tarzan the terrible-第1章

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Tarzan　the　Terrible

by　Edgar　Rice　Burroughs




CHAPTER
　　　　I　The　Pithecanthropus
　　　II　〃To　the　Death！〃
　　III　Pan…at…lee
　　　IV　Tarzan…jad…guru
　　　　V　In　the　Kor…ul…gryf
　　　VI　The　Tor…o…don
　　VII　Jungle　Craft
　VIII　A…lur
　　　IX　Blood…Stained　Altars
　　　　X　The　Forbidden　Garden
　　　XI　The　Sentence　of　Death
　　XII　The　Giant　Stranger
　XIII　The　Masquerader
　　XIV　The　Temple　of　the　Gryf
　　　XV　〃The　King　Is　Dead！〃
　　XVI　The　Secret　Way
　XVII　By　Jad…bal…lul
XVIII　The　Lion　Pit　of　Tu…lur
　　XIX　Diana　of　the　Jungle
　　　XX　Silently　in　the　Night
　　XXI　The　Maniac
　XXII　A　Journey　on　a　Gryf
XXIII　Taken　Alive
　XXIV　The　Messenger　of　Death
　　XXV　Home
　　　　　　Glossary




1

The　Pithecanthropus

SILENT　as　the　shadows　through　which　he　moved；　the　great　beast　slunk　through　the　midnight　jungle；　his　yellow…green　eyes　round　and　staring；　his　sinewy　tail　undulating　behind　him；　his　head　lowered　and　flattened；　and　every　muscle　vibrant　to　the　thrill　of　the　hunt。　The　jungle　moon　dappled　an　occasional　clearing　which　the　great　cat　was　always　careful　to　avoid。　Though　he　moved　through　thick　verdure　across　a　carpet　of　innumerable　twigs；　broken　branches；　and　leaves；　his　passing　gave　forth　no　sound　that　might　have　been　apprehended　by　dull　human　ears。

Apparently　less　cautious　was　the　hunted　thing　moving　even　as　silently　as　the　lion　a　hundred　paces　ahead　of　the　tawny　carnivore；　for　instead　of　skirting　the　moon…splashed　natural　clearings　it　passed　directly　across　them；　and　by　the　tortuous　record　of　its　spoor　it　might　indeed　be　guessed　that　it　sought　these　avenues　of　least　resistance；　as　well　it　might；　since；　unlike　its　grim　stalker；　it　walked　erect　upon　two　feetit　walked　upon　two　feet　and　was　hairless　except　for　a　black　thatch　upon　its　head；　its　arms　were　well　shaped　and　muscular；　its　hands　powerful　and　slender　with　long　tapering　fingers　and　thumbs　reaching　almost　to　the　first　joint　of　the　index　fingers。　Its　legs　too　were　shapely　but　its　feet　departed　from　the　standards　of　all　races　of　men；　except　possibly　a　few　of　the　lowest　races；　in　that　the　great　toes　protruded　at　right　angles　from　the　foot。

Pausing　momentarily　in　the　full　light　of　the　gorgeous　African　moon　the　creature　turned　an　attentive　ear　to　the　rear　and　then；　his　head　lifted；　his　features　might　readily　have　been　discerned　in　the　moonlight。　They　were　strong；　clean　cut；　and　regularfeatures　that　would　have　attracted　attention　for　their　masculine　beauty　in　any　of　the　great　capitals　of　the　world。　But　was　this　thing　a　man？　It　would　have　been　hard　for　a　watcher　in　the　trees　to　have　decided　as　the　lion's　prey　resumed　its　way　across　the　silver　tapestry　that　Luna　had　laid　upon　the　floor　of　the　dismal　jungle；　for　from　beneath　the　loin　cloth　of　black　fur　that　girdled　its　thighs　there　depended　a　long　hairless；　white　tail。

In　one　hand　the　creature　carried　a　stout　club；　and　suspended　at　its　left　side　from　a　shoulder　belt　was　a　short；　sheathed　knife；　while　a　cross　belt　supported　a　pouch　at　its　right　hip。　Confining　these　straps　to　the　body　and　also　apparently　supporting　the　loin　cloth　was　a　broad　girdle　which　glittered　in　the　moonlight　as　though　encrusted　with　virgin　gold；　and　was　clasped　in　the　center　of　the　belly　with　a　huge　buckle　of　ornate　design　that　scintillated　as　with　precious　stones。

Closer　and　closer　crept　Numa；　the　lion；　to　his　intended　victim；　and　that　the　latter　was　not　entirely　unaware　of　his　danger　was　evidenced　by　the　increasing　frequency　with　which　he　turned　his　ear　and　his　sharp　black　eyes　in　the　direction　of　the　cat　upon　his　trail。　He　did　not　greatly　increase　his　speed；　a　long　swinging　walk　where　the　open　places　permitted；　but　he　loosened　the　knife　in　its　scabbard　and　at　all　times　kept　his　club　in　readiness　for　instant　action。

