the return of tarzan-第37节

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

and　surest　attack　of　the　jungle　beastwhen　the　man；

warned；　by　some　subtle　sense；　sprang　to　his　feet　and　faced

the　ape…man。







Chapter　17





The　White　Chief　of　the　Waziri





When　the　eyes　of　the　black　Manyuema　savage　fell

upon　the　strange　apparition　that　confronted　him　with

menacing　knife　they　went　wide　in　horror。　　He　forgot

the　gun　within　his　hands；　he　even　forgot　to　cry　outhis

one　thought　was　to　escape　this　fearsome…looking　white　savage；

this　giant　of　a　man　upon　whose　massive　rolling　muscles　and

mighty　chest　the　flickering　firelight　played。



But　before　he　could　turn　Tarzan　was　upon　him；　and　then

the　sentry　thought　to　scream　for　aid；　but　it　was　too　late。

A　great　hand　was　upon　his　windpipe；　and　he　was　being　borne

to　the　earth。　　He　battled　furiously　but　futilelywith　the

grim　tenacity　of　a　bulldog　those　awful　fingers　were　clinging

to　his　throat。　　Swiftly　and　surely　life　was　being　choked　from　him。

His　eyes　bulged；　his　tongue　protruded；　his　face　turned

to　a　ghastly　purplish　huethere　was　a　convulsive　tremor　of

the　stiffening　muscles；　and　the　Manyuema　sentry　lay　quite　still。



The　ape…man　threw　the　body　across　one　of　his　broad

shoulders　and；　gathering　up　the　fellow's　gun；　trotted　silently

up　the　sleeping　village　street　toward　the　tree　that　gave　him

such　easy　ingress　to　the　palisaded　village。　　He　bore　the　dead

sentry　into　the　midst　of　the　leafy　maze　above。



First　he　stripped　the　body　of　cartridge　belt　and　such

ornaments　as　he　craved；　wedging　it　into　a　convenient　crotch

while　his　nimble　fingers　ran　over　it　in　search　of　the　loot

he　could　not　plainly　see　in　the　dark。　　When　he　had　finished　he

took　the　gun　that　had　belonged　to　the　man；　and　walked

far　out　upon　a　limb；　from　the　end　of　which　he　could　obtain

a　better　view　of　the　huts。　　Drawing　a　careful　bead　on　the

beehive　structure　in　which　he　knew　the　chief　Arabs　to　be；

he　pulled　the　trigger。　　Almost　instantly　there　was　an

answering　groan。　　Tarzan　smiled。　　He　had　made　another　lucky　hit。



Following　the　shot　there　was　a　moment's　silence　in　the

camp；　and　then　Manyuema　and　Arab　came　pouring　from

the　huts　like　a　swarm　of　angry　hornets；　but　if　the　truth　were

known　they　were　even　more　frightened　than　they　were　angry。

The　strain　of　the　preceding　day　had　wrought　upon　the

fears　of　both　black　and　white；　and　now　this　single　shot　in

the　night　conjured　all　manner　of　terrible　conjectures　in

their　terrified　minds。



When　they　discovered　that　their　sentry　had　disappeared；

their　fears　were　in　no　way　allayed；　and　as　though　to　bolster

their　courage　by　warlike　actions；　they　began　to　fire

rapidly　at　the　barred　gates　of　the　village；　although　no　enemy

was　in　sight。　　Tarzan　took　advantage　of　the　deafening　roar　of

this　fusillade　to　fire　into　the　mob　beneath　him。



No　one　heard　his　shot　above　the　din　of　rattling　musketry

in　the　street；　but　some　who　were　standing　close　saw　one

of　their　number　crumple　suddenly　to　the　earth。　　When　they

leaned　over　him　he　was　dead。　　They　were　panic…stricken；　and

it　took　all　the　brutal　authority　of　the　Arabs　to　keep　the

Manyuema　from　rushing　helter…skelter　into　the　jungleanywhere

to　escape　from　this　terrible　village。



After　a　time　they　commenced　to　quiet　down；　and　as　no

further　mysterious　deaths　occurred　among　them　they　took

heart　again。　　But　it　was　a　short…lived　respite；　for　just　as

they　had　concluded　that　they　would　not　be　disturbed　again

Tarzan　gave　voice　to　a　weird　moan；　and　as　the　raiders　looked

up　in　the　direction　from　which　the　sound　seemed　to　come；

the　ape…man；　who　stood　swinging　the　dead　body　of　the　sentry

gently　to　and　fro；　suddenly　shot　the　corpse　far　out　above

their　heads。



With　howls　of　alarm　the　throng　broke　in　all　directions

to　escape　this　new　and　terrible　creature　who　seemed　to　be

springing　upon　them。　　To　their　fear…distorted　imaginations　the

body　of　the　sentry；　falling　with　wide…sprawled　arms　and

legs；　assumed　the　likeness　of　a　great　beast　of　prey。　　In　their

anxiety　to　escape；　many　of　the　blacks　scaled　the　palisade；

while　others　tore　down　the　bars　from　the　gates　and　rushed

madly　across　the　clearing　toward　the　jungle。



For　a　time　no　one　turned　back　toward　the　thing　that　had

frightened　them；　but　Tarzan　knew　that　they　would　in　a　moment；

and　when　they　discovered　that　it　was　but　the　dead

body　of　their　sentry；　while　they　would　doubtless　be　still

further　terrified；　he　had　a　rather　definite　idea　as　to　what

