tarzan the terrible-第36章

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Tarzan　nodded。　〃Thank　you　Pan…at…lee；〃　he　said。　〃You　may　have　helped　me　more　than　either　of　us　guess。〃

〃I　hope　that　I　have　helped　you；〃　said　the　girl　as　she　turned　back　toward　the　palace。

〃And　I　hope　so　too；〃　exclaimed　Tarzan　emphatically。



14

The　Temple　of　the　Gryf

WHEN　night　had　fallen　Tarzan　donned　the　mask　and　the　dead　tail　of　the　priest　he　had　slain　in　the　vaults　beneath　the　temple。　He　judged　that　it　would　not　do　to　attempt　again　to　pass　the　guard；　especially　so　late　at　night　as　it　would　be　likely　to　arouse　comment　and　suspicion；　and　so　he　swung　into　the　tree　that　overhung　the　garden　wall　and　from　its　branches　dropped　to　the　ground　beyond。

Avoiding　too　grave　risk　of　apprehension　the　ape…man　passed　through　the　grounds　to　the　court　of　the　palace；　approaching　the　temple　from　the　side　opposite　to　that　at　which　he　had　left　it　at　the　time　of　his　escape。　He　came　thus　it　is　true　through　a　portion　of　the　grounds　with　which　he　was　unfamiliar　but　he　preferred　this　to　the　danger　of　following　the　beaten　track　between　the　palace　apartments　and　those　of　the　temple。　Having　a　definite　goal　in　mind　and　endowed　as　he　was　with　an　almost　miraculous　sense　of　location　he　moved　with　great　assurance　through　the　shadows　of　the　temple　yard。

Taking　advantage　of　the　denser　shadows　close　to　the　walls　and　of　what　shrubs　and　trees　there　were　he　came　without　mishap　at　last　to　the　ornate　building　concerning　the　purpose　of　which　he　had　asked　Lu…don　only　to　be　put　off　with　the　assertion　that　it　was　forgottennothing　strange　in　itself　but　given　possible　importance　by　the　apparent　hesitancy　of　the　priest　to　discuss　its　use　and　the　impression　the　ape…man　had　gained　at　the　time　that　Lu…don　lied。

And　now　he　stood　at　last　alone　before　the　structure　which　was　three　stories　in　height　and　detached　from　all　the　other　temple　buildings。　It　had　a　single　barred　entrance　which　was　carved　from　the　living　rock　in　representation　of　the　head　of　a　gryf；　whose　wide…open　mouth　constituted　the　doorway。　The　head；　hood；　and　front　paws　of　the　creature　were　depicted　as　though　it　lay　crouching　with　its　lower　jaw　on　the　ground　between　its　outspread　paws。　Small　oval　windows；　which　were　likewise　barred；　flanked　the　doorway。

Seeing　that　the　coast　was　clear；　Tarzan　stepped　into　the　darkened　entrance　where　he　tried　the　bars　only　to　discover　that　they　were　ingeniously　locked　in　place　by　some　device　with　which　he　was　unfamiliar　and　that　they　also　were　probably　too　strong　to　be　broken　even　if　he　could　have　risked　the　noise　which　would　have　resulted。　Nothing　was　visible　within　the　darkened　interior　and　so；　momentarily　baffled；　he　sought　the　windows。　Here　also　the　bars　refused　to　yield　up　their　secret；　but　again　Tarzan　was　not　dismayed　since　he　had　counted　upon　nothing　different。

If　the　bars　would　not　yield　to　his　cunning　they　would　yield　to　his　giant　strength　if　there　proved　no　other　means　of　ingress；　but　first　he　would　assure　himself　that　this　latter　was　the　case。　Moving　entirely　around　the　building　he　examined　it　carefully。　There　were　other　windows　but　they　were　similarly　barred。　He　stopped　often　to　look　and　listen　but　he　saw　no　one　and　the　sounds　that　he　heard　were　too　far　away　to　cause　him　any　apprehension。

He　glanced　above　him　at　the　wall　of　the　building。　Like　so　many　of　the　other　walls　of　the　city；　palace；　and　temple；　it　was　ornately　carved　and　there　were　too　the　peculiar　ledges　that　ran　sometimes　in　a　horizontal　plane　and　again　were　tilted　at　an　angle；　giving　ofttimes　an　impression　of　irregularity　and　even　crookedness　to　the　buildings。　It　was　not　a　difficult　wall　to　climb；　at　least　not　difficult　for　the　ape…man。

But　he　found　the　bulky　and　awkward　headdress　a　considerable　handicap　and　so　he　laid　it　aside　upon　the　ground　at　the　foot　of　the　wall。　Nimbly　he　ascended　to　find　the　windows　of　the　second　floor　not　only　barred　but　curtained　within。　He　did　not　delay　long　at　the　second　floor　since　he　had　in　mind　an　idea　that　he　would　find　the　easiest　entrance　through　the　roof　which　he　had　noticed　was　roughly　dome　shaped　like　the　throneroom　of　Ko…tan。　Here　there　were　apertures。　He　had　seen　them　from　the　ground；　and　if　the　construction　of　the　interior　resembled　even　slightly　that　of　the　throneroom；　bars　would　not　be　necessary　upon　these　apertures；　since　no　one　could　reach　them　from　the　floor　of　the　room。

