tarzan and the jewels of opar-第19章

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had　pierced　the　great　lungs；　and　Buto；　with　victory

almost　in　sight；　succumbed　to　internal　hemorrhage。



Then　Tarzan　came　down　from　his　sanctuary　and　as　the

wounded　lions；　growling；　dragged　themselves　away；　the

ape…man　cut　his　spear　from　the　body　of　Buto；　hacked　off

a　steak　and　vanished　into　the　jungle。　　The　episode　was

over。　　It　had　been　all　in　the　day's　worksomething

which　you　and　I　might　talk　about　for　a　lifetime　Tarzan

dismissed　from　his　mind　the　moment　that　the　scene

passed　from　his　sight。







12



La　Seeks　Vengeance





Swinging　back　through　the　jungle　in　a　wide　circle　the

ape…man　came　to　the　river　at　another　point；　drank　and

took　to　the　trees　again　and　while　he　hunted；　all

oblivious　of　his　past　and　careless　of　his　future；　there

came　through　the　dark　jungles　and　the　open；　parklike

places　and　across　the　wide　meadows；　where　grazed　the

countless　herbivora　of　the　mysterious　continent；　a

weird　and　terrible　caravan　in　search　of　him。　　There

were　fifty　frightful　men　with　hairy　bodies　and　gnarled

and　crooked　legs。　　They　were　armed　with　knives　and

great　bludgeons　and　at　their　head　marched　an　almost

naked　woman；　beautiful　beyond　compare。　　It　was　La　of

Opar；　High　Priestess　of　the　Flaming　God；　and　fifty　of

her　horrid　priests　searching　for　the　purloiner　of　the

sacred　sacrificial　knife。



Never　before　had　La　passed　beyond　the　crumbling　outer

walls　of　Opar；　but　never　before　had　need　been　so

insistent。　　The　sacred　knife　was　gone！　　Handed　down

through　countless　ages　it　had　come　to　her　as　a　heritage

and　an　insignia　of　her　religious　office　and　regal

authority　from　some　long…dead　progenitor　of　lost　and

forgotten　Atlantis。　　The　loss　of　the　crown　jewels　or

the　Great　Seal　of　England　could　have　brought　no　greater

consternation　to　a　British　king　than　did　the　pilfering

of　the　sacred　knife　bring　to　La；　the　Oparian；　Queen　and

High　Priestess　of　the　degraded　remnants　of　the　oldest

civilization　upon　earth。　　When　Atlantis；　with　all　her

mighty　cities　and　her　cultivated　fields　and　her　great

commerce　and　culture　and　riches　sank　into　the　sea　long

ages　since；　she　took　with　her　all　but　a　handful　of　her

colonists　working　the　vast　gold　mines　of　Central

Africa。　　From　these　and　their　degraded　slaves　and　a

later　intermixture　of　the　blood　of　the　anthropoids

sprung　the　gnarled　men　of　Opar；　but　by　some　queer　freak

of　fate；　aided　by　natural　selection；　the　old　Atlantean

strain　had　remained　pure　and　undegraded　in　the　females

descended　from　a　single　princess　of　the　royal　house　of

Atlantis　who　had　been　in　Opar　at　the　time　of　the　great

catastrophe。　　Such　was　La。



Burning　with　white…hot　anger　was　the　High　Priestess；

her　heart　a　seething；　molten　mass　of　hatred　for　Tarzan

of　the　Apes。　　The　zeal　of　the　religious　fanatic　whose

altar　has　been　desecrated　was　triply　enhanced　by　the

rage　of　a　woman　scorned。　　Twice　had　she　thrown　her

heart　at　the　feet　of　the　godlike　ape…man　and　twice　had

she　been　repulsed。　　La　knew　that　she　was　beautifuland

she　was　beautiful；　not　by　the　standards　of　prehistoric

Atlantis　alone；　but　by　those　of　modern　times　was　La

physically　a　creature　of　perfection。　　Before　Tarzan

came　that　first　time　to　Opar；　La　had　never　seen　a　human

male　other　than　the　grotesque　and　knotted　men　of　her

clan。　　With　one　of　these　she　must　mate　sooner　or　later

that　the　direct　line　of　high　priestesses　might　not　be

broken；　unless　Fate　should　bring　other　men　to　Opar。

Before　Tarzan　came　upon　his　first　visit；　La　had　had　no

thought　that　such　men　as　he　existed；　for　she　knew　only

her　hideous　little　priests　and　the　bulls　of　the　tribe

of　great　anthropoids　that　had　dwelt　from　time

immemorial　in　and　about　Opar；　until　they　had　come　to　be

looked　upon　almost　as　equals　by　the　Oparians。　　Among

the　legends　of　Opar　were　tales　of　godlike　men　of　the

olden　time　and　of　black　men　who　had　come　more　recently；

but　these　latter　had　been　enemies　who　killed　and

