the return of tarzan-第20节

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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　marauders　returning　to　the　band　from　a　pleasure　trip

to　one　of　these　cities。



Early　the　next　morning　Captain　Gerard　split　his　command

in　two；　giving　Lieutenant　Gernois　command　of　one　party；

while　he　headed　the　other。　　They　were　to　scour　the　mountains

upon　opposite　sides　of　the　plain。



〃And　with　which　detachment　will　Monsieur　Tarzan　ride？〃

asked　the　captain。　　〃Or　maybe　it　is　that　monsieur　does　not

care　to　hunt　marauders？〃



〃Oh；　I　shall　be　delighted　to　go；〃　Tarzan　hastened　to　explain。

He　was　wondering　what　excuse　he　could　make　to　accompany　Gernois。

His　embarrassment　was　short…lived；　and　was　relieved　from　a　most

unexpected　source。　　It　was　Gernois　himself　who　spoke。



〃If　my　captain　will　forego　the　pleasure　of　Monsieur　Tarzan's

company　for　this　once；　I　shall　esteem　it　an　honor　indeed

to　have　monsieur　ride　with　me　today；〃　he　said；　nor　was　his

tone　lacking　in　cordiality。　　In　fact；　Tarzan　imagined

that　he　had　overdone　it　a　trifle；　but；　even　so；　he　was　both

astounded　and　pleased；　hastening　to　express　his　delight　at

the　arrangement。



And　so　it　was　that　Lieutenant　Gernois　and　Tarzan　rode

off　side　by　side　at　the　head　of　the　little　detachment　of

SPAHIS。　　Gernois'　cordiality　was　short…lived。　　No　soone

had　they　ridden　out　of　sight　of　Captain　Gerard　and　his　men

than　he　lapsed　once　more　into　his　accustomed　taciturnity。

As　they　advanced　the　ground　became　rougher。　　Steadily　it　ascended

toward　the　mountains；　into　which　they　filed　through　a　narrow

canon　close　to　noon。　　By　the　side　of　a　little　rivulet

Gernois　called　the　midday　halt。　　Here　the　men　prepared　and

ate　their　frugal　meal；　and　refilled　their　canteens。



After　an　hour's　rest　they　advanced　again　along　the　canon；

until　they　presently　came　to　a　little　valley；　from　which

several　rocky　gorges　diverged。　　Here　they　halted；　while

Gernois　minutely　examined　the　surrounding　heights　from

the　center　of　the　depression。



〃We　shall　separate　here；〃　he　said；　〃several　riding　into　each

of　these　gorges；〃　and　then　he　commenced　to　detail　his　various

squads　and　issue　instructions　to　the　non…commissioned　officers

who　were　to　command　them。　　When　he　had　done　he　turned　to　Tarzan。

〃Monsieur　will　be　so　good　as　to　remain　here　until　we　return。〃



Tarzan　demurred；　but　the　officer　cut　him　short。　　〃There　may

be　fighting　for　one　of　these　sections；〃　he　said；　〃and

troops　cannot　be　embarrassed　by　civilian　noncombatants

during　action。〃



〃But；　my　dear　lieutenant；〃　expostulated　Tarzan；　〃I　am

most　ready　and　willing　to　place　myself　under　command

of　yourself　or　any　of　your　sergeants　or　corporals；　and　to

fight　in　the　ranks　as　they　direct。　　It　is　what　I　came　for。〃



〃I　should　be　glad　to　think　so；〃　retorted　Gernois；　with　a

sneer　he　made　no　attempt　to　disguise。　　Then　shortly：

〃You　are　under　my　orders；　and　they　are　that　you　remain　here

until　we　return。　　Let　that　end　the　matter；〃　and　he　turned　and

spurred　away　at　the　head　of　his　men。　　A　moment　later　Tarzan

found　himself　alone　in　the　midst　of　a　desolate　mountain　fastness。



The　sun　was　hot；　so　he　sought　the　shelter　of　a　nearby

tree；　where　he　tethered　his　horse；　and　sat　down　upon　the

ground　to　smoke。　　Inwardly　he　swore　at　Gernois　for　the　trick

he　had　played　upon　him。　　A　mean　little　revenge；　thought

Tarzan；　and　then　suddenly　it　occurred　to　him　that　the　man

would　not　be　such　a　fool　as　to　antagonize　him　through　a

trivial　annoyance　of　so　petty　a　description。　　There　must　be

something　deeper　than　this　behind　it。　　With　the　thought　he

arose　and　removed　his　rifle　from　its　boot。　　He　looked　to　its

loads　and　saw　that　the　magazine　was　full。　　Then　he　inspected

his　revolver。　　After　this　preliminary　precaution　he　scanned　the

surrounding　heights　and　the　mouths　of　the　several　gorges

he　was　determined　that　he　should　not　be　caught　napping。



The　sun　sank　lower　and　lower；　yet　there　was　no　sign　of

returning　SPAHIS。　　At　last　the　valley　was　submerged　in

shadow　Tarzan　was　too　proud　to　go　back　to　camp　until　he　had

given　the　detachment　ample　time　to　return　to　the　valley；

which　he　thought　was　to　have　been　their　rendezvous。

With　the　closing　in　of　night　he　felt　safer　from　attack；　for

he　was　at　home　in　the　dark。　　He　knew　that　none　might　approach

him　so　cautiously　as　to　elude　those　alert　and　sensitive

ears　of　his；　then　there　were　his　eyes；　too；　for　he　could

see　well　at　night；　and　his　nose；　if　they　came　toward　him

