the return of tarzan-第29节

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Thuran　were　Lord　Tennington's　guests　aboard　his　yacht。

Mrs。　Strong　had　been　telling　them　how　much　she　had　enjoyed

her　visit　at　Cape　Town；　and　that　she　regretted　that　a　letter

just　received　from　her　attorneys　in　Baltimore　had　necessitated

her　cutting　her　visit　shorter　than　they　had　intended。



〃When　do　you　sail？〃　asked　Tennington。



〃The　first　of　the　week；　I　think；〃　she　replied。

〃Indeed？〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　Thuran。　　〃I　am　very　fortunate。

I；　too；　have　found　that　I　must　return　at　once；　and　now

I　shall　have　the　honor　of　accompanying　and　serving　you。〃



〃That　is　nice　of　you；　Monsieur　Thuran；〃　replied　Mrs。　Strong。

〃I　am　sure　that　we　shall　be　glad　to　place　ourselves　under

your　protection。〃　　But　in　the　bottom　of　her　heart　was

the　wish　that　they　might　escape　him。　　Why；　she　could　not

have　told。



〃By　Jove！〃　ejaculated　Lord　Tennington；　a　moment　later。

〃Bully　idea；　by　Jove！〃



〃Yes；　Tennington；　of　course；〃　ventured　Clayton；　〃it　must

be　a　bully　idea　if　you　had　it；　but　what　the　deuce　is　it？

Goin'　to　steam　to　China　via　the　south　pole？〃



〃Oh；　I　say　now；　Clayton；〃　returned　Tennington；　〃you

needn't　be　so　rough　on　a　fellow　just　because　you　didn't

happen　to　suggest　this　trip　yourselfyou've　acted　a　regular

bounder　ever　since　we　sailed。



〃No；　sir；〃　he　continued；　〃it's　a　bully　idea；　and　you'll　all

say　so。　　It's　to　take　Mrs。　Strong　and　Miss　Strong；　and　Thuran；

too；　if　he'll　come；　as　far　as　England　with　us　on　the　yacht。

Now；　isn't　that　a　corker？〃



〃Forgive　me；　Tenny；　old　boy；〃　cried　Clayton。　　〃It　certainly

IS　a　corking　ideaI　never　should　have　suspected　you　of　it。

You're　quite　sure　it's　original；　are　you？〃



〃And　we'll　sail　the　first　of　the　week；　or　any　other　time　that

suits　your　convenience；　Mrs。　Strong；〃　concluded　the　big…hearted

Englishman；　as　though　the　thing　were　all　arranged

except　the　sailing　date。



〃Mercy；　Lord　Tennington；　you　haven't　even　given　us　an

opportunity　to　thank　you；　much　less　decide　whether　we　shall

be　able　to　accept　your　generous　invitation；〃　said　Mrs。　Strong。



〃Why；　of　course　you'll　come；〃　responded　Tennington。

〃We'll　make　as　good　time　as　any　passenger　boat；　and　you'll

be　fully　as　comfortable；　and；　anyway；　we　all　want　you；　and

won't　take　no　for　an　answer。〃



And　so　it　was　settled　that　they　should　sail　the　following　Monday。



Two　days　out　the　girls　were　sitting　in　Hazel's　cabin；

looking　at　some　prints　she　had　had　finished　in　Cape　Town。

They　represented　all　the　pictures　she　had　taken　since　she

had　left　America；　and　the　girls　were　both　engrossed　in　them；

Jane　asking　many　questions；　and　Hazel　keeping　up　a　perfect　torrent

of　comment　and　explanation　of　the　various　scenes　and　people。



〃And　here；〃　she　said　suddenly；　〃here's　a　man　you　know。

Poor　fellow；　I　have　so　often　intended　asking　you　about　him；

but　I　never　have　been　able　to　think　of　it　when　we　were　together。〃

She　was　holding　the　little　print　so　that　Jane　did　not　see

the　face　of　the　man　it　portrayed。



〃His　name　was　John　Caldwell；〃　continued　Hazel。　　〃Do　you　recall　him？

He　said　that　he　met　you　in　America。　　He　is　an　Englishman。〃



〃I　do　not　recollect　the　name；〃　replied　Jane。　　〃Let　me

see　the　picture。〃

〃The　poor　fellow　was　lost　overboard　on　our　trip　down　the

coast；〃　she　said；　as　she　handed　the　print　to　Jane。



〃Lost　overWhy；　Hazel；　Hazeldon't　tell　me　that　he　is

deaddrowned　at　sea！　　Hazel！　　Why　don't　you　say　that　you　are　joking！〃

And　before　the　astonished　Miss　Strong　could　catch　her

Jane　Porter　had　slipped　to　the　floor　in　a　swoon。



After　Hazel　had　restored　her　chum　to　consciousness　she

sat　looking　at　her　for　a　long　time　before　either　spoke。



〃I　did　not　know；　Jane；〃　said　Hazel；　in　a　constrained　voice；

〃that　you　knew　Mr。　Caldwell　so　intimately　that　his　death

could　prove　such　a　shock　to　you。〃



〃John　Caldwell？〃　questioned　Miss　Porter。　　〃You　do　not　mean

to　tell　me　that　you　do　not　know　who　this　man　was；　Hazel？〃



〃Why；　yes；　Jane；　I　know　perfectly　well　who　he　washis

name　was　John　Caldwell；　he　was　from　London。〃



〃Oh；　Hazel；　I　wish　I　could　believe　it；〃　moaned　the　girl。

〃I　wish　I　could　believe　it；　but　those　features　are　burned　so

deep　into　my　memory　and　my　heart　that　I　should　recognize

them　anywhere　in　the　world　from　among　a　thousand　others；

who　might　appear　identical　to　any　one　but　me。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　Jane？〃　cried　Hazel；　now　thoroughly　alarmed。

