tarzan the terrible-第13节
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Cautiously he raised his wrists until he could examine the thongs that confined them。 A grim smile lighted his features。 Instantly he was at work upon the bonds with his strong teeth； but ever a wary eye was upon In…tan； the warrior of Kor…ul…lul。 The last knot had been loosened and Tarzan's hands were free when In…tan turned to cast an appraising eye upon his ward。 He saw that the prisoner's position was changedhe no longer lay upon his back as they had left him； but upon his side and his hands were drawn up against his face。 In…tan came closer and bent down。 The bonds seemed very loose upon the prisoner's wrists。 He extended his hand to examine them with his fingers and instantly the two hands leaped from their bondsone to seize his own wrist； the other his throat。 So unexpected the catlike attack that In…tan had not even time to cry out before steel fingers silenced him。 The creature pulled him suddenly forward so that he lost his balance and rolled over upon the prisoner and to the floor beyond to stop with Tarzan upon his breast。 In…tan struggled to release himselfstruggled to draw his knife； but Tarzan found it before him。 The Waz…don's tail leaped to the other's throat； encircling ithe too could choke； but his own knife； in the hands of his antagonist； severed the beloved member close to its root。
The Waz…don's struggles became weakera film was obscuring his vision。 He knew that he was dying and he was right。 A moment later he was dead。 Tarzan rose to his feet and placed one foot upon the breast of his dead foe。 How the urge seized him to roar forth the victory cry of his kind！ But he dared not。 He discovered that they had not removed his rope from his shoulders and that they had replaced his knife in its sheath。 It had been in his hand when he was felled。 Strange creatures！ He did not know that they held a superstitious fear of the weapons of a dead enemy； believing that if buried without them he would forever haunt his slayers in search of them and that when he found them he would kill the man who killed him。 Against the wall leaned his bow and quiver of arrows。
Tarzan stepped toward the doorway of the cave and looked out。 Night had just fallen。 He could hear voices from the nearer caves and there floated to his nostrils the odor of cooking food。 He looked down and experienced a sensation of relief。 The cave in which he had been held was in the lowest tierscarce thirty feet from the base of the cliff。 He was about to chance an immediate descent when there occurred to him a thought that brought a grin to his savage lipsa thought that was born of the name the Waz…don had given him Tarzan…jad…guruTarzan the Terribleand a recollection of the days when he had delighted in baiting the blacks of the distant jungle of his birth。 He turned back into the cave where lay the dead body of In…tan。 With his knife he severed the warrior's head and carrying it to the outer edge of the recess tossed it to the ground below； then he dropped swiftly and silently down the ladder of pegs in a way that would have surprised the Kor…ul…lul who had been so sure that he could not climb。
At the bottom he picked up the head of In…tan and disappeared among the shadows of the trees carrying the grisly trophy by its shock of shaggy hair。 Horrible？ But you are judging a wild beast by the standards of civilization。 You may teach a lion tricks； but he is still a lion。 Tarzan looked well in a Tuxedo； but he was still a Tarmangani and beneath his pleated shirt beat a wild and savage heart。
Nor was his madness lacking in method。 He knew that the hearts of the Kor…ul…lul would be filled with rage when they discovered the thing that he had done and he knew too； that mixed with the rage would be a leaven of fear and it was fear of him that had made Tarzan master of many junglesone does not win the respect of the killers with bonbons。
Below the village Tarzan returned to the foot of the cliff searching for a point where he could make the ascent to the ridge and thus back to the village of Om…at； the Kor…ul…ja。 He came at last to a place where the river ran so close to the rocky wall that he was forced to swim it in search of a trail upon the opposite side and here it was that his keen nostrils detected a familiar spoor。 It was the scent of Pan…at…lee at the spot where she had emerged from the pool and taken to the safety of the jungle。