robbed。　　And；　too；　these　legends　always　held　forth　the

hope　that　some　day　that　nameless　continent　from　which

their　race　had　sprung；　would　rise　once　more　out　of　the

sea　and　with　slaves　at　the　long　sweeps　would　send　her

carven；　gold…picked　galleys　forth　to　succor　the

long…exiled　colonists。



The　coming　of　Tarzan　had　aroused　within　La's　breast　the

wild　hope　that　at　last　the　fulfillment　of　this　ancient

prophecy　was　at　hand；　but　more　strongly　still　had　it

aroused　the　hot　fires　of　love　in　a　heart　that　never

otherwise　would　have　known　the　meaning　of　that

all…consuming　passion；　for　such　a　wondrous　creature　as

La　could　never　have　felt　love　for　any　of　the　repulsive

priests　of　Opar。　　Custom；　duty　and　religious　zeal　might

have　commanded　the　union；　but　there　could　have　been　no

love　on　La's　part。　　She　had　grown　to　young　womanhood　a

cold　and　heartless　creature；　daughter　of　a　thousand

other　cold；　heartless；　beautiful　women　who　had　never

known　love。　　And　so　when　love　came　to　her　it　liberated

all　the　pent　passions　of　a　thousand　generations；

transforming　La　into　a　pulsing；　throbbing　volcano　of

desire；　and　with　desire　thwarted　this　great　force　of

love　and　gentleness　and　sacrifice　was　transmuted　by　its

own　fires　into　one　of　hatred　and　revenge。



It　was　in　a　state　of　mind　superinduced　by　these

conditions　that　La　led　forth　her　jabbering　company　to

retrieve　the　sacred　emblem　of　her　high　office　and　wreak

vengeance　upon　the　author　of　her　wrongs。　　To　Werper　she

gave　little　thought。　　The　fact　that　the　knife　had　been

in　his　hand　when　it　departed　from　Opar　brought　down　no

thoughts　of　vengeance　upon　his　head。　　Of　course；　he

should　be　slain　when　captured；　but　his　death　would　give

La　no　pleasureshe　looked　for　that　in　the　contemplated

death　agonies　of　Tarzan。　　He　should　be　tortured。

His　should　be　a　slow　and　frightful　death。　　His　punishment

should　be　adequate　to　the　immensity　of　his　crime。

He　had　wrested　the　sacred　knife　from　La；　he　had　lain

sacreligious　hands　upon　the　High　Priestess　of　the

Flaming　God；　he　had　desecrated　the　altar　and　the

temple。　　For　these　things　he　should　die；　but　he　had

scorned　the　love　of　La；　the　woman；　and　for　this　he

should　die　horribly　with　great　anguish。



The　march　of　La　and　her　priests　was　not　without　its

adventures。　　Unused　were　these　to　the　ways　of　the

jungle；　since　seldom　did　any　venture　forth　from　behind

Opar's　crumbling　walls；　yet　their　very　numbers

protected　them　and　so　they　came　without　fatalities　far

along　the　trail　of　Tarzan　and　Werper。　　Three　great　apes

accompanied　them　and　to　these　was　delegated　the

business　of　tracking　the　quarry；　a　feat　beyond　the

senses　of　the　Oparians。　　La　commanded。　　She　arranged

the　order　of　march；　she　selected　the　camps；　she　set　the

hour　for　halting　and　the　hour　for　resuming　and　though

she　was　inexperienced　in　such　matters；　her　native

intelligence　was　so　far　above　that　of　the　men　or　the

apes　that　she　did　better　than　they　could　have　done。

She　was　a　hard　taskmaster；　too；　for　she　looked　down

with　loathing　and　contempt　upon　the　misshapen　creatures

amongst　which　cruel　Fate　had　thrown　her　and　to　some

extent　vented　upon　them　her　dissatisfaction　and　her

thwarted　love。　　She　made　them　build　her　a　strong

protection　and　shelter　each　night　and　keep　a　great　fire

burning　before　it　from　dusk　to　dawn。　　When　she　tired　of

walking　they　were　forced　to　carry　her　upon　an

improvised　litter；　nor　did　one　dare　to　question　her

authority　or　her　right　to　such　services。　　In　fact　they

did　not　question　either。　　To　them　she　was　a　goddess　and

each　loved　her　and　each　hoped　that　he　would　be　chosen

as　her　mate；　so　they　slaved　for　her　and　bore　the

stinging　lash　of　her　displeasure　and　the　habitually

haughty　disdain　of　her　manner　without　a　murmur。



For　many　days　they　marched；　the　apes　following　the

trail　easily　and　going　a　little　distance　ahead　of　the

body　of　the　caravan　that　they　might　warn　the　others　of

impending　danger。　　It　was　during　a　noonday　halt　while

all　were　lying　resting　after　a　tiresome　march　tha