the return of tarzan-第19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！



fortunate　for　her；　and　for　De　Coude　as　well；　that　it　was　you

and　not　another　man　more　sophisticated。



Had　you　really　paid　court　to　Olga's　heart　I　am　afraid　that

there　would　have　been　no　hope　for　either　of　you。



She　asked　me　to　tell　you　that　Nikolas　had　left　France。

She　paid　him　twenty　thousand　francs　to　go　away；　and　stay。

She　is　congratulating　herself　that　she　got　rid　of　him　before

he　tried　to　carry　out　a　threat　he　recently　made　her　that　he

should　kill　you　at　the　first　opportunity。　　She　said　that　she

should　hate　to　think　that　her　brother's　blood　was　on　your

hands；　for　she　is　very　fond　of　you；　and　made　no　bones　in

saying　so　before　the　count。　　It　never　for　a　moment　seemed　to

occur　to　her　that　there　might　be　any　possibility　of　any　other

outcome　of　a　meeting　between　you　and　Nikolas。　　The　count

quite　agreed　with　her　in　that。　　He　added　that　it　would　take　a

regiment　of　Rokoffs　to　kill　you。　　He　has　a　most　healthy

respect　for　your　prowess。



Have　been　ordered　back　to　my　ship。　　She　sails　from　Havre　in

two　days　under　sealed　orders。　　If　you　will　address　me　in　her

care；　the　letters　will　find　me　eventually。　　I　shall　write　you

as　soon　as　another　opportunity　presents。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　sincere　friend；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PAUL　D'ARNOT。





