the return of tarzan-第36节

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Long　before　they　reached　it　they　had　been　guided　by　the

huge　fire　the　natives　had　built　in　the　center　of　a　hastily

improvised　BOMA；　partially　for　warmth　and　partially　to

keep　off　chance　lions。



When　they　had　come　close　to　the　encampment　Tarzan

called　aloud　to　let　them　know　that　friends　were　coming。

It　was　a　joyous　reception　the　little　party　received　when　the

blacks　within　the　BOMA　saw　the　long　file　of　fettered　friends

and　relatives　enter　the　firelight。　　These　had　all　been　given　up

as　lost　forever；　as　had　Tarzan　as　well；　so　that　the　happy　blacks

would　have　remained　awake　all　night　to　feast　on　elephant

meat　and　celebrate　the　return　of　their　fellows；　had　not

Tarzan　insisted　that　they　take　what　sleep　they　could；　against

the　work　of　the　coming　day。



At　that；　sleep　was　no　easy　matter；　for　the　women　who

had　lost　their　men　or　their　children　in　the　day's　massacre

and　battle　made　night　hideous　with　their　continued　wailing

and　howling。　　Finally；　however；　Tarzan　succeeded　in　silencing

them；　on　the　plea　that　their　noise　would　attract　the　Arabs　to

their　hiding…place；　when　all　would　be　slaughtered。



When　dawn　came　Tarzan　explained　his　plan　of　battle　to

the　warriors；　and　without　demur　one　and　all　agreed　that　it

was　the　safest　and　surest　way　in　which　to　rid　themselves　of

their　unwelcome　visitors　and　be　revenged　for　the　murder　of

their　fellows。



First　the　women　and　children；　with　a　guard　of　some

twenty　old　warriors　and　youths；　were　started　southward；　to

be　entirely　out　of　the　zone　of　danger。　　They　had　instructions

to　erect　temporary　shelter　and　construct　a　protecting　BOMA

of　thorn　bush；　for　the　plan　of　campaign　which　Tarzan　had

chosen　was　one　which　might　stretch　out　over　many　days；

or　even　weeks；　during　which　time　the　warriors　would　not

return　to　the　new　camp。



Two　hours　after　daylight　a　thin　circle　of　black　warriors

surrounded　the　village。　　At　intervals　one　was　perched　high

in　the　branches　of　a　tree　which　could　overlook　the　palisade。

Presently　a　Manyuema　within　the　village　fell；　pierced　by　a

single　arrow。　　There　had　been　no　sound　of　attacknone　of

the　hideous　war…cries　or　vainglorious　waving　of　menacing

spears　that　ordinarily　marks　the　attack　of　savagesjust　a

silent　messenger　of　death　from　out　of　the　silent　forest。



The　Arabs　and　their　followers　were　thrown　into　a　fine

rage　at　this　unprecedented　occurrence。　　They　ran　for　the

gates；　to　wreak　dire　vengeance　upon　the　foolhardy　perpetrator

of　the　outrage；　but　they　suddenly　realized　that　they　did

not　know　which　way　to　turn　to　find　the　foe。　　As　they　stood

debating　with　many　angry　shouts　and　much　gesticulating；

one　of　the　Arabs　sank　silently　to　the　ground　in　their　very

midsta　thin　arrow　protruding　from　his　heart。



Tarzan　had　placed　the　finest　marksmen　of　the　tribe　in　the

surrounding　trees；　with　directions　never　to　reveal　themselves

while　the　enemy　was　faced　in　their　direction。　　As　a　black

released　his　messenger　of　death　he　would　slink　behind

the　sheltering　stem　of　the　tree　he　had　selected；　nor　would

he　again　aim　until　a　watchful　eye　told　him　that　none　was

looking　toward　his　tree。



Three　times　the　Arabs　started　across　the　clearing　in　the

direction　from　which　they　thought　the　arrows　came；　but

each　time　another　arrow　would　come　from　behind　to　take

its　toll　from　among　their　number。　　Then　they　would　turn　and

charge　in　a　new　direction。　　Finally　they　set　out　upon　a

determined　search　of　the　forest；　but　the　blacks　melted

before　them；　so　that　they　saw　no　sign　of　an　enemy。



But　above　them　lurked　a　grim　figure　in　the　dense　foliage

of　the　mighty　treesit　was　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；　hovering　over