Immediately the ape…man's plans were changed。 Pan…at…lee lived； or at least she had lived after the leap from the cliff's summit。 He had started in search of her for Om…at； his friend； and for Om…at he would continue upon the trail he had picked up thus fortuitously by accident。 It led him into the jungle and across the gorge and then to the point at which Pan…at…lee had commenced the ascent of the opposite cliffs。 Here Tarzan abandoned the head of In…tan； tying it to the lower branch of a tree； for he knew that it would handicap him in his ascent of the steep escarpment。 Apelike he ascended； following easily the scent spoor of Pan…at…lee。 Over the summit and across the ridge the trail lay； plain as a printed page to the delicate senses of the jungle…bred tracker。
Tarzan knew naught of the Kor…ul…gryf。 He had seen； dimly in the shadows of the night； strange； monstrous forms and Ta…den and Om…at had spoken of great creatures that all men feared； but always； everywhere； by night and by day； there were dangers。 From infancy death had stalked； grim and terrible； at his heels。 He knew little of any other existence。 To cope with danger was his life and he lived his life as simply and as naturally as you live yours amidst the dangers of the crowded city streets。 The black man who goes abroad in the jungle by night is afraid； for he has spent his life since infancy surrounded by numbers of his own kind and safeguarded； especially at night； by such crude means as lie within his powers。 But Tarzan had lived as the lion lives and the panther and the elephant and the apea true jungle creature dependent solely upon his prowess and his wits； playing a lone hand against creation。 Therefore he was surprised at nothing and feared nothing and so he walked through the strange night as undisturbed and unapprehensive as the farmer to the cow lot in the darkness before the dawn。
Once more Pan…at…lee's trail ended at the verge of a cliff； but this time there was no indication that she had leaped over the edge and a moment's search revealed to Tarzan the stone pegs upon which she had made her descent。 As he lay upon his belly leaning over the top of the cliff examining the pegs his attention was suddenly attracted by something at the foot of the cliff。 He could not distinguish its identity； but he saw that it moved and presently that it was ascending slowly； apparently by means of pegs similar to those directly below him。 He watched it intently as it rose higher and higher until he was able to distinguish its form more clearly； with the result that he became convinced that it more nearly resembled some form of great ape than a lower order。 It had a tail； though； and in other respects it did not seem a true ape。
Slowly it ascended to the upper tier of caves； into one of which it disappeared。 Then Tarzan took up again the trail of Pan…at…lee。 He followed it down the stone pegs to the nearest cave and then further along the upper tier。 The ape…man raised his eyebrows when he saw the direction in which it led； and quickened his pace。 He had almost reached the third cave when the echoes of Kor…ul…gryf were awakened by a shrill scream of terror。
6
The Tor…o…don
PAN…AT…LEE sleptthe troubled sleep； of physical and nervous exhaustion； filled with weird dreamings。 She dreamed that she slept beneath a great tree in the bottom of the Kor…ul…gryf and that one of the fearsome beasts was creeping upon her but she could not open her eyes nor move。 She tried to scream but no sound issued from her lips。 She felt the thing touch her throat； her breast； her arm； and there it closed and seemed to be dragging her toward it。 With a super…human effort of will she opened her eyes。 In the instant she knew that she was dreaming and that quickly the hallucination of the dream would fadeit had happened to her many times before。 But it persisted。 In the dim light that filtered into the dark chamber she saw a form beside her； she felt hairy fingers upon her and a hairy breast against which she was being drawn。 Jad…ben…Otho！ this was no dream。 And then she screamed and tried to fight the thing from her； but her scream was answered by a low growl and another hairy hand seized her by the hair of the head。 The beast rose now upon its hind legs and dragged her from the cave to the moonlit recess without and at the same instant she saw the figure of what she took to be a Ho…don rise above the outer edge of the niche。
The beast that held her saw it too and growled ominously but it did not relinquish its hold upon her hair。 It crouched as though waiting an attack； and it increased the volume and frequency of its growls until the horrid sounds reverberated through the gorge； drowning even the deep bellowings of the beasts below； whose mighty thunderings had broken out anew with the sudden commotion from the high…flung cave。 The beast that held her crouched an
