the beasts of tarzan-第14章

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in　the　bottom　of　his　own　canoe。　　A　great　panther　sat　upon　its

haunches；　looking　down　upon　him。



Kaviri　shuddered　and　closed　his　eyes　again；　waiting　for

the　ferocious　creature　to　spring　upon　him　and　put　him　out　of

his　misery　of　terror。



After　a　moment；　no　rending　fangs　having　buried　themselves

in　his　trembling　body；　he　again　ventured　to　open　his　eyes。　　

Beyond　the　panther　kneeled　the　white　giant　who　had

overcome　him。



The　man　was　wielding　a　paddle；　while　directly　behind　him

Kaviri　saw　some　of　his　own　warriors　similarly　engaged。　　

Back　of　them　again　squatted　several　of　the　hairy　apes。



Tarzan；　seeing　that　the　chief　had　regained　consciousness；

addressed　him。



〃Your　warriors　tell　me　that　you　are　the　chief　of　a

numerous　people；　and　that　your　name　is　Kaviri；〃　he　said。



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　black。



〃Why　did　you　attack　me？　　I　came　in　peace。〃



〃Another　white　man　‘came　in　peace'　three　moons　ago；〃

replied　Kaviri；　〃and　after　we　had　brought　him　presents　of　a

goat　and　cassava　and　milk；　he　set　upon　us　with　his　guns　and

killed　many　of　my　people；　and　then　went　on　his　way；　taking

all　of　our　goats　and　many　of　our　young　men　and　women。〃



〃I　am　not　as　this　other　white　man；〃　replied　Tarzan。　　

〃I　should　not　have　harmed　you　had　you　not　set　upon　me。　　

Tell　me；　what　was　the　face　of　this　bad　white　man　like？　　I　am

searching　for　one　who　has　wronged　me。　　Possibly　this　may

be　the　very　one。〃



〃He　was　a　man　with　a　bad　face；　covered　with　a　great；

black　beard；　and　he　was　very；　very　wickedyes；　very

wicked　indeed。〃



〃Was　there　a　little　white　child　with　him？〃　asked　Tarzan；

his　heart　almost　stopped　as　he　awaited　the　black's　answer。



〃No；　bwana；〃　replied　Kaviri；　〃the　white　child　was　not

with　this　man's　partyit　was　with　the　other　party。〃



〃Other　party！〃　exclaimed　Tarzan。　　〃What　other　party？〃



〃With　the　party　that　the　very　bad　white　man　was　pursuing。　　

There　was　a　white　man；　woman；　and　the　child；　with　six

Mosula　porters。　　They　passed　up　the　river　three　days　ahead

of　the　very　bad　white　man。　　I　think　that　they　were　running

away　from　him。〃



A　white　man；　woman；　and　child！　　Tarzan　was　puzzled。　　The　child

must　be　his　little　Jack；　but　who　could　the　woman　beand　the　man？　

Was　it　possible　that　one　of　Rokoff's　confederates　had　conspired

with　some　womanwho　had　accompanied　the　Russianto　steal

the　baby　from　him？



If　this　was　the　case；　they　had　doubtless　purposed　returning

the　child　to　civilization　and　there　either　claiming　a　reward　or

holding　the　little　prisoner　for　ransom。



But　now　that　Rokoff　had　succeeded　in　chasing　them　far　inland；

up　the　savage　river；　there　could　be　little　doubt　but

that　he　would　eventually　overhaul　them；　unless；　as　was　still

more　probable；　they　should　be　captured　and　killed　by　the

very　cannibals　farther　up　the　Ugambi；　to　whom；　Tarzan　was　now

convinced；　it　had　been　Rokoff's　intention　to　deliver　the　baby。



As　he　talked　to　Kaviri　the　canoes　had　been　moving　steadily

up…river　toward　the　chief's　village。　　Kaviri's　warriors　plied　the

paddles　in　the　three　canoes；　casting　sidelong；　terrified　glances

at　their　hideous　passengers。　　Three　of　the　apes　of　Akut　had

been　killed　in　the　encounter；　but　there　were；　with　Akut；　eight

of　the　frightful　beasts　remaining；　and　there　was　Sheeta；　the

panther；　and　Tarzan　and　Mugambi。



Kaviri's　warriors　thought　that　they　had　never　seen　so　terrible

a　crew　in　all　their　lives。　　Momentarily　they　expected　to

be　pounced　upon　and　torn　asunder　by　some　of　their　captors；

and；　in　fact；　it　was　all　that　Tarzan　and　Mugambi　and　Akut

could　do　to　keep　the　snarling；　ill…natured　brutes　from　snapping

at　the　glistening；　naked　bodies　that　brushed　against　them

now　and　then　with　the　movements　of　the　paddlers；　whose

very　fear　added　incitement　to　the　beasts。



At　Kaviri's　camp　Tarzan　paused　only　long　enough　to　eat

the　food　that　the　blacks　furnished；　and　arrange　with　the

