the return of tarzan-第34节

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some　miles　away。　　By　climbing　trees　they　had　had　a　fairly

good　view　of　the　herd；　which　they　described　as　numbering

several　large　tuskers；　a　great　many　cows　and　calves；

and　full…grown　bulls　whose　ivory　would　be　worth　having。



The　balance　of　the　day　and　evening　was　filled　with　preparation

for　a　great　huntspears　were　overhauled；　quivers　were

replenished；　bows　were　restrung；　and　all　the　while　the

village　witch　doctor　passed　through　the　busy　throngs　disposing

of　various　charms　and　amulets　designed　to　protect　the　possessor

from　hurt；　or　bring　him　good　fortune　in　the　morrow's　hunt。



At　dawn　the　hunters　were　off。　　There　were　fifty　sleek；　black

warriors；　and　in　their　midst；　lithe　and　active　as　a　young

forest　god；　strode　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；　his　brown　skin

contrasting　oddly　with　the　ebony　of　his　companions。　　Except　for

color　he　was　one　of　them。　　His　ornaments　and　weapons　were

the　same　as　theirshe　spoke　their　languagehe　laughed

and　joked　with　them；　and　leaped　and　shouted　in　the　brief

wild　dance　that　preceded　their　departure　from　the　village；　to

all　intent　and　purpose　a　savage　among　savages。　　Nor；　had　he

questioned　himself；　is　it　to　be　doubted　that　he　would　have

admitted　that　he　was　far　more　closely　allied　to　these　people

and　their　life　than　to　the　Parisian　friends　whose　ways；

apelike；　he　had　successfully　mimicked　for　a　few　short　months。



But　he　did　think　of　D'Arnot；　and　a　grin　of　amusement

showed　his　strong　white　teeth　as　he　pictured　the　immaculate

Frenchman's　expression　could　he　by　some　means　see　Tarzan

as　he　was　that　minute。　　Poor　Paul；　who　had　prided　himself　on

having　eradicated　from　his　friend　the　last　traces　of　wild　savagery。

〃How　quickly　have　I　fallen！〃　thought　Tarzan；　but　in　his　heart

he　did　not　consider　it　a　fallrather；　he　pitied　the　poor

creatures　of　Paris；　penned　up　like　prisoners　in　their　silly

clothes；　and　watched　by　policemen　all　their　poor　lives；

that　they　might　do　nothing　that　was　not　entirely　artificial

and　tiresome。



A　two　hours'　march　brought　them　close　to　the　vicinity　in

which　the　elephants　had　been　seen　the　previous　day。

From　there　on　they　moved　very　quietly　indeed　searching　for

the　spoor　of　the　great　beasts。　　At　length　they　found　the

well…marked　trail　along　which　the　herd　had　passed　not　many

hours　before。　　In　single　file　they　followed　it　for　about　half

an　hour。　　It　was　Tarzan　who　first　raised　his　hand　in　signal

that　the　quarry　was　at　handhis　sensitive　nose　had　warned

him　that　the　elephants　were　not　far　ahead　of　them。



The　blacks　were　skeptical　when　he　told　them　how　he　knew。



〃Come　with　me；〃　said　Tarzan；　〃and　we　shall　see。〃



With　the　agility　of　a　squirrel　he　sprang　into　a　tree　and　ran

nimbly　to　the　top。　　One　of　the　blacks　followed　more　slowly

and　carefully。　　When　he　had　reached　a　lofty　limb　beside　the

ape…man　the　latter　pointed　to　the　south；　and　there；　some　few

hundred　yards　away；　the　black　saw　a　number　of　huge　black

backs　swaying　back　and　forth　above　the　top　of　the　lofty

jungle　grasses。　　He　pointed　the　direction　to　the　watchers　below；

indicating　with　his　fingers　the　number　of　beasts　he　could　count。



Immediately　the　hunters　started　toward　the　elephants。

The　black　in　the　tree　hastened　down；　but　Tarzan　stalked；　after

his　own　fashion；　along　the　leafy　way　of　the　middle　terrace。



It　is　no　child's　play　to　hunt　wild　elephants　with　the　crude

weapons　of　primitive　man。　　Tarzan　knew　that　few　native

tribes　ever　attempted　it；　and　the　fact　that　his　tribe　did　so

gave　him　no　little　pridealready　he　was　commencing　to

think　of　himself　as　a　member　of　the　little　community。

As　Tarzan　moved　silently　through　the　trees　he　saw　the

warriors　below　creeping　in　a　half　circle　upon　the　still

unsuspecting　elephants。　　Finally　they　were　within　sight　of　the

great　beasts。　　Now　they　singled　out　two　large　tuskers；　and　at

a　signal　the　fifty　men　rose　from　the　ground　where　they　had

lain　concealed；　and　hurled　their　heavy　war　spears　at　the　two

marked　beasts。　　There　was　not　a　single　miss；　twenty…five

spears　were　embedded　in　the　sides　of　each　of　the　giant　animals。

One　never　moved　from　the　spot　where　it　stood　when　the

avalanche　of　spears　struck　it；　for　two；　perfectly　aimed；

had　penetrated　its　heart；　and　it　lunged　forward　upon

its　knees；　rolling　to　the　ground　without　a　struggle。



The　other；　standing　nearly　head…on　toward　the　hunters；

had　not　proved　so　good　a　mark；　and　though　every　spear

