tarzan and the jewels of opar-第3章

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bungalow；　made　his　silent　way　to　a　point　beneath　the

window　of　the　room　in　which　his　host　and　hostess　slept。



Here　he　listened；　and　not　without　result；　for　almost

the　first　words　he　overheard　filled　him　with

excitement。　　Lady　Greystoke　was　speaking　as　Werper　came

within　hearing。



〃I　always　feared　for　the　stability　of　the　company；〃　she

was　saying；　〃but　it　seems　incredible　that　they　should

have　failed　for　so　enormous　a　sumunless　there　has

been　some　dishonest　manipulation。〃



〃That　is　what　I　suspect；〃　replied　Tarzan；　〃but　whatever

the　cause；　the　fact　remains　that　I　have　lost

everything；　and　there　is　nothing　for　it　but　to　return

to　Opar　and　get　more。〃



〃Oh；　John；〃　cried　Lady　Greystoke；　and　Werper　could　feel

the　shudder　through　her　voice；　〃is　there　no　other　way？

I　cannot　bear　to　think　of　you　returning　to　that

frightful　city。　　I　would　rather　live　in　poverty　always

than　to　have　you　risk　the　hideous　dangers　of　Opar。〃



〃You　need　have　no　fear；〃　replied　Tarzan；　laughing。

〃I　am　pretty　well　able　to　take　care　of　myself；　and　were

I　not；　the　Waziri　who　will　accompany　me　will　see　that　no

harm　befalls　me。〃



〃They　ran　away　from　Opar　once；　and　left　you　to　your

fate；〃　she　reminded　him。



〃They　will　not　do　it　again；〃　he　answered。　　〃They　were

very　much　ashamed　of　themselves；　and　were　coming　back

when　I　met　them。〃



〃But　there　must　be　some　other　way；〃　insisted　the　woman。



〃There　is　no　other　way　half　so　easy　to　obtain　another

fortune；　as　to　go　to　the　treasure　vaults　of　Opar　and

bring　it　away；〃　he　replied。　　〃I　shall　be　very　careful；

Jane；　and　the　chances　are　that　the　inhabitants　of　Opar

will　never　know　that　I　have　been　there　again　and

despoiled　them　of　another　portion　of　the　treasure；　the

very　existence　of　which　they　are　as　ignorant　of　as　they

would　be　of　its　value。〃



The　finality　in　his　tone　seemed　to　assure　Lady

Greystoke　that　further　argument　was　futile；　and　so　she

abandoned　the　subject。



Werper　remained；　listening；　for　a　short　time；　and　then；

confident　that　he　had　overheard　all　that　was　necessary

and　fearing　discovery；　returned　to　the　veranda；　where

he　smoked　numerous　cigarets　in　rapid　succession　before

retiring。



The　following　morning　at　breakfast；　Werper　announced

his　intention　of　making　an　early　departure；　and　asked

Tarzan's　permission　to　hunt　big　game　in　the　Waziri

country　on　his　way　outpermission　which　Lord　Greystoke

readily　granted。



The　Belgian　consumed　two　days　in　completing　his

preparations；　but　finally　got　away　with　his　safari；

accompanied　by　a　single　Waziri　guide　whom　Lord

Greystoke　had　loaned　him。　　The　party　made　but　a　single

short　march　when　Werper　simulated　illness；　and

announced　his　intention　of　remaining　where　he　was　until

he　had　fully　recovered。　　As　they　had　gone　but　a　short

distance　from　the　Greystoke　bungalow；　Werper　dismissed

the　Waziri　guide；　telling　the　warrior　that　he　would

send　for　him　when　he　was　able　to　proceed。　　The　Waziri

gone；　the　Belgian　summoned　one　of　Achmet　Zek's　trusted

blacks　to　his　tent；　and　dispatched　him　to　watch　for　the

departure　of　Tarzan；　returning　immediately　to　advise

Werper　of　the　event　and　the　direction　taken　by　the

Englishman。



The　Belgian　did　not　have　long　to　wait；　for　the

following　day　his　emissary　returned　with　word　that

Tarzan　and　a　party　of　fifty　Waziri　warriors　had　set　out

toward　the　southeast　early　in　the　morning。



Werper　called　his　head　man　to　him；　after　writing　a　long

letter　to　Achmet　Zek。　　This　letter　he　handed　to　the

head　man。



〃Send　a　runner　at　once　to　Achmet　Zek　with　this；〃　he

instructed　the　head　man。　　〃Remain　here　in　camp　awaiting

further　instructions　from　him　or　from　me。　　If　any　come

from　the　bungalow　of　the　Englishman；　tell　them　that　I

am　very　ill　within　my　tent　and　can　see　no　one。　　Now；

give　me　six　porters　and　six　askaristhe　strongest　and

bravest　of　the　safariand　I　will　march　after　the

Englishman　and　discover　where　his　gold　is　hidden。〃



And　so　it　was　that　as　Tarzan；　stripped　to　the　loin

cloth　and　armed　after　the　primitive　fashion　he　best

loved；　led　his　loyal　Waziri　toward　the　dead　city　of

Opar；　Werper；　the　renegade；　haunted　his　trail　through

the　long；　hot　days；　and　camped　close　behind　him　by

night。



And　as　they　marched；　Achmet　Zek　rode　with　his　entire

following　southward　toward　the　Greystoke　farm。



To　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　the　expedition　was　in　the　nature

