the return of tarzan-第52节

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the　tribe　at　all。



One　or　two　young　bulls　who　had　not　been　old　enough

to　remember　him　sidled　up　on　all　fours　to　sniff　at　him；　and

one　bared　his　fangs　and　growled　threateninglyhe　wished

to　put　Tarzan　immediately　into　his　proper　place。　　Had　Tarzan

backed　off；　growling；　the　young　bull　would　quite　probably

have　been　satisfied；　but　always　after　Tarzan's　station　among

his　fellow　apes　would　have　been　beneath　that　of　the　bull

which　had　made　him　step　aside。



But　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　did　not　back　off。　　Instead；　he　swung

his　giant　palm　with　all　the　force　of　his　mighty　muscles；　and；

catching　the　young　bull　alongside　the　head；　sent　him

sprawling　across　the　turf。　　The　ape　was　up　and　at　him　again

in　a　second；　and　this　time　they　closed　with　tearing　fingers

and　rending　fangsor　at　least　that　had　been　the　intention　of

the　young　bull；　but　scarcely　had　they　gone　down；　growling

and　snapping；　than　the　ape…man's　fingers　found　the　throat

of　his　antagonist。



Presently　the　young　bull　ceased　to　struggle；　and　lay　quite　still。

Then　Tarzan　released　his　hold　and　arosehe　did　not　wish　to　kill；

only　to　teach　the　young　ape；　and　others　who　might　be　watching；

that　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　still　master。



The　lesson　served　its　purposethe　young　apes　kept　out

of　his　way；　as　young　apes　should　when　their　betters　were

about；　and　the　old　bulls　made　no　attempt　to　encroach　upon

his　prerogatives。　　For　several　days　the　she…apes　with　young

remained　suspicious　of　him；　and　when　he　ventured　too　near

rushed　upon　him　with　wide　mouths　and　hideous　roars。

Then　Tarzan　discreetly　skipped　out　of　harm's　way；　for

that　also　is　a　custom　among　the　apesonly　mad　bulls　will

attack　a　mother。　　But　after　a　while　even　they　became

accustomed　to　him。



He　hunted　with　them　as　in　days　gone　by；　and　when　they

found　that　his　superior　reason　guided　him　to　the　best　food

sources；　and　that　his　cunning　rope　ensnared　toothsome　game

that　they　seldom　if　ever　tasted；　they　came　again　to　look　up

to　him　as　they　had　in　the　past　after　he　had　become　their　king。

And　so　it　was　that　before　they　left　the　amphitheater　to　return

to　their　wanderings　they　had　once　more　chosen　him　as　their　leader。



The　ape…man　felt　quite　contented　with　his　new　lot。　　He　was

not　happythat　he　never　could　be　again；　but　he　was　at

least　as　far　from　everything　that　might　remind　him　of　his

past　misery　as　he　could　be。　　Long　since　he　had　given　up　every

intention　of　returning　to　civilization；　and　now　he　had　decided

to　see　no　more　his　black　friends　of　the　Waziri。　　He　had

foresworn　humanity　forever。　　He　had　started　life　an　apeas

an　ape　he　would　die。



He　could　not；　however；　erase　from　his　memory　the　fact

that　the　woman　he　loved　was　within　a　short　journey　of　the

stamping…ground　of　his　tribe；　nor　could　he　banish　the

haunting　fear　that　she　might　be　constantly　in　danger。

That　she　was　illy　protected　he　had　seen　in　the　brief

instant　that　had　witnessed　Clayton's　inefficiency。

The　more　Tarzan　thought　of　it；　the　more　keenly　his

conscience　pricked　him。



Finally　he　came　to　loathe　himself　for　permitting　his　own　selfish

sorrow　and　jealousy　to　stand　between　Jane　Porter　and　safety。

As　the　days　passed　the　thing　preyed　more　and　more　upon

his　mind；　and　he　had　about　determined　to　return　to　the

coast　and　place　himself　on　guard　over　Jane　Porter　and

Clayton；　when　news　reached　him　that　altered　all　his　plans

and　sent　him　dashing　madly　toward　the　east　in　reckless

disregard　of　accident　and　death。



Before　Tarzan　had　returned　to　the　tribe；　a　certain　young

bull；　not　being　able　to　secure　a　mate　from　among　his　own

people；　had；　according　to　custom；　fared　forth　through　the

wild　jungle；　like　some　knight…errant　of　old；　to　win　a　fair

lady　from　some　neighboring　community。



He　had　but　just　returned　with　his　bride；　and　was　narrating　his

adventures　quickly　before　he　should　forget　them。　　Among　other

things　he　told　of　seeing　a　great　tribe　of　strange…looking　apes。



〃They　were　all　hairy…faced　bulls　but　one；〃　he　said；　〃and

that　one　was　a　she；　lighter　in　color　even　than　this　stranger；〃

and　he　chucked　a　thumb　at　Tarzan。



The　ape…man　was　all　attention　in　an　instant。　　He　asked

questions　as　rapidly　as　the　slow…witted　anthropoid　could

answer　them。



〃Were　the　bulls　short；　with　crooked　legs？〃



〃They　were。〃



〃Did　they　wear　the　skins　of　Numa　and　Sheeta　about　their

loins；　and　carry　sticks　and　knives？〃



〃They　did。〃



〃And　were　there　many　yellow　rings　about　their　arms　and　legs？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃And　the　she　onewas　she　small　and　slender；　and　very　white？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Did　she　seem　to　be　one　of　the　tribe；　or　was　she　a　prisoner？〃



