tarzan and the jewels of opar-第28章

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all　three　mounts。　　The　woman；　struggling　to　escape　the

Arab；　turned　and　saw　the　ape…man　running　toward　her。

A　glad　light　of　hope　illuminated　her　face。



〃John！〃　she　cried。　　〃Thank　God　that　you　have　come　in　time。〃



Behind　Tarzan　came　the　great　apes；　wondering；　but

obedient　to　his　summons。　　The　Arabs　saw　that　they　would

not　have　time　to　mount　and　make　their　escape　before　the

beasts　and　the　man　were　upon　them。　　Achmet　Zek

recognized　the　latter　as　the　redoubtable　enemy　of　such

as　he；　and　he　saw；　too；　in　the　circumstance　an

opportunity　to　rid　himself　forever　of　the　menace　of　the

ape…man's　presence。



Calling　to　his　men　to　follow　his　example　he　raised　his

rifle　and　leveled　it　upon　the　charging　giant。　　His

followers；　acting　with　no　less　alacrity　than　himself；

fired　almost　simultaneously；　and　with　the　reports　of

the　rifles；　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　and　two　of　his　hairy

henchmen　pitched　forward　among　the　jungle　grasses。



The　noise　of　the　rifle　shots　brought　the　balance　of　the

apes　to　a　wondering　pause；　and；　taking　advantage　of

their　momentary　distraction；　Achmet　Zek　and　his　fellows

leaped　to　their　horses'　backs　and　galloped　away　with

the　now　hopeless　and　grief…stricken　woman。



Back　to　the　village　they　rode；　and　once　again　Lady

Greystoke　found　herself　incarcerated　in　the　filthy；

little　hut　from　which　she　had　thought　to　have　escaped

for　good。　　But　this　time　she　was　not　only　guarded　by　an

additional　sentry；　but　bound　as　well。



Singly　and　in　twos　the　searchers　who　had　ridden　out

with　Achmet　Zek　upon　the　trail　of　the　Belgian；　returned

empty　handed。　　With　the　report　of　each　the　raider's

rage　and　chagrin　increased；　until　he　was　in　such　a

transport　of　ferocious　anger　that　none　dared　approach

him。　　Threatening　and　cursing；　Achmet　Zek　paced　up　and

down　the　floor　of　his　silken　tent；　but　his　temper

served　him　naughtWerper　was　gone　and　with　him　the

fortune　in　scintillating　gems　which　had　aroused　the

cupidity　of　his　chief　and　placed　the　sentence　of　death

upon　the　head　of　the　lieutenant。



With　the　escape　of　the　Arabs　the　great　apes　had　turned

their　attention　to　their　fallen　comrades。　　One　was

dead；　but　another　and　the　great　white　ape　still

breathed。　　The　hairy　monsters　gathered　about　these　two；

grumbling　and　muttering　after　the　fashion　of　their　kind。



Tarzan　was　the　first　to　regain　consciousness。　　Sitting

up；　he　looked　about　him。　　Blood　was　flowing　from　a

wound　in　his　shoulder。　　The　shock　had　thrown　him　down

and　dazed　him；　but　he　was　far　from　dead。　　Rising　slowly

to　his　feet　he　let　his　eyes　wander　toward　the　spot

where　last　he　had　seen　the　she；　who　had　aroused　within

his　savage　breast　such　strange　emotions。



〃Where　is　she？〃　he　asked。



〃The　Tarmangani　took　her　away；〃　replied　one　of　the　apes。

〃Who　are　you　who　speak　the　language　of　the　Mangani？〃



〃I　am　Tarzan；〃　replied　the　ape…man；　〃mighty　hunter；

greatest　of　fighters。　　When　I　roar；　the　jungle　is

silent　and　trembles　with　terror。　　I　am　Tarzan　of　the

Apes。　　I　have　been　away；　but　now　I　have　come　back　to　my

people。〃



〃Yes；〃　spoke　up　an　old　ape；　〃he　is　Tarzan。　　I　know　him。

It　is　well　that　he　has　come　back。　　Now　we　shall　have

good　hunting。〃



The　other　apes　came　closer　and　sniffed　at　the　ape…man。

Tarzan　stood　very　still；　his　fangs　half　bared；　and　his

muscles　tense　and　ready　for　action；　but　there　was　none

there　to　question　his　right　to　be　with　them；　and

presently；　the　inspection　satisfactorily　concluded；　the

apes　again　returned　their　attention　to　the　other　survivor。



He　too　was　but　slightly　wounded；　a　bullet；　grazing　his

skull；　having　stunned　him；　so　that　when　he　regained

consciousness　he　was　apparently　as　fit　as　ever。



The　apes　told　Tarzan　that　they　had　been　traveling

toward　the　east　when　the　scent　spoor　of　the　she　had

attracted　them　and　they　had　stalked　her。　　Now　they

wished　to　continue　upon　their　interrupted　march；　but

Tarzan　preferred　to　follow　the　Arabs　and　take　the　woman

