the return of tarzan-第46节

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She　was　gone；　and　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　left　alone　in

the　Chamber　of　the　Dead；　beneath　the　long…dead　city　of　Opar。







Chapter　21





The　Castaways





Clayton　dreamed　that　he　was　drinking　his　fill　of　water；

pure；　delightful　drafts　of　fresh　water。　　With　a　start　he

gained　consciousness　to　find　himself　wet　through　by

torrents　of　rain　that　were　falling　upon　his　body　and　his

upturned　face。　　A　heavy　tropical　shower　was　beating　down

upon　them。　　He　opened　his　mouth　and　drank。　　Presently　he

was　so　revived　and　strengthened　that　he　was　enabled　to

raise　himself　upon　his　hands。　　Across　his　legs　lay

Monsieur　Thuran。　　A　few　feet　aft　Jane　Porter　was　huddled

in　a　pitiful　little　heap　in　the　bottom　of　the　boatshe

was　quite　still。　　Clayton　knew　that　she　was　dead。



After　infinite　labor　he　released　himself　from　Thuran's

pinioning　body；　and　with　renewed　strength　crawled　toward　the　girl。

He　raised　her　head　from　the　rough　boards　of　the　boat's　bottom。

There　might　be　life　in　that　poor；　starved　frame　even　yet。

He　could　not　quite　abandon　all　hope；　and　so　he　seized　a

water…soaked　rag　and　squeezed　the　precious　drops　between

the　swollen　lips　of　the　hideous　thing　that　had　but　a　few

short　days　before　glowed　with　the　resplendent　life　of

happy　youth　and　glorious　beauty。



For　some　time　there　was　no　sign　of　returning　animation；

but　at　last　his　efforts　were　rewarded　by　a　slight　tremor　of

the　half…closed　lids。　　He　chafed　the　thin　hands；　and　forced　a

few　more　drops　of　water　into　the　parched　throat。　　The　girl

opened　her　eyes；　looking　up　at　him　for　a　long　time　before

she　could　recall　her　surroundings。



〃Water？〃　she　whispered。　　〃Are　we　saved？〃



〃It　is　raining；〃　he　explained。　　〃We　may　at　least　drink。

Already　it　has　revived　us　both。〃



〃Monsieur　Thuran？〃　she　asked。　　〃He　did　not　kill　you。　　Is　he　dead？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　replied　Clayton。　　〃If　he　lives　and　this

rain　revives　him〃　　But　he　stopped　there；　remembering　too

late　that　he　must　not　add　further　to　the　horrors　which　the

girl　already　had　endured。



But　she　guessed　what　he　would　have　said。



〃Where　is　he？〃　she　asked。



Clayton　nodded　his　head　toward　the　prostrate　form　of

the　Russian。　　For　a　time　neither　spoke。



〃I　will　see　if　I　can　revive　him；〃　said　Clayton　at　length。



〃No；〃　she　whispered；　extending　a　detaining　hand　toward　him。

〃Do　not　do　thathe　will　kill　you　when　the　water　has

given　him　strength。　　If　he　is　dying；　let　him　die。　　Do　not　leave

me　alone　in　this　boat　with　that　beast。〃



Clayton　hesitated。　　His　honor　demanded　that　he　attempt

to　revive　Thuran；　and　there　was　the　possibility；　too；　that　the

Russian　was　beyond　human　aid。　　It　was　not　dishonorable　to

hope　so。　　As　he　sat　fighting　out　his　battle　he　presently　raised

his　eyes　from　the　body　of　the　man；　and　as　they　passed　above

the　gunwale　of　the　boat　he　staggered　weakly　to　his　feet　with

a　little　cry　of　joy。



〃Land；　Jane！〃　he　almost　shouted　through　his　cracked　lips。

〃Thank　God；　land！〃



The　girl　looked；　too；　and　there；　not　a　hundred　yards　away；

she　saw　a　yellow　beach；　and；　beyond；　the　luxurious　foliage

of　a　tropical　jungle。



〃Now　you　may　revive　him；〃　said　Jane　Porter；　for　she；　too；

had　been　haunted　with　the　pangs　of　conscience　which　had

resulted　from　her　decision　to　prevent　Clayton　from　offering

succor　to　their　companion。



It　required　the　better　part　of　half　an　hour　before　the

Russian　evinced　sufficient　symptoms　of　returning　consciousness

to　open　his　eyes；　and　it　was　some　time　later　before

they　could　bring　him　to　a　realization　of　their　good　fortune。

By　this　time　the　boat　was　scraping　gently　upon　the　sandy　bottom。



Between　the　refreshing　water　that　he　had　drunk　and　the

stimulus　of　renewed　hope；　Clayton　found　strength　to　stagger

through　the　shallow　water　to　the　shore　with　a　line　made

fast　to　the　boat's　bow。　　This　he　fastened　to　a　small　tree　which

grew　at　the　top　of　a　low　bank；　for　the　tide　was　at　flood；　and

he　feared　that　the　boat　might　carry　them　all　out　to　sea　again

with　the　ebb；　since　it　was　quite　likely　that　it　would　be　beyond

his　strength　to　get　Jane　Porter　to　the　shore　for　several　hours。

Next　he　managed　to　stagger　and　crawl　toward　the　near…

by　jungle；　where　he　had　seen　evidences　of　profusion　of

tropical　fruit。　　His　former　experience　in　the　jungle　of

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　had　taught　him　which　of　the　many　growing