of　a　holiday　outing。　　His　civilization　was　at　best　but

an　outward　veneer　which　he　gladly　peeled　off　with　his

uncomfortable　European　clothes　whenever　any　reasonable

pretext　presented　itself。　　It　was　a　woman's　love　which

kept　Tarzan　even　to　the　semblance　of　civilizationa

condition　for　which　familiarity　had　bred　contempt。　　He

hated　the　shams　and　the　hypocrisies　of　it　and　with　the

clear　vision　of　an　unspoiled　mind　he　had　penetrated　to

the　rotten　core　of　the　heart　of　the　thingthe　cowardly

greed　for　peace　and　ease　and　the　safe…guarding　of

property　rights。　　That　the　fine　things　of　lifeart；

music　and　literaturehad　thriven　upon　such　enervating

ideals　he　strenuously　denied；　insisting；　rather；　that

they　had　endured　in　spite　of　civilization。



〃Show　me　the　fat；　opulent　coward；〃　he　was　wont　to　say；

〃who　ever　originated　a　beautiful　ideal。　　In　the　clash

of　arms；　in　the　battle　for　survival；　amid　hunger　and

death　and　danger；　in　the　face　of　God　as　manifested　in

the　display　of　Nature's　most　terrific　forces；　is　born

all　that　is　finest　and　best　in　the　human　heart　and

mind。〃



And　so　Tarzan　always　came　back　to　Nature　in　the　spirit

of　a　lover　keeping　a　long　deferred　tryst　after　a　period

behind　prison　walls。　　His　Waziri；　at　marrow；　were　more

civilized　than　he。　　They　cooked　their　meat　before　they

ate　it　and　they　shunned　many　articles　of　food　as

unclean　that　Tarzan　had　eaten　with　gusto　all　his　life

and　so　insidious　is　the　virus　of　hypocrisy　that　even

the　stalwart　ape…man　hesitated　to　give　rein　to　his

natural　longings　before　them。　　He　ate　burnt　flesh　when

he　would　have　preferred　it　raw　and　unspoiled；　and　he

brought　down　game　with　arrow　or　spear　when　he　would　far

rather　have　leaped　upon　it　from　ambush　and　sunk　his

strong　teeth　in　its　jugular；　but　at　last　the　call　of

the　milk　of　the　savage　mother　that　had　suckled　him　in

infancy　rose　to　an　insistent　demandhe　craved　the　hot

blood　of　a　fresh　kill　and　his　muscles　yearned　to　pit

themselves　against　the　savage　jungle　in　the　battle　for

existence　that　had　been　his　sole　birthright　for　the

first　twenty　years　of　his　life。







3



The　Call　of　the　Jungle





Moved　by　these　vague　yet　all…powerful　urgings　the

ape…man　lay　awake　one　night　in　the　little　thorn　boma

that　protected；　in　a　way；　his　party　from　the　depredations

of　the　great　carnivora　of　the　jungle。　　A　single　warrior

stood　sleepy　guard　beside　the　fire　that　yellow　eyes

out　of　the　darkness　beyond　the　camp　made　imperative。

The　moans　and　the　coughing　of　the　big　cats　mingled　with

the　myriad　noises　of　the　lesser　denizens　of　the　jungle

to　fan　the　savage　flame　in　the　breast　of　this　savage

English　lord。　　He　tossed　upon　his　bed　of　grasses；

sleepless；　for　an　hour　and　then　he　rose；　noiseless　as　a

wraith；　and　while　the　Waziri's　back　was　turned；　vaulted

the　boma　wall　in　the　face　of　the　flaming　eyes；　swung

silently　into　a　great　tree　and　was　gone。



For　a　time　in　sheer　exuberance　of　animal　spirit　he

raced　swiftly　through　the　middle　terrace；　swinging

perilously　across　wide　spans　from　one　jungle　giant　to

the　next；　and　then　he　clambered　upward　to　the　swaying；

lesser　boughs　of　the　upper　terrace　where　the　moon　shone

full　upon　him　and　the　air　was　stirred　by　little　breezes

and　death　lurked　ready　in　each　frail　branch。　　Here　he

paused　and　raised　his　face　to　Goro；　the　moon。

With　uplifted　arm　he　stood；　the　cry　of　the　bull　ape

quivering　upon　his　lips；　yet　he　remained　silent　lest　he

arouse　his　faithful　Waziri　who　were　all　too　familiar

with　the　hideous　challenge　of　their　master。