the return of tarzan-第31节

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Well；　unless　he　was　mistaken　he　should　have　that　and　a　spear　and

bows　and　arrows　before　another　sun　had　setthe　rope　would　take

care　of　that；　and　in　the　meantime　it　must　be　made　to　procure

food　for　him。　　He　coiled　it　carefully；　and；　throwing　it　about

his　shoulder；　went　out；　closing　the　door　behind　him。



Close　to　the　cabin　the　jungle　commenced；　and　into　it

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　plunged；　wary　and　noiselessonce　more

a　savage　beast　hunting　its　food。　　For　a　time　he　kept　to　the

ground；　but　finally；　discovering　no　spoor　indicative　of

nearby　meat；　he　took　to　the　trees。　　With　the　first　dizzy　swing

from　tree　to　tree　all　the　old　joy　of　living　swept　over　him。

Vain　regrets　and　dull　heartache　were　forgotten。　　Now　was　he　living。

Now；　indeed；　was　the　true　happiness　of　perfect　freedom　his。

Who　would　go　back　to　the　stifling；　wicked　cities　of　civilized

man　when　the　mighty　reaches　of　the　great　jungle　offered　peace

and　liberty？　　Not　he。



While　it　was　yet　light　Tarzan　came　to　a　drinking　place　by

the　side　of　a　jungle　river。　　There　was　a　ford　there；　and　for

countless　ages　the　beasts　of　the　forest　had　come　down　to

drink　at　this　spot。　　Here　of　a　night　might　always　be　found

either　Sabor　or　Numa　crouching　in　the　dense　foliage　of　the

surrounding　jungle　awaiting　an　antelope　or　a　water　buck　for

their　meal。　　Here　came　Horta；　the　boar；　to　water；　and　here

came　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　to　make　a　kill；　for　he　was　very　empty。



