the return of tarzan-第47节

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

boat　had　become　separated。



Over　a　smooth　sea　they　had　rowed　to　the　mainland　in　less

than　three　days。　　None　of　the　horrors　of　shipwreck　had　been

theirs；　and　though　depressed　by　sorrow；　and　suffering　from

the　shock　of　the　catastrophe　and　the　unaccustomed　hardships

of　their　new　existence　there　was　none　much　the　worse

for　the　experience。



All　were　buoyed　by　the　hope　that　the　fourth　boat　had

been　picked　up；　and　that　a　thorough　search　of　the　coast

would　be　quickly　made。　　As　all　the　firearms　and　ammunition

on　the　yacht　had　been　placed　in　Lord　Tennington's　boat；

the　party　was　well　equipped　for　defense；　and　for　hunting

the　larger　game　for　food。



Professor　Archimedes　Q。　Porter　was　their　only　immediate　anxiety。

Fully　assured　in　his　own　mind　that　his　daughter　had　been

picked　up　by　a　passing　steamer；　he　gave　over　the　last

vestige　of　apprehension　concerning　her　welfare；　and

devoted　his　giant　intellect　solely　to　the　consideration　of

those　momentous　and　abstruse　scientific　problems　which　he

considered　the　only　proper　food　for　thought　in　one　of

his　erudition。　　His　mind　appeared　blank　to　the　influence

of　all　extraneous　matters。



〃Never；〃　said　the　exhausted　Mr。　Samuel　T。　Philander；　to

Lord　Tennington；　〃never　has　Professor　Porter　been　more

difficulterI　might　say；　impossible。　　Why；　only　this

morning；　after　I　had　been　forced　to　relinquish　my　surveillance

for　a　brief　half　hour　he　was　entirely　missing　upon　my　return。

And；　bless　me；　sir；　where　do　you　imagine　I　discovered　him？

A　half　mile　out　in　the　ocean；　sir；　in　one　of　the　lifeboats；

rowing　away　for　dear　life。　　I　do　not　know　how　he　attained

even　that　magnificent　distance　from　shore；　for　he　had　but　a

single　oar；　with　which　he　was　blissfully　rowing　about　in　circles。



〃When　one　of　the　sailors　had　taken　me　out　to　him　in

another　boat　the　professor　became　quite　indignant　at　my

suggestion　that　we　return　at　once　to　land。　　‘Why；　Mr。　Philander；'

