the return of tarzan-第48节

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their　young　lives　beneath　cruel；　rending；　yellow　fangs。

Jane　Porter　sank　to　her　knees　in　prayer；　closing　her　eyes

to　shut　out　the　last　hideous　instant。　　Thuran；　weak

from　fever；　fainted。



Seconds　dragged　into　minutes；　long　minutes　into　an　eternity；

and　yet　the　beast　did　not　spring。　　Clayton　was　almost

unconscious　from　the　prolonged　agony　of　frighthis

knees　trembleda　moment　more　and　he　would　collapse。



Jane　Porter　could　endure　it　no　longer。　　She　opened　her　eyes。

Could　she　be　dreaming？



〃William；〃　she　whispered；　〃look！〃



Clayton　mastered　himself　sufficiently　to　raise　his　head　and

turn　toward　the　lion。　　An　ejaculation　of　surprise　burst　from

his　lips。　　At　their　very　feet　the　beast　lay　crumpled　in　death。

A　heavy　war　spear　protruded　from　the　tawny　hide。　　It　had

entered　the　great　back　above　the　right　shoulder；　and；　passing

entirely　through　the　body；　had　pierced　the　savage　heart。



Jane　Porter　had　risen　to　her　feet；　as　Clayton　turned　back

to　her　she　staggered　in　weakness。　　He　put　out　his　arms　to

save　her　from　falling；　and　then　drew　her　close　to

himpressing　her　head　against　his　shoulder；　he　stooped

to　kiss　her　in　thanksgiving。



Gently　the　girl　pushed　him　away。



〃Please　do　not　do　that；　William；〃　she　said。　　〃I　have　lived　a

thousand　years　in　the　past　brief　moments。　　I　have　learned　in

the　face　of　death　how　to　live。　　I　do　not　wish　to　hurt　you　more

than　is　necessary；　but　I　can　no　longer　bear　to　live　out　the

impossible　position　I　have　attempted　because　of　a　false　sense

of　loyalty　to　an　impulsive　promise　I　made　you。



〃The　last　few　seconds　of　my　life　have　taught　me　that　it

would　be　hideous　to　attempt　further　to　deceive　myself　and

you；　or　to　entertain　for　an　instant　longer　the　possibility　of

ever　becoming　your　wife；　should　we　regain　civilization。〃



〃Why；　Jane；〃　he　cried；　〃what　do　you　mean？　　What　has　our

providential　rescue　to　do　with　altering　your　feelings　toward　me？

You　are　but　unstrungtomorrow　you　will　be　yourself　again。〃



〃I　am　more　nearly　myself　this　minute　than　I　have　been　for

over　a　year；〃　she　replied。　　〃The　thing　that　has　just　happened

has　again　forced　to　my　memory　the　fact　that　the　bravest　man

that　ever　lived　honored　me　with　his　love。　　Until　it　was　too

late　I　did　not　realize　that　I　returned　it；　and　so　I　sent　him　away。

He　is　dead　now；　and　I　shall　never　marry。　　I　certainly　could

not　wed　another　less　brave　than　he　without　harboring　constantly

a　feeling　of　contempt　for　the　relative　cowardice　of　my　husband。

Do　you　understand　me？〃



〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　with　bowed　head；　his　face　mantling

