tarzan the terrible-第30节

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ng　in　the　light　of　the　western　sun。

〃There　is　Tarzan…jad…guru；〃　he　said；　and　Jar…don　understood。



13

The　Masquerader

AS　TARZAN　dropped　to　the　ground　beyond　the　temple　wall　there　was　in　his　mind　no　intention　to　escape　from　the　City　of　A…lur　until　he　had　satisfied　himself　that　his　mate　was　not　a　prisoner　there；　but　how；　in　this　strange　city　in　which　every　man's　hand　must　be　now　against　him；　he　was　to　live　and　prosecute　his　search　was　far　from　clear　to　him。

There　was　only　one　place　of　which　he　knew　that　he　might　find　even　temporary　sanctuary　and　that　was　the　Forbidden　Garden　of　the　king。　There　was　thick　shrubbery　in　which　a　man　might　hide；　and　water　and　fruits。　A　cunning　jungle　creature；　if　he　could　reach　the　spot　unsuspected；　might　remain　concealed　there　for　a　considerable　time；　but　how　he　was　to　traverse　the　distance　between　the　temple　grounds　and　the　garden　unseen　was　a　question　the　seriousness　of　which　he　fully　appreciated。

〃Mighty　is　Tarzan；〃　he　soliloquized；　〃in　his　native　jungle；　but　in　the　cities　of　man　he　is　little　better　than　they。〃

Depending　upon　his　keen　observation　and　sense　of　location　he　felt　safe　in　assuming　that　he　could　reach　the　palace　grounds　by　means　of　the　subterranean　corridors　and　chambers　of　the　temple　through　which　he　had　been　conducted　the　day　before；　nor　any　slightest　detail　of　which　had　escaped　his　keen　eyes。　That　would　be　better；　he　reasoned；　than　crossing　the　open　grounds　above　where　his　pursuers　would　naturally　immediately　follow　him　from　the　temple　and　quickly　discover　him。

And　so　a　dozen　paces　from　the　temple　wall　he　disappeared　from　sight　of　any　chance　observer　above；　down　one　of　the　stone　stairways　that　led　to　the　apartments　beneath。　The　way　that　he　had　been　conducted　the　previous　day　had　followed　the　windings　and　turnings　of　numerous　corridors　and　apartments；　but　Tarzan；　sure　of　himself　in　such　matters；　retraced　the　route　accurately　without　hesitation。

He　had　little　fear　of　immediate　apprehension　here　since　he　believed　that　all　the　priests　of　the　temple　had　assembled　in　the　court　above　to　witness　his　trial　and　his　humiliation　and　his　death；　and　with　this　idea　firmly　implanted　in　his　mind　he　rounded　the　turn　of　the　corridor　and　came　face　to　face　with　an　under　priest；　his　grotesque　headdress　concealing　whatever　emotion　the　sight　of　Tarzan　may　have　aroused。

However；　Tarzan　had　one　advantage　over　the　masked　votary　of　Jad…ben…Otho　in　that　the　moment　he　saw　the　priest　he　knew　his　intention　concerning　him；　and　therefore　was　not　compelled　to　delay　action。　And　so　it　was　that　before　the　priest　could　determine　on　any　suitable　line　of　conduct　in　the　premises　a　long；　keen　knife　had　been　slipped　into　his　heart。

As　the　body　lunged　toward　the　floor　Tarzan　caught　it　and　snatched　the　headdress　from　its　shoulders；　for　the　first　sight　of　the　creature　had　suggested　to　his　ever…alert　mind　a　bold　scheme　for　deceiving　his　enemies。

The　headdress　saved　from　such　possible　damage　as　it　must　have　sustained　had　it　fallen　to　the　floor　with　the　body　of　its　owner；　Tarzan　relinquished　his　hold　upon　the　corpse；　set　the　headdress　carefully　upon　the　floor　and　stooping　down　severed　the　tail　of　the　Ho…don　close　to　its　root。　Near　by　at　his　right　was　a　small　chamber　from　which　the　priest　had　evidently　just　emerged　and　into　this　Tarzan　dragged　the　corpse；　the　headdress；　and　the　tail。

Quickly　cutting　a　thin　strip　of　hide　from　the　loin　cloth　of　the　priest；　Tarzan　tied　it　securely　about　the　upper　end　of　the　severed　member　and　then　tucking　the　tail　under　his　loin　cloth　behind　him；　secured　it　in　place　as　best　he　could。　Then　he　fitted　the　headdress　over　his　shoulders　and　stepped　from　the　apartment；　to　all　appearances　a　priest　of　the　temple　of　Jad…ben…Otho　unless　one　examined　too　closely　his　thumbs　and　his　great　toes。

He　had　noticed　that　among　both　the　Ho…don　and　the　Waz…don　it　was　not　at　all　unusual　that　the　end　of　the　tail　be　carried　in　one　hand；　and　so　he　caught　his　own　tail　up　thus　lest　the　lifeless　appearance　of　it　dragging　along　behind　him　should　arouse　suspicion。

Passing　along　the　corridor　and　through　the　various　chambers　he　emerged　at　last　into　the　palace　grounds　beyond　the　temple。　The　pursuit　had　not　yet　reached　this　point　though　he　was　conscious　of　a　commotion　not　far　behind　him。　He　met　now　both　warriors　and　slaves　but　none　gave　him　more　than　a　passing　glance；　a　priest　being　too　common　a　sight　about　the　palace。

