tarzan and the jewels of opar-第24节

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author　of　the　call。



A　half　hour　later　they　returned；　dragging　Mugambi　among

them。　　The　first　person　the　big　black's　eyes　fell　upon

as　he　was　hustled　into　the　presence　of　the　Abyssinian

officer；　was　M。　Jules　Frecoult；　the　Frenchman　who　had

been　the　guest　of　his　master　and　whom　he　last　had　seen

entering　the　village　of　Achmet　Zek　under　circumstances

which　pointed　to　his　familiarity　and　friendship　for　the

raiders。



Between　the　disasters　that　had　befallen　his　master　and

his　master's　house；　and　the　Frenchman；　Mugambi　saw　a

sinister　relationship；　which　kept　him　from　recalling　to

Werper's　attention　the　identity　which　the　latter

evidently　failed　to　recognize。



Pleading　that　he　was　but　a　harmless　hunter　from　a　tribe

farther　south；　Mugambi　begged　to　be　allowed　to　go　upon

his　way；　but　Abdul　Mourak；　admiring　the　warrior's

splendid　physique；　decided　to　take　him　back　to　Adis

Abeba　and　present　him　to　Menelek。　　A　few　moments　later

Mugambi　and　Werper　were　marched　away　under　guard；　and

the　Belgian　learned　for　the　first　time；　that　he　too　was

a　prisoner　rather　than　a　guest。　　In　vain　he　protested

against　such　treatment；　until　a　strapping　soldier

struck　him　across　the　mouth　and　threatened　to　shoot　him

if　he　did　not　desist。



Mugambi　took　the　matter　less　to　heart；　for　he　had　not

the　slightest　doubt　but　that　during　the　course　of　the

journey　he　would　find　ample　opportunity　to　elude　the

vigilance　of　his　guards　and　make　good　his　escape。

With　this　idea　always　uppermost　in　his　mind；　he　courted

the　good　opinion　of　the　Abyssinians；　asked　them　many

questions　about　their　emperor　and　their　country；　and

evinced　a　growing　desire　to　reach　their　destination；

that　he　might　enjoy　all　the　good　things　which　they

assured　him　the　city　of　Adis　Abeba　contained。　　Thus　he

disarmed　their　suspicions；　and　each　day　found　a　slight

relaxation　of　their　watchfulness　over　him。



By　taking　advantage　of　the　fact　that　he　and　Werper

always　were　kept　together；　Mugambi　sought　to　learn　what

the　other　knew　of　the　whereabouts　of　Tarzan；　or　the

authorship　of　the　raid　upon　the　bungalow；　as　well　as

the　fate　of　Lady　Greystoke；　but　as　he　was　confined　to

the　accidents　of　conversation　for　this　information；　not

daring　to　acquaint　Werper　with　his　true　identity；　and

as　Werper　was　equally　anxious　to　conceal　from　the　world

his　part　in　the　destruction　of　his　host's　home　and

happiness；　Mugambi　learned　nothingat　least　in　this　way。



But　there　came　a　time　when　he　learned　a　very　surprising

thing；　by　accident。



The　party　had　camped　early　in　the　afternoon　of　a　sultry

day；　upon　the　banks　of　a　clear　and　beautiful　stream。

The　bottom　of　the　river　was　gravelly；　there　was　no

indication　of　crocodiles；　those　menaces　to　promiscuous

bathing　in　the　rivers　of　certain　portions　of　the　dark

continent；　and　so　the　Abyssinians　took　advantage　of　the

opportunity　to　perform　long…deferred；　and　much　needed；

ablutions。



As　Werper；　who；　with　Mugambi；　had　been　given　permission

to　enter　the　water；　removed　his　clothing；　the　black

noted　the　care　with　which　he　unfastened　something　which

circled　his　waist；　and　which　he　took　off　with　his

shirt；　keeping　the　latter　always　around　and　concealing

the　object　of　his　suspicious　solicitude。



It　was　this　very　carefulness　which　attracted　the

black's　attention　to　the　thing；　arousing　a　natural

curiosity　in　the　warrior's　mind；　and　so　it　chanced　that

when　the　Belgian；　in　the　nervousness　of　overcaution；

fumbled　the　hidden　article　and　dropped　it；　Mugambi　saw

it　as　it　fell　upon　the　ground；　spilling　a　portion　of

its　contents　on　the　sward。



Now　Mugambi　had　been　to　London　with　his　master。

He　was　not　the　unsophisticated　savage　that　his　apparel

proclaimed　him。　　He　had　mingled　with　the　cosmopolitan

hordes　of　the　greatest　city　in　the　world；　he　had

visited　museums　and　inspected　shop　windows；　and；

besides；　he　was　a　shrewd　and　intelligent　man。



The　instant　that　the　jewels　of　Opar　rolled；

scintillating；　before　his　astonished　eyes；　he

recognized　them　for　what　they　were；　but　he　recognized

something　else；　too；　that　interested　him　far　more

deeply　than　the　value　of　the　stones。　A　thousand　times

he　had　seen　the　leathern　pouch　which　dangled　at　his

master's　side；　when　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　had；　in　a　spirit

