the beasts of tarzan-第18章

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they　might　be　in　the　face　of　certain　death；　and　again　how　timid

upon　the　slightest　provocation。　　There　was　doubt　in　his　mind

that　some　note　of　the　approaching　blacks　vibrating　with　fear

had　struck　an　answering　chord　in　the　nervous　system　of　the　panther；

sending　him　slinking　through　the　jungle；　his　tail　between　his　legs。



The　man　shrugged。　　Well；　what　of　it？　　He　had　expected

to　die；　and；　after　all；　what　might　Sheeta　have　done　for　him

other　than　to　maul　a　couple　of　his　enemies　before　a　rifle　in

the　hands　of　one　of　the　whites　should　have　dispatched　him！



If　the　cat　could　have　released　him！　　Ah！　that　would　have

resulted　in　a　very　different　story；　but　it　had　proved　beyond

the　understanding　of　Sheeta；　and　now　the　beast　was　gone

and　Tarzan　must　definitely　abandon　hope。



The　natives　were　at　the　entrance　to　the　hut　now；　peering

fearfully　into　the　dark　interior。　　Two　in　advance　held　lighted

torches　in　their　left　hands　and　ready　spears　in　their　right。　　

They　held　back　timorously　against　those　behind；　who　were

pushing　them　forward。



The　shrieks　of　the　panther's　victim；　mingled　with　those　of

the　great　cat；　had　wrought　mightily　upon　their　poor　nerves；

and　now　the　awful　silence　of　the　dark　interior　seemed　even

more　terribly　ominous　than　had　the　frightful　screaming。



Presently　one　of　those　who　was　being　forced　unwillingly

within　hit　upon　a　happy　scheme　for　learning　first　the　precise

nature　of　the　danger　which　menaced　him　from　the　silent　interior。　　

With　a　quick　movement　he　flung　his　lighted　torch　into　the

centre　of　the　hut。　　Instantly　all　within　was　illuminated

for　a　brief　second　before　the　burning　brand　was　dashed　out

against　the　earth　floor。



There　was　the　figure　of　the　white　prisoner　still　securely

bound　as　they　had　last　seen　him；　and　in　the　centre　of　the　hut

another　figure　equally　as　motionless；　its　throat　and　breasts

horribly　torn　and　mangled。



The　sight　that　met　the　eyes　of　the　foremost　savages

inspired　more　terror　within　their　superstitious　breasts

than　would　the　presence　of　Sheeta；　for　they　saw　only　the

result　of　a　ferocious　attack　upon　one　of　their　fellows。



Not　seeing　the　cause；　their　fear…ridden　minds　were　free　to

attribute　the　ghastly　work　to　supernatural　causes；　and　with

the　thought　they　turned；　screaming；　from　the　hut；　bowling

over　those　who　stood　directly　behind　them　in　the　exuberance

of　their　terror。



For　an　hour　Tarzan　heard　only　the　murmur　of　excited　voices

from　the　far　end　of　the　village。　　Evidently　the　savages

were　once　more　attempting　to　work　up　their　flickering　courage

to　a　point　that　would　permit　them　to　make　another　invasion

of　the　hut；　for　now　and　then　came　a　savage　yell；　such

as　the　warriors　give　to　bolster　up　their　bravery　upon　the

field　of　battle。



But　in　the　end　it　was　two　of　the　whites　who　first　entered；

carrying　torches　and　guns。　　Tarzan　was　not　surprised　to

discover　that　neither　of　them　was　Rokoff。　　He　would　have

wagered　his　soul　that　no　power　on　earth　could　have　tempted

that　great　coward　to　face　the　unknown　menace　of　the　hut。



When　the　natives　saw　that　the　white　men　were　not　attacked

they；　too；　crowded　into　the　interior；　their　voices　hushed　with

terror　as　they　looked　upon　the　mutilated　corpse　of　their　comrade。　　

The　whites　tried　in　vain　to　elicit　an　explanation　from

Tarzan；　but　to　all　their　queries　he　but　shook　his　head；　a　grim

and　knowing　smile　curving　his　lips。



At　last　Rokoff　came。



His　face　grew　very　white　as　his　eyes　rested　upon　the　bloody

thing　grinning　up　at　him　from　the　floor；　the　face　set　in　a

death　mask　of　excruciating　horror。



〃Come！〃　he　said　to　the　chief。　　〃Let　us　get　to　work　and

finish　this　demon　before　he　has　an　opportunity　to　repeat　this

thing　upon　more　of　your　people。〃



The　chief　gave　orders　that　Tarzan　should　be　lifted　and

carried　to　the　stake；　but　it　was　several　minutes　before　he

could　prevail　upon　any　of　his　men　to　touch　the　prisoner。