from　them。　　After　a　considerable　argument　it　was

decided　that　they　should　first　hunt　toward　the　east　for

a　few　days　and　then　return　and　search　for　the　Arabs；

and　as　time　is　of　little　moment　to　the　ape　folk；　Tarzan

acceded　to　their　demands；　he；　himself；　having　reverted

to　a　mental　state　but　little　superior　to　their　own。



Another　circumstance　which　decided　him　to　postpone

pursuit　of　the　Arabs　was　the　painfulness　of　his　wound。

It　would　be　better　to　wait　until　that　had　healed　before

he　pitted　himself　again　against　the　guns　of　the

Tarmangani。



And　so；　as　Jane　Clayton　was　pushed　into　her　prison　hut

and　her　hands　and　feet　securely　bound；　her　natural

protector　roamed　off　toward　the　east　in　company　with　a

score　of　hairy　monsters；　with　whom　he　rubbed　shoulders

as　familiarly　as　a　few　months　before　he　had　mingled

with　his　immaculate　fellow…members　of　one　of　London's

most　select　and　exclusive　clubs。



But　all　the　time　there　lurked　in　the　back　of　his

injured　brain　a　troublesome　conviction　that　he　had　no

business　where　he　wasthat　he　should　be；　for　some

unaccountable　reason；　elsewhere　and　among　another　sort

of　creature。　　Also；　there　was　the　compelling　urge　to　be

upon　the　scent　of　the　Arabs；　undertaking　the　rescue　of

the　woman　who　had　appealed　so　strongly　to　his　savage

sentiments；　though　the　thought…word　which　naturally

occurred　to　him　in　the　contemplation　of　the　venture；

was　〃capture；〃　rather　than　〃rescue。〃



To　him　she　was　as　any　other　jungle　she；　and　he　had　set

his　heart　upon　her　as　his　mate。　　For　an　instant；　as　he

had　approached　closer　to　her　in　the　clearing　where　the

Arabs　had　seized　her；　the　subtle　aroma　which　had　first

aroused　his　desires　in　the　hut　that　had　imprisoned　her

had　fallen　upon　his　nostrils；　and　told　him　that　he　had

found　the　creature　for　whom　he　had　developed　so　sudden

and　inexplicable　a　passion。



The　matter　of　the　pouch　of　jewels　also　occupied　his

thoughts　to　some　extent；　so　that　he　found　a　double　urge

for　his　return　to　the　camp　of　the　raiders。　　He　would

obtain　possession　of　both　his　pretty　pebbles　and　the

she。　　Then　he　would　return　to　the　great　apes　with　his

new　mate　and　his　baubles；　and　leading　his　hairy

companions　into　a　far　wilderness　beyond　the　ken　of　man；

live　out　his　life；　hunting　and　battling　among　the　lower

orders　after　the　only　manner　which　he　now　recollected。



He　spoke　to　his　fellow…apes　upon　the　matter；　in　an

attempt　to　persuade　them　to　accompany　him；　but　all

except　Taglat　and　Chulk　refused。　　The　latter　was　young

and　strong；　endowed　with　a　greater　intelligence　than

his　fellows；　and　therefore　the　possessor　of　better

developed　powers　of　imagination。　　To　him　the　expedition

savored　of　adventure；　and　so　appealed；　strongly。　　With

Taglat　there　was　another　incentivea　secret　and

sinister　incentive；　which；　had　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　had

knowledge　of　it；　would　have　sent　him　at　the　other's

throat　in　jealous　rage。



Taglat　was　no　longer　young；　but　he　was　still　a

formidable　beast；　mightily　muscled；　cruel；　and；

because　of　his　greater　experience；　crafty　and　cunning。

Too；　he　was　of　giant　proportions；　the　very　weight　of　his

huge　bulk　serving　ofttimes　to　discount　in　his　favor　the

superior　agility　of　a　younger　antagonist。



He　was　of　a　morose　and　sullen　disposition　that　marked

him　even　among　his　frowning　fellows；　where　such

characteristics　are　the　rule　rather　than　the　exception；

and；　though　Tarzan　did　not　guess　it；　he　hated　the　ape…man

with　a　ferocity　that　he　was　able　to　hide　only

because　the　dominant　spirit　of　the　nobler　creature　had

inspired　within　him　a　species　of　dread　which　was　as

powerful　as　it　was　inexplicable　to　him。



These　two；　then；　were　to　be　Tarzan's　companions　upon

his　return　to　the　village　of　Achmet　Zek。　　As　they　set

off；　the　balance　of　the　tribe　vouchsafed　them　but　a

parting　stare；　and　then　resumed　the　serious　business　of

feeding。



Tarzan　found　difficulty　in　keeping　the　minds　of　his

fellows　set　upon　the　purpose　of　their　adventure；