tarzan and the jewels of opar-第31章

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behind　him　came　the　huge　Chulk；　but　Taglat　did　not

follow　them。　　Instead　he　turned　and　slunk　through　the

darkness　toward　the　hut　where　the　she　who　had　arrested

his　brutish　interest　lay　securely　bound。　　Before　the

doorway　the　sentries　sat　upon　their　haunches；

conversing　in　monotones。　　Within；　the　young　woman　lay

upon　a　filthy　sleeping　mat；　resigned；　through　utter

hopelessness　to　whatever　fate　lay　in　store　for　her

until　the　opportunity　arrived　which　would　permit　her　to

free　herself　by　the　only　means　which　now　seemed　even

remotely　possiblethe　hitherto　detested　act　of

self…destruction。



Creeping　silently　toward　the　sentries；　a　white…burnoosed

figure　approached　the　shadows　at　one　end　of　the　hut。

The　meager　intellect　of　the　creature　denied

it　the　advantage　it　might　have　taken　of　its　disguise。

Where　it　could　have　walked　boldly　to　the　very　sides　of

the　sentries；　it　chose　rather　to　sneak　upon　them；

unseen；　from　the　rear。



It　came　to　the　corner　of　the　hut　and　peered　around。

The　sentries　were　but　a　few　paces　away；　but　the　ape　did

not　dare　expose　himself；　even　for　an　instant；　to　those

feared　and　hated　thunder…sticks　which　the　Tarmangani

knew　so　well　how　to　use；　if　there　were　another　and

safer　method　of　attack。



Taglat　wished　that　there　was　a　tree　nearby　from　the

over…hanging　branches　of　which　he　might　spring　upon　his

unsuspecting　prey；　but；　though　there　was　no　tree；　the

idea　gave　birth　to　a　plan。　　The　eaves　of　the　hut　were

just　above　the　heads　of　the　sentriesfrom　them　he

could　leap　upon　the　Tarmangani；　unseen。　　A　quick　snap

of　those　mighty　jaws　would　dispose　of　one　of　them

before　the　other　realized　that　they　were　attacked；

and　the　second　would　fall　an　easy　prey　to　the　strength；

agility　and　ferocity　of　a　second　quick　charge。



Taglat　withdrew　a　few　paces　to　the　rear　of　the　hut；

gathered　himself　for　the　effort；　ran　quickly　forward

and　leaped　high　into　the　air。　　He　struck　the　roof

directly　above　the　rear　wall　of　the　hut；　and　the

structure；　reinforced　by　the　wall　beneath；　held　his

enormous　weight　for　an　instant；　then　he　moved　forward　a

step；　the　roof　sagged；　the　thatching　parted　and　the

great　anthropoid　shot　through　into　the　interior。



The　sentries；　hearing　the　crashing　of　the　roof　poles；

leaped　to　their　feet　and　rushed　into　the　hut。　　Jane

Clayton　tried　to　roll　aside　as　the　great　form　lit　upon

the　floor　so　close　to　her　that　one　foot　pinned　her

clothing　to　the　ground。



The　ape；　feeling　the　movement　beside　him；　reached　down

and　gathered　the　girl　in　the　hollow　of　one　mighty　arm。

The　burnoose　covered　the　hairy　body　so　that　Jane

Clayton　believed　that　a　human　arm　supported　her；　and

from　the　extremity　of　hopelessness　a　great　hope　sprang

into　her　breast　that　at　last　she　was　in　the　keeping　of

a　rescuer。



The　two　sentries　were　now　within　the　hut；　but

hesitating　because　of　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the

cause　of　the　disturbance。　　Their　eyes；　not　yet

accustomed　to　the　darkness　of　the　interior；　told　them

nothing；　nor　did　they　hear　any　sound；　for　the　ape　stood

silently　awaiting　their　attack。



Seeing　that　they　stood　without　advancing；　and　realizing

that；　handicapped　as　he　was　by　the　weight　of　the　she；

he　could　put　up　but　a　poor　battle；　Taglat　elected　to

risk　a　sudden　break　for　liberty。　　Lowering　his　head；　he

charged　straight　for　the　two　sentries　who　blocked　the

doorway。　　The　impact　of　his　mighty　shoulders　bowled

them　over　upon　their　backs；　and　before　they　could

scramble　to　their　feet；　the　ape　was　gone；　darting　in

the　shadows　of　the　huts　toward　the　palisade　at　the　far

end　of　the　village。



The　speed　and　strength　of　her　rescuer　filled　Jane

Clayton　with　wonder。　　Could　it　be　that　Tarzan　had

survived　the　bullet　of　the　Arab？　　Who　else　in　all　the

jungle　could　bear　the　weight　of　a　grown　woman　as

lightly　as　he　who　held　her？　　She　spoke　his　name；　but

there　was　no　response。　　Still　she　did　not　give　up　hope。