them　as　if　he　had　been　the　shadow　of　death。　　Presently　a

Manyuema　forged　ahead　of　his　companions；　there　was　none

to　see　from　what　direction　death　came；　and　so　it　came

quickly；　and　a　moment　later　those　behind　stumbled　over

the　dead　body　of　their　comradethe　inevitable　arrow　piercing

the　still　heart。



It　does　not　take　a　great　deal　of　this　manner　of　warfare　to

get　upon　the　nerves　of　white　men；　and　so　it　is　little　to　be

wondered　at　that　the　Manyuema　were　soon　panic…stricken。

Did　one　forge　ahead　an　arrow　found　his　heart；　did　one　lag

behind　he　never　again　was　seen　alive；　did　one　stumble　to

one　side；　even　for　a　bare　moment　from　the　sight　of　his　fellows；

he　did　not　returnand　always　when　they　came　upon

the　bodies　of　their　dead　they　found　those　terrible　arrows

driven　with　the　accuracy　of　superhuman　power　straight

through　the　victim's　heart。　　But　worse　than　all　else　was　the

hideous　fact　that　not　once　during　the　morning　had　they　seen

or　heard　the　slightest　sign　of　an　enemy　other　than　the

pitiless　arrows。



When　finally　they　returned　to　the　village　it　was　no　better。

Every　now　and　then；　at　varying　intervals　that　were　maddening

in　the　terrible　suspense　they　caused；　a　man　would　plunge

forward　dead。　　The　blacks　besought　their　masters　to　leave

this　terrible　place；　but　the　Arabs　feared　to　take　up　the　march

through　the　grim　and　hostile　forest　beset　by　this　new　and

terrible　enemy　while　laden　with　the　great　store　of　ivory　they

had　found　within　the　village；　but；　worse　yet；　they　hated　to

leave　the　ivory　behind。



Finally　the　entire　expedition　took　refuge　within　the　thatched

hutshere；　at　least；　they　would　be　free　from　the　arrows。

Tarzan；　from　the　tree　above　the　village；　had　marked　the　hut

into　which　the　chief　Arabs　had　gone；　and；　balancing　himself

upon　an　overhanging　limb；　he　drove　his　heavy　spear　with

all　the　force　of　his　giant　muscles　through　the　thatched　roof。

A　howl　of　pain　told　him　that　it　had　found　a　mark。

With　this　parting　salute　to　convince　them　that　there　was　no

safety　for　them　anywhere　within　the　country；　Tarzan　returned

to　the　forest；　collected　his　warriors；　and　withdrew　a　mile

to　the　south　to　rest　and　eat。　　He　kept　sentries　in　several

trees　that　commanded　a　view　of　the　trail　toward　the

village；　but　there　was　no　pursuit。



An　inspection　of　his　force　showed　not　a　single　casualtynot

even　a　minor　wound；　while　rough　estimates　of　the　enemies'

loss　convinced　the　blacks　that　no　fewer　than　twenty

had　fallen　before　their　arrows。　　They　were　wild　with　elation；

and　were　for　finishing　the　day　in　one　glorious　rush　upon　the

village；　during　which　they　would　slaughter　the　last　of

their　foemen。　　They　were　even　picturing　the　various　tortures

they　would　inflict；　and　gloating　over　the　suffering　of　the

Manyuema；　for　whom　they　entertained　a　peculiar　hatred；

when　Tarzan　put　his　foot　down　flatly　upon　the　plan。



〃You　are　crazy！〃　he　cried。　　〃I　have　shown　you　the　only

way　to　fight　these　people。　　Already　you　have　killed　twenty

of　them　without　the　loss　of　a　single　warrior；　whereas；

yesterday；　following　your　own　tactics；　which　you　would　now

renew；　you　lost　at　least　a　dozen；　and　killed　not　a　single

Arab　or　Manyuema。　　You　will　fight　just　as　I　tell　you　to　fight；

or　I　shall　leave　you　and　go　back　to　my　own　country。〃



They　were　frightened　when　he　threatened　this；　and

promised　to　obey　him　scrupulously　if　he　would　but　promise

not　to　desert　them。



〃Very　well；〃　he　said。　　〃We　shall　return　to　the　elephant

BOMA　for　the　night。　　I　have　a　plan　to　give　the　Arabs　a　little

taste　of　what　they　may　expect　if　they　remain　in　our　country；

but　I　shall　need　no　help。　　Come！　　If　they　suffer　no　more　for

the　balance　of　the　day　they　will　feel　reassured；　and　the

relapse　into　fear　will　be　even　more　nerve…racking　than　as

though　we　continued　to　frighten　them　all　afternoon。〃



So　they　marched　back　to　their　camp　of　the　previous　night；　and；

lighting　great　fires；　ate　and　recounted　the　adventures　of　the

day　until　long　after　dark。　　Tarzan　slept　until　midnight；　then

he　arose　and　crept　into　the　Cimmerian　blackness　of　the　forest。

An　hour　later　he　came　to　the　edge　of　the　clearing　before

the　village。　　There　was　a　camp…fire　burning　within　the　palisade。

The　ape…man　crept　across　the　clearing　until　he　stood　before

the　barred　gates。　　Through　the　interstices　he　saw　a　lone　sentry

sitting　before　the　fire。



Quietly　Tarzan　went　to　the　tree　at　the　end　of　the　village　street。

He　climbed　softly　to　his　place；　and　fitted　an　arrow　to　his　bow。

For　several　minutes　he　tried　to　sight　fairly　upon　the　sentry；

but　the　waving　branches　and　flickering　firelight　convinced

him　that　the　danger　of　a　miss　was　too　greathe　must　touch

the　heart　full　in　the　center　to　bring　the　quiet　and　sudden

death　his　plan　required。



He　had　brought；　besides；　his　bow；　arrows；　and　rope；　the

gun　he　had　taken　the　previous　day　from　the　other　sentry　he

had　killed。　　Caching　all　these　in　a　convenient　crotch　of　the

tree；　he　dropped　lightly　to　the　ground　within　the　palisade；

armed　only　with　his　long　knife。　　The　sentry's　back　was　toward　him。

Like　a　cat　Tarzan　crept　upon　the　dozing　man。　　He　was　within

two　paces　of　him　nowanother　instant　and　the　knife　would

slide　silently　into　the　fellow's　heart。



Tarzan　crouched　for　a　spring；　for　that　is　ever　the　quickest

and　surest　atta