tarzan and the jewels of opar()-第4章
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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 life…
…art； 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
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
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。
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
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。
And then he went on more slowly and with greater stealth and caution；
for now Tarzan of the Apes was seeking a kill。 Down to the ground he
came in the utter blackness of the close…set boles and the overhanging
verdure of the jungle。 He stooped from time to time and put his nose close
to earth。 He sought and found a wide game trail and at last his nostrils
were rewarded with the scent of the fresh spoor of Bara； the deer。
Tarzan's mouth watered and a low growl escaped his patrician lips。
Sloughed from him was the last vestige of artificial casteonce again he
was the primeval hunterthe first manthe highest caste type of the
human race。 Up wind he followed the elusive spoor with a sense of
perception so transcending that of ordinary man as to be inconceivable to
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
us。 Through counter currents of the heavy stench of meat eaters he
traced the trail of Bara； the sweet and cloying stink of Horta； the boar；
could not drown his quarry's scent the permeating； mellow musk of the
deer's foot。
Presently the body scent of the deer told Tarzan that his prey was close
at hand。 It sent him into the trees againinto the lower terrace where he
could watch the ground below and catch with ears and nose the first
intimation of actual contact with his quarry。 Nor was it long before the
ape…man came upon Bara standing alert at the edge of a moon…bathed
clearing。 Noiselessly Tarzan crept through the trees until he was directly
over the deer。 In the ape…man's right hand was the long hunting knife of
his father and in his heart the blood lust of the carnivore。 Just for an
instant he poised above the unsuspecting Bara and then he launched
himself downward upon the sleek back。 The impact of his weight carried
the deer to its knees and before the animal could regain its feet the knife
had found its heart。 As Tarzan rose upon the body of his kill to scream
forth his hideous victory cry into the face of the moon the wind carried to
his nostrils something which froze him to statuesque immobility and
silence。 His savage eyes blazed into the direction from which the wind
had borne down the warning to him and a moment later the grasses at one
side of the clearing parted and Numa； the lion； strode majestically into
view。 His yellow…green eyes were fastened upon Tarzan as he halted just
within the clearing and glared enviously at the successful hunter； for
Numa had had no luck this night。
From the lips of the ape…man broke a rumbling growl of warning。
Numa answered but he did not advance。 Instead he stood waving his tail
gently to and fro； and presently Tarzan squatted upon his kill and cut a
generous portion from a hind quarter。 Numa eyed him with growing
resentment and rage as； between mouthfuls； the ape…man growled out his
savage warnings。 Now this particular lion had never before come in
contact with Tarzan of the Apes and he was much mystified。 Here was
the appearance and the scent of a man…thing and Numa had tasted of
human flesh and learned that though not the most palatable it