At　last；　however；　four　of　the　younger　warriors　dragged

Tarzan　roughly　from　the　hut；　and　once　outside　the　pall　of

terror　seemed　lifted　from　the　savage　hearts。



A　score　of　howling　blacks　pushed　and　buffeted　the　prisoner

down　the　village　street　and　bound　him　to　the　post　in　the

centre　of　the　circle　of　little　fires　and　boiling　cooking…pots。



When　at　last　he　was　made　fast　and　seemed　quite　helpless

and　beyond　the　faintest　hope　of　succour；　Rokoff's　shrivelled

wart　of　courage　swelled　to　its　usual　proportions　when　danger

was　not　present。



He　stepped　close　to　the　ape…man；　and；　seizing　a　spear　from

the　hands　of　one　of　the　savages；　was　the　first　to　prod　the

helpless　victim。　　A　little　stream　of　blood　trickled　down　the

giant's　smooth　skin　from　the　wound　in　his　side；　but　no　murmur

of　pain　passed　his　lips。



The　smile　of　contempt　upon　his　face　seemed　to　infuriate

the　Russian。　　With　a　volley　of　oaths　he　leaped　at　the　helpless

captive；　beating　him　upon　the　face　with　his　clenched　fists

and　kicking　him　mercilessly　about　the　legs。



Then　he　raised　the　heavy　spear　to　drive　it　through　the

mighty　heart；　and　still　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　smiled

contemptuously　upon　him。



Before　Rokoff　could　drive　the　weapon　home　the　chief　sprang

upon　him　and　dragged　him　away　from　his　intended　victim。



〃Stop；　white　man！〃　he　cried。　　〃Rob　us　of　this　prisoner　and

our　death…dance；　and　you　yourself　may　have　to　take　his　place。〃



The　threat　proved　most　effective　in　keeping　the　Russian

from　further　assaults　upon　the　prisoner；　though　he　continued

to　stand　a　little　apart　and　hurl　taunts　at　his　enemy。　　He　told

Tarzan　that　he　himself　was　going　to　eat　the　ape…man's　heart。　　

He　enlarged　upon　the　horrors　of　the　future　life　of　Tarzan's

son；　and　intimated　that　his　vengeance　would　reach　as　well　to

Jane　Clayton。



〃You　think　your　wife　safe　in　England；〃　said　Rokoff。　　

〃Poor　fool！　　She　is　even　now　in　the　hands　of　one　not　even　of

decent　birth；　and　far　from　the　safety　of　London　and　the

protection　of　her　friends。　　I　had　not　meant　to　tell　you　this

until　I　could　bring　to　you　upon　Jungle　Island　proof　of　her　fate。



〃Now　that　you　are　about　to　die　the　most　unthinkably　horrid

death　that　it　is　given　a　white　man　to　dielet　this　word　of

the　plight　of　your　wife　add　to　the　torments　that　you　must

suffer　before　the　last　savage　spear…thrust　releases　you　from

your　torture。〃



The　dance　had　commenced　now；　and　the　yells　of　the　circling

warriors　drowned　Rokoff's　further　attempts　to　distress

his　victim。



The　leaping　savages；　the　flickering　firelight　playing　upon

their　painted　bodies；　circled　about　the　victim　at　the　stake。



To　Tarzan's　memory　came　a　similar　scene；　when　he　had

rescued　D'Arnot　from　a　like　predicament　at　the　last　moment

before　the　final　spear…thrust　should　have　ended　his　sufferings。　　

Who　was　there　now　to　rescue　him？　　In　all　the　world　there　was

none　able　to　save　him　from　the　torture　and　the　death。



The　thought　that　these　human　fiends　would　devour　him

when　the　dance　was　done　caused　him　not　a　single　qualm　of

horror　or　disgust。　　It　did　not　add　to　his　sufferings　as　it　would

have　to　those　of　an　ordinary　white　man；　for　all　his　life　Tarzan

had　seen　the　beasts　of　the　jungle　devour　the　flesh　of　their　kills。



Had　he　not　himself　battled　for　the　grisly　forearm　of　a　great

ape　at　that　long…gone　Dum…Dum；　when　he　had　slain　the　fierce

Tublat　and　won　his　niche　in　the　respect　of　the　Apes　of　Kerchak？



The　dancers　were　leaping　more　closely　to　him　now。　　The　spears

were　commencing　to　find　his　body　in　the　first　torturing　pricks

that　prefaced　the　more　serious　thrusts。



It　would　not　be　long　now。　　The　ape…man　longed　for　the　last

savage　lunge　that　would　end　his　misery。



And　then；　far　out　in　the　mazes　of　the　weird　jungle；　rose　a

shrill　scream。



For　an　instant　the　dancers　paused；　and　in　the　silence　of

the　interval　there　rose　from　the　lips　of　the　fast…bound

white　man　an　answering　shriek；　more　fearsome　and　more　terrible

than　that　of　the　jungle…beast　that　had　rouse