On　a　low　branch　he　squatted　above　the　trail。　　For　an　hour

he　waited。　　It　was　growing　dark。　　A　little　to　one　side　of　the

ford　in　the　densest　thicket　he　heard　the　faint　sound　of　padded

feet；　and　the　brushing　of　a　huge　body　against　tall　grasses

and　tangled　creepers。　　None　other　than　Tarzan　might　have

heard　it；　but　the　ape…man　heard　and　translatedit　was　Numa；

the　lion；　on　the　same　errand　as　himself。　　Tarzan　smiled。



Presently　he　heard　an　animal　approaching　warily　along

the　trail　toward　the　drinking　place。　　A　moment　more　and　it

came　in　viewit　was　Horta；　the　boar。　　Here　was　delicious

meatand　Tarzan's　mouth　watered。　　The　grasses　where　Numa

lay　were　very　still　nowominously　still。　　Horta　passed

beneath　Tarzana　few　more　steps　and　he　would　be　within　the

radius　of　Numa's　spring。　　Tarzan　could　imagine　how　old

Numa's　eyes　were　shininghow　he　was　already　sucking

in　his　breath　for　the　awful　roar　which　would　freeze　his　prey

for　the　brief　instant　between　the　moment　of　the　spring　and

the　sinking　of　terrible　fangs　into　splintering　bones。



But　as　Numa　gathered　himself；　a　slender　rope　flew　through

the　air　from　the　low　branches　of　a　near…by　tree。　　A　noose

settled　about　Horta's　neck。　　There　was　a　frightened　grunt；

a　squeal；　and　then　Numa　saw　his　quarry　dragged　backward

up　the　trail；　and；　as　he　sprang；　Horta；　the　boar；　soared

upward　beyond　his　clutches　into　the　tree　above；　and　a　mocking

face　looked　down　and　laughed　into　his　own。



Then　indeed　did　Numa　roar。　　Angry；　threatening；　hungry；

he　paced　back　and　forth　beneath　the　taunting　ape…man。

Now　he　stopped；　and；　rising　on　his　hind　legs　against　the　stem

of　the　tree　that　held　his　enemy；　sharpened　his　huge　claws　upon

the　bark；　tearing　out　great　pieces　that　laid　bare　the　white

wood　beneath。



And　in　the　meantime　Tarzan　had　dragged　the　struggling

Horta　to　the　limb　beside　him。　　Sinewy　fingers　completed　the

work　the　choking　noose　had　commenced。　　The　ape…man　had

no　knife；　but　nature　had　equipped　him　with　the　means　of

tearing　his　food　from　the　quivering　flank　of　his　prey；　and

gleaming　teeth　sank　into　the　succulent　flesh　while　the　raging

lion　looked　on　from　below　as　another　enjoyed　the　dinner

that　he　had　thought　already　his。



It　was　quite　dark　by　the　time　Tarzan　had　gorged　himself。

Ah；　but　it　had　been　delicious！　　Never　had　he　quite　accustomed

himself　to　the　ruined　flesh　that　civilized　men　had　served

him；　and　in　the　bottom　of　his　savage　heart　there　had

constantly　been　the　craving　for　the　warm　meat　of　the

fresh　kill；　and　the　rich；　red　blood。



He　wiped　his　bloody　hands　upon　a　bunch　of　leaves；

slung　the　remains　of　his　kill　across　his　shoulder；　and　swung

off　through　the　middle　terrace　of　the　forest　toward　his　cabin；

and　at　the　same　instant　Jane　Porter　and　William　Cecil

Clayton　arose　from　a　sumptuous　dinner　upon　the　LADY

ALICE；　thousands　of　miles　to　the　east；　in　the　Indian　Ocean。



Beneath　Tarzan　walked　Numa；　the　lion；　and　when　the　ape…man

deigned　to　glance　downward　he　caught　occasional　glimpses

of　the　baleful　green　eyes　following　through　the　darkness。

Numa　did　not　roar　nowinstead；　he　moved　stealthily；

like　the　shadow　of　a　great　cat；　but　yet　he　took　no　step

that　did　not　reach　the　sensitive　ears　of　the　ape…man。



Tarzan　wondered　if　he　would　stalk　him　to　his　cabin　door。

He　hoped　not；　for　that　would　mean　a　night's　sleep　curled　in

the　crotch　of　a　tree；　and　he　much　preferred　the　bed　of

grasses　within　his　own　abode。　　But　he　knew　just　the　tree

and　the　most　comfortable　crotch；　if　necessity　demanded　that

he　sleep　out。　　A　hundred　times　in　the　past　some　great　jungle

cat　had　followed　him　home；　and　compelled　him　to　seek　shelter

in　this　same　tree；　until　another　mood　or　the　rising　sun　had

sent　his　enemy　away。



But　presently　Numa　gave　up　the　chase　and；　with　a　series

of　blood…curdling　moans　and　roars；　turned　angrily　back　in

search　of　another　and　an　easier　dinner。　　So　Tarzan　came　to　his

cabin　unattended；　and　a　few　moments　later　was　curled　up　in

the　mildewed　remnants　of　what　had　once　been　a　bed　of　grasses。

Thus　easily　did　Monsieur　Jean　C。　Tarzan　slough　the　thin　skin

of　his　artificial　civilization；　and　sink　happy　and　contented

into　the　deep　sleep　of　the　wild　beast　that　has　fed　to　repletion。

Yet　a　woman's　〃yes〃　would　have　bound　him　to　that　other　life

forever；　and　made　the　thought　of　this　savage　existence　repulsive。



Tarzan　slept　late　into　the　following　forenoon；　for　he　had

been　very　tired　from　the　labors　and　exertion　of　the　long

night　and　day　upon　the　ocean；　and　the　jungle　jaunt　that　had

brought　into　play　muscles　that　he　had　scarce　used　for　nearly

two　years。　　When　he　awoke　he　ran　to　the　brook　first　to　drink。

Then　he　took　a　plunge　into　the　sea；　swimming　about　for

a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　Afterward　he　returned　to　his　cabin；

and　breakfasted　off　the　flesh　of　Horta。　　This　done；　he　buried

the　balance　of　the　carcass　in　the　soft　earth　outside　the　cabin；

for　his　evening　meal。



Once　more　he　took　his　rope　and　vanished　into　the　jungle。

This　time　he　hunted　nobler　quarryman；　although　had　you

asked　him　his　own　opinion　he　could　have　named　a　dozen

other　denizens　of　the　jungle　which　he　considered　far　the

superiors　in　nobility　of　the　men　he　hunted。　　Today　Tarzan

was　in　quest　of　weapons。　　He　wondered　if　the　women　and

children　had　remained　in　Mbonga's　village　after　the　punitive

expedition　from　the　French　cruiser　had　massacred　all　the

warriors　in　revenge　for　D'Arnot's　supposed　death。　　He　hoped

that　he　should　find　warriors　there；　for　he　knew　not　how

long　a　quest　he　should　have　to　make　were　the　village　deserted。



The　ape…man　traveled　swiftly　through　the　forest；　and　about

noon　came　to　the　site　of　the　village；　but　to　his　disappointment

found　that　the　jungle　had　overgrown　the　plantain　fields

and　that　the　thatched　huts　had　fallen　in　decay。　　There　was　no

sign　of　man。　　He　clambered　about　among　the　ruins　for　half

an　hour；　hoping　that　he　might　discover　some　forgotten

weapon；　but　his　search　was　without　fruit；　and　so　he　took　up

his　quest　once　more；　following　up　the　stream；　which　flowed

from　a　southeasterly　direction。　　He　knew　that　near　fresh

water　he　would　be　most　likely　to　find　another　settlement。



As　he　traveled　he　hunted　as　he　had　hunted　with　his　ape

people　in　the　past；　as　Kala　had　taught　him　to　hunt；　turning

over　rotted　logs　to　find　some　toothsome　vermin；　running　high

into　the　trees　to　rob　a　bird's　nest；　or　pouncing　upon　a　tiny

rodent　with　the　quickness　of　a　cat。　　There　were　other　things

that　he　ate；　too；　but　the　less　detailed　the　account　of　an　ape's

diet；　the　betterand　Tarzan　was　again　an　ape；　the　same　fierce；

brutal　anthropoid　that　Kala　had　taught　him　to　be；　and　that

he　had　been　for　the　first　twenty　years　of　his　life。



Occasionally　he　smiled　as　he　recalled　some　friend　who

might　even　at　the　moment　be　sitting　placid　and　immaculate

within　the　precincts　of　his　select　Parisian　clubjust　as　Tarzan

had　sat　but　a　few　months　before；　and　then　he　would　stop；

as　though　turned　suddenly　to　stone　as　the　gentle　breeze

carried　to　his　trained　nostrils　the　scent　of　some　new　prey　or

a　formidable　enemy。



That　night　he　slept　far　inland　from　his　cabin；　securely

wedged　into　the　crotch　of　a　giant　tree；　swaying　a　hundred

feet　above　the　ground。　　He　had　eaten　heartily　againthis

time　from　the　flesh　of　Bara；　the　deer；　who　had　fallen　prey　to

his　quick　noose。



Early　the　next　morning　he　resumed　his　journey；　always

following　the　course　of　the　stream。　　For　three　days　he

continued　his　quest；　until　he　had　come　to　a　part　of　the

jungle