the return of tarzan-第38节

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that　it　had　been　effective。



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

and　so　the　report　of　his　shot　had　scarcely　died　away　before

the　ape…man　was　on　the　ground　and　racing　for　another　tree

a　hundred　yards　away。　　Here　he　again　found　a　suitable　perch

from　which　he　could　watch　the　preparations　of　the　raiders。

It　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　have　considerable　more

fun　with　them；　so　again　he　called　to　them　through

his　improvised　trumpet。



〃Leave　the　ivory！〃　he　cried。　　〃Leave　the　ivory！　　Dead　men

have　no　use　for　ivory！〃



Some　of　the　Manyuema　started　to　lay　down　their　loads；

but　this　was　altogether　too　much　for　the　avaricious　Arabs。

With　loud　shouts　and　curses　they　aimed　their　guns　full

upon　the　bearers；　threatening　instant　death　to　any　who

might　lay　down　his　load。　　They　could　give　up　firing　the

village；　but　the　thought　of　abandoning　this　enormous

fortune　in　ivory　was　quite　beyond　their　conceptionbetter

death　than　that。



And　so　they　marched　out　of　the　village　of　the　Waziri；　and

on　the　shoulders　of　their　slaves　was　the　ivory　ransom　of　a

score　of　kings。　　Toward　the　north　they　marched；　back　toward

their　savage　settlement　in　the　wild　and　unknown　country

which　lies　back　from　the　Kongo　in　the　uttermost　depths

of　The　Great　Forest；　and　on　either　side　of　them　traveled

an　invisible　and　relentless　foe。



Under　Tarzan's　guidance　the　black　Waziri　warriors　stationed

themselves　along　the　trail　on　either　side　in　the　densest　underbrush。

They　stood　at　far　intervals；　and；　as　the　column　passed；

a　single　arrow　or　a　heavy　spear；　well　aimed；　would　pierce

a　Manyuema　or　an　Arab。　　Then　the　Waziri　would　melt　into　the

distance　and　run　ahead　to　take　his　stand　farther　on。

They　did　not　strike　unless　success　were　sure　and　the

danger　of　detection　almost　nothing；　and　so　the　arrows

and　the　spears　were　few　and　far　between；　but　so　persistent

and　inevitable　that　the　slow…moving　column　of　heavy…laden

raiders　was　in　a　constant　state　of　panicpanic　at

the　uncertainty　of　who　the　next　would　be　to　fall；　and　when。



It　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　the　Arabs　prevented

their　men　a　dozen　times　from　throwing　away　their　burdens　and

fleeing　like　frightened　rabbits　up　the　trail　toward　the　north。

And　so　the　day　wore　ona　frightful　nightmare　of　a　day　for　the

raidersa　day　of　weary　but　well…repaid　work　for　the　Waziri。

At　night　the　Arabs　constructed　a　rude　BOMA　in　a　little

clearing　by　a　river；　and　went　into　camp。



At　intervals　during　the　night　a　rifle　would　bark　close

above　their　heads；　and　one　of　the　dozen　sentries　which

they　now　had　posted　would　tumble　to　the　ground。　　Such　a

condition　was　insupportable；　for　they　saw　that　by　means　of

these　hideous　tactics　they　would　be　completely　wiped　out；　one

by　one；　without　inflicting　a　single　death　upon　their　enemy。

But　yet；　with　the　persistent　avariciousness　of　the

white　man；　the　Arabs　clung　to　their　loot；　and　when　morning

came　forced　the　demoralized　Manyuema　to　take　up　their

burdens　of　death　and　stagger　on　into　the　jungle。



For　three　days　the　withering　column　kept　up　its　frightful　march。

Each　hour　was　marked　by　its　deadly　arrow　or　cruel　spear。

The　nights　were　made　hideous　by　the　barking　of　the　invisible

gun　that　made　sentry　duty　equivalent　to　a　death　sentence。



On　the　morning　of　the　fourth　day　the　Arabs　were　compelled

to　shoot　two　of　their　blacks　before　they　could　compel

the　balance　to　take　up　the　hated　ivory；　and　as　they　did　so　a

voice　rang　out；　clear　and　strong；　from　the　jungle：　　〃Today

you　die；　oh；　Manyuema；　unless　you　lay　down　the　ivory。

Fall　upon　your　cruel　masters　and　kill　them！　　You　have　guns；

why　do　you　not　use　them？　　Kill　the　Arabs；　and　we　will　not

harm　you。　　We　will　take　you　back　to　our　village　and　feed

you；　and　lead　you　out　of　our　country　in　safety　and　in　peace。

Lay　down　the　ivory；　and　fall　upon　your　masterswe　will

help　you。　　Else　you　die！〃



As　the　voice　died　down　the　raiders　stood　as　though　turned

to　stone。　　The　Arabs　eyed　their　Manyuema　slaves；　the　slaves

looked　first　at　one　of　their　fellows；　and　then　at　anotherthey

were　but　waiting　for　some　one　to　take　the　initiative。

There　were　some　thirty　Arabs　left；　and　about　one　hundred

and　fifty　blacks。　　All　were　armedeven　those　who　were

acting　as　porters　had　their　rifles　slung　across　their　backs。



The　Arabs　drew　together。　　The　sheik　ordered　the　Manyuema

to　take　up　the　march；　and　as　he　spoke　he　cocked　his　rifle

