the return of tarzan-第3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！



whole　cowardly　transaction。〃



〃Monsieur　Tarzan？〃　asked　the　countess；　in　evident　surprise。



〃Yes。　　Do　you　know　him；　Olga？〃



〃I　have　seen　him。　　A　steward　pointed　him　out　to　me。〃



〃I　did　not　know　that　he　was　a　celebrity；〃　said　the　count。



Olga　de　Coude　changed　the　subject。　　She　discovered　suddenly

that　she　might　find　it　difficult　to　explain　just　why

the　steward　had　pointed　out　the　handsome　Monsieur　Tarzan

to　her。　　Perhaps　she　flushed　the　least　little　bit；　for　was

not　the　count；　her　husband；　gazing　at　her　with　a　strangely

quizzical　expression。　　〃Ah；〃　she　thought；　〃a　guilty

conscience　is　a　most　suspicious　thing。〃







Chapter　2





Forging　Bonds　of　Hate　and　？





It　was　not　until　late　the　following　afternoon　that　Tarzan

saw　anything　more　of　the　fellow　passengers　into　the　midst

of　whose　affairs　his　love　of　fair　play　had　thrust　him。

And　then　he　came　most　unexpectedly　upon　Rokoff　and　Paulvitch

at　a　moment　when　of　all　others　the　two　might　least

appreciate　his　company。



They　were　standing　on　deck　at　a　point　which　was　temporarily

deserted；　and　as　Tarzan　came　upon　them　they　were　in

heated　argument　with　a　woman。　　Tarzan　noted　that　she　was

richly　appareled；　and　that　her　slender；　well…modeled　figure

denoted　youth；　but　as　she　was　heavily　veiled　he　could　not

discern　her　features。



The　men　were　standing　on　either　side　of　her；　and　the

backs　of　all　were　toward　Tarzan；　so　that　he　was　quite　close

to　them　without　their　being　aware　of　his　presence。

He　noticed　that　Rokoff　seemed　to　be　threatening；　the　woman

pleading；　but　they　spoke　in　a　strange　tongue；　and　he　could

only　guess　from　appearances　that　the　girl　was　afraid。



Rokoff's　attitude　was　so　distinctly　filled　with　the　threat　of

physical　violence　that　the　ape…man　paused　for　an　instant　just

behind　the　trio；　instinctively　sensing　an　atmosphere　of　danger。

Scarcely　had　he　hesitated　ere　the　man　seized　the　woman

roughly　by　the　wrist；　twisting　it　as　though　to　wring　a　promise

from　her　through　torture。　　What　would　have　happened　next

had　Rokoff　had　his　way　we　may　only　conjecture；　since　he

did　not　have　his　way　at　all。　　Instead；　steel　fingers　gripped　his

shoulder；　and　he　was　swung　unceremoniously　around；　to　meet

the　cold　gray　eyes　of　the　stranger　who　had　thwarted　him

on　the　previous　day。



〃SAPRISTI！〃　screamed　the　infuriated　Rokoff。　　〃What　do　you

mean？　　Are　you　a　fool　that　you　thus　again　insult　Nikolas　Rokoff？〃



〃This　is　my　answer　to　your　note；　monsieur；〃　said　Tarzan；

in　a　low　voice。　　And　then　he　hurled　the　fellow　from　him　with

such　force　that　Rokoff　lunged　sprawling　against　the　rail。



〃Name　of　a　name！〃　shrieked　Rokoff。　　〃Pig；　but　you　shall　die

for　this；〃　and；　springing　to　his　feet；　he　rushed　upon　Tarzan；

tugging　the　meanwhile　to　draw　a　revolver　from　his　hip

pocket。　　The　girl　shrank　back　in　terror。



〃Nikolas！〃　she　cried。　　〃Do　notoh；　do　not　do　that。　　Quick；

monsieur；　fly；　or　he　will　surely　kill　you！〃　　But　instead　of

flying　Tarzan　advanced　to　meet　the　fellow。　　〃Do　not　make　a

fool　of　yourself；　monsieur；〃　he　said。



Rokoff；　who　was　in　a　perfect　frenzy　of　rage　at　the　humiliation

the　stranger　had　put　upon　him；　had　at　last　succeeded　in　drawing

the　revolver。　　He　had　stopped；　and　now　he　deliberately　raised

it　to　Tarzan's　breast　and　pulled　the　trigger。　　The　hammer　fell

with　a　futile　click　on　an　empty　chamberthe　ape…man's　hand

shot　out　like　the　head　of　an　angry　python；　there　was　a　quick

wrench；　and　the　revolver　sailed　far　out　across　the　ship's

rail；　and　dropped　into　the　Atlantic。



For　a　moment　the　two　men　stood　there　facing　one　another。　　Rokoff

had　regained　his　self…possession。　　He　was　the　first　to　speak。



〃Twice　now　has　monsieur　seen　fit　to　interfere　in　matters

which　do　not　concern　him。　　Twice　he　has　taken　it　upon　himself

to　humiliate　Nikolas　Rokoff。　　The　first　offense　was　overlooked

on　the　assumption　that　monsieur　acted　through　ignorance；

but　this　affair　shall　not　be　overlooked。　　If　monsieur

does　not　know　who　Nikolas　Rokoff　is；　this　last　piece　of

effrontery　will　insure　that　monsieur　later　has　good　reason

to　remember　him。〃



〃That　you　are　a　coward　and　a　scoundrel；　monsieur；〃　replied

Tarzan；　〃is　all　that　I　care　to　know　of　you；〃　and　he

turned　to　ask　the　girl　if　the　man　had　hurt　her；　but　she　had

disappeared。　　Then；　without　even　a　glance　toward　Rokoff　and

his　companion；　he　continued　his　stroll　along　the　deck。



Tarzan　could　not　but　wonder　what　manner　of　conspiracy