Forging　at　last　through　a　narrow　strip　of　dense　jungle　vegetation　the　man…thing　broke　through　into　an　almost　treeless　area　of　considerable　extent。　For　an　instant　he　hesitated；　glancing　quickly　behind　him　and　then　up　at　the　security　of　the　branches　of　the　great　trees　waving　overhead；　but　some　greater　urge　than　fear　or　caution　influenced　his　decision　apparently；　for　he　moved　off　again　across　the　little　plain　leaving　the　safety　of　the　trees　behind　him。　At　greater　or　less　intervals　leafy　sanctuaries　dotted　the　grassy　expanse　ahead　of　him　and　the　route　he　took；　leading　from　one　to　another；　indicated　that　he　had　not　entirely　cast　discretion　to　the　winds。　But　after　the　second　tree　had　been　left　behind　the　distance　to　the　next　was　considerable；　and　it　was　then　that　Numa　walked　from　the　concealing　cover　of　the　jungle　and；　seeing　his　quarry　apparently　helpless　before　him；　raised　his　tail　stiffly　erect　and　charged。

Two　monthstwo　long；　weary　months　filled　with　hunger；　with　thirst；　with　hardships；　with　disappointment；　and；　greater　than　all；　with　gnawing　painhad　passed　since　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　learned　from　the　diary　of　the　dead　German　captain　that　his　wife　still　lived。　A　brief　investigation　in　which　he　was　enthusiastically　aided　by　the　Intelligence　Department　of　the　British　East　African　Expedition　revealed　the　fact　that　an　attempt　had　been　made　to　keep　Lady　Jane　in　hiding　in　the　interior；　for　reasons　of　which　only　the　German　High　Command　might　be　cognizant。

In　charge　of　Lieutenant　Obergatz　and　a　detachment　of　native　German　troops　she　had　been　sent　across　the　border　into　the　Congo　Free　State。

Starting　out　alone　in　search　of　her；　Tarzan　had　succeeded　in　finding　the　village　in　which　she　had　been　incarcerated　only　to　learn　that　she　had　escaped　months　before；　and　that　the　German　officer　had　disappeared　at　the　same　time。　From　there　on　the　stories　of　the　chiefs　and　the　warriors　whom　he　quizzed；　were　vague　and　often　contradictory。　Even　the　direction　that　the　fugitives　had　taken　Tarzan　could　only　guess　at　by　piecing　together　bits　of　fragmentary　evidence　gleaned　from　various　sources。

Sinister　conjectures　were　forced　upon　him　by　various　observations　which　he　made　in　the　village。　One　was　incontrovertible　proof　that　these　people　were　man…eaters；　the　other；　the　presence　in　the　village　of　various　articles　of　native　German　uniforms　and　equipment。　At　great　risk　and　in　the　face　of　surly　objection　on　the　part　of　the　chief；　the　ape…man　made　a　careful　inspection　of　every　hut　in　the　village　from　which　at　least　a　little　ray　of　hope　resulted　from　the　fact　that　he　found　no　article　that　might　have　belonged　to　his　wife。

Leaving　the　village　he　had　made　his　way　toward　the　southwest；　crossing；　after　the　most　appalling　hardships；　a　vast　waterless　steppe　covered　for　the　most　part　with　dense　thorn；　coming　at　last　into　a　district　that　had　probably　never　been　previously　entered　by　any　white　man　and　which　was　known　only　in　the　legends　of　the　tribes　whose　country　bordered　it。　Here　were　precipitous　mountains；　well…watered　plateaus；　wide　plains；　and　vast　swampy　morasses；　but　neither　the　plains；　nor　the　plateaus；　nor　the　mountains　were　accessible　to　him　until　after　weeks　of　arduous　effort　he　succeeded　in　finding　a　spot　where　he　might　cross　the　morassesa　hideous　stretch　infested　by　venomous　snakes　and　other　larger　dangerous　reptiles。　On　several　occasions　he　glimpsed　at　distances　or　by　night　what　might　have　been　titanic　reptilian　monsters；　but　as　there　were　hippopotami；　rhinoceri；　and　elephants　in　great　numbers　in　and　about　the　marsh　he　was　never　positive　that　the　forms　he　saw　were　not　of　these。

When　at　last　he　stood　upon　firm　ground　after　crossing　the　morasses　he　realized　why　it　was　that　for　perhaps　countless　ages　this　territory　had　defied　the　courage　and　hardihood　of　the　heroic　races　of　the　outer　world　that　had；　after　innumerable　reverses　and　unbelievable　suffering　penetrated　to　practically　every　other　region；　from　pole　to　pole。

From　the　abundance　and　diversity　of　the　game　it　might　have　appeared　that　every　known　species　of　bird　and　beast　and　reptile　had　sought　here　a　refuge　wherein　they　might　take　their　last　stand　against　the　encroaching　multitudes　of　men　that　had　steadily　spread　themselves　over　the　surface　of　the　earth；　wresting　the　hunting　grounds　from　the　lower　orders；　from　the　moment　that　the　first　ape　shed　his　hair　and　ceased　to　walk　upon　his　knuckles。　Even　the　species　with　which　Tarzan　was　familiar　showed　here　either　the　results　of　a　divergent　line　of　evolution　or　an