from　up…wind；　would　apprise　him　of　the　approach　of　an　enemy

while　they　were　still　a　great　way　off。



So　he　felt　that　he　was　in　little　danger；　and　thus　lulled

to　a　sense　of　security　he　fell　asleep；　with　his　back　against

the　tree。



He　must　have　slept　for　several　hours；　for　when　he　was

suddenly　awakened　by　the　frightened　snorting　and　plunging

of　his　horse　the　moon　was　shining　full　upon　the　little　valley；

and　there；　not　ten　paces　before　him；　stood　the　grim　cause　of

the　terror　of　his　mount。



Superb；　majestic；　his　graceful　tail　extended　and　quivering；

and　his　two　eyes　of　fire　riveted　full　upon　his　prey；　stood

Numa　EL　ADREA；　the　black　lion。　　A　little　thrill　of　joy

tingled　through　Tarzan's　nerves。　　It　was　like　meeting　an　old

friend　after　years　of　separation。　　For　a　moment　he　sat　rigid　to

enjoy　the　magnificent　spectacle　of　this　lord　of　the　wilderness。



But　now　Numa　was　crouching　for　the　spring。　　Very　slowly

Tarzan　raised　his　gun　to　his　shoulder。　　He　had　never　killed　a

large　animal　with　a　gun　in　all　his　lifeheretofore　he　had

depended　upon　his　spear；　his　poisoned　arrows；　his　rope；　his

knife；　or　his　bare　hands。　　Instinctively　he　wished　that　he　had

his　arrows　and　his　knifehe　would　have　felt　surer　with　them。



Numa　was　lying　quite　flat　upon　the　ground　now；　presenting

only　his　head。　　Tarzan　would　have　preferred　to　fire　a　little

from　one　side；　for　he　knew　what　terrific　damage　the　lion

could　do　if　he　lived　two　minutes；　or　even　a　minute　after　he

was　hit。　　The　horse　stood　trembling　in　terror　at　Tarzan's　back。

The　ape…man　took　a　cautious　step　to　one　sideNuma　but　followed

him　with　his　eyes。　　Another　step　he　took；　and　then　another。

Numa　had　not　moved。　　Now　he　could　aim　at　a　point　between

the　eye　and　the　ear。



His　finger　tightened　upon　the　trigger；　and　as　he　fired

Numa　sprang。　　At　the　same　instant　the　terrified　horse

made　a　last　frantic　effort　to　escapethe　tether　parted；

and　he　went　careening　down　the　canon　toward　the　desert。



No　ordinary　man　could　have　escaped　those　frightful　claws

when　Numa　sprang　from　so　short　a　distance；　but　Tarzan　was

no　ordinary　man。　　From　earliest　childhood　his　muscles　had

been　trained　by　the　fierce　exigencies　of　his　existence　to　act

with　the　rapidity　of　thought。　　As　quick　as　was　EL　ADREA；

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　quicker；　and　so　the　great　beast

crashed　against　a　tree　where　he　had　expected　to　feel　the　soft

flesh　of　man；　while　Tarzan；　a　couple　of　paces　to　the　right；

pumped　another　bullet　into　him　that　brought　him　clawing

and　roaring　to　his　side。



Twice　more　Tarzan　fired　in　quick　succession；　and　then

EL　ADREA　lay　still　and　roared　no　more。　　It　was　no　longer

Monsieur　Jean　Tarzan；　it　was　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　that　put　a

savage　foot　upon　the　body　of　his　savage　kill；　and；　raising

his　face　to　the　full　moon；　lifted　his　mighty　voice　in　the　weird

and　terrible　challenge　of　his　kinda　bull　ape　had　made　his　kill。

And　the　wild　things　in　the　wild　mountains　stopped　in　their

hunting；　and　trembled　at　this　new　and　awful　voice；

while　down　in　the　desert　the　children　of　the　wilderness　came

out　of　their　goatskin　tents　and　looked　toward　the　mountains；

wondering　what　new　and　savage　scourge　had　come　to　devastate

their　flocks。



A　half　mile　from　the　valley　in　which　Tarzan　stood；　a　score

of　white…robed　figures；　bearing　long；　wicked…looking　guns；

halted　at　the　sound；　and　looked　at　one　another　with

questioning　eyes。　　But　presently；　as　it　was　not　repeated；

they　took　up　their　silent；　stealthy　way　toward　the　valley。



Tarzan　was　now　confident　that　Gernois　had　no　intention

of　returning　for　him；　but　he　could　not　fathom　the　object

that　had　prompted　the　officer　to　desert　him；　yet　leave　him

free　to　return　to　camp。　　His　horse　gone；　he　decided　that　it

would　be　foolish　to　remain　longer　in　the　mountains；　so　he

set　out　toward　the　desert。



He　had　scarcely　entered　the　confines　of　the　canon　when

the　first　of　the　white…robed　figures　emerged　into　the　valley

upon　the　opposite　side。　　For　a　moment　they　scanned　the　little

depression　from　behind　sheltering　bowlders；　but　when　they

had　satisfied　themselves　that　it　was　empty　they　advanced

across　it。　　Beneath　the　tree　at　one　side　they　came　upon　the

body　of　EL　ADREA。　　With　muttered　exclamations　they　crowded

about　it。　　Then；　a　moment　later；　they　hurried　down　the　canon

which　Tarzan　was　threading　a　brief　distance　in　advance　of　them。

They　moved　cautiously　and　in　silence；　taking　advantage　of　shelter；