the return of tarzan-第7节

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crouching　to　charge　its　author。



〃What　has　happened　here？〃　asked　one　of　the　policemen。



Tarzan　explained　briefly；　but　when　he　turned　to　the　woman

for　confirmation　of　his　statement　he　was　appalled　by　her　reply。



〃He　lies！〃　she　screamed　shrilly；　addressing　the　policeman。

〃He　came　to　my　room　while　I　was　alone；　and　for　no　good

purpose。　　When　I　repulsed　him　he　would　have　killed　me　had

not　my　screams　attracted　these　gentlemen；　who　were　passing

the　house　at　the　time。　　He　is　a　devil；　monsieurs；　alone　he　has

all　but　killed　ten　men　with　his　bare　hands　and　his　teeth。〃



So　shocked　was　Tarzan　by　her　ingratitude　that　for　a　moment

he　was　struck　dumb。　　The　police　were　inclined　to　be　a　little

skeptical；　for　they　had　had　other　dealings　with　this

same　lady　and　her　lovely　coterie　of　gentlemen　friends。

However；　they　were　policemen；　not　judges；　so　they　decided　to

place　all　the　inmates　of　the　room　under　arrest；　and　let　another；

whose　business　it　was；　separate　the　innocent　from　the　guilty。



But　they　found　that　it　was　one　thing　to　tell　this　well…

dressed　young　man　that　he　was　under　arrest；　but　quite

another　to　enforce　it。



〃I　am　guilty　of　no　offense；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃I　have　but

sought　to　defend　myself。　　I　do　not　know　why　the　woman　has

told　you　what　she　has。　　She　can　have　no　enmity　against　me；

for　never　until　I　came　to　this　room　in　response　to　her　cries

for　help　had　I　seen　her。〃



〃Come；　come；〃　said　one　of　the　officers；　〃there　are　judges

to　listen　to　all　that；〃　and　he　advanced　to　lay　his　hand　upon

Tarzan's　shoulder。　　An　instant　later　he　lay　crumpled　in　a

corner　of　the　room；　and　then；　as　his　comrades　rushed　in　upon

the　ape…man；　they　experienced　a　taste　of　what　the　apaches

had　but　recently　gone　through。　　So　quickly　and　so　roughly

did　he　handle　them　that　they　had　not　even　an　opportunity

to　draw　their　revolvers。



During　the　brief　fight　Tarzan　had　noted　the　open　window

and；　beyond；　the　stem　of　a　tree；　or　a　telegraph　polehe

could　not　tell　which。　　As　the　last　officer　went　down；　one　of

his　fellows　succeeded　in　drawing　his　revolver　and；　from

where　he　lay　on　the　floor；　fired　at　Tarzan。　　The　shot　missed；

and　before　the　man　could　fire　again　Tarzan　had　swept　the

lamp　from　the　mantel　and　plunged　the　room　into　darkness。



The　next　they　saw　was　a　lithe　form　spring　to　the　sill　of

the　open　window　and　leap；　panther…like；　onto　the　pole　across

the　walk。　　When　the　police　gathered　themselves　together　and

reached　the　street　their　prisoner　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。



They　did　not　handle　the　woman　and　the　men　who　had

not　escaped　any　too　gently　when　they　took　them　to　the

station；　they　were　a　very　sore　and　humiliated　detail　of　police。

It　galled　them　to　think　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　report