chief　for　a　dozen　men　to　man　the　paddles　of　his　canoe。



Kaviri　was　only　too　glad　to　comply　with　any　demands　that

the　ape…man　might　make　if　only　such　compliance　would　hasten

the　departure　of　the　horrid　pack；　but　it　was　easier；　he

discovered；　to　promise　men　than　to　furnish　them；　for　when

his　people　learned　his　intentions　those　that　had　not　already

fled　into　the　jungle　proceeded　to　do　so　without　loss　of　time；

so　that　when　Kaviri　turned　to　point　out　those　who　were　to

accompany　Tarzan；　he　discovered　that　he　was　the　only　member

of　his　tribe　left　within　the　village。



Tarzan　could　not　repress　a　smile。



〃They　do　not　seem　anxious　to　accompany　us；〃　he　said；

〃but　just　remain　quietly　here；　Kaviri；　and　presently　you

shall　see　your　people　flocking　to　your　side。〃



Then　the　ape…man　rose；　and；　calling　his　pack　about　him；

commanded　that　Mugambi　remain　with　Kaviri；　and　disappeared

in　the　jungle　with　Sheeta　and　the　apes　at　his　heels。



For　half　an　hour　the　silence　of　the　grim　forest　was　broken

only　by　the　ordinary　sounds　of　the　teeming　life　that　but　adds

to　its　lowering　loneliness。　　Kaviri　and　Mugambi　sat　alone　in

the　palisaded　village；　waiting。



Presently　from　a　great　distance　came　a　hideous　sound。　　

Mugambi　recognized　the　weird　challenge　of　the　ape…man。　　

Immediately　from　different　points　of　the　compass　rose　a

horrid　semicircle　of　similar　shrieks　and　screams；　punctuated

now　and　again　by　the　blood…curdling　cry　of　a　hungry　panther。









Chapter　7





Betrayed





The　two　savages；　Kaviri　and　Mugambi；　squatting　before

the　entrance　to　Kaviri's　hut；　looked　at　one　another

Kaviri　with　ill…concealed　alarm。



〃What　is　it？〃　he　whispered。



〃It　is　Bwana　Tarzan　and　his　people；〃　replied　Mugambi。　　

〃But　what　they　are　doing　I　know　not；　unless　it　be　that　they

are　devouring　your　people　who　ran　away。〃



Kaviri　shuddered　and　rolled　his　eyes　fearfully　toward　the　jungle。　　

In　all　his　long　life　in　the　savage　forest　he　had　never

heard　such　an　awful；　fearsome　din。



Closer　and　closer　came　the　sounds；　and　now　with　them　were

mingled　the　terrified　shrieks　of　women　and　children　and

of　men。　　For　twenty　long　minutes　the　blood…curdling　cries

continued；　until　they　seemed　but　a　stone's　throw　from

the　palisade。　　Kaviri　rose　to　flee；　but　Mugambi　seized　and

held　him；　for　such　had　been　the　command　of　Tarzan。



A　moment　later　a　horde　of　terrified　natives　burst　from　the　jungle；

racing　toward　the　shelter　of　their　huts。　　Like　frightened　sheep

they　ran；　and　behind　them；　driving　them　as　sheep　might　be　driven；

came　Tarzan　and　Sheeta　and　the　hideous　apes　of　Akut。



Presently　Tarzan　stood　before　Kaviri；　the　old　quiet　smile　upon　his　lips。



〃Your　people　have　returned；　my　brother；〃　he　said；　〃and

now　you　may　select　those　who　are　to　accompany　me　and

paddle　my　canoe。〃



Tremblingly　Kaviri　tottered　to　his　feet；　calling　to　his　people

to　come　from　their　huts；　but　none　responded　to　his　summons。



〃Tell　them；〃　suggested　Tarzan；　〃that　if　they　do　not　come

I　shall　send　my　people　in　after　them。〃



Kaviri　did　as　he　was　bid；　and　in　an　instant　the　entire

population　of　the　village　came　forth；　their　wide　and　frightened

eyes　rolling　from　one　to　another　of　the　savage　creatures　that

wandered　about　the　village　street。



Quickly　Kaviri　designated　a　dozen　warriors　to　accompany　Tarzan。　　

The　poor　fellows　went　almost　white　with　terror　at　the

prospect　of　close　contact　with　the　panther　and　the　apes　in

the　narrow　confines　of　the　canoes；　but　when　Kaviri　explained

to　them　that　there　was　no　escapethat　Bwana　Tarzan

would　pursue　them　with　his　grim　horde　should　they　attempt

to　run　away　from　the　dutythey　finally　went　gloomily　down

to　the　river　and　took　their　places　in　the　canoe。



It　was　with　a　sigh　of　relief　that　their　chieftain　saw　the　party

disappear　about　a　headland　a　short　distance　up…river。



For　three　days　the　strange　company　continued　farther　and

farther　into　the　heart　of　the　savage　country　that　lies　on　either

side　of　the　almost　unexplored　Ugambi。　　Three　of　th