tarzan and the jewels of opar-第30章

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It　was　long　after　darkness　had　fallen；　that　Tarzan　led

his　companions　from　their　hiding　place　in　the　tree　to

the　ground　and　around　the　palisade　to　the　far　side　of

the　village。



Gathering　the　skirts　of　his　burnoose；　beneath　one　arm；

that　his　legs　might　have　free　action；　the　ape…man　took

a　short　running　start；　and　scrambled　to　the　top　of　the

barrier。　　Fearing　lest　the　apes　should　rend　their

garments　to　shreds　in　a　similar　attempt；　he　had

directed　them　to　wait　below　for　him；　and　himself

securely　perched　upon　the　summit　of　the　palisade　he

unslung　his　spear　and　lowered　one　end　of　it　to　Chulk。



The　ape　seized　it；　and　while　Tarzan　held　tightly　to　the

upper　end；　the　anthropoid　climbed　quickly　up　the　shaft

until　with　one　paw　he　grasped　the　top　of　the　wall。

To　scramble　then　to　Tarzan's　side　was　the　work　of　but　an

instant。　　In　like　manner　Taglat　was　conducted　to　their

sides；　and　a　moment　later　the　three　dropped　silently

within　the　enclosure。



Tarzan　led　them　first　to　the　rear　of　the　hut　in　which

Jane　Clayton　was　confined；　where；　through　the　roughly

repaired　aperture　in　the　wall；　he　sought　with　his

sensitive　nostrils　for　proof　that　the　she　he　had　come

for　was　within。



Chulk　and　Taglat；　their　hairy　faces　pressed　close　to

that　of　the　patrician；　sniffed　with　him。　　Each　caught

the　scent　spoor　of　the　woman　within；　and　each　reacted

according　to　his　temperament　and　his　habits　of　thought。



It　left　Chulk　indifferent。　　The　she　was　for　Tarzanall

that　he　desired　was　to　bury　his　snout　in　the　foodstuffs

of　the　Tarmangani。　　He　had　come　to　eat　his　fill　without

laborTarzan　had　told　him　that　that　should　be　his

reward；　and　he　was　satisfied。



But　Taglat's　wicked；　bloodshot　eyes；　narrowed　to　the

realization　of　the　nearing　fulfillment　of　his　carefully

nursed　plan。　　It　is　true　that　sometimes　during　the

several　days　that　had　elapsed　since　they　had　set　out

upon　their　expedition　it　had　been　difficult　for　Taglat

to　hold　his　idea　uppermost　in　his　mind；　and　on　several

occasions　he　had　completely　forgotten　it；　until　Tarzan；

by　a　chance　word；　had　recalled　it　to　him；　but；　for　an

ape；　Taglat　had　done　well。



Now；　he　licked　his　chops；　and　he　made　a　sickening；

sucking　noise　with　his　flabby　lips　as　he　drew　in　his　breath。



Satisfied　that　the　she　was　where　he　had　hoped　to　find

her；　Tarzan　led　his　apes　toward　the　tent　of　Achmet　Zek。

A　passing　Arab　and　two　slaves　saw　them；　but　the　night

was　dark　and　the　white　burnooses　hid　the　hairy　limbs　of

the　apes　and　the　giant　figure　of　their　leader；　so　that

the　three；　by　squatting　down　as　though　in　conversation；

were　passed　by；　unsuspected。　　To　the　rear　of　the　tent

they　made　their　way。　　Within；　Achmet　Zek　conversed　with

several　of　his　lieutenants。　　Without；　Tarzan　listened。







17



The　Deadly　Peril　of　Jane　Clayton





Lieutenant　Albert　Werper；　terrified　by　contemplation　of

the　fate　which　might　await　him　at　Adis　Abeba；　cast

about　for　some　scheme　of　escape；　but　after　the　black

Mugambi　had　eluded　their　vigilance　the　Abyssinians

redoubled　their　precautions　to　prevent　Werper　following

the　lead　of　the　Negro。



For　some　time　Werper　entertained　the　idea　of　bribing

Abdul　Mourak　with　a　portion　of　the　contents　of　the

pouch；　but　fearing　that　the　man　would　demand　all　the

gems　as　the　price　of　liberty；　the　Belgian；　influenced

by　avarice；　sought　another　avenue　from　his　dilemma。



It　was　then　that　there　dawned　upon　him　the　possibility

of　the　success　of　a　different　course　which　would　still

leave　him　in　possession　of　the　jewels；　while　at　the

same　time　satisfying　the　greed　of　the　Abyssinian　with

the　conviction　that　he　had　obtained　all　that　Werper　had

to　offer。



And　so　it　was　that　a　day　or　so　after　Mugambi　had

disappeared；　Werper　asked　for　an　audience　with　Abdul

Mourak。　　As　the　Belgian　entered　the　presence　of　his

captor　the　scowl　upon　the　features　of　the　latter　boded

