　captain　and　mate　who　were　just　landing　from　the　Marjorie　W。；　and　Paulvitch　saw　these　two　now　running　forward　with　drawn　revolvers　while　the　two　sailors　who　had　brought　them　ashore　trailed　at　their　heels。　　The　ape　stood　looking　about　him　at　the　havoc　he　had　wrought；　but　whether　he　was　awaiting　a　renewal　of　the　attack　or　was　deliberating　which　of　his　foes　he　should　exterminate　first　Paulvitch　could　not　guess。　　What　he　could　guess；　however；　was　that　the　moment　the　two　officers　came　within　firing　distance　of　the　beast　they　would　put　an　end　to　him　in　short　order　unless　something　were　done　and　done　quickly　to　prevent。　　The　ape　had　made　no　move　to　attack　the　Russian　but　even　so　the　man　was　none　too　sure　of　what　might　happen　were　he　to　interfere　with　the　savage　beast；　now　thoroughly　aroused　to　bestial　rage；　and　with　the　smell　of　new　spilled　blood　fresh　in　its　nostrils。　　For　an　instant　he　hesitated；　and　then　again　there　rose　before　him　the　dreams　of　affluence　which　this　great　anthropoid　would　doubtless　turn　to　realities　once　Paulvitch　had　landed　him　safely　in　some　great　metropolis　like　London。

The　captain　was　shouting　to　him　now　to　stand　aside　that　he　might　have　a　shot　at　the　animal；　but　instead　Paulvitch　shuffled　to　the　ape's　side；　and　though　the　man's　hair　quivered　at　its　roots　he　mastered　his　fear　and　laid　hold　of　the　ape's　arm。

〃Come！〃　he　commanded；　and　tugged　to　pull　the　beast　from　among　the　sailors；　many　of　whom　were　now　sitting　up　in　wide　eyed　fright　or　crawling　away　from　their　conqueror　upon　hands　and　knees。

Slowly　the　ape　permitted　itself　to　be　led　to　one　side；　nor　did　it　show　the　slightest　indication　of　a　desire　to　harm　the　Russian。　The　captain　came　to　a　halt　a　few　paces　from　the　odd　pair。

〃Get　aside；　Sabrov！〃　he　commanded。　　〃I'll　put　that　brute　where　he　won't　chew　up　any　more　able　seamen。〃

〃It　wasn't　his　fault；　captain；〃　pleaded　Paulvitch。　　〃Please　don't　shoot　him。　　The　men　started　itthey　attacked　him　first。　　You　see；　he's　perfectly　gentleand　he's　minehe's　minehe's　mine！　　I　won't　let　you　kill　him；〃　he　concluded；　as　his　half…wrecked　mentality　pictured　anew　the　pleasure　that　money　would　buy　in　Londonmoney　that　he　could　not　hope　to　possess　without　some　such　windfall　as　the　ape　represented。

The　captain　lowered　his　weapon。　　〃The　men　started　it；　did　they？〃　he　repeated。　　〃How　about　that？〃　and　he　turned　toward　the　sailors　who　had　by　this　time　picked　themselves　from　the　ground；　none　of　them　much　the　worse　for　his　experience　except　the　fellow　who　had　been　the　cause　of　it；　and　who　would　doubtless　nurse　a　sore　shoulder　for　a　week　or　so。

〃Simpson　done　it；〃　said　one　of　the　men。　　〃He　stuck　a　pin　into　the　monk　from　behind；　and　the　monk　got　himwhich　served　him　bloomin'　well　rightan'　he　got　the　rest　of　us；　too；　for　which　I　can't　blame　him；　since　we　all　jumped　him　to　once。〃

The　captain　looked　at　Simpson；　who　sheepishly　admitted　the　truth　of　the　allegation；　then　he　stepped　over　to　the　ape　as　though　to　discover　for　himself　the　sort　of　temper　the　beast　possessed；　but　it　was　noticeable　that　he　kept　his　revolver　cocked　and　leveled　as　he　did　so。　　However；　he　spoke　soothingly　to　the　animal　who　squatted　at　the　Russian's　side　looking　first　at　one　and　then　another　of　the　sailors。　　As　the　captain　approached　him　the　ape　half　rose　and　waddled　forward　to　meet　him。　　Upon　his　countenance　was　the　same　strange；　searching　expression　that　had　marked　his　scrutiny　of　each　of　the　sailors　he　had　first　encountered。　　He　came　quite　close　to　the　officer　and　laid　a　paw　upon　one　of　the　man's　shoulders；　studying　his　face　intently　for　a　long　moment；　then　came　the　expression　of　disappointment　accompanied　by　what　was　almost　a　human　sigh；　as　he　turned　away　to　peer　in　the　same　curious　fashion　into　the　faces　of　the　mate　and　the　two　sailors　who　had　arrived　with　the　officers。　　In　each　instance　he　sighed　and　passed　on；　returning　at　length　to　Paulvitch's　side；　where　he　squatted　down　once　more；　thereafter　evincing　little　or　no　interest　in　any　of　the　other　men；　and　apparently　forgetful　of　his　recent　battle　with　them。