At　the　palisade　the　beast　did　not　even　hesitate。

A　single　mighty　leap　carried　it　to　the　top；　where　it

poised　but　for　an　instant　before　dropping　to　the　ground

upon　the　opposite　side。　　Now　the　girl　was　almost

positive　that　she　was　safe　in　the　arms　of　her　husband；

and　when　the　ape　took　to　the　trees　and　bore　her　swiftly

into　the　jungle；　as　Tarzan　had　done　at　other　times　in

the　past；　belief　became　conviction。



In　a　little　moonlit　glade；　a　mile　or　so　from　the　camp

of　the　raiders；　her　rescuer　halted　and　dropped　her　to

the　ground。　　His　roughness　surprised　her；　but　still　she

had　no　doubts。　　Again　she　called　him　by　name；　and　at

the　same　instant　the　ape；　fretting　under　the　restraints

of　the　unaccustomed　garments　of　the　Tarmangani；　tore

the　burnoose　from　him；　revealing　to　the　eyes　of　the

horror…struck　woman　the　hideous　face　and　hairy　form　of

a　giant　anthropoid。



With　a　piteous　wail　of　terror；　Jane　Clayton　swooned；

while；　from　the　concealment　of　a　nearby　bush；　Numa；

the　lion；　eyed　the　pair　hungrily　and　licked　his　chops。







Tarzan；　entering　the　tent　of　Achmet　Zek；　searched　the

interior　thoroughly。　　He　tore　the　bed　to　pieces　and

scattered　the　contents　of　box　and　bag　about　the　floor。

He　investigated　whatever　his　eyes　discovered；　nor　did

those　keen　organs　overlook　a　single　article　within　the

habitation　of　the　raider　chief；　but　no　pouch　or　pretty

pebbles　rewarded　his　thoroughness。



Satisfied　at　last　that　his　belongings　were　not　in　the

possession　of　Achmet　Zek；　unless　they　were　on　the

person　of　the　chief　himself；　Tarzan　decided　to　secure

the　person　of　the　she　before　further　prosecuting　his

search　for　the　pouch。



Motioning　for　Chulk　to　follow　him；　he　passed　out　of　the

tent　by　the　same　way　that　he　had　entered　it；　and

walking　boldly　through　the　village；　made　directly　for

the　hut　where　Jane　Clayton　had　been　imprisoned。



He　noted　with　surprise　the　absence　of　Taglat；　whom　he

had　expected　to　find　awaiting　him　outside　the　tent　of

Achmet　Zek；　but；　accustomed　as　he　was　to　the

unreliability　of　apes；　he　gave　no　serious　attention　to

the　present　defection　of　his　surly　companion。　　So　long

as　Taglat　did　not　cause　interference　with　his　plans；

Tarzan　was　indifferent　to　his　absence。



As　he　approached　the　hut；　the　ape…man　noticed　that　a

crowd　had　collected　about　the　entrance。　　He　could　see

that　the　men　who　composed　it　were　much　excited；　and

fearing　lest　Chulk's　disguise　should　prove　inadequate

to　the　concealment　of　his　true　identity　in　the　face　of

so　many　observers；　he　commanded　the　ape　to　betake

himself　to　the　far　end　of　the　village；　and　there　await　him。



As　Chulk　waddled　off；　keeping　to　the　shadows；　Tarzan

advanced　boldly　toward　the　excited　group　before　the

doorway　of　the　hut。　　He　mingled　with　the　blacks　and　the

Arabs　in　an　endeavor　to　learn　the　cause　of　the

commotion；　in　his　interest　forgetting　that　he　alone　of

the　assemblage　carried　a　spear；　a　bow　and　arrows；　and

thus　might　become　an　object　of　suspicious　attention。



Shouldering　his　way　through　the　crowd　he　approached　the

doorway；　and　had　almost　reached　it　when　one　of　the

Arabs　laid　a　hand　upon　his　shoulder；　crying：　〃Who　is

this？〃　at　the　same　time　snatching　back　the　hood　from

the　ape…man's　face。



Tarzan　of　the　Apes　in　all　his　savage　life　had　never

been　accustomed　to　pause　in　argument　with　an

antagonist。　　The　primitive　instinct　of　self…preservation

acknowledges　many　arts　and　wiles；　but

argument　is　not　one　of　them；　nor　did　he　now　waste

precious　time　in　an　attempt　to　convince　the　raiders

that　he　was　not　a　wolf　in　sheep's　clothing。　　Instead　he

had　his　unmasker　by　the　throat　ere　the　man's　words　had

scarce　quitted　his　lips；　and　hurling　him　from　side　to

side　brushed　away　those　who　would　have　swarmed　upon　him。



Using　the　Arab　as　a　weapon；　Tarzan　forced　his　way

quickly　to　the　doorway；　and　a　moment　later　was　within

the　hut。　　A　hasty　examination　revealed　the　fact　that　it

was　empty；　and　his　sense　of　smell　discovered；　too；　the

scent　spoor　of　Taglat；　the　a