There　was　but　a　single　question：　would　they　be　large　enough　to　admit　the　broad　shoulders　of　the　ape…man。

He　paused　again　at　the　third　floor；　and　here；　in　spite　of　the　hangings；　he　saw　that　the　interior　was　lighted　and　simultaneously　there　came　to　his　nostrils　from　within　a　scent　that　stripped　from　him　temporarily　any　remnant　of　civilization　that　might　have　remained　and　left　him　a　fierce　and　terrible　bull　of　the　jungles　of　Kerchak。　So　sudden　and　complete　was　the　metamorphosis　that　there　almost　broke　from　the　savage　lips　the　hideous　challenge　of　his　kind；　but　the　cunning　brute…mind　saved　him　this　blunder。

And　now　he　heard　voices　withinthe　voice　of　Lu…don　he　could　have　sworn；　demanding。　And　haughty　and　disdainful　came　the　answering　words　though　utter　hopelessness　spoke　in　the　tones　of　this　other　voice　which　brought　Tarzan　to　the　pinnacle　of　frenzy。

The　dome　with　its　possible　apertures　was　forgotten。　Every　consideration　of　stealth　and　quiet　was　cast　aside　as　the　ape…man　drew　back　his　mighty　fist　and　struck　a　single　terrific　blow　upon　the　bars　of　the　small　window　before　him；　a　blow　that　sent　the　bars　and　the　casing　that　held　them　clattering　to　the　floor　of　the　apartment　within。

Instantly　Tarzan　dove　headforemost　through　the　aperture　carrying　the　hangings　of　antelope　hide　with　him　to　the　floor　below。　Leaping　to　his　feet　he　tore　the　entangling　pelt　from　about　his　head　only　to　find　himself　in　utter　darkness　and　in　silence。　He　called　aloud　a　name　that　had　not　passed　his　lips　for　many　weary　months。　〃Jane；　Jane；〃　he　cried；　〃where　are　you？〃　But　there　was　only　silence　in　reply。

Again　and　again　he　called；　groping　with　outstretched　hands　through　the　Stygian　blackness　of　the　room；　his　nostrils　assailed　and　his　brain　tantalized　by　the　delicate　effluvia　that　had　first　assured　him　that　his　mate　had　been　within　this　very　room。　And　he　had　heard　her　dear　voice　combatting　the　base　demands　of　the　vile　priest。　Ah；　if　he　had　but　acted　with　greater　caution！　If　he　had　but　continued　to　move　with　quiet　and　stealth　he　might　even　at　this　moment　be　holding　her　in　his　arms　while　the　body　of　Lu…don；　beneath　his　foot；　spoke　eloquently　of　vengeance　achieved。　But　there　was　no　time　now　for　idle　self…reproaches。

He　stumbled　blindly　forward；　groping　for　he　knew　not　what　till　suddenly　the　floor　beneath　him　tilted　and　he　shot　downward　into　a　darkness　even　more　utter　than　that　above。　He　felt　his　body　strike　a　smooth　surface　and　he　realized　that　he　was　hurtling　downward　as　through　a　polished　chute　while　from　above　there　came　the　mocking　tones　of　a　taunting　laugh　and　the　voice　of　Lu…don　screamed　after　him：　〃Return　to　thy　father；　O　Dor…ul…Otho！〃

The　ape…man　came　to　a　sudden　and　painful　stop　upon　a　rocky　floor。　Directly　before　him　was　an　oval　window　crossed　by　many　bars；　and　beyond　he　saw　the　moonlight　playing　on　the　waters　of　the　blue　lake　below。　Simultaneously　he　was　conscious　of　a　familiar　odor　in　the　air　of　the　chamber；　which　a　quick　glance　revealed　in　the　semidarkness　as　of　considerable　proportion。

It　was　the　faint；　but　unmistakable　odor　of　the　gryf；　and　now　Tarzan　stood　silently　listening。　At　first　he　detected　no　sounds　other　than　those　of　the　city　that　came　to　him　through　the　window　overlooking　the　lake；　but　presently；　faintly；　as　though　from　a　distance　he　heard　the　shuffling　of　padded　feet　along　a　stone　pavement；　and　as　he　listened　he　was　aware　that　the　sound　approached。

Nearer　and　nearer　it　came；　and　now　even　the　breathing　of　the　beast　was　audible。　Evidently　attracted　by　the　noise　of　his　descent　into　its　cavernous　retreat　it　was　approaching　to　investigate。　He　could　not　see　it　but　he　knew　that　it　was　not　far　distant；　and　then；　deafeningly　there　reverberated　through　those　gloomy　corridors　the　mad　bellow　of　the　gryf。

Aware　of　the　poor　eyesight　of　the　beast；　and　his　own　eyes　now　grown　accustomed　to　the　darkness　of　the　cavern；　the　ape…man　sought　to　elude　the　infuriated　charge　whic