the return of tarzan-第13节

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death　in　him。　　To　a　denizen　of　the　cruel　jungle　death　is

a　commonplace。　　The　first　law　of　nature　compels　them　to

cling　tenaciously　to　lifeto　fight　for　it；　but　it　does

not　teach　them　to　fear　death。



D'Arnot　and　Tarzan　were　first　upon　the　field　of　honor。　　A

moment　later　De　Coude；　Monsieur　Flaubert；　and　a　third

gentleman　arrived。　　The　last　was　introduced　to　D'Arnot　and

Tarzan；　he　was　a　physician。



D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert　spoke　together　in　whispers

for　a　brief　time。　　The　Count　de　Coude　and　Tarzan　stood　apart

at　opposite　sides　of　the　field。　　Presently　the　seconds

summoned　them。　　D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert　had　examined

both　pistols。　　The　two　men　who　were　to　face　each　other　a

moment　later　stood　silently　while　Monsieur　Flaubert　recited

the　conditions　they　were　to　observe。



They　were　to　stand　back　to　back。　　At　a　signal　from　Monsieur

Flaubert　they　were　to　walk　in　opposite　directions；

their　pistols　hanging　by　their　sides。　　When　each　had　proceeded

ten　paces　D'Arnot　was　to　give　the　final　signalthen　they

were　to　turn　and　fire　at　will　until　one　fell；　or　each　had

expended　the　three　shots　allowed。



While　Monsieur　Flaubert　spoke　Tarzan　selected　a　cigarette

from　his　case；　and　lighted　it。　　De　Coude　was　the　personification

of　coolnesswas　he　not　the　best　shot　in　France？



Presently　Monsieur　Flaubert　nodded　to　D'Arnot；　and

each　man　placed　his　principal　in　position。



〃Are　you　quite　ready；　gentlemen？〃　asked　Monsieur　Flaubert。



〃Quite；〃　replied　De　Coude。



Tarzan　nodded。　　Monsieur　Flaubert　gave　the　signal。　　He

and　D'Arnot　stepped　back　a　few　paces　to　be　out　of　the　line

of　fire　as　the　men　paced　slowly　apart。　　Six！　　Seven！　　Eight！

There　were　tears　in　D'Arnot's　eyes。　　He　loved　Tarzan　very　much。

Nine！　　Another　pace；　and　the　poor　lieutenant　gave　the

signal　he　so　hated　to　give。　　To　him　it　sounded　the　doom

of　his　best　friend。



Quickly　De　Coude　wheeled　and　fired。　　Tarzan　gave　a　little　start。

His　pistol　still　dangled　at　his　side。　　De　Coude　hesitated；

as　though　waiting　to　see　his　antagonist　crumple　to　the　ground。

The　Frenchman　was　too　experienced　a　marksman　not　to　know　that

he　had　scored　a　hit。　　Still　Tarzan　made　no　move　to　raise　his　pistol。

De　Coude　fired　once　more；　but　the　attitude　of　the　ape…manthe

utter　indifference　that　was　so　apparent　in　every　line　of　the

nonchalant　ease　of　his　giant　figure；　and　the　even　unruffled

puffing　of　his　cigarettehad　disconcerted　the　best　marksman

in　France。　　This　time　Tarzan　did　not　start；　but　again　De　Coude

knew　that　he　had　hit。



Suddenly　the　explanation　leaped　to　his　mindhis　antagonist

