tarzan the terrible-第19节
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rush or pierce the armor…coated hide with his little knife。 The thing was almost upon him now and whatever form of defense he chose must be made quickly。 There seemed but a single alternative to instant death； and this he took at almost the instant the great reptile towered directly above him。
With the celerity of a seal he dove headforemost beneath the oncoming body and at the same instant； turning upon his back； he plunged his blade into the soft； cold surface of the slimy belly as the momentum of the hurtling reptile carried it swiftly over him； and then with powerful strokes he swam on beneath the surface for a dozen yards before he rose。 A glance showed him the stricken monster plunging madly in pain and rage upon the surface of the water behind him。 That it was writhing in its death agonies was evidenced by the fact that it made no effort to pursue him； and so； to the accompaniment of the shrill screaming of the dying monster； the man won at last to the farther edge of the open water to take up once more the almost superhuman effort of crossing the last stretch of clinging mud which separated him from the solid ground of Pal…ul…don。
A good two hours it took him to drag his now weary body through the clinging； stinking muck； but at last； mud covered and spent； he dragged himself out upon the soft grasses of the bank。 A hundred yards away a stream； winding its way down from the distant mountains； emptied into the morass； and； after a short rest； he made his way to this and seeking a quiet pool； bathed himself and washed the mud and slime from his weapons； accouterments； and loin cloth。 Another hour was spent beneath the rays of the hot sun in wiping； polishing； and oiling his Enfield though the means at hand for drying it consisted principally of dry grasses。 It was afternoon before he had satisfied himself that his precious weapon was safe from any harm by dirt； or dampness； and then he arose and took up the search for the spoor he had followed to the opposite side of the swamp。
Would he find again the trail that had led into the opposite side of the morass； to be lost there； even to his trained senses？ If he found it not again upon this side of the almost impassable barrier he might assume that his long journey had ended in failure。 And so he sought up and down the verge of the stagnant water for traces of an old spoor that would have been invisible to your eyes or mine； even had we followed directly in the tracks of its maker。
As Tarzan advanced upon the gryfs he imitated as closely as he could recall them the methods and mannerisms of the Tor…o…don； but up to the instant that he stood close beside one of the huge creatures he realized that his fate still hung in the balance； for the thing gave forth no sign； either menacing or otherwise。 It only stood there； watching him out of its cold； reptilian eyes and then Tarzan raised his staff and with a menacing 〃Whee…oo！〃 struck the gryf a vicious blow across the face。
The creature made a sudden side snap in his direction； a snap that did not reach him； and then turned sullenly away； precisely as it had when the Tor…o…don commanded it。 Walking around to its rear as he had seen the shaggy first…man do； Tarzan ran up the broad tail and seated himself upon the creature's back； and then again imitating the acts of the Tor…o…don he prodded it with the sharpened point of his staff； and thus goading it forward and guiding it with blows； first upon one side and then upon the other； he started it down the gorge in the direction of the valley。
At first it had been in his mind only to determine if he could successfully assert any authority over the great monsters； realizing that in this possibility lay his only hope of immediate escape from his jailers。 But once seated upon the back of his titanic mount the ape…man experienced the sensation of a new thrill that recalled to him the day in his boyhood that he had first clambered to the broad head of Tantor； the elephant； and this； together with the sense of mastery that was always meat and drink to the lord of the jungle； decided him to put his newly acquired power to some utilitarian purpose。
Pan…at…lee he judged must either have already reached safety or met with death。 At least； no longer could he be of service to her； while below Kor…ul…gryf； in the soft green valley； lay A…lur； the City of Light； which； since he had gazed upon it from the shoulder of Pastar…ul…ved； had been his ambition and his goal。
Whether or not its gleaming walls held the secret of his lost mate he could not even guess but if she lived at all within the precincts of Pal…ul…don it must be among the Ho…don； since the hairy black men of this forgotten world took no prisoners。 And so to A…lur he would go； and how more effectively than upon the back of this grim and terrible creature that the races of Pal…ul…don held in such awe？
A little mountain stream tumbles down from Kor…ul…gryf to be joined in the foothills with that which empties the waters of Kor…ul…lul into the valley； forming a small river which runs southwest； eventually entering the valley's largest lake at the City of A…lur； through the center of which the stream passes。 An ancient trail； well marked by countless generations of naked feet of man and beast； leads down toward A…lur beside the river； and along this Tarzan guided the gryf。 Once clear of the forest which ran below the mouth of the gorge； Tarzan caught occasional glimpses of the city gleaming in the distance far below him。
The country through which he passed was resplendent with the riotous beauties of tropical verdure。 Thick； lush grasses grew waist high upon either side of the trail and the way was broken now and again by patches of open park…like forest； or perhaps a little patch of dense jungle where the trees overarched the way and trailing creepers depended in graceful loops from branch to branch。
At times the ape…man had difficulty in commanding obedience upon the part of his unruly beast； but always in the end its fear of the relatively puny goad urged it on to obedience。 Late in the afternoon as they approached the confluence of the stream they were skirting and another which appeared to come from the direction of Kor…ul…ja the ape…man； emerging from one of the jungle patches； discovered a considerable party of Ho…don upon the opposite bank。 Simultaneously they saw him and the mighty creature he bestrode。 For a moment they stood in wide…eyed amazement and then； in answer to the command of their leader； they turned and bolted for the shelter of the nearby wood。
The ape…man had but a brief glimpse of them but it was sufficient indication that there were Waz…don with them； doubtless prisoners taken in one of the raids upon the Waz…don villages of which Ta…den and Om…at had told him。
At the sound of their voices the gryf had bellowed terrifically and started in pursuit even though a river intervened； but by dint of much prodding and beating； Tarzan had succeeded in heading the animal back into the path though thereafter for a long time it was sullen and more intractable than ever。
As the sun dropped nearer the summit of the western hills Tarzan became aware that his plan to enter A…lur upon the back of a gryf was likely doomed to failure； since the stubbornness of the great beast was increasing momentarily； doubtless due to the fact that its huge belly was crying out for food。 The ape…man wondered if the Tor…o…dons had any means of picketing their beasts for the night； but as he did not know and as no plan suggested itself； he determined that he should have to trust to the chance of finding it again in the morning。
There now arose in his mind a question as to what would be their relationship when Tarzan had dismounted。 Would it again revert to that of hunter and quarry or would fear of the goad continue to hold its supremacy over the natural instinct of the hunting flesh…eater？ Tarzan wondered but as he could not remain upon the gryf forever； and as he preferred dismounting and putting the matter to a final test while it was still light； he decided to act at once。
How to stop the creature he did not know； as up to this time his sole desire had been to urge it forward。 By experimenting with his staff； however； he found that he could bring it to a halt by reaching forward and striking the thing upon its beaklike snout。 Close by grew a number of leafy trees； in any one of which the ape…man could have found sanctuary； but it had occurred to him that should he immediately take to the trees it might suggest to the mind of the gryf that the creature that had been commanding him all day feared him； with the result that Tarzan would once again be held a prisoner by the triceratops。
And so； when the gryf halted； Tarzan slid to the ground； struck the creature a careless blow across the flank as though in dismissal and walked indifferently away。 From the throat of the beast came a low rumbling sound and without even a glance at Tarzan it turned and entered the river where it stood drinking for a long time。
Convinced that the gryf no longer constituted a menace to him the ape…man； spurred on himself by the gnawing of hunger； unslung his bow and selecting a handful of arrows set forth cautiously in search of foo