of　play　and　adventure；　elected　to　return　for　a　few

hours　to　the　primitive　manners　and　customs　of　his

boyhood；　and　surrounded　by　his　naked　warriors　hunt　the

lion　and　the　leopard；　the　buffalo　and　the　elephant

after　the　manner　he　loved　best。



Werper　saw　that　Mugambi　had　seen　the　pouch　and　the

stones。　　Hastily　he　gathered　up　the　precious　gems　and

returned　them　to　their　container；　while　Mugambi；

assuming　an　air　of　indifference；　strolled　down　to　the

river　for　his　bath。



The　following　morning　Abdul　Mourak　was　enraged　and

chagrined　to　discover　that　this　huge；　black　prisoner

had　escaped　during　the　night；　while　Werper　was

terrified　for　the　same　reason；　until　his　trembling

fingers　discovered　the　pouch　still　in　its　place　beneath

his　shirt；　and　within　it　the　hard　outlines　of　its

contents。







16



Tarzan　Again　Leads　the　Mangani





Achmet　Zek　with　two　of　his　followers　had　circled　far　to

the　south　to　intercept　the　flight　of　his　deserting

lieutenant；　Werper。　　Others　had　spread　out　in　various

directions；　so　that　a　vast　circle　had　been　formed　by

them　during　the　night；　and　now　they　were　beating　in

toward　the　center。



Achmet　and　the　two　with　him　halted　for　a　short　rest

just　before　noon。　　They　squatted　beneath　the　trees　upon

the　southern　edge　of　a　clearing。　　The　chief　of　the

raiders　was　in　ill　humor。　　To　have　been　outwitted　by　an

unbeliever　was　bad　enough；　but　to　have；　at　the　same

time；　lost　the　jewels　upon　which　he　had　set　his

avaricious　heart　was　altogether　too　muchAllah　must；

indeed　be　angry　with　his　servant。



Well；　he　still　had　the　woman。　　She　would　bring　a　fair

price　in　the　north；　and　there　was；　too；　the　buried

treasure　beside　the　ruins　of　the　Englishman's　house。



A　slight　noise　in　the　jungle　upon　the　opposite　side　of

the　clearing　brought　Achmet　Zek　to　immediate　and　alert

attention。　　He　gathered　his　rifle　in　readiness　for

instant　use；　at　the　same　time　motioning　his　followers

to　silence　and　concealment。　　Crouching　behind　the

bushes　the　three　waited；　their　eyes　fastened　upon　the

far　side　of　the　open　space。



Presently　the　foliage　parted　and　a　woman's　face

appeared；　glancing　fearfully　from　side　to　side。

A　moment　later；　evidently　satisfied　that　no　immediate

danger　lurked　before　her；　she　stepped　out　into　the

clearing　in　full　view　of　the　Arab。



Achmet　Zek　caught　his　breath　with　a　muttered

exclamation　of　incredulity　and　an　imprecation。

The　woman　was　the　prisoner　he　had　thought　safely　guarded

at　his　camp！



Apparently　she　was　alone；　but　Achmet　Zek　waited　that　he

might　make　sure　of　it　before　seizing　her。　　Slowly　Jane

Clayton　started　across　the　clearing。　　Twice　already

since　she　had　quitted　the　village　of　the　raiders　had

she　barely　escaped　the　fangs　of　carnivora；　and　once　she

had　almost　stumbled　into　the　path　of　one　of　the

searchers。　　Though　she　was　almost　despairing　of　ever

reaching　safety　she　still　was　determined　to　fight　on；

until　death　or　success　terminated　her　endeavors。



As　the　Arabs　watched　her　from　the　safety　of　their

concealment；　and　Achmet　Zek　noted　with　satisfaction

that　she　was　walking　directly　into　his　clutches；

another　pair　of　eyes　looked　down　upon　the　entire　scene

from　the　foliage　of　an　adjacent　tree。



Puzzled；　troubled　eyes　they　were；　for　all　their　gray

and　savage　glint；　for　their　owner　was　struggling　with

an　intangible　suggestion　of　the　familiarity　of　the　face

and　figure　of　the　woman　below　him。



A　sudden　crashing　of　the　bushes　at　the　point　from　which

Jane　Clayton　had　emerged　into　the　clearing　brought　her

to　a　sudden　stop　and　attracted　the　attention　of　the

Arabs　and　the　watcher　in　the　tree　to　the　same　point。



The　woman　wheeled　about　to　see　what　new　danger　menaced

her　from　behind；　and　as　she　did　so　a　great；　anthropoid

ape　waddled　into　view。　　Behind　him　came　another　and

another；　but　Lady　Greystoke　did　not　wait　to　learn　how

many　more　of　the　hideous　creatures　were　so　close　upon

her　trail。



With　a　smothered　scream　she　rushed　toward　the　opposite

jungle；　and　as　she　reached　the　bushes　there；　Achmet　Zek

and　his　two　henchmen　rose　up　and　seized　her。　　At　the

same　instant　a　naked；　brown　giant　dropped　from　the

branches　of　a　tree　at　the　right　of　the　clearing。



Turning　toward　the　astonished　apes　he　gave　voice　to　a

short　volley　of　low　gutturals；　and　without　waiting　to

note　the　effect　of　his　words　upon　them；　wheeled　and

charged　for　the　Arabs。



Achmet　Zek　was　dragging　Jane　Clayton　toward　his

tethered　horse。　　His　two　men　were　hastily　unfastening

all　three　mounts。　　The　woman；　struggling　to　escape　the

Arab；　turned　and　saw　the　ape…man　running　toward　her。

A　glad　light