〃Who　do　you　think　it　is？〃



〃I　don't　think；　Hazel。　　I　know　that　that　is　a　picture　of

Tarzan　of　the　Apes。〃



〃Jane！〃



〃I　cannot　be　mistaken。　　Oh；　Hazel；　are　you　sure　that　he　is　dead？

Can　there　be　no　mistake？〃



〃I　am　afraid　not；　dear；〃　answered　Hazel　sadly。　　〃I　wish　I

could　think　that　you　are　mistaken；　but　now　a　hundred　and

one　little　pieces　of　corroborative　evidence　occur　to　me　that

meant　nothing　to　me　while　I　thought　that　he　was　John　Caldwell；

of　London。　　He　said　that　he　had　been　born　in　Africa；

and　educated　in　France。〃



〃Yes；　that　would　be　true；〃　murmured　Jane　Porter　dully。



〃The　first　officer；　who　searched　his　luggage；　found　nothing

to　identify　John　Caldwell；　of　London。　　Practically　all　his

belongings　had　been　made；　or　purchased；　in　Paris。　　Everything

that　bore　an　initial　was　marked　either　with　a　‘T'　alone；　or

with　‘J。　C。　T。'　　We　thought　that　he　was　traveling　incognito

under　his　first　two　namesthe　J。　C。　standing　for　John　Caldwell。〃



〃Tarzan　of　the　Apes　took　the　name　Jean　C。　Tarzan；〃　said

Jane；　in　the　same　lifeless　monotone。　　〃And　he　is　dead！　　Oh！

Hazel；　it　is　horrible！　　He　died　all　alone　in　this　terrible　ocean！

It　is　unbelievable　that　that　brave　heart　should　have　ceased

to　beatthat　those　mighty　muscles　are　quiet　and　cold　forever！

That　he　who　was　the　personification　of　life　and　health

and　manly　strength　should　be　the　prey　of　slimy；　crawling

things；　that〃　　But　she　could　go　no　further；　and　with　a　little

moan　she　buried　her　head　in　her　arms；　and　sank　sobbing　to　the　floor。



For　days　Miss　Porter　was　ill；　and　would　see　no　one　except

Hazel　and　the　faithful　Esmeralda。　　When　at　last　she　came　on

deck　all　were　struck　by　the　sad　change　that　had　taken　place

in　her。　　She　was　no　longer　the　alert；　vivacious　American

beauty　who　had　charmed　and　delighted　all　who　came　in　contact

with　her。　　Instead　she　was　a　very　quiet　and　sad　little

girlwith　an　expression　of　hopeless　wistfulness　that　none

but　Hazel　Strong　could　interpret。



The　entire　party　strove　their　utmost　to　cheer　and　amuse

her；　but　all　to　no　avail。　　Occasionally　the　jolly　Lord

Tennington　would　wring　a　wan　smile　from　her；　but　for　the

most　part　she　sat　with　wide　eyes　looking　out　across　the　sea。



With　Jane　Porter's　illness　one　misfortune　after　another