was　coolly　taking　these　terrible　chances　in　the　hope

that　he　would　receive　no　staggering　wound　from　any　of

De　Coude's　three　shots。　　Then　he　would　take　his　own　time

about　shooting　De　Coude　down　deliberately；　coolly；　and　in

cold　blood。　　A　little　shiver　ran　up　the　Frenchman's　spine。

It　was　fiendishdiabolical。　　What　manner　of　creature　was　this

that　could　stand　complacently　with　two　bullets　in　him；　waiting

for　the　third？



And　so　De　Coude　took　careful　aim　this　time；　but　his　nerve

was　gone；　and　he　made　a　clean　miss。　　Not　once　had　Tarzan

raised　his　pistol　hand　from　where　it　hung　beside　his　leg。



For　a　moment　the　two　stood　looking　straight　into　each

other's　eyes。　　On　Tarzan's　face　was　a　pathetic　expression

of　disappointment。　　On　De　Coude's　a　rapidly　growing

expression　of　horroryes；　of　terror。



He　could　endure　it　no　longer。



〃Mother　of　God！　　Monsieurshoot！〃　he　screamed。



But　Tarzan　did　not　raise　his　pistol。　　Instead；　he　advanced

toward　De　Coude；　and　when　D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert；

misinterpreting　his　intention；　would　have　rushed　between

them；　he　raised　his　left　hand　in　a　sign　of　remonstrance。



〃Do　not　fear；〃　he　said　to　them；　〃I　shall　not　harm　him。〃



It　was　most　unusual；　but　they　halted。　　Tarzan　advanced

until　he　was　quite　close　to　De　Coude。



〃There　must　have　been　something　wrong　with　monsieur's

pistol；〃　he　said。　　〃Or　monsieur　is　unstrung。　　Take　mine；

monsieur；　and　try　again；〃　and　Tarzan　offered　his　pistol；　butt

foremost；　to　the　astonished　De　Coude。



〃MON　DIEU；　monsieur！〃　cried　the　latter。　　〃Are　you　mad？〃



〃No；　my　friend；〃　replied　the　ape…man；　〃but　I　deserve　to　die。

It　is　the　only　way　in　which　I　may　atone　for　the　wrong　I　have

done　a　very　good　woman。　　Take　my　pistol　and　do　as　I　bid。〃



〃It　would　be　murder；〃　replied　De　Coude。　　〃But　what　wrong

did　you　do　my　wife？　　She　swore　to　me　that〃



〃I　do　not　mean　that；〃　said　Tarzan　quickly。　　〃You　saw　all

the　wrong　that　passed　between　us。　　But　that　was　enough　to

cast　a　shadow　upon　her　name；　and　to　ruin　the　happiness　of

a　man　against　whom　I　had　no　enmity。　　The　fault　was　all

mine；　and　so　I　hoped　to　die　for　it　this　morning。　　I　am

disappointed　that　monsieur　is　not　so　wonderful　a　marksman

as　I　had　been　led　to　believe。〃



〃You　say　that　the　fault　was　all　yours？〃　asked　De　Coude　eagerly。



〃All　mine；　monsieur。　　Your　wife　is　a　very　pure　woman。

She　loves　only　you。　　The　fault　that　you　saw　was　all　mine。

The　thing　that　brought　me　there　was　no　fault　of　either　the

Countess　de　Coude　or　myself。　　Here　is　a　paper　which　will　quite

positively　demonstrate　that；〃　and　Tarzan　drew　from　his　pocket

the　statement　Rokoff　had　written　and　signed。



De　Coude　took　it　and　read。　　D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert

had　drawn　near。　　They　were　interested　spectators　of　this

strange　ending　of　a　strange　duel。　　None　spoke　until　De

Coude　had　quite　finished；　then　he　looked　up　at　Tarzan。



〃You　are　a　very　brave　and　chivalrous　gentleman；〃　he　said。

〃I　thank　God　that　I　did　not　kill　you。〃



De　Coude　was　a　Frenchman。　　Frenchmen　are　impulsive。　　He　threw

his　arms　about　Tarzan　and　embraced　him。　　Monsieur　Flaubert

embraced　D'Arnot。　　There　was　no　one　to　embrace　the　doctor。

So　possibly　it　was　pique　which　prompted　him　to　interfere；

and　demand　that　he　be　permitted　to　dress　Tarzan's　wounds。



〃This　gentleman　was　hit　once　at　least；〃　he　said。　　〃Possibly　thrice。〃



〃Twice；〃　said　Tarzan。　　〃Once　in　the　left　shoulder；　and　again

in　the　left　sideboth　flesh　wounds；　I　think。〃　　But　the　doctor

insisted　upon　stretching　him　upon　the　sward；　and　tinkering

with　him　until　the　wounds　were　cleansed　and　the　flow　of

blood　checked。



One　result　of　the　duel　was　that　they　all　rode　back　to　Paris

together　in　D'Arnot's　car；　the　best　of　friends。　　De　Coude

was　so　relieved　to　have　had　this　double　assurance　of　his

wife's　loyalty　that　he　felt　no　rancor　at　all　toward　Tarzan。

It　is　true　that　the　latter　had　assumed　much　more　of　the　fault

than　was　rightly　his；　but　if　he　lied　a　little　he　may　be

excused；　for　he　lied　in　the　service　of　a　woman；　and　he　lied

like　a　gentleman。



The　ape…man　was　confined　to　his　bed　for　several　days。　　He

felt　that　it　was　foolish　and　unnecessary；　but　the　doctor　and

D'Arnot　took　the　matter　so　to　heart　that　he　gave　in　to　please

them；　though　it　made　him　laugh　to　think　of　it。



〃It　is　droll；〃　he　said　to　D'Arnot。　　〃To　lie　abed　because　of　a

pin　prick！　　Why；　when　Bolgani；　the　king　gorilla；　tore　me　almost

to　pieces；　while　I　was　still　but　a　little　boy；　did　I　have　a

nice　soft　bed　to　lie　on？　　No；　only　the　damp；　rotting　vegetation

of　the　jungle。　　Hidden　beneath　some　friendly　bush　I　lay　for

days　and　weeks　with　only　Kala　to　nurse　mepoor；　faithful

Kala；　who　kept　the　insects　from　my　wounds　and　warned　off

the　beasts　of　prey。



〃When　I　called　for　water　she　brought　it　to　me　in　her　own

mouththe　only　way　she　knew　to　carry　it。　　There　was　no

sterilized　gauze；　there　was　no　antiseptic　bandagethere

was　nothing　that　would　not　have　driven　our　dear　doctor　mad

to　have　seen。　　Yet　I　recoveredrecovered　to　lie　in　bed

because　of　a　tiny　scratch　that　one　of　the　jungle　folk　would

scarce　realize　unless　it　were　upon　the　end　of　his　nose。〃



But　the　time　was　soon　over；　and　before　he　realized　it

Tarzan　found　himself　abroad　again。　　Several　times　De　Coude

had　called；　and　when　he　found　that　Tarzan　was　anxious　for

employment　of　some　nature　he　promised　to　see　what　could

be　done　to　find　a　berth　for　him。



It　was　the　first　day　that　Tarzan　was　permitted　to　go　out

that　he　received　a　message　from　De　Coude　requesting　him

to　call　at　the　count's　office　that　afternoon。



He　found　De　Coude　awaiting　him　with　a　very　pleasant　welcome；

and　a　sincere　congratulation　that　he　was　once　more

upon　his　feet。　　Neither　had　ever　mentioned　the　duel　or　the

cause　of　it　since　that　morning　upon　the　field　of　honor。



〃I　think　that　I　have　found　just　the　thing　for　you；　Monsieur

Tarzan；〃　said　the　count。　　〃It　is　a　position　of　much　trust　and

responsibility；　which　also　requires　considerably　physical　courage

and　prowess。　　I　cannot　imagine　a　man　better　fitted　than

you；　my　dear　Monsieur　Tarzan；　for　this　very　position。　　It　will

necessitate　travel；　and　later　it　may　lead　to　a　very　much　better

postpossibly　in　the　diplomatic　service。



〃At　first；　for　a　short　time　only；　you　will　be　a　special　agent

in　the　service　of　the　ministry　o