〃I　fear；〃　mused　Tarzan；　half　aloud；　〃that　Olga　has　thrown

away　her　twenty　thousand　francs。〃



He　read　over　that　part　of　D'Arnot's　letter　several　times

in　which　he　had　quoted　from　his　conversation　with　Jane

Porter。　　Tarzan　derived　a　rather　pathetic　happiness　from

it；　but　it　was　better　than　no　happiness　at　all。



The　following　three　weeks　were　quite　uneventful。　　On

several　occasions　Tarzan　saw　the　mysterious　Arab；　and　once

again　he　had　been　exchanging　words　with　Lieutenant　Gernois；

but　no　amount　of　espionage　or　shadowing　by　Tarzan　revealed

the　Arab's　lodgings；　the　location　of　which　Tarzan　was

anxious　to　ascertain。



Gernois；　never　cordial；　had　kept　more　than　ever　aloof

from　Tarzan　since　the　episode　in　the　dining…room　of　the

hotel　at　Aumale。　　His　attitude　on　the　few　occasions　that

they　had　been　thrown　together　had　been　distinctly　hostile。



That　he　might　keep　up　the　appearance　of　the　character

he　was　playing；　Tarzan　spent　considerable　time　hunting　in

the　vicinity　of　Bou　Saada。　　He　would　spend　entire　days　in

the　foothills；　ostensibly　searching　for　gazelle；　but　on　the

few　occasions　that　he　came　close　enough　to　any　of　the

beautiful　little　animals　to　harm　them　he　invariably　allowed

them　to　escape　without　so　much　as　taking　his　rifle　from　its

boot。　　The　ape…man　could　see　no　sport　in　slaughtering　the

most　harmless　and　defenseless　of　God's　creatures　for　the

mere　pleasure　of　killing。



In　fact；　Tarzan　had　never　killed　for　〃pleasure；〃　nor　to

him　was　there　pleasure　in　killing。　　It　was　the　joy　of　righteous

battle　that　he　lovedthe　ecstasy　of　victory。　　And　the　keen

and　successful　hunt　for　food　in　which　he　pitted　his　skill

and　craftiness　against　the　skill　and　craftiness　of　another；

but　to　come　out　of　a　town　filled　with　food　to　shoot　down　a

soft…eyed；　pretty　gazelleah；　that　was　crueller　than　the

deliberate　and　cold…blooded　murder　of　a　fellow　man。

Tarzan　would　have　none　of　it；　and　so　he　hunted　alone

that　none　might　discover　the　sham　that　he　was　practicing。



And　once；　probably　because　of　the　fact　that　he　rode　alone；

he　was　like　to　have　lost　his　life。　　He　was　riding　slowly

through　a　little　ravine　when　a　shot　sounded　close　behind

him；　and　a　bullet　passed　through　the　cork　helmet　he　wore。

Although　he　turned　at　once　and　galloped　rapidly　to　the　top

of　the　ravine；　there　was　no　sign　of　any　enemy；　nor　did　he

see　aught　of　another　human　being　until　he　reached　Bou　Saada。



〃Yes；〃　he　soliloquized；　in　recalling　the　occurrence；

〃Olga　has　indeed　thrown　away　her　twenty　thousand　francs。〃



That　night　he　was　Captain　Gerard's　guest　at　a　little　dinner。



〃Your　hunting　has　not　been　very　fortunate？〃　questioned

the　officer。



〃No；〃　replied　Tarzan；　〃the　game　hereabout　is　timid；　nor　do

I　care　particularly　about　hunting　game　birds　or　antelope。

I　think　I　shall　move　on　farther　south；　and　have　a　try　at

some　of　your　Algerian　lions。〃



〃Good！〃　exclaimed　the　captain。　　〃We　are　marching　toward　Djelfa

on　the　morrow。　　You　shall　have　company　that　far　at　least。

Lieutenant　Gernois　and　I；　with　a　hundred　men；　are　ordered

south　to　patrol　a　district　in　which　the　marauders　are　giving

considerable　trouble。　　Possibly　we　may　have　the　pleasure

of　hunting　the　lion　togetherwhat　say　you？〃



Tarzan　was　more　than　pleased；　nor　did　he　hesitate　to　say　so；

but　the　captain　would　have　been　astonished　had　he　known

the　real　reason　of　Tarzan's　pleasure。　　Gernois　was　sitting

opposite　the　ape…man。　　He　did　not　seem　so　pleased　with　his

captain's　invitation。



〃You　will　find　lion　hunting　more　exciting　than　gazelle

shooting；〃　remarked　Captain　Gerard；　〃and　more　dangerous。〃



〃Even　gazelle　shooting　has　its　dangers；〃　replied　Tarzan。

〃Especially　when　one　goes　alone。　　I　found　it　so　today。

I　also　found　that　while　the　gazelle　is　the　most　timid

of　animals；　it　is　not　the　most　cowardly。〃



He　let　his　glance　rest　only　casually　upon　Gernois　after

he　had　spoken；　for　he　did　not　wish　the　man　to　know　that　he

was　under　suspicion；　or　surveillance；　no　matter　what　he

might　think。　　The　effect　of　his　remark　upon　him；　however；

might　tend　to　prove　his　connection　with；　or　knowledge　of；

certain　recent　happenings。　　Tarzan　saw　a　dull　red　creep　up

from　beneath　Gernois'　collar。　　He　was　satisfied；　and　quickly

changed　the　subject。



When　the　column　rode　south　from　Bou　Saada　the　next

morning　there　were　half　a　dozen　Arabs　bringing　up　the　rear。



〃They　are　not　attached　to　the　command；〃　replied　Gerard

in　response　to　Tarzan's　query。　　〃They　merely　accompany　us

on　the　road　for　companionship。〃



Tarzan　had　learned　enough　about　Arab　character　since

he　had　been　in　Algeria　to　know　that　this　was　no　real　motive；

for　the　Arab　is　never　overfond　of　the　companionship　of

strangers；　and　especially　of　French　soldiers。　　So　his

suspicions　were　aroused；　and　he　decided　to　keep　a　sharp　eye

on　the　little　party　that　trailed　behind　the　column　at　a　distance

of　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile。　　But　they　did　not　come　close

enough　even　during　the　halts　to　enable　him　to　obtain　a

close　scrutiny　of　them。



He　had　long　been　convinced　that　there　were　hired　assassins

on　his　trail；　nor　was　he　in　great　doubt　but　that　Rokoff　was

at　the　bottom　of　the　plot。　　Whether　it　was　to　be　revenge　for

the　several　occasions　in　the　past　that　Tarzan　had　defeated　the

Russian's　purposes　and　humiliated　him；　or　was　in　some　way

connected　with　his　mission　in　the　Gernois　affair；　he　could　not

determine。　　If　the　latter；　and　it　seemed　probable　since　the

evidence　he　had　had　that　Gernois　suspected　him；　then　he

had　two　rather　powerful　enemies　to　contend　with；　for　there

would　be　many　opportunities　in　the　wilds　of　Algeria；　for

which　they　were　bound；　to　dispatch　a　suspected　enemy

quietly　and　without　attracting　suspicion。



After　camping　at　Djelfa　for　two　days　the　column　moved　to　the

southwest；　from　whence　word　had　come　that　the　marauders　were

operating　against　the　tribes　whose　DOUARS　were　situated

at　the　foot　of　the　mountains。



The　little　band　of　Arabs　who　had　accompanied　them　from

Bou　Saada　had　disappeared　suddenly　the　very　night　that

orders　had　been　given　to　prepare　for　the　morrow's　march

from　Djelfa。　　Tarzan　made　casual　inquiries　among　the　men；

but　none　could　tell　him　why　they　had　left；　or　in　what

direction　they　had　gone。　　He　did　not　like　the　looks　of　it；

especially　in　view　of　the　fact　that　he　had　seen　Gernois　in

conversation　with　one　of　them　some　half　hour　after　Captain

Gerard　had　issued　his　instructions　relative　to　the　new　move。

Only　Gernois　and　Tarzan　knew　the　direction　of　the　proposed　march。

All　the　soldiers　knew　was　that　they　were　to　be　prepared　to

break　camp　early　the　next　morning。　　Tarzan　wondered　if

Gernois　could　have　revealed　their　destination　to　the　Arabs。



Late　that　afternoon　they　went　into　camp　at　a　little　oasis　in

which　was　the　DOUAR　of　a　sheik　whose　flocks　were　being

stolen；　and　whose　herdsmen　were　being　killed。　　The　Arabs

came　out　of　their　goatskin　tents；　and　surrounded　the　soldiers；

asking　many　questions　in　the　native　tongue；　for　the　soldiers

were　themselves　natives。　　Tarzan；　who；　by　this　time；　with　the

assistance　of　Abdul；　had　picked　up　quite　a　smattering　of

Arab；　questioned　one　of　the　younger　men　who　had　accompanied

the　sheik　while　the　latter　paid　his　respects　to　Captain　Gerard。



No；　he　had　seen　no　party　of　six　horsemen　riding　from

the　direction　of　Djelfa。　　There　were　other　oases　scattered

aboutpossibly　they　had　been　journeying　to　one　of　these。

Then　there　were　the　marauders　in　the　mountains　above

they　often　rode　north　to　Bou　Saada　in　small　parties；　and

even　as　far　as　Aumale　and　Bouira。　　It　might　indeed　have　been

a　few