struck　not　one　entered　the　great　heart。　　For　a　moment　the

huge　bull　stood　trumpeting　in　rage　and　pain；　casting　about

with　its　little　eyes　for　the　author　of　its　hurt。　　The　blacks

had　faded　into　the　jungle　before　the　weak　eyes　of　the　monster

had　fallen　upon　any　of　them；　but　now　he　caught　the　sound　of

their　retreat；　and；　amid　a　terrific　crashing　of　underbrush

and　branches；　he　charged　in　the　direction　of　the　noise。



It　so　happened　that　chance　sent　him　in　the　direction　of

Busuli；　whom　he　was　overtaking　so　rapidly　that　it　was　as

though　the　black　were　standing　still　instead　of　racing　at　full

speed　to　escape　the　certain　death　which　pursued　him。

Tarzan　had　witnessed　the　entire　performance　from　the　branches

of　a　nearby　tree；　and　now　that　he　saw　his　friend's　peril　he

raced　toward　the　infuriated　beast　with　loud　cries；　hoping　to

distract　him。



But　it　had　been　as　well　had　he　saved　his　breath；　for　the

brute　was　deaf　and　blind　to　all　else　save　the　particular

object　of　his　rage　that　raced　futilely　before　him。

And　now　Tarzan　saw　that　only　a　miracle　could　save　Busuli；

and　with　the　same　unconcern　with　which　he　had　once　hunted

this　very　man　he　hurled　himself　into　the　path　of　the　elephant

to　save　the　black　warrior's　life。



He　still　grasped　his　spear；　and　while　Tantor　was　yet　six

or　eight　paces　behind　his　prey；　a　sinewy　white　warrior

dropped　as　from　the　heavens；　almost　directly　in　his　path。

With　a　vicious　lunge　the　elephant　swerved　to　the　right　to

dispose　of　this　temerarious　foeman　who　dared　intervene

between　himself　and　his　intended　victim；　but　he　had　not

reckoned　on　the　lightning　quickness　that　could　galvanize

those　steel　muscles　into　action　so　marvelously　swift　as　to

baffle　even　a　keener　eyesight　than　Tantor's。



And　so　it　happened　that　before　the　elephant　realized　that

his　new　enemy　had　leaped　from　his　path　Tarzan　had　driven

his　iron…shod　spear　from　behind　the　massive　shoulder　straight

into　the　fierce　heart；　and　the　colossal　pachyderm　had　toppled

to　his　death　at　the　feet　of　the　ape…man。



Busuli　had　not　beheld　the　manner　of　his　deliverance；　but

Waziri；　the　old　chief；　had　seen；　and　several　of　the　other

warriors；　and　they　hailed　Tarzan　with　delight　as　they　swarmed

about　him　and　his　great　kill。　　When　he　leaped　upon　the　mighty

carcass；　and　gave　voice　to　the　weird　challenge　with　which　he

announced　a　great　victory；　the　blacks　shrank　back　in　fear；

for　to　them　it　marked　the　brutal　Bolgani；　whom　they　feared

fully　as　much　as　they　feared　Numa；　the　lion；　but　with　a　fear

with　which　was　mixed　a　certain　uncanny　awe　of　the　manlike

thing　to　which　they　attributed　supernatural　powers。



But　when　Tarzan　lowered　his　raised　head　and　smiled　upon

them　they　were　reassured；　though　they　did　not　understand。

Nor　did　they　ever　fully　understand　this　strange　creature

who　ran　through　the　trees　as　quickly　as　Manu；　yet　was　even

more　at　home　upon　the　ground　than　themselves；　who　was

except　as　to　color　like　unto　themselves；　yet　as　powerful

as　ten　of　them；　and　singlehanded　a　match　for　the　fiercest

denizens　of　the　fierce　jungle。



When　the　remainder　of　the　warriors　had　gathered；　the

hunt　was　again　taken　up　and　the　stalking　of　the　retreating

herd　once　more　begun；　but　they　had　covered　a　bare　hundred

yards　when　from　behind　them；　at　a　great　distance；

sounded　faintly　a　strange　popping。



For　an　instant　they　stood　like　a　group　of　statuary；

intently　listening。　　Then　Tarzan　spoke。



〃Guns！〃　he　said。　　〃The　village　is　being　attacked。〃



〃Come！〃　cried　Waziri。　　〃The　Arab　raiders　have　returned

with　their　cannibal　slaves　for　our　ivory　and　our　women！〃







Chapter　16





The　Ivory　Raiders





Waziri's　warriors　marched　at　a　rapid　trot　through　the

jungle　in　the　direction　of　the　village。　　For　a　few　minutes；

the　sharp　cracking　of　guns　ahead　warned　them　to　haste；

but　finally　the　reports　dwindled　to　an　occasional　shot；

presently　ceasing　altogether。　　Nor　was　this　less　ominous

than　the　rattle　of　musketry；　for　it　suggested　but　a　single

solution　to　the　little　band　of　rescuersthat　the　illy

garrisoned　village　had　already　succumbed　to　the　onslaught

of　a　superior　force。



The　returning　hunters　had　covered　a　little　more　than

three　miles　of　the　five　that　had　separated　them　from　the

village　when　they　met　the　first　of　the　fugitives　who　had

escaped　the　bullets　and　clutches　of　the　foe。　　There　were　a

dozen　women；　youths；　and　girls　in　the　party；　and　so　excited

were　they　that　they　could　scarce　make　themselves　understood

as　they　tried　to　relate　to　Waziri　the　cal