〃They　dragged　her　alongsometimes　by　an　armsometimes

by　the　long　hair　that　grew　upon　her　head；　and　always　they

kicked　and　beat　her。　　Oh；　but　it　was　great　fun　to　watch　them。〃



〃God！〃　muttered　Tarzan。



〃Where　were　they　when　you　saw　them；　and　which　way

were　they　going？〃　continued　the　ape…man。



〃They　were　beside　the　second　water　back　there；〃　and　he

pointed　to　the　south。　　〃When　they　passed　me　they　were　going

toward　the　morning；　upward　along　the　edge　of　the　water。〃



〃When　was　this？〃　asked　Tarzan。



〃Half　a　moon　since。〃



Without　another　word　the　ape…man　sprang　into　the　trees

and　fled　like　a　disembodied　spirit　eastward　in　the　direction

of　the　forgotten　city　of　Opar。







Chapter　24





How　Tarzan　Came　Again　to　Opar





When　Clayton　returned　to　the　shelter　and　found　Jane　Porter

was　missing；　he　became　frantic　with　fear　and　grief。

He　found　Monsieur　Thuran　quite　rational；　the　fever　having

left　him　with　the　surprising　suddenness　which　is　one

of　its　peculiarities。　　The　Russian；　weak　and　exhausted；

still　lay　upon　his　bed　of　grasses　within　the　shelter。



When　Clayton　asked　him　about　the　girl　he　seemed　surprised

to　know　that　she　was　not　there。



〃I　have　heard　nothing　unusual；〃　he　said。　　〃But　then　I　have

been　unconscious　much　of　the　time。〃



Had　it　not　been　for　the　man's　very　evident　weakness；

Clayton　should　have　suspected　him　of　having　sinister

knowledge　of　the　girl's　whereabouts；　but　he　could　see　that

Thuran　lacked　sufficient　vitality　even　to　descend；　unaided；

from　the　shelter。　　He　could　not；　in　his　present　physical

condition；　have　harmed　the　girl；　nor　could　he　have　climbed

the　rude　ladder　back　to　the　shelter。



Until　dark　the　Englishman　searched　the　nearby　jungle　for　a

trace　of　the　missing　one　or　a　sign　of　the　trail　of　her　abductor。

But　though　the　spoor　left　by　the　fifty　frightful　men；

unversed　in　woodcraft　as　they　were；　would　have　been

as　plain　to　the　densest　denizen　of　the　jungle　as　a　city　street

to　the　Englishman；　yet　he　crossed　and　recrossed　it　twenty

times　without　observing　the　slightest　indication　that　many

men　had　passed　that　way　but　a　few　short　hours　since。



As　he　searched；　Clayton　continued　to　call　the　girl's　name

aloud；　but　the　only　result　of　this　was　to　attract　Numa；

the　lion。　　Fortunately　the　man　saw　the　shadowy　form　worming

its　way　toward　him　in　time　to　climb　into　the　branches　of　a　tree

before　the　beast　was　close　enough　to　reach　him。　　This　put　an

end　to　his　search　for　the　balance　of　the　afternoon；　as　the

lion　paced　back　and　forth　beneath　him　until　dark。



Even　after　the　beast　had　left；　Clayton　dared　not　descend

into　the　awful　blackness　beneath　him；　and　so　he　spent　a

terrifying　and　hideous　night　in　the　tree。　　The　next　morning

he　returned　to　the　beach；　relinquishing　the　last　hope　of

succoring　Jane　Porter。



During　the　week　that　followed；　Monsieur　Thuran　rapidly

regained　his　strength；　lying　in　the　shelter　while　Clayton

hunted　food　for　both。　　The　men　never　spoke　except　as

necessity　demanded。　　Clayton　now　occupied　the　section　of

the　shelter　which　had　been　reserved　for　Jane　Porter；　and

only　saw　the　Russian　when　he　took　food　or　water　to　him；　or

performed　the　other　kindly　offices　which　common　humanity　required。



When　Thuran　was　again　able　to　descend　in　search　of　food；

Clayton　was　stricken　with　fever。　　For　days　he　lay　tossing

in　delirium　and　suffering；　but　not　once　did　the　Russian

come　near　him。　　Food　the　Englishman　could　not　have　eaten；

but　his　craving　for　water　amounted　practically　to　torture。

Between　the　recurrent　attacks　of　delirium；　weak　though　he

was；　he　managed　to　reach　the　brook　once　a　day　and　fill　a　tiny

can　that　had　been　among　the　few　appointments　of　the　lifeboat。



Thuran　watched　him　on　these　occasions　with　an　expression

of　malignant　pleasurehe　seemed　really　to　enjoy　the

suffering　of　the　man　who；　despite　the　just　contempt　in　which

he　held　him；　had　ministered　to　him　to　the　best　of　his

ability　while　he　lay　suffering　the　same　agonies。

At　last　Clayton　became　so　weak　that　he　was　no　longer

able　to　descend　from　the　shelter。　　For　a　day　he　suffered　for

water　without　appealing　to　the　Russian；　but　finally；　unable

to　endure　it　longer；　he　asked　Thuran　to　fetch　him　a　drink。

The　Russian　came　to　the　entrance　to　Clayton's　room；　a

dish　o