he　said；　‘I　am　surprised　that　you；　sir；　a　man　of　letters

yourself；　should　have　the　temerity　so　to　interrupt　the

progress　of　science。　　I　had　about　deduced　from　certain　astronomic

phenomena　I　have　had　under　minute　observation　during　the

past　several　tropic　nights　an　entirely　new　nebular　hypothesis

which　will　unquestionably　startle　the　scientific　world。　　I　wish

to　consult　a　very　excellent　monograph　on　Laplace's　hypothesis；

which　I　understand　is　in　a　certain　private　collection　in

New　York　City。　　Your　interference；　Mr。　Philander；　will　result

in　an　irreparable　delay；　for　I　was　just　rowing　over　to　obtain

this　pamphlet。'　　And　it　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　I

persuaded　him　to　return　to　shore；　without　resorting　to　force；〃

concluded　Mr。　Philander。



Miss　Strong　and　her　mother　were　very　brave　under　the

strain　of　almost　constant　apprehension　of　the　attacks　of

savage　beasts。　　Nor　were　they　quite　able　to　accept　so　readily

as　the　others　the　theory　that　Jane；　Clayton；　and　Monsieur　Thuran

had　been　picked　up　safely。



Jane　Porter's　Esmeralda　was　in　a　constant　state　of　tears　at　the

cruel　fate　which　had　separated　her　from　her　〃po；　li'le　honey。〃



Lord　Tennington's　great…hearted　good　nature　never　deserted

him　for　a　moment。　　He　was　still　the　jovial　host；　seeking

always　for　the　comfort　and　pleasure　of　his　guests。　　With　the

men　of　his　yacht　he　remained　the　just　but　firm　commander

there　was　never　any　more　question　in　the　jungle　than　there

had　been　on　board　the　LADY　ALICE　as　to　who　was　the　final

authority　in　all　questions　of　importance；　and　in　all

emergencies　requiring　cool　and　intelligent　leadership。



Could　this　well…organized　and　comparatively　secure　party

of　castaways　have　seen　the　ragged；　fear…haunted　trio　a　few

miles　south　of　them　they　would　scarcely　have　recognized　in

them　the　formerly　immaculate　members　of　the　little　company

that　had　laughed　and　played　upon　the　LADY　ALICE。

Clayton　and　Monsieur　Thuran　were　almost　naked；　so　torn

had　their　clothes　been　by　the　thorn　bushes　and　tangled

vegetation　of　the　matted　jungle　through　which　they　had　been

compelled　to　force　their　way　in　search　of　their　ever　more

difficult　food　supply。



Jane　Porter　had　of　course　not　been　subjected　to　these

strenuous　expeditions；　but　her　apparel　was；　nevertheless；

in　a　sad　state　of　disrepair。



Clayton；　for　lack　of　any　better　occupation；　had　carefully

saved　the　skin　of　every　animal　they　had　killed。　　By　stretching

them　upon　the　stems　of　trees；　and　diligently　scraping　them；

he　had　managed　to　save　them　in　a　fair　condition；　and　now

that　his　clothes　were　threatening　to　cover　his　nakedness　no

longer；　he　commenced　to　fashion　a　rude　garment　of　them；

using　a　sharp　thorn　for　a　needle；　and　bits　of　tough　grass　and

animal　tendons　in　lieu　of　thread。



The　result　when　completed　was　a　sleeveless　garment　which

fell　nearly　to　his　knees。　　As　it　was　made　up　of　numerous

small　pelts　of　different　species　of　rodents；　it　presented　a

rather　strange　and　wonderful　appearance；　which；　together

with　the　vile　stench　which　permeated　it；　rendered　it　anything

other　than　a　desirable　addition　to　a　wardrobe。　　But　the　time

came　when　for　the　sake　of　decency　he　was　compelled　to　don

it；　and　even　the　misery　of　their　condition　could　not　prevent

Jane　Porter　from　laughing　heartily　at　sight　of　him。



Later；　Thuran　also　found　it　necessary　to　construct　a　similar

primitive　garment；　so　that；　with　their　bare　legs　and　heavily

bearded　faces；　they　looked　not　unlike　reincarnations　of　two

prehistoric　progenitors　of　the　human　race。　　Thuran　acted　like　one。



Nearly　two　months　of　this　existence　had　passed　when　the

first　great　calamity　befell　them。　　It　was　prefaced　by　an

adventure　which　came　near　terminating　abruptly　the　sufferings

of　two　of　themterminating　them　in　the　grim　and　horrible

manner　of　the　jungle；　forever。



Thuran；　down　with　an　attack　of　jungle　fever；　lay　in　the

shelter　among　the　branches　of　their　tree　of　refuge。

Clayton　had　been　into　the　jungle　a　few　hundred　yards

in　search　of　food。　　As　he　returned　Jane　Porter　walked

to　meet　him。　　Behind　the　man；　cunning　and　crafty；

crept　an　old　and　mangy　lion。　　For　three　days　his　ancient

thews　and　sinews　had　proved　insufficient　for　the　task　of

providing　his　cavernous　belly　with　meat。　　For　months　he

had　eaten　less　and　less　frequently；　and　farther　and　farther

had　he　roamed　from　his　accustomed　haunts　in　search　of

easier　prey。　　At　last　he　had　found　nature's　weakest　and

most　defenseless　creaturein　a　moment　more　Numa　would　dine。



Clayton；　all　unconscious　of　the　lurking　death　behind　him；

strode　out　into　the　open　toward　Jane。　　He　had　reached　her

side；　a　hundred　feet　from　the　tangled　edge　of　jungle　when

past　his　shoulder　the　girl　saw　the　tawny　head　and　the

wicked　yellow　eyes　as　the　grasses　parted；　and　the　huge

beast；　nose　to　ground；　stepped　softly　into　view。



So　frozen　with　horror　was　she　that　she　could　utter　no

sound；　but　the　fixed　and　terrified　gaze　of　her　fear…widened

eyes　spoke　as　plainly　to　Clayton　as　words。　　A　quick　glance

behind　him　revealed　the　hopelessness　of　their　situation。

The　lion　was　scarce　thirty　paces　from　them；　and　they　were

equally　as　far　from　the　shelter。　　The　man　was　armed　with

a　stout　stickas　efficacious　against　a　hungry　lion；

he　realized；　as　a　toy　pop…gun　charged　with　a　tethered　cork。



Numa；　ravenous　with　hunger；　had　long　since　learned　the

futility　of　roaring　and　moaning　as　he　searched　for　prey；

but　now　that　it　was　as　surely　his　as　though　already　he　had

felt　the　soft　flesh　beneath　his　still　mighty　paw；　he　opened　his

huge　jaws；　and　gave　vent　to　his　long…pent　rage　in　a　series　of

deafening　roars　that　made　the　air　tremble。



〃Run；　Jane！〃　cried　Clayton。　　〃Quick！　　Run　for　the　shelter！〃

But　her　paralyzed　muscles　refused　to　respond；　and　she　stood

mute　and　rigid；　staring　with　ghastly　countenance　at　the

living　death　creeping　toward　them。



Thuran；　at　the　sound　of　that　awful　roar；　had　come　to

the　opening　of　the　shelter；　and　as　he　saw　the　tableau　below

him　he　hopped　up　and　down；　shrieking　to　them　in　Russian。



〃Run！　　Run！〃　he　cried。　　〃Run；　or　I　shall　be　left　all　alone　in

this　horrible　place；〃　and　then　he　broke　down　and　commenced　to　weep。

For　a　moment　this　new　voice　distracted　the　attention　of　the

lion；　who　halted　to　cast　an　inquiring　glance　in　the　direction

of　the　tree。　　Clayton　could　endure　the　strain　no　longer。

Turning　his　back　upon　the　beast；　he　buried　his　head　in

his　arms　and　waited。



The　girl　looked　at　him　in　horror。　　Why　did　he　not　do

something？　　If　he　must　die；　why　not　die　like　a　manbravely；

beating　at　that　terrible　face　with　his　puny　stick；　no　matter　how

futile　it　might　be。　　Would　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　have　done　thus？

Would　he　not　at　least　have　gone　down　to　his　death　fighting

heroically　to　the　last？



Now　the　lion　was　crouching　for　the　spring　that　would　end

their　young　lives　beneath　cruel；　rending；　yellow　fangs。

Jane　Porter　sank　to　her　knees　in　prayer；