tarzan the terrible-第54章
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truth； though he passed several after leaving the deserted alley； no one accosted or detained him； and thus he came at last to the guard of a half…dozen warriors before the palace gate。 These he attempted to pass in the same unconcerned fashion and he might have succeeded had it not been for one who came running rapidly from the direction of the temple shouting： 〃Let no one pass the gates！ The prisoner has escaped from the pal…ul…ja！〃
Instantly a warrior barred his way and simultaneously the fellow recognized him。 〃Xot tor！〃 he exclaimed： 〃Here he is now。 Fall upon him！ Fall upon him！ Back！ Back before I kill you。〃
The others came forward。 It cannot be said that they rushed forward。 If it was their wish to fall upon him there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm other than that which directed their efforts to persuade someone else to fall upon him。 His fame as a fighter had been too long a topic of conversation for the good of the morale of Mo…sar's warriors。 It were safer to stand at a distance and hurl their clubs and this they did； but the ape…man had learned something of the use of this weapon since he had arrived in Pal…ul…don。 And as he learned great had grown his respect for this most primitive of arms。 He had come to realize that the black savages he had known had never appreciated the possibilities of their knob sticks； nor had he； and he had discovered； too； why the Pal…ul…donians had turned their ancient spears into plowshares and pinned their faith to the heavy…ended club alone。 In deadly execution it was far more effective than a spear and it answered； too； every purpose of a shield； combining the two in one and thus reducing the burden of the warrior。 Thrown as they throw it； after the manner of the hammer…throwers of the Olympian games； an ordinary shield would prove more a weakness than a strength while one that would be strong enough to prove a protection would be too heavy to carry。 Only another club； deftly wielded to deflect the course of an enemy missile； is in any way effective against these formidable weapons and； too； the war club of Pal…ul…don can be thrown with accuracy a far greater distance than any spear。
And now was put to the test that which Tarzan had learned from Om…at and Ta…den。 His eyes and his muscles trained by a lifetime of necessity moved with the rapidity of light and his brain functioned with an uncanny celerity that suggested nothing less than prescience； and these things more than compensated for his lack of experience with the war club he handled so dexterously。 Weapon after weapon he warded off and always he moved with a single idea in mindto place himself within reach of one of his antagonists。 But they were wary for they feared this strange creature to whom the superstitious fears of many of them attributed the miraculous powers of deity。 They managed to keep between Tarzan and the gateway and all the time they bawled lustily for reinforcements。 Should these come before he had made his escape the ape…man realized that the odds against him would be unsurmountable； and so he redoubled his efforts to carry out his design。
Following their usual tactics two or three of the warriors were always circling behind him collecting the thrown clubs when Tarzan's attention was directed elsewhere。 He himself retrieved several of them which he hurled with such deadly effect as to dispose of two of his antagonists； but now he heard the approach of hurrying warriors； the patter of their bare feet upon the stone pavement and then the savage cries which were to bolster the courage of their fellows and fill the enemy with fear。
There was no time to lose。 Tarzan held a club in either hand and； swinging one he hurled it at a warrior before him and as the man dodged he rushed in and seized him； at the same time casting his second club at another of his opponents。 The Ho…don with whom he grappled reached instantly for his knife but the ape…man grasped his wrist。 There was a sudden twist； the snapping of a bone and an agonized scream； then the warrior was lifted bodily from his feet and held as a shield between his fellows and the fugitive as the latter backed through the gateway。 Beside Tarzan stood the single torch that lighted the entrance to the palace grounds。 The warriors were advancing to the succor of their fellow when the ape…man raised his captive high above his head and flung him full in the face of the foremost attacker。 The fellow went down and two directly behind him sprawled headlong over their companion as the ape…man seized the torch and cast it back into the palace grounds to be extinguished as it struck the bodies of those who led the charging reinforcements。
In the ensuing darkness Tarzan disappeared in the streets of Tu…lur beyond the palace gate。 For a time he was aware of sounds of pursuit but the fact that they trailed away and died in the direction of Jad…in…lul informed him that they were searching in the wrong direction； for he had turned south out of Tu…lur purposely to throw them off his track。 Beyond the outskirts of the city he turned directly toward the northwest； in which direction lay A…lur。
In his path he knew lay Jad…bal…lul； the shore of which he was compelled to skirt； and there would be a river to cross at the lower end of the great lake upon the shores of which lay A…lur。 What other obstacles lay in his way he did not know but he believed that he could make better time on foot than by attempting to steal a canoe and force his way up stream with a single paddle。 It was his intention to put as much distance as possible between himself and Tu…lur before he slept for he was sure that Mo…sar would not lightly accept his loss； but that with the coming of day； or possibly even before； he would dispatch warriors in search of him。
A mile or two from the city he entered a forest and here at last he felt such a measure of safety as he never knew in open spaces or in cities。 The forest and the jungle were his birthright。 No creature that went upon the ground upon four feet； or climbed among the trees； or crawled upon its belly had any advantage over the ape…man in his native heath。 As myrrh and frankincense were the dank odors of rotting vegetation in the nostrils of the great Tarmangani。 He squared his broad shoulders and lifting his head filled his lungs with the air that he loved best。 The heavy fragrance of tropical blooms； the commingled odors of the myriad…scented life of the jungle went to his head with a pleasurable intoxication far more potent than aught contained in the oldest vintages of civilization。
He took to the trees now； not from necessity but from pure love of the wild freedom that had been denied him so long。 Though it was dark and the forest strange yet he moved with a surety and ease that bespoke more a strange uncanny sense than wondrous skill。 He heard ja moaning somewhere ahead and an owl hooted mournfully to the right of himlong familiar sounds that imparted to him no sense of loneliness as they might to you or to me； but on the contrary one of companionship for they betokened the presence of his fellows of the jungle； and whether friend or foe it was all the same to the ape…man。
He came at last to a little stream at a spot where the trees did not meet above it so he was forced to descend to the ground and wade through the water and upon the opposite shore he stopped as though suddenly his godlike figure had been transmuted from flesh to marble。 Only his dilating nostrils bespoke his pulsing vitality。 For a long moment he stood there thus and then swiftly； but with a caution and silence that were inherent in him he moved forward again； but now his whole attitude bespoke a new urge。 There was a definite and masterful purpose in every movement of those steel muscles rolling softly beneath the smooth brown hide。 He moved now toward a certain goal that quite evidently filled him with far greater enthusiasm than had the possible event of his return to A…lur。
And so he came at last to the foot of a great tree and there he stopped and looked up above him among the foliage where the dim outlines of a roughly rectangular bulk loomed darkly。 There was a choking sensation in Tarzan's throat as he raised himself gently into the branches。 It