seemed　to　attack　the　yacht。　　First　an　engine　broke　down；　and

they　drifted　for　two　days　while　temporary　repairs　were　being　made。

Then　a　squall　struck　them　unaware；　that　carried　overboard

nearly　everything　above　deck　that　was　portable。　　Later　two　of

the　seamen　fell　to　fighting　in　the　forecastle；　with　the

result　that　one　of　them　was　badly　wounded　with　a　knife；　and

the　other　had　to　be　put　in　irons。　　Then；　to　cap　the　climax；

the　mate　fell　overboard　at　night；　and　was　drowned　before

help　could　reach　him。　　The　yacht　cruised　about　the　spot　for

ten　hours；　but　no　sign　of　the　man　was　seen　after　he

disappeared　from　the　deck　into　the　sea。



Every　member　of　the　crew　and　guests　was　gloomy　and　depressed

after　these　series　of　misfortunes。　　All　were　apprehensive　of

worse　to　come；　and　this　was　especially　true　of　the

seamen　who　recalled　all　sorts　of　terrible　omens　and　warnings

that　had　occurred　during　the　early　part　of　the　voyage；　and

which　they　could　now　clearly　translate　into　the　precursors　of

some　grim　and　terrible　tragedy　to　come。



Nor　did　the　croakers　have　long　to　wait。　　The　second　night

after　the　drowning　of　the　mate　the　little　yacht　was　suddenly

wracked　from　stem　to　stern。　　About　one　o'clock　in　the

morning　there　was　a　terrific　impact　that　threw　the　slumbering

guests　and　crew　from　berth　and　bunk。　　A　mighty　shudder　ran

through　the　frail　craft；　she　lay　far　over　to　starboard；　the

engines　stopped。　　For　a　moment　she　hung　there　with　her　decks

at　an　angle　of　forty…five　degreesthen；　with　a　sullen；　rending

sound；　she　slipped　back　into　the　sea　and　righted。



Instantly　the　men　rushed　upon　deck；　followed　closely　by

the　women。　　Though　the　night　was　cloudy；　there　was　little

wind　or　sea；　nor　was　it　so　dark　but　that　just　off　the　port

bow　a　black　mass　could　be　discerned　floating　low　in　the　water。



〃A　derelict；〃　was　the　terse　explanation　of　the　officer　of　the　watch。



Presently　the　engineer　hurried　on　deck　in　search　of　the　captain。



〃That　patch　we　put　on　the　cylinder　head's　blown　out；　sir；〃　he

reported；　〃and　she's　makin'　water　fast　for'ard　on　the　port　bow。〃



An　instant　later　a　seaman　rushed　up　from　below。



〃My　Gawd！〃　he　cried。　　〃Her　whole　bleedin'　bottom's　ripped

out。　　She　can't　float　twenty　minutes。〃



〃Shut　up！〃　roared　Tennington。　　〃Ladies；　g