and　raised　it。　　But　at　the　same　instant　one　of　the　blacks

threw　down　his　load；　and；　snatching　his　rifle　from　his　back；

fired　point…black　at　the　group　of　Arabs。　　In　an　instant　the

camp　was　a　cursing；　howling　mass　of　demons；　fighting　with

guns　and　knives　and　pistols。　　The　Arabs　stood　together；　and

defended　their　lives　valiantly；　but　with　the　rain　of　lead

that　poured　upon　them　from　their　own　slaves；　and　the　shower

of　arrows　and　spears　which　now　leaped　from　the　surrounding

jungle　aimed　solely　at　them；　there　was　little　question

from　the　first　what　the　outcome　would　be。　　In　ten　minutes

from　the　time　the　first　porter　had　thrown　down　his　load　the

last　of　the　Arabs　lay　dead。



When　the　firing　had　ceased　Tarzan　spoke　again　to　the　Manyuema：



〃Take　up　our　ivory；　and　return　it　to　our　village；　from

whence　you　stole　it。　　We　shall　not　harm　you。〃



For　a　moment　the　Manyuema　hesitated。　　They　had　no

stomach　to　retrace　that　difficult　three　days'　trail。

They　talked　together　in　low　whispers；　and　one　turned

toward　the　jungle；　calling　aloud　to　the　voice　that　had

spoken　to　them　from　out　of　the　foliage。



〃How　do　we　know　that　when　you　have　us　in　your　village　you

will　not　kill　us　all？〃　he　asked。



〃You　do　not　know；〃　replied　Tarzan；　〃other　than　that　we

have　promised　not　to　harm　you　if　you　will　return　our

ivory　to　us。　　But　this　you　do　know；　that　it　lies　within　our

power　to　kill　you　all　if　you　do　not　return　as　we　direct；

and　are　we　not　more　likely　to　do　so　if　you　anger　us　than

if　you　do　as　we　bid？〃



〃Who　are　you　that　speaks　the　tongue　of　our　Arab　masters？〃

cried　the　Manyuema　spokesman。　　〃Let　us　see　you；　and　then

we　shall　give　you　our　answer。〃



Tarzan　stepped　out　of　the　jungle　a　dozen　paces　from　them。



〃Look！〃　he　said。　　When　they　saw　that　he　was　white　they

were　filled　with　awe；　for　never　had　they　seen　a　white　savage

before；　and　at　his　great　muscles　and　giant　frame　they　were

struck　with　wonder　and　admiration。



〃You　may　trust　me；〃　said　Tarzan。　　〃So　long　as　you　do　as

I　tell　you；　and　harm　none　of　my　people；　we　shall　do　you

no　hurt。　　Will　you　take　up　our　ivory　and　return　in　peace　to

our　village；　or　shall　we　follow　along　your　trail　toward　the

north　as　we　have　followed　for　the　past　three　days？〃



The　recollection　of　the　horrid　days　that　had　just　passed

was　the　thing　that　finally　decided　the　Manyuema；　and　so；

after　a　short　conference；　they　took　up　their　burdens　and　set

off　to　retrace　their　steps　toward　the　village　of　the　Waziri。

At　the　end　of　the　third　day　they　marched　into　the　village　gate；

and　were　greeted　by　the　survivors　of　the　recent　massacre；

to　whom　Tarzan　had　sent　a　messenger　in　their　temporary　camp

to　the　south　on　the　day　that　the　raiders　had　quitted　the

village；　telling　them　that　they　might　return　in　safety。



It　took　all　the　mastery　and　persuasion　that　Tarzan　possessed

to　prevent　the　Waziri　falling　on　the　Manyuema　tooth

and　nail；　and　tearing　them　to　pieces；　but　when　he　had

explained　that　he　had　given　his　word　that　they　would　not　be

molested　if　they　carried　the　ivory　back　to　the　spot　from

which　they　had　stolen　it；　and　had　further　impressed　upon

his　people　that　they　owed　their　entire　victory　to　him；　they

finally　acceded　to　his　demands；　and　allowed　the　cannibals

to　rest　in　peace　within　their　palisade。



That　night　the　village　warriors　held　a　big　palaver　to

celebrate　their　victories；　and　to　choose　a　new　chief。

Since　old　Waziri's　death　Tarzan　had　been　directing　the

warriors　in　battle；　and　the　temporary　command　had　been

tacitly　conceded　to　him。　　There　had　been　no　time　to　choose

a　new　chief　from　among　their　own　number；　and；　in　fact；

so　remarkably　successful　had　they　been　under　the　ape…man's

generalship　that　they　had　had　no　wish　to　delegate　the　supreme

authority　to　another　for　fear　that　what　they　already　had

gained　might　be　lost。　　They　had　so　recently　seen　the　results

of　running　counter　to　this　savage　white　man's　advice　in　the

disastrous　charge　ordered　by　Waziri；　in　which　he　himself

had　died；　that　it　had　not　been　difficult　for　them　to　accept

Tarzan's　authority　as　final。



The　principal　warriors　sat　in　a　circle　about　a　small　fire

to　discuss　the　relative　merits　of　whomever　might　be　suggested

as　old　Waziri's　successor。　　It　was　Busuli　who　spoke　first：



〃Since　Waziri　is　dead；　leaving　no　son；　there　is　but　one

among　us　whom　we　know　from　experience　is　fitted　to　make

us　a　good　king。　　There　is　only　one　who　has　proved　that　he

can　successfully　lead　us　against　the　guns　of　the　white　man；

and　br