things　were　edible；　and　after　nearly　an　hour　of　absence　he

returned　to　the　beach　with　a　little　armful　of　food。



The　rain　had　ceased；　and　the　hot　sun　was　beating　down　so

mercilessly　upon　her　that　Jane　Porter　insisted　on　making　an

immediate　attempt　to　gain　the　land。　　Still　further　invigorated

by　the　food　Clayton　had　brought；　the　three　were　able　to　reach

the　half　shade　of　the　small　tree　to　which　their　boat　was　moored。

Here；　thoroughly　exhausted；　they　threw　themselves　down　to　rest；

sleeping　until　dark。



For　a　month　they　lived　upon　the　beach　in　comparative　safety。

As　their　strength　returned　the　two　men　constructed　a　rude

shelter　in　the　branches　of　a　tree；　high　enough　from　the

ground　to　insure　safety　from　the　larger　beasts　of　prey。

By　day　they　gathered　fruits　and　trapped　small　rodents；　at　night

they　lay　cowering　within　their　frail　shelter　while　savage

denizens　of　the　jungle　made　hideous　the　hours　of　darkness。



They　slept　upon　litters　of　jungle　grasses；　and　for　covering

at　night　Jane　Porter　had　only　an　old　ulster　that　belonged

to　Clayton；　the　same　garment　that　he　had　worn　upon　that

memorable　trip　to　the　Wisconsin　woods。　　Clayton　had　erected

a　frail　partition　of　boughs　to　divide　their　arboreal　shelter

into　two　roomsone　for　the　girl　and　the　other　for　Monsieur

Thuran　and　himself。



From　the　first　the　Russian　had　exhibited　every　trait　of　his

true　characterselfishness；　boorishness；　arrogance；

cowardice；　and　lust。　　Twice　had　he　and　Clayton　come　to

blows　because　of　Thuran's　attitude　toward　the　girl。

Clayton　dared　not　leave　her　alone　with　him　for　an　instant。

The　existence　of　the　Englishman　and　his　fiancee　was　one

continual　nightmare　of　horror；　and　yet　they　lived　on　in

hope　of　ultimate　rescue。



Jane　Porter's　thoughts　often　reverted　to　her　other　experience

on　this　savage　shore。　　Ah；　if　the　invincible　forest　god

of　that　dead　past　were　but　with　them　now。　　No　longer　would

there　be　aught　to　fear　from　prowling　beasts；　or　from　the

bestial　Russian。　　She　could　not　well　refrain　from　comparing

the　scant　protection　afforded　her　by　Clayton　with　what　she

might　have　expected　had　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　been　for　a

single　instant　confronted　by　the　sinister　and　menacing

attitude　of　Monsieur　Thuran。　　Once；　when　Clayton　had　gone

to　the　little　stream　for　water；　and　Thuran　had　spoken　coarsely

to　her；　she　voiced　her　thoughts。



〃It　is　well　for　you；　Monsieur　Thuran；〃　she　said；　〃that　the

poor　Monsieur　Tarzan　who　was　lost　from　the　ship　that　brought

you　and　Miss　Strong　to　Cape　Town　is　not　here　now。〃



〃You　knew　the　pig？〃　asked　Thuran；　with　a　sneer。



〃I　knew　the　man；〃　she　replied。　　〃The　only　real　man；　I

think；　that　I　have　ever　known。〃



There　was　something　in　her　tone　of　voice　that　led　the　Russian

to　attribute　to　her　a　deeper　feeling　for　his　enemy　than

friendship；　and　he　grasped　at　the　suggestion　to　be　further

revenged　upon　the　man　whom　he　supposed　dead　by　besmirching

his　memory　to　the　girl。



〃He　was　worse　than　a　pig；〃　he　cried。　　〃He　was　a　poltroon

and　a　coward。　　To　save　himself　from　the　righteous　wrath　of

the　husband　of　a　woman　he　had　wronged；　he　perjured　his

soul　in　an　attempt　to　place　the　blame　entirely　upon　her。

Not　succeeding　in　this；　he　ran　away　from　France　to　escape

meeting　the　husband　upon　the　field　of　honor。　　That　is　why

he　was　on　board　the　ship　that　bore　Miss　Strong　and　myself　to

Cape　Town。　　I　know　whereof　I　speak；　for　the　woman　in　the

case　is　my　sister。　　Something　more　I　know　that　I　have　never

told　anotheryour　brave　Monsieur　Tarzan　leaped　overboard

in　an　agony　of　fear　because　I　recognized　him；　and　insisted

that　he　make　reparation　to　me　the　following　morningwe

could　have　fought　with　knives　in　my　stateroom。〃



Jane　Porter　laughed。　　〃You　do　not　for　a　moment　imagine

that　one　who　has　known　both　Monsieur　Tarzan　and　you

could　ever　believe　such　an　impossible　tale？〃



〃Then　why　did　he　travel　under　an　assumed　name？〃　asked

Monsieur　Thuran。



〃I　do　not　believe　you；〃　she　cried；　but　nevertheless　the

seed　of　suspicion　was　sown；　for　she　knew　that　Hazel　Strong

had　known　her　forest　god　only　as　John　Caldwell；　of　London。



A　scant　five　miles　north　of　their　rude　shelter；　all　unknown

to　them；　and　practically　as　remote　as　though　separated　by

thousands　of　miles　of　impenetrable　jungle；　lay　the　snug

little　cabin　of　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。　　While　farther　up　the

coast；　a　few　miles　beyond　the　cabin；　in　crude　but　well…built

shelters；　lived　a　little　party　of　eighteen　soulsthe　occupants

of　the　three　boats　from　the　LADY　ALICE　from　which　Clayton's

boat　had　become　separated。