was　on　foot；　or　what　the　scheme　of　the　two　men　might　be。

There　had　been　something　rather　familiar　about　the

appearance　of　the　veiled　woman　to　whose　rescue　he　had　just

come；　but　as　he　had　not　seen　her　face　he　could　not　be　sure

that　he　had　ever　seen　her　before。　　The　only　thing　about　her

that　he　had　particularly　noticed　was　a　ring　of　peculiar

workmanship　upon　a　finger　of　the　hand　that　Rokoff　had

seized；　and　he　determined　to　note　the　fingers　of　the　women

passengers　he　came　upon　thereafter；　that　he　might　discover

the　identity　of　her　whom　Rokoff　was　persecuting；　and　learn

if　the　fellow　had　offered　her　further　annoyance。



Tarzan　had　sought　his　deck　chair；　where　he　sat　speculating

on　the　numerous　instances　of　human　cruelty；　selfishness；　and

spite　that　had　fallen　to　his　lot　to　witness　since　that　day　in

the　jungle　four　years　since　that　his　eyes　had　first　fallen

upon　a　human　being　other　than　himselfthe　sleek；　black

Kulonga；　whose　swift　spear　had　that　day　found　the　vitals　of

Kala；　the　great　she…ape；　and　robbed　the　youth；　Tarzan；　of

the　only　mother　he　had　ever　known。



He　recalled　the　murder　of　King　by　the　rat…faced　Snipes；

the　abandonment　of　Professor　Porter　and　his　party　by　the

mutineers　of　the　ARROW；　the　cruelty　of　the　black　warriors

and　women　of　Mbonga　to　their　captives；　the　petty　jealousies　of

the　civil　and　military　officers　of　the　West　Coast　colony　that

had　afforded　him　his　first　introduction　to　the　civilized　world。



〃MON　DIEU！〃　he　soliloquized；　〃but　they　are　all　alike。

Cheating；　murdering；　lying；　fighting；　and　all　for　things　that

the　beasts　of　the　jungle　would　not　deign　to　possessmoney

to　purchase　the　effeminate　pleasures　of　weaklings。　　And　yet

withal　bound　down　by　silly　customs　that　make　them　slaves　to

their　unhappy　lot　while　firm　in　the　belief　that　they　be　the

lords　of　creation　enjoying　the　only　real　pleasures　of　existence。

In　the　jungle　one　would　scarcely　stand　supinely　aside　while

another　took　his　mate。　　It　is　a　silly　world；　an　idiotic　world；

and　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　a　fool　to　renounce　the　freedom　and

the　happiness　of　his　jungle　to　come　into　it。〃



Presently；　as　he　sat　there；　the　sudden　feeling　came　over

him　that　eyes　were　watching　from　behind；　and　the　old

instinct　of　the　wild　beast　broke　through　the　thin　veneer　of

civilization；　so　that　Tarzan　wheeled　about　so　quickly　that　the

eyes　of　the　young　woman　who　had　been　surreptitiously　regarding

him　had　not　even　time　to　drop　before　the　gray　eyes

of　the　ape…man　shot　an　inquiring　look　straight　into　them。

Then；　as　they　fell；　Tarzan　saw　a　faint　wave　of　crimson　creep

swiftly　over　the　now　half…averted　face。



He　smiled　to　himself　at　the　result　of　his　very　uncivilized　and

ungallant　action；　for　he　had　not　lowered　his　own　eyes　when

they　met　those　of　the　young　woman。　　She　was　very　young；

and　equally　good　to　look　upon。　　Further；　there　was　something

rather　familiar　about　her　that　set　Tarzan　to　wondering

where　he　had　seen　her　before。　　He　resumed　his　former　position；

and　presently　he　was　aware　that　she　had　arisen　and　was

leaving　the　deck。　　As　she　passed；　Tarzan　turned　to　watch　her；

in　the　hope　that　he　might　discover　a　clew　to　satisfy　his　mild

curiosity　as　to　her　identity。



Nor　was　he　disappointed　entirely；　for　as　she　walked　away

she　raised　one　hand　to　the　black；　waving　mass　at　the　nape

of　her　neckthe　peculiarly　feminine　gesture　that　admits

cognizance　of　appraising　eyes　behind　herand　Tarzan　saw

upon　a　finger　of　this　hand　the　ring　of　strange　workmanship

that　he　had　seen　upon　the　finger　of　the　veiled　woman　a　short

time　before。



So　it　was　this　beautiful　young　woman　Rokoff　had　been

persecuting。　　Tarzan　wondered　in　a　lazy　sort　of　way　whom

she　might　be；　and　what　relations　one　so　lovely　could　have

with　the　surly；　bearded　Russian。



After　dinner　that　evening　Tarzan　strolled　forward；　where

he　remained　until　after　dark；　in　conversation　with　the　second

officer；　and　when　that　gentleman's　duties　called　him　elsewhere

Tarzan　lolled　lazily　by　the　rail　watching　the　play　of

the　moonlight　upon　the　gently　rolling　waters。　　He　was

half　hidden　by　a　davit；　so　that　two　men　who　approached

along　the　deck　did　not　see　him；　and　as　they　passed　Tarzan

caught　enough　of　their　conversation　to　cause　him　to　fall　in

behind　them；　to　follow　and　learn　what　deviltry　they　were　up

to。　　He　had　recognized　the　voice　as　that　of　Rokoff；　and　had

seen　that　his　companion　was　Paulvitch。



Tarzan　had　overheard　but　a　few　words：　　〃And　if　she　screams

you　m