with　the　flush　of　shame。



And　it　was　the　next　day　that　the　great　calamity　befell。







Chapter　22





The　Treasure　Vaults　of　Opar





It　was　quite　dark　before　La；　the　high　priestess；　returned　to

the　Chamber　of　the　Dead　with　food　and　drink　for　Tarzan。

She　bore　no　light；　feeling　with　her　hands　along　the

crumbling　walls　until　she　gained　the　chamber。　　Through　the

stone　grating　above；　a　tropic　moon　served　dimly　to　illuminate

the　interior。



Tarzan；　crouching　in　the　shadows　at　the　far　side　of　the

room　as　the　first　sound　of　approaching　footsteps　reached　him；

came　forth　to　meet　the　girl　as　he　recognized　that　it　was　she。



〃They　are　furious；〃　were　her　first　words。　　〃Never　before

has　a　human　sacrifice　escaped　the　altar。　　Already　fifty　have

gone　forth　to　track　you　down。　　They　have　searched　the

templeall　save　this　single　room。〃



〃Why　do　they　fear　to　come　here？〃　he　asked。



〃It　is　the　Chamber　of　the　Dead。　　Here　the　dead　return　to　worship。

See　this　ancient　altar？　　It　is　here　that　the　dead　sacrifice　the

livingif　they　find　a　victim　here。　　That　is　the　reason

our　people　shun　this　chamber。　　Were　one　to　enter　he　knows

that　the　waiting　dead　would　seize　him　for　their　sacrifice。〃



〃But　you？〃　he　asked。



〃I　am　high　priestessI　alone　am　safe　from　the　dead。

It　is　I　who　at　rare　intervals　bring　them　a　human　sacrifice

from　the　world　above。　　I　alone　may　enter　here　in　safety。〃



〃Why　have　they　not　seized　me？〃　he　asked；　humoring　her

grotesque　belief。



She　looked　at　him　quizzically　for　a　moment。　　Then　she　replied：



〃It　is　the　duty　of　a　high　priestess　to　instruct；　to　interpret

according　to　the　creed　that　others；　wiser　than　herself；　have

laid　down；　but　there　is　nothing　in　the　creed　which　says　that

she　must　believe。　　The　more　one　knows　of　one's　religion　the

less　one　believesno　one　living　knows　more　of　mine　than　I。〃



〃Then　your　only　fear　in　aiding　me　to　escape　is　that　your

fellow　mortals　may　discover　your　duplicity？〃



〃That　is　allthe　dead　are　dead；　they　cannot　harmor　help。

We　must　therefore　depend　entirely　upon　ourselves；　and　the

sooner　we　act　the　better　it　will　be。　　I　had　difficulty　in

eluding　their　vigilance　but　now　in　bringing　you　this　morsel

of　food。　　To　attempt　to　repeat　the　thing　daily　would　be　the

height　of　folly。　　Come；　let　us　see　how　far　we　may　go　toward

liberty　before　I　must　return。〃



She　led　him　back　to　the　chamber　beneath　the　altar　room。

Here　she　turned　into　one　of　the　several　corridors　leading

from　it。　　In　the　darkness　Tarzan　could　not　see　which　one。

For　ten　minutes　they　groped　slowly　along　a　winding　passage；

until　at　length　they　came　to　a　closed　door。　　Here　he　heard

her　fumbling　with　a　key；　and　presently　came　the　sound　of　a

metal　bolt　grating　against　metal。　　The　door　swung　in　on

scraping　hinges；　and　they　entered。



〃You　will　be　safe　here　until　tomorrow　night；〃　she　said。



Then　she　went　out；　and；　closing　the　door；　locked　it　behind　her。



Where　Tarzan　stood　it　was　dark　as　Erebus。　　Not　even　his

trained　eyes　could　penetrate　the　utter　blackness。

Cautiously　he　moved　forward　until　his　out…stretched　hand

touched　a　wall；　then　very　slowly　he　traveled　around　the

four　walls　of　the　chamber。



Apparently　it　was　about　twenty　feet　square。　　The　floor

was　of　concrete；　the　walls　of　the　dry　masonry　that　marked

the　method　of　construction　above　ground。　　Small　pieces　of

granite　of　various　sizes　were　ingeniously　laid　together

without　mortar　to　construct　these　ancient　foundations。



The　first　time　around　the　walls　Tarzan　thought　he　detected

a　strange　phenomenon　for　a　room　with　no　windows　but　a

single　door。　　Again　he　crept　carefully　around　close　to

the　wall。　　No；　he　could　not　be　mistaken！　　He　paused　before

the　center　of　the　wall　opposite　the　door。　　For　a　moment　he

stood　quite　motionless；　then　he　moved　a　few　feet　to　one　side。

Again　he　returned；　only　to　move　a　few　feet　to　the　other　side。



Once　more　he　made　the　entire　circuit　of　the　room；　feeling

carefully　every　foot　of　the　walls。　　Finally　he　stopped　again

before　the　particular　section　that　had　aroused　his　curiosity。

There　was　no　doubt　of　it！　　A　distinct　draft　of　fresh　air　was

blowing　into　the　chamber　through　the　intersection　of　the

masonry　at　that　particular　pointand　nowhere　else。



Tarzan　tested　several　pieces　of　the　granite　which　made　up

the　wall　at　this　spot；　and　finally　was　rewarded　by　finding

one　which　lifted　out　readily。　　It　was　about　ten　inches　wide；

with　a　face　some　three　by　six　inches　showing　within　the　chamber。

One　by　one　the　ape…man　lifted　out　similarly　shaped　stones。

The　wall　at　this　point　was　constructed　entirely；　it　seemed；

of　these　almost　perfect　slabs。　　In　a　short　time　he　had

removed　some　dozen；　when　he　reached　in　to　test　the　next

layer　of　masonry。　　To　his　surprise；　he　felt　nothing　behind　the

masonry　he　had　removed　as　far　as　his　long　arm　could　reach。



It　was　a　matter　of　but　a　few　minutes　to　remove　enough

of　the　wall　to　permit　his　body　to　pass　through　the　aperture。

Directly　ahead　of　him　he　thought　he　discerned　a　faint　glow

scarcely　more　than　a　less　impenetrable　darkness。

Cautiously　he　moved　forward　on　hands　and　knees；　until　at　about

fifteen　feet；　or　the　average　thickness　of　the　foundation

walls；　the　floor　ended　abruptly　in　a　sudden　drop。　　As　far　out

as　he　could　reach　he　felt　nothing；　nor　could　he　find　the

bottom　of　the　black　abyss　that　yawned　before　him；　though；

clinging　to　the　edge　of　the　floor；　he　lowered　his　body　into

the　darkness　to　its　full　length。

Finally　it　occurred　to　him　to　look　up；　and　there　above　him

he　saw　through　a　round　opening　a　tiny　circular　patch　of

starry　sky。　　Feeling　up　along　the　sides　of　the　shaft　as　far

as　he　could　reach；　the　ape…man　discovered　that　so　much　of

the　wall　as　he　could　feel　converged　toward　the　center　of

the　shaft　as　it　rose。　　This　fact　precluded　possibility　of

escape　in　that　direction。



As　he　sat　speculating　on　the　nature　and　uses　of　this

strange　passage　and　its　terminal　shaft；　the　moon　topped

the　opening　above；　letting　a　flood　of　soft；　silvery　light　into

the　shadowy　place。　　Instantly　the　nature　of　the　shaft　became

apparent　to　Tarzan；　for　far　below　him　he　saw　the　shimmering

surface　of　water。　　He　had　come　upon　an　ancient　wellbut

what　was　the　purpose　of　the　connection　between　the　well

and　the　dungeon　in　which　he　had　been　hidden？



As　the　moon　crossed　the　o