And　so；　passing　the　guards　unchallenged；　he　came　at　last　to　the　inner　entrance　to　the　Forbidden　Garden　and　there　he　paused　and　scanned　quickly　that　portion　of　the　beautiful　spot　that　lay　before　his　eyes。　To　his　relief　it　seemed　unoccupied　and　congratulating　himself　upon　the　ease　with　which　he　had　so　far　outwitted　the　high　powers　of　A…lur　he　moved　rapidly　to　the　opposite　end　of　the　enclosure。　Here　he　found　a　patch　of　flowering　shrubbery　that　might　safely　have　concealed　a　dozen　men。

Crawling　well　within　he　removed　the　uncomfortable　headdress　and　sat　down　to　await　whatever　eventualities　fate　might　have　in　store　for　him　the　while　he　formulated　plans　for　the　future。　The　one　night　that　he　had　spent　in　A…lur　had　kept　him　up　to　a　late　hour；　apprising　him　of　the　fact　that　while　there　were　few　abroad　in　the　temple　grounds　at　night；　there　were　yet　enough　to　make　it　possible　for　him　to　fare　forth　under　cover　of　his　disguise　without　attracting　the　unpleasant　attention　of　the　guards；　and；　too；　he　had　noticed　that　the　priesthood　constituted　a　privileged　class　that　seemed　to　come　and　go　at　will　and　unchallenged　throughout　the　palace　as　well　as　the　temple。　Altogether　then；　he　decided；　night　furnished　the　most　propitious　hours　for　his　investigationby　day　he　could　lie　up　in　the　shrubbery　of　the　Forbidden　Garden；　reasonably　free　from　detection。　From　beyond　the　garden　he　heard　the　voices　of　men　calling　to　one　another　both　far　and　near；　and　he　guessed　that　diligent　was　the　search　that　was　being　prosecuted　for　him。

The　idle　moments　afforded　him　an　opportunity　to　evolve　a　more　satisfactory　scheme　for　attaching　his　stolen　caudal　appendage。　He　arranged　it　in　such　a　way　that　it　might　be　quickly　assumed　or　discarded；　and　this　done　he　fell　to　examining　the　weird　mask　that　had　so　effectively　hidden　his　features。

The　thing　had　been　very　cunningly　wrought　from　a　single　block　of　wood；　very　probably　a　section　of　a　tree；　upon　which　the　features　had　been　carved　and　afterward　the　interior　hollowed　out　until　only　a　comparatively　thin　shell　remained。　Two…semicircular　notches　had　been　rounded　out　from　opposite　sides　of　the　lower　edge。　These　fitted　snugly　over　his　shoulders；　aprons　of　wood　extending　downward　a　few　inches　upon　his　chest　and　back。　From　these　aprons　hung　long　tassels　or　switches　of　hair　tapering　from　the　outer　edges　toward　the　center　which　reached　below　the　bottom　of　his　torso。　It　required　but　the　most　cursory　examination　to　indicate　to　the　ape…man　that　these　ornaments　consisted　of　human　scalps；　taken；　doubtless；　from　the　heads　of　the　sacrifices　upon　the　eastern　altars。　The　headdress　itself　had　been　carved　to　depict　in　formal　design　a　hideous　face　that　suggested　both　man　and　gryf。　There　were　the　three　white　horns；　the　yellow　face　with　the　blue　bands　encircling　the　eyes　and　the　red　hood　which　took　the　form　of　the　posterior　and　anterior　aprons。

As　Tarzan　sat　within　the　concealing　foliage　of　the　shrubbery　meditating　upon　the　hideous　priest…mask　which　he　held　in　his　hands　he　became　aware　that　he　was　not　alone　in　the　garden。　He　sensed　another　presence　and　presently　his　trained　ears　detected　the　slow　approach　of　naked　feet　across　the　sward。　At　first　he　suspected　that　it　might　be　one　stealthily　searching　the　Forbidden　Garden　for　him　but　a　little　later　the　figure　came　within　the　limited　area　of　his　vision　which　was　circumscribed　by　stems　and　foliage　and　flowers。　He　saw　then　that　it　was　the　princess　O…lo…a　and　that　she　was　alone　and　walking　with　bowed　head　as　though　in　meditationsorrowful　meditation　for　there　were　traces　of　tears　upon　her　lids。

Shortly　after　his　ears　warned　him　that　others　had　entered　the　gardenmen　they　were　and　their　footsteps　proclaimed　that　they　walked　neither　slowly　nor　meditatively。　They　came　directly　toward　the　princess　and　when　Tarzan　could　see　them　he　discovered　that　both　were　priests。

〃O…lo…a；　Princess　of　Pal…ul…don；〃　said　one；　addressing　her；　〃the　stranger　who　told　us　that　he　was　the　son　of　Jad…ben…Otho　has　but　just　fled　from　the　wrath　of　Lu…don；　the　high　priest；　who　exposed　him　and　all　his　wicked　blasphemy。　The　temple；　and　the　palace；　and　the　city　are　being　searched　and　we　have　been　sent　to　search　the　Forbidden　Garden；　since　Ko…tan；　the　king；　said　that　only　this　morning　he　found　him　here；　though　how　he　passed　the　guards　he　could　not　guess。〃

〃He　is　not　here；〃　said　O…lo…a。　〃I　have　been　in　the　garden　for　some　time　and　have　seen　nor　heard　no　other　than　myself。　However；　search　it　if　you　will。〃

〃No；〃　said　the　priest　who　had　before　spoken；　〃it　is　not　necessary　since　he　could　not　have　entered　without　your　knowledge　and　the　connivance　of　the　guards；　and　even　had　he；　the　priest　who　preceded　us　must　have　seen　him。〃

〃What　priest？〃　asked　O…lo…a。

〃One　passed　the　guards　shortly　before　us；〃　explained　the　man。

〃I　did　not　see　him；〃　said　O…lo…a。

〃Doubtless　he　left　by　another　ex