the return of tarzan-第24节

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and　then　up　a　rickety　stairway；　at　the　end　of　which　was　a

closed　door　and　a　tiny；　unglazed　window。　　The　window　was

high　under　the　low　eaves　of　the　mud　building。　　Tarzan　could

just　reach　the　sill。　　He　raised　himself　slowly　until　his

eyes　topped　it。　　The　room　within　was　lighted；　and　at　a　table

sat　Rokoff　and　Gernois。　　Gernois　was　speaking。



〃Rokoff；　you　are　a　devil！〃　he　was　saying。　　〃You　have　hounded

me　until　I　have　lost　the　last　shred　of　my　honor。　　You　have

driven　me　to　murder；　for　the　blood　of　that　man　Tarzan　is　on

my　hands。　　If　it　were　not　that　that　other　devil's　spawn；

Paulvitch；　still　knew　my　secret；　I　should　kill　you　here　tonight

with　my　bare　hands。〃



Rokoff　laughed。　　〃You　would　not　do　that；　my　dear　lieutenant；〃

he　said。　　〃The　moment　I　am　reported　dead　by　assassination

that　dear　Alexis　will　forward　to　the　minister　of　war　full

proof　of　the　affair　you　so　ardently　long　to　conceal；　and；

further；　will　charge　you　with　my　murder。　　Come；　be　sensible。

I　am　your　best　friend。　　Have　I　not　protected　your　honor　as

though　it　were　my　own？〃



Gernois　sneered；　and　spat　out　an　oath。



〃Just　one　more　little　payment；〃　continued　Rokoff；　〃and　the

papers　I　wish；　and　you　have　my　word　of　honor　that　I　shall

never　ask　another　cent　from　you；　or　further　information。〃



〃And　a　good　reason　why；〃　growled　Gernois。　　〃What　you

ask　will　take　my　last　cent；　and　the　only　valuable　military

secret　I　hold。　　You　ought　to　be　paying　me　for　the　information；

instead　of　taking　both　it　and　money；　too。〃



〃I　am　paying　you　by　keeping　a　still　tongue　in　my　head；〃

retorted　Rokoff。　　〃But　let's　have　done。　　Will　you；　or　will　you　not？

I　give　you　three　minutes　to　decide。　　If　you　are　not　agreeable

I　shall　send　a　note　to　your　commandant　tonight　that　will　end

in　the　degradation　that　Dreyfus　sufferedthe　only　difference

being　that　he　did　not　deserve　it。〃



For　a　moment　Gernois　sat　with　bowed　head。　　At　length　he　arose。

He　drew　two　pieces　of　paper　from　his　blouse。



〃Here；〃　he　said　hopelessly。　　〃I　had　them　ready；　for　I　knew

that　there　could　be　but　one　outcome。〃　　He　held　them　toward

the　Russian。



Rokoff's　cruel　face　lighted　in　malignant　gloating。　　He　seized

the　bits　of　paper。



〃You　have　done　well；　Gernois；〃　he　said。　　〃I　shall　not　trouble

you　againunless　you　happen　to　accumulate　some　more　money　or

information；〃　and　he　grinned。



〃You　never　shall　again；　you　dog！〃　hissed　Gernois。　　〃The

next　time　I　shall　kill　you。　　I　came　near　doing　it　tonight。

For　an　hour　I　sat　with　these　two　pieces　of　paper　on　my　table

before　me　ere　I　came　herebeside　them　lay　my　loaded　revolver。

I　was　trying　to　decide　which　I　should　bring。　　Next　time　the