ill　for　any　hope　which　Werper　might　entertain；　still　he

fortified　himself　by　recalling　the　common　weakness　of

mankind；　which　permits　the　most　inflexible　of　natures

to　bend　to　the　consuming　desire　for　wealth。



Abdul　Mourak　eyed　him；　frowningly。　　〃What　do　you　want

now？〃　he　asked。



〃My　liberty；〃　replied　Werper。



The　Abyssinian　sneered。　　〃And　you　disturbed　me　thus　to

tell　me　what　any　fool　might　know；〃　he　said。



〃I　can　pay　for　it；〃　said　Werper。



Abdul　Mourak　laughed　loudly。　　〃Pay　for　it？〃　he　cried。

〃What　withthe　rags　that　you　have　upon　your　back？

Or；　perhaps　you　are　concealing　beneath　your　coat　a　thousand

pounds　of　ivory。　　Get　out！　　You　are　a　fool。　　Do　not

bother　me　again　or　I　shall　have　you　whipped。〃



But　Werper　persisted。　　His　liberty　and　perhaps　his　life

depended　upon　his　success。



〃Listen　to　me；〃　he　pleaded。　　〃If　I　can　give　you　as　much

gold　as　ten　men　may　carry　will　you　promise　that　I　shall

be　conducted　in　safety　to　the　nearest　English

commissioner？〃



〃As　much　gold　as　ten　men　may　carry！〃　repeated　Abdul

Mourak。　　〃You　are　crazy。　　Where　have　you　so　much　gold

as　that？〃



〃I　know　where　it　is　hid；〃　said　Werper。　　〃Promise；　and　I

will　lead　you　to　itif　ten　loads　is　enough？〃



Abdul　Mourak　had　ceased　to　laugh。　　He　was　eyeing　the

Belgian　intently。　　The　fellow　seemed　sane　enoughyet

ten　loads　of　gold！　　It　was　preposterous。　　The　Abyssinian

thought　in　silence　for　a　moment。



〃Well；　and　if　I　promise；〃　he　said。　　〃How　far　is　this　gold？〃



〃A　long　week's　march　to　the　south；〃　replied　Werper。



〃And　if　we　do　not　find　it　where　you　say　it　is；　do　you

realize　what　your　punishment　will　be？〃



〃If　it　is　not　there　I　will　forfeit　my　life；〃　replied

the　Belgian。　　〃I　know　it　is　there；　for　I　saw　it　buried

with　my　own　eyes。　　And　morethere　are　not　only　ten

loads；　but　as　many　as　fifty　men　may　carry。　　It　is　all

yours　if　you　will　promise　to　see　me　safely　delivered

into　the　protection　of　the　English。〃



〃You　will　stake　your　life　against　the　finding　of　the

gold？〃　asked　Abdul。



Werper　assented　with　a　nod。



〃Very　well；〃　said　the　Abyssinian；　〃I　promise；　and　even

if　there　be　but　five　loads　you　shall　have　your　freedom；

but　until　the　gold　is　in　my　possession　you　remain　a

prisoner。〃



〃I　am　satisfied；〃　said　Werper。　　〃Tomorrow　we　start？〃



Abdul　Mourak　nodded；　and　the　Belgian　returned　to　his

guards。　　The　following　day　the　Abyssinian　soldiers　were

surprised　to　receive　an　order　which　turned　their　faces

from　the　northeast　to　the　south。　　And　so　it　happened

that　upon　the　very　night　that　Tarzan　and　the　two　apes

entered　the　village　of　the　raiders；　the　Abyssinians

camped　but　a　few　miles　to　the　east　of　the　same　spot。



While　Werper　dreamed　of　freedom　and　the　unmolested

enjoyment　of　the　fortune　in　his　stolen　pouch；　and　Abdul

Mourak　lay　awake　in　greedy　contemplation　of　the　fifty

loads　of　gold　which　lay　but　a　few　days　farther　to　the

south　of　him；　Achmet　Zek　gave　orders　to　his　lieutenants

that　they　should　prepare　a　force　of　fighting　men　and

carriers　to　proceed　to　the　ruins　of　the　Englishman's

DOUAR　on　the　morrow　and　bring　back　the　fabulous

fortune　which　his　renegade　lieutenant　had　told　him　was

buried　there。



And　as　he　delivered　his　instructions　to　those　within；　a

silent　listener　crouched　without　his　tent；　waiting　for

the　time　when　he　might　enter　in　safety　and　prosecute

his　search　for　the　missing　pouch　and　the　pretty　pebbles

that　had　caught　his　fancy。



At　last　the　swarthy　companions　of　Achmet　Zek　quitted

his　tent；　and　the　leader　went　with　them　to　smoke　a　pipe

with　one　of　their　number；　leaving　his　own　silken

habitation　unguarded。　　Scarcely　had　they　left　the

interior　when　a　knife　blade　was　thrust　through　the

fabric　of　the　rear　wall；　some　six　feet　above　the

ground；　and　a　swift　downward　stroke　opened　an　entrance

to　those　who　waited　beyond。



Through　the　opening　stepped　the　ape…man；　and　close

behind　him　came　the　huge　Chulk；　but　Taglat　did　not

follow　them。　　Instead　he　turned　and　slunk　through　the

darknes