that　a　single　unarmed　man　had　wiped　the　floor　with　the

whole　lot　of　them；　and　then　escaped　them　as　easily　as

though　they　had　not　existed。



The　officer　who　had　remained　in　the　street　swore　that　no

one　had　leaped　from　the　window　or　left　the　building　from

the　time　they　entered　until　they　had　come　out。　　His　comrades

thought　that　he　lied；　but　they　could　not　prove　it。



When　Tarzan　found　himself　clinging　to　the　pole　outside　the

window；　he　followed　his　jungle　instinct　and　looked　below　for

enemies　before　he　ventured　down。　　It　was　well　he　did；　for

just　beneath　stood　a　policeman。　　Above；　Tarzan　saw　no　one；

so　he　went　up　instead　of　down。



The　top　of　the　pole　was　opposite　the　roof　of　the　building；

so　it　was　but　the　work　of　an　instant　for　the　muscles　that

had　for　years　sent　him　hurtling　through　the　treetops　of　his

primeval　forest　to　carry　him　across　the　little　space　between

the　pole　and　the　roof。　　From　one　building　he　went　to　another；

and　so　on；　with　much　climbing；　until　at　a　cross　street　he

discovered　another　pole；　down　which　he　ran　to　the　ground。



For　a　square　or　two　he　ran　swiftly；　then　he　turned　into　a

little　all…night　cafe　and　in　the　lavatory　removed　the

evidences　of　his　over…roof　promenade　from　hands　and　clothes。

When　he　emerged　a　few　moments　later　it　was　to　saunter

slowly　on　toward　his　apartments。



Not　far　from　them　he　came　to　a　well…lighted　boulevard　which

it　was　necessary　to　cross。　　As　he　stood　directly　beneath

a　brilliant　arc　light；　waiting　for　a　limousine　that　was

approaching　to　pass　him；　he　heard　his　name　called　in　a　sweet

feminine　voice。　　Looking　up；　he　met　the　smiling　eyes　of　Olga　de

Coude　as　she　leaned　forward　upon　the　back　seat　of　the　machine。

He　bowed　very　low　in　response　to　her　friendly　greeting。

When　he　straightened　up　the　machine　had　borne　her　away。



〃Rokoff　and　the　Countess　de　Coude　both　in　the　same

evening；〃　he　soliloquized；　〃Paris　is　not　so　large；　after　all。〃







Chapter　4





The　Countess　Explains





〃Your　Paris　is　more　dangerous　than　my　savage　jungles；

Paul；〃　concluded　Tarzan；　after　narrating　his　adventures

to　his　friend　the　morning　following　his　encounter　with

the　apaches　and　police　in　the　Rue　Maule。　　〃Why　did　they

lure　me　there？　　Were　they　hungry？〃



D'Arnot　feigned　a　horrified　shudder；　but　he　laughed　at　the

quaint　suggestion。



〃It　is　difficult　to　rise　above　the　jungle　standards　and　reason

by　the　light　of　civilized　ways；　is　it　not；　my　friend？〃　he

queried　banteringly。



〃Civilized　ways；　forsooth；〃　scoffed　Tarzan。　　〃Jungle　standards

do　not　countenance　wanton　atrocities。　　There　we　kill　for

food　and　for　self…preservation；　or　in　the　winning　of　mates

and　the　protection　of　the　young。　　Always；　you　see；　in

accordance　with　the　dictates　of　some　great　natural　law。

But　here！　　Faugh；　your　civilized　man　is　more　brutal　than

the　brutes。　　He　kills　wantonly；　and；　worse　than　that；　he

utilizes　a　noble　sentiment；　the　brotherhood　of　man；　as　a

lure　to　entice　his　unwary　victim　to　his　doom。　　It　was　in

answer　to　an　appeal　from　a　fellow　being　that　I　hastened

to　that　room　where　the　assassins　lay　in　wait　for　me。



〃I　did　not　realize；　I　could　not　realize　for　a　long　time

afterward；　that　any　woman　could　sink　to　such　moral　depravity

as　that　one　must　have　to　call　a　would…be　rescuer　to　death。

But　it　must　have　been　sothe　sight　of　Rokoff　there　and

the　woman's　later　repudiation　of　me　to　the　police　make

it　impossible　to　place　any　other　construction　upon　her　acts。

Rokoff　must　have　known　that　I　frequently　passed　through

the　Rue　Maule。　　He　lay　in　wait　for　mehis　entire　scheme

worked　out　to　the　last　detail；　even　to　the　woman's　story　in

case　a　hitch　should　occur　in　the　program　such　as　really　did

happen。　　It　is　all　perfectly　plain　to　me。〃



〃Well；〃　said　D'Arnot；　〃among　other　things；　it　has　taught

you　what　I　have　been　unable　to　impress　upon　youthat

the　Rue　Maule　is　a　good　place　to　avoid　after　dark。〃



〃On　the　contrary；〃　replied　Tarzan；　with　a　smile；　〃it　has

convinced　me　that　it　is　the　one　worth…while　street　in　all

Paris。　　Never　again　shall　I　miss　an　opportunity　to　traverse　it；

for　it　has　given　me　the　first　real　entertainment　I　have　had

since　I　left　Africa。〃



〃It　may　give　you　more　than　you　will　relish　even　without

another　visit；〃　said　D'Arnot。　　〃You　are　not　through　with　the

police　yet；　remember。　　I　know　the　Paris　police　well　enough

to　assure　you　that　they　will　not　soon　forget　what　you　did

to　them。　　Sooner　or　later　they　will　get　you；　my　dear　Tarzan；

and　then　they　will　lock　the　wild　man　of　the　woods　up　behind

iron　bars。　　How　will　you　like　that？〃



〃They　will　never　lock　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　behind　iron　bars；〃

replied　he；　grimly。



There　was　something　in　the　man's　voice　as　he　said　it　that

caused　D'Arnot　to　look　up　sharply　at　his　friend。　　What　he

saw　in　the　set　jaw　and　the　cold；　gray　eyes　made　the　young

Frenchman　very　apprehensive　for　this　great　child；　who　could

recognize　no　law　mightier　than　his　own　mighty　physical

prowess。　　He　saw　that　something　must　be　done　to　set　Tarzan

right　with　the　police　before　another　encounter　was　possible。



〃You　have　much　to　learn；　Tarzan；〃　he　said　gravely。　　〃The

law　of　man　must　be　respected；　whether　you　relish　it　or　no。

Nothing　but　trouble　can　come　to　you　and　your　friends

should　you　persist　in　defying　the　police。　　I　can　explain　it　to

them　once　for　you；　and　that　I　shall　do　this　very　day；　but

hereafter　you　must　obey　the　law。　　If　its　representatives　say

‘Come；'　you　must　come；　if　they　say　‘Go；'　you　must　go。

Now　we　shall　go　to　my　great　friend　in　the　department　and

fix　up　this　matter　of　the　Rue　Maule。　　Come！〃



Together　they　entered　the　office　of　the　police　official　a　half

hour　later。　　He　was　very　cordial。　　He　remembered　Tarzan　from

the　visit　the　two　had　made　him　several　months　prior　in　the

matter　of　finger　prints。



When　D'Arnot　had　concluded　the　narration　of　the　events

which　had　transpired　the　previous　evening；　a　grim　smile　was

playing　about　the　lips　of　the　policeman。　　He　touched　a　button

near　his　hand；　and　as　he　waited　for　the　clerk　to　respond　to

its　summons　he　searched　through　the　papers　on　his　desk

for　one　which　he　finally　located。



〃Here；　Joubon；〃　he　sai