choice　shall　be　easier；　for　I　already　have　decided。　　You　had

a　close　call　tonight；　Rokoff；　do　not　tempt　fate　a　second　time。〃



Then　Gernois　rose　to　leave。　　Tarzan　barely　had　time　to　drop

to　the　landing　and　shrink　back　into　the　shadows　on　the　far

side　of　the　door。　　Even　then　he　scarcely　hoped　to　elude

detection。　　The　landing　was　very　small；　and　though　he　flattened

himself　against　the　wall　at　its　far　edge　he　was　scarcely　more

than　a　foot　from　the　doorway。　　Almost　immediately　it

opened；　and　Gernois　stepped　out。　　Rokoff　was　behind　him。

Neither　spoke。　　Gernois　had　taken　perhaps　three　steps　down

the　stairway　when　he　halted　and　half　turned；　as　though　to

retrace　his　steps。



Tarzan　knew　that　discovery　would　be　inevitable。　　Rokoff　still

stood　on　the　threshold　a　foot　from　him；　but　he　was　looking　in　the

opposite　direction；　toward　Gernois。　　Then　the　officer　evidently

reconsidered　his　decision；　and　resumed　his　downward　course。

Tarzan　could　hear　Rokoff's　sigh　of　relief。　　A　moment　later

the　Russian　went　back　into　the　room　and　closed　the　door。



Tarzan　waited　until　Gernois　had　had　time　to　get　well　out

of　hearing；　then　he　pushed　open　the　door　and　stepped　into

the　room。　　He　was　on　top　of　Rokoff　before　the　man　could　rise

from　the　chair　where　he　sat　scanning　the　paper　Gernois　had

given　him。　　As　his　eyes　turned　and　fell　upon　the　ape…man's

face　his　own　went　livid。



〃You！〃　he　gasped。



〃I；〃　replied　Tarzan。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　whispered　Rokoff；　for　the　look　in　the

ape…man's　eyes　frightened　him。　　〃Have　you　come　to　kill　me？

You　do　not　dare。　　They　would　guillotine　you。　　You　do　not

dare　kill　me。〃



〃I　dare　kill　you；　Rokoff；〃　replied　Tarzan；　〃for　no　one　knows

that　you　are　here　or　that　I　am　here；　and　Paulvitch　would　tell

them　that　it　was　Gernois。　　I　heard　you　tell　Gernois　so。　　But　that

would　not　influence　me；　Rokoff。　　I　would　not　care　who　knew

that　I　had　killed　you；　the　pleasure　of　killing　you　would　more

than　compensate　for　any　punishment　they　might　inflict　upon　me。

You　are　the　most　despicable　cur　of　a　coward；　Rokoff；　I　have　ever

heard　of。　　You　should　be　killed。　　I　should　love　to　kill　you；〃

and　Tarzan　approached　closer　to　the　man。



Rokoff's　nerves　were　keyed　to　the　breaking　point。　　With　a　shriek

he　sprang　toward　an　adjoining　room；　but　the　ape…man　was　upon

his　back　while　his　leap　was　yet　but　half　completed。　　Iron　fingers

sought　his　throatthe　great　coward　squealed　like　a　stuck　pig；

until　Tarzan　had　shut　off　his　wind。　　Then　the　ape…man　dragged

him　to　his　feet；　still　choking　him。　　The　Russian　struggled

futilelyhe　was　like　a　babe　in　the　mighty　grasp　of　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。



