the beasts of tarzan-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




Her　screams　had　attracted　servants　and　members　of　the

families　from　residences　near　by；　as　well　as　from　the

Greystoke　home。　　Lady　Greystoke　had　witnessed　the　girl's　brave

battle；　and　had　herself　tried　to　reach　the　rapidly　passing

vehicle；　but　had　been　too　late。



That　was　all　that　anyone　knew；　nor　did　Lady　Greystoke

dream　of　the　possible　identity　of　the　man　at　the　bottom　of

the　plot　until　her　husband　told　her　of　the　escape　of　Nikolas

Rokoff　from　the　French　prison　where　they　had　hoped　he　was

permanently　confined。



As　Tarzan　and　his　wife　stood　planning　the　wisest　course　to　pursue；

the　telephone　bell　rang　in　the　library　at　their　right。　　Tarzan　quickly

answered　the　call　in　person。



〃Lord　Greystoke？〃　asked　a　man's　voice　at　the　other　end　of　the　line。



〃Yes。〃



〃Your　son　has　been　stolen；〃　continued　the　voice；　〃and　I　alone

may　help　you　to　recover　him。　　I　am　conversant　with　the　plot

of　those　who　took　him。　　In　fact；　I　was　a　party　to　it；　and　was

to　share　in　the　reward；　but　now　they　are　trying　to　ditch　me；

and　to　be　quits　with　them　I　will　aid　you　to　recover　him

on　condition　that　you　will　not　prosecute　me　for　my　part　in

the　crime。　　What　do　you　say？〃



〃If　you　lead　me　to　where　my　son　is　hidden；〃　replied　the

ape…man；　〃you　need　fear　nothing　from　me。〃



〃Good；〃　replied　the　other。　　〃But　you　must　come　alone　to　meet　me；

for　it　is　enough　that　I　must　trust　you。　　I　cannot　take　the

chance　of　permitting　others　to　learn　my　identity。〃



〃Where　and　when　may　I　meet　you？〃　asked　Tarzan。



The　other　gave　the　name　and　location　of　a　public…house

on　the　water…front　at　Dovera　place　frequented　by　sailors。



〃Come；〃　he　concluded；　〃about　ten　o'clock　tonight。　　It　would

do　no　good　to　arrive　earlier。　　Your　son　will　be　safe　enough

in　the　meantime；　and　I　can　then　lead　you　secretly　to　where

he　is　hidden。　　But　be　sure　to　come　alone；　and　under　no

circumstances　notify　Scotland　Yard；　for　I　know　you　well　and

shall　be　watching　for　you。



〃Should　any　other　accompany　you；　or　should　I　see　suspicious

characters　who　might　be　agents　of　the　police；　I　shall　not　meet　you；

and　your　last　chance　of　recovering　your　son　will　be　gone。〃



Without　more　words　the　man　rang　off。



Tarzan　repeated　the　gist　of　the　conversation　to　his　wife。　　

She　begged　to　be　allowed　to　accompany　him；　but　he　insisted

that　it　might　result　in　the　man's　carrying　out　his　threat　of

refusing　to　aid　them　if　Tarzan　did　not　come　alone；　and　so

they　parted；　he　to　hasten　to　Dover；　and　she；　ostensibly　to　wait

at　home　until　he　should　notify　her　of　the　outcome　of　his　mission。



Little　did　either　dream　of　what　both　were　destined　to　pass

through　before　they　should　meet　again；　or　the　far…distant

but　why　anticipate？



For　ten　minutes　after　the　