When　the　party　returned　aboard　the　Marjorie　W。；　Paulvitch　was　accompanied　by　the　ape；　who　seemed　anxious　to　follow　him。　　The　captain　interposed　no　obstacles　to　the　arrangement；　and　so　the　great　anthropoid　was　tacitly　admitted　to　membership　in　the　ship's　company。　　Once　aboard　he　examined　each　new　face　minutely；　evincing　the　same　disappointment　in　each　instance　that　had　marked　his　scrutiny　of　the　others。　　The　officers　and　scientists　aboard　often　discussed　the　beast；　but　they　were　unable　to　account　satisfactorily　for　the　strange　ceremony　with　which　he　greeted　each　new　face。　　Had　he　been　discovered　upon　the　mainland；　or　any　other　place　than　the　almost　unknown　island　that　had　been　his　home；　they　would　have　concluded　that　he　had　formerly　been　a　pet　of　man；　but　that　theory　was　not　tenable　in　the　face　of　the　isolation　of　his　uninhabited　island。　　He　seemed　continually　to　be　searching　for　someone；　and　during　the　first　days　of　the　return　voyage　from　the　island　he　was　often　discovered　nosing　about　in　various　parts　of　the　ship；　but　after　he　had　seen　and　examined　each　face　of　the　ship's　company；　and　explored　every　corner　of　the　vessel　he　lapsed　into　utter　indifference　of　all　about　him。　　Even　the　Russian　elicited　only　casual　interest　when　he　brought　him　food。　　At　other　times　the　ape　appeared　merely　to　tolerate　him。　　He　never　showed　affection　for　him；　or　for　anyone　else　upon　the　Marjorie　W。；　nor　did　he　at　any　time　evince　any　indication　of　the　savage　temper　that　had　marked　his　resentment　of　the　attack　of　the　sailors　upon　him　at　the　time　that　he　had　come　among　them。

Most　of　his　time　was　spent　in　the　eye　of　the　ship　scanning　the　horizon　ahead；　as　though　he　were　endowed　with　sufficient　reason　to　know　that　the　vessel　was　bound　for　some　port　where　there　would　be　other　human　beings　to　undergo　his　searching　scrutiny。　All　in　all；　Ajax；　as　he　had　been　dubbed；　was　considered　the　most　remarkable　and　intelligent　ape　that　any　one　aboard　the　Marjorie　W。　ever　had　seen。　　Nor　was　his　intelligence　the　only　remarkable　attribute　he　owned。　　His　stature　and　physique　were；　for　an　ape；　awe　inspiring。　　That　he　was　old　was　quite　evident；　but　if　his　age　had　impaired　his　physical　or　mental　powers　in　the　slightest　it　was　not　apparent。

And　so　at　length　the　Marjorie　W。　came　to　England；　and　there　the　officers　and　the　scientists；　filled　with　compassion　for　the　pitiful　wreck　of　a　man　they　had　rescued　from　the　jungles；　furnished　Paulvitch　with　funds　and　bid　him　and　his　Ajax　Godspeed。

Upon　the　dock　and　all　through　the　journey　to　London　the　Russian　had　his　hands　full　with　Ajax。　　Each　new　face　of　the　thousands　that　came　within　the　anthropoid's　ken　must　be　carefully　scrutinized；　much　to　the　horror　of　many　of　his　victims；　but　at　last；　failing；　apparently；　to　discover　whom　he　sought；　the　great　ape　relapsed　into　morbid　indifference；　only　occasionally　evincing　interest　in　a　passing　face。

In　London；　Paulvitch　went　directly　with　his　prize　to　a　certain　famous　animal　trainer。　　This　man　was　much　impressed　with　Ajax　with　the　result　that　he　agreed　to　train　him　for　a　lion's　share　of　the　profits　of　exhibiting　him；　and　in　the　meantime　to　provide　for　the　keep　of　both　the　ape　and　his　owner。

And　so　came　Ajax　to　London；　and　there　was　forged　another　link　in　the　chain　of　strange　circumstances　that　were　to　affect　the　lives　of　many　people。



Chapter　2

Mr。　Harold　Moore　was　a　bilious…countenanced；　studious　young　man。　　He　took　himself　very　seriously；　and　life；　and　his　work；　which　latter　was　the　tutoring　of　the　young　son　of　a　British　nobleman。　　He　felt　that　his　charge　was　not　making　the　progress　that　his　parents　had　a　right　to　expect；　and　he　was　now　conscientiously　explaining　this　fact　to　the　boy's　mother。

〃It's　not　that　he　isn't　bright；〃　he　was　saying；　〃if　that　were　true　I　should　have　hopes　of　succeeding；　for　then　I　might　bring　to　bear　all　my　energies　in　overcoming　his　obtuseness；　but　the　trouble　is　that　he　is　exceptionally　intelligent；　and　learns　so　quickly　that　I　can　find　no　fault　in　the　matter　of　the　preparation　of　his　lessons。　　What　concerns　me；　however；　is　that　fact　that　he　evidently　takes　no　interest　whatever　in　the　subjects　we　are　studying。　　He　merely　accomplishes　each　lesson　as　a　task　to　be　rid　of　as　quickly　as　possible　and　I　am　sure　that　no　lesson　ever　again　enters　his　mind　until　the　hours　of　study　and　recitation　once　more　arrive。　　His　sole　interests　seem　to　be　feats　of　physical　prowess　and　the　reading　of　everything　that　he　can　get　hold　of　relative　to　savage　beasts　and　the　lives　and　customs　of　uncivilized　peoples；　but　particularly　do　stories　of　animals　appeal　to　him。　　He　will　sit　for　hours　together　poring　over　the　work　of　some　African　explorer；　and　upon　two　occasions　I　have　found　him　setting　up　in　bed　at　night　reading　Carl　Hagenbeck's　book　on　men　and　beasts。〃

The　boy's　mother　tapped　her　foot　nervously　upon　the　hearth　rug。

〃You　discourage　this；　of　course？〃　she　ventured。

Mr。　Moore　shuffled　embarrassedly。

〃Iahessayed　to　take　the　book　from　him；〃　he　replied；　a　slight　flush　mounting　his　sallow　cheek；　〃butahyour　son　is　quite　muscular　for　one　so　young。〃

〃He　wouldn't　let　you　take　it？〃　asked　the　mother。

〃He　would　not；〃　co