they　would　do；　and　so　he　faded　silently　away　toward　the

south；　taking　the　moonlit　upper　terrace　back　toward　the

camp　of　the　Waziri。



Presently　one　of　the　Arabs　turned　and　saw　that　the　thing

that　had　leaped　from　the　tree　upon　them　lay　still　and　quiet

where　it　had　fallen　in　the　center　of　the　village　street。

Cautiously　he　crept　back　toward　it　until　he　saw　that　it　was

but　a　man。　　A　moment　later　he　was　beside　the　figure；　and　in

another　had　recognized　it　as　the　corpse　of　the　Manyuema

who　had　stood　on　guard　at　the　village　gate。



His　companions　rapidly　gathered　around　at　his　call；　and

after　a　moment's　excited　conversation　they　did　precisely

what　Tarzan　had　reasoned　they　would。　　Raising　their　guns　to

their　shoulders；　they　poured　volley　after　volley　into　the　tree

from　which　the　corpse　had　been　thrownhad　Tarzan　remained

there　he　would　have　been　riddled　by　a　hundred　bullets。



When　the　Arabs　and　Manyuema　discovered　that　the　only

marks　of　violence　upon　the　body　of　their　dead　comrade

were　giant　finger　prints　upon　his　swollen　throat　they　were

again　thrown　into　deeper　apprehension　and　despair。

That　they　were　not　even　safe　within　a　palisaded　village

at　night　came　as　a　distinct　shock　to　them。　　That　an　enemy

could　enter　into　the　midst　of　their　camp　and　kill　their

sentry　with　bare　hands　seemed　outside　the　bounds　of　reason；

and　so　the　superstitious　Manyuema　commenced　to　attribute

their　ill　luck　to　supernatural　causes；　nor　were　the　Arabs

able　to　offer　any　better　explanation。



With　at　least　fifty　of　their　number　flying　through　the　black

jungle；　and　without　the　slightest　knowledge　of　when　their

uncanny　foemen　might　resume　the　cold…blooded　slaughter

they　had　commenced；　it　was　a　desperate　band　of　cut…throats

that　waited　sleeplessly　for　the　dawn。　　Only　on　the

promise　of　the　Arabs　that　they　would　leave　the　village　at

daybreak；　and　hasten　onward　toward　their　own　land；　would

the　remaining　Manyuema　consent　to　stay　at　the　village　a

moment　longer。　　Not　even　fear　of　their　cruel　masters　was

sufficient　to　overcome　this　new　terror。



And　so　it　was　that　when　Tarzan　and　his　warriors　returned

to　the　attack　the　next　morning　they　found　the　raiders

prepared　to　march　out　of　the　village。　　The　Manyuema　were

laden　with　stolen　ivory。　　As　Tarzan　saw　it　he　grinned；　for　he

knew　that　they　would　not　carry　it　far。　　Then　he　saw　something

which　caused　him　anxietya　number　of　the　Manyuema

were　lighting　torches　in　the　remnant　of　the　camp…fire。

They　were　about　to　fire　the　village。



Tarzan　was　perched　in　a　tall　tree　some　hundred　yards　from

the　palisade。　　Making　a　trumpet　of　his　hands；　he　called　loudly

in　the　Arab　tongue：　　〃Do　not　fire　the　huts；　or　we　shall　kill

you　all！　　Do　not　fire　the　huts；　or　we　shall　kill　you　all！〃



A　dozen　times　he　repeated　it。　　The　Manyuema　hesitated；

then　one　of　them　flung　his　torch　into　the　campfire。

The　others　were　about　to　do　the　same　when　an　Arab　sprung

upon　them　with　a　stick；　beating　them　toward　the　huts。

Tarzan　could　see　that　he　was　commanding　them　to　fire　the

little　thatched　dwellings。　　Then　he　stood　erect　upon　the

swaying　branch　a　hundred　feet　above　the　ground；　and；

raising　one　of　the　Arab　guns　to　his　shoulder；　took　careful　aim

and　fired。　　With　the　report　the　Arab　who　was　urging　on　his

men　to　burn　the　village　fell　in　his　tracks；　and　the

Manyuema　threw　away　their　torches　and　fled　from　the　village。

The　last　Tarzan　saw　of　them　they　were　racing　toward　the　jungle；

while　their　former　masters　knelt　upon　the　ground　and　fired　at　them。



But　however　angry　the　Arabs　might　have　been　at　the

insubordination　of　their　slaves；　they　were　at　least　convinced

that　it　would　be　the　better　part　of　wisdom　to　forego　the

pleasure　of　firing　the　village　that　had　given　them　two　such

nasty　receptions。　　In　their　hearts；　however；　they　swore　to

return　again　with　such　force　as　would　enable　them　to　sweep

the　entire　country　for　miles　around；　until　no　vestige　of

human　life　remained。



They　had　looked　in　vain　for　the　owner　of　the　voice

which　had　frightened　off　the　men　who　had　been　detailed

to　put　the　torch　to　the　huts；　but　not　even　the　keenest　eye

among　them　had　been　able　to　locate　him。　　They　had　seen

the　puff　of　smoke　from　the　tree　following　the　shot　that

brought　down　the　Arab；　but；　though　a　volley　had　immediately

been　loosed　into　its　foliage；　there　had　been　no　indication

that　it　had　been　effective。



Tarzan　was　too　intelligent　to　be　caught　in　any　such　trap；