Tarzan　sat　him　in　a　chair；　and　long　before　there　was　danger

of　the　man's　dying　he　released　his　hold　upon　his　throat。

When　the　Russian's　coughing　spell　had　abated　Tarzan　spoke

to　him　again。



〃I　have　given　you　a　taste　of　the　suffering　of　death；〃　he　said。

〃But　I　shall　not　killthis　time。　　I　am　sparing　you　solely　for

the　sake　of　a　very　good　woman　whose　great　misfortune　it　was

to　have　been　born　of　the　same　woman　who　gave　birth　to　you。

But　I　shall　spare　you　only　this　once　on　her　account。

Should　I　ever　learn　that　you　have　again　annoyed　her　or

her　husbandshould　you　ever　annoy　me　againshould　I

hear　that　you　have　returned　to　France　or　to　any　French

posession；　I　shall　make　it　my　sole　business　to　hunt　you　down

and　complete　the　choking　I　commenced　tonight。〃　　Then　he

turned　to　the　table；　on　which　the　two　pieces　of　paper　still　lay。

As　he　picked　them　up　Rokoff　gasped　in　horror。



Tarzan　examined　both　the　check　and　the　other。　　He　was

amazed　at　the　information　the　latter　contained。　　Rokoff　had

partially　read　it；　but　Tarzan　knew　that　no　one　could　remember

the　salient　facts　and　figures　it　held　which　made　it　of　real

value　to　an　enemy　of　France。



〃These　will　interest　the　chief　of　staff；〃　he　said；　as　he

slipped　them　into　his　pocket。

Rokoff　groaned。　　He　did　not　dare　curse　aloud。



The　next　morning　Tarzan　rode　north　on　his　way　to　Bouira

and　Algiers。　　As　he　had　ridden　past　the　hotel　Lieutenant

Gernois　was　standing　on　the　veranda。　　As　his　eyes　discovered

Tarzan　he　went　white　as　chalk。　　The　ape…man　would　have　been

glad　had　the　meeting　not　occurred；　but　he　could　not　avoid　it。

He　saluted　the　officer　as　he　rode　past。　　Mechanically　Gernois

returned　the　salute；　but　those　terrible；　wide　eyes　followed

the　horseman；　expressionless　except　for　horror。　　It　was　as

though　a　dead　man　looked　upon　a　ghost。



At　Sidi　Aissa　Tarzan　met　a　French　officer　with　whom　he

had　become　acquainted　on　the　occasion　of　his　recent

sojourn　in　the　town。



〃You　left　Bou　Saada　early？〃　questioned　the　officer。

〃Then　you　have　not　heard　about　poor　Gernois。〃



〃He　was　the　last　man　I　saw　as　I　rode　away；〃　replied　Tarzan。

〃What　about　him？〃



〃He　is　dead。　　He　shot　himself　about　eight　o'clock　this　morning。〃



Two　days　later　Tarzan　reached　Algiers。　　There　he　found　that

he　would　have　a　two　days'　wait　before　he　could　catch　a　ship

bound　for　Cape　Town。　　He　occupied　his　time　in　writing　out

a　full　report　of　his　mission。　　The　secret　papers　he　had　taken

from　Rokoff　he　did　not　inclose；　for　he　did　not　dare　trust

them　out　of　his　own　possession　until　he　had　been　authorized

to　turn　them　over　to　another　agent；　or　himself　return　to

Paris　with　them。



As　Tarzan　boarded　his　ship　after　what　seemed　a　most　tedious

wait　to　him；　two　men　watched　him　from　an　upper　deck。

Both　were　fashionably　dressed　and　smooth　shaven。　　The　taller

of　the　two　had　sandy　hair；　but　his　eyebrows　were　very　black。

Later　in　the　day　they　chanced　to　meet　Tarzan　on　deck；

but　as　one　hurriedly　called　his　companion's　attention　to

something　at　sea　their　faces　were　turned　from　Tarzan　as　he

passed；　so　that　he　did　not　notice　their　features。　　In　fact；

he　had　paid　no　attention　to　them　at　all。



Following　the　instructions　of　his　chief；　Tarzan　had　booked

his　passage　under　an　assumed　nameJohn　Caldwell；　London。

He　did　not　understand　the　necessity　of　this；　and　it　caused　him

considerable　speculation。　　He　wondered　what　role　he　was　to

play　in　Cape　Town。



〃Well；〃　he　thought；　〃thank　Heaven　that　I　am　rid　of　Rokoff。

He　was　commencing　to　annoy　me。　　I　wonder　if　I　am　really

becoming　so　civilized　that　presently　I　shall　develop　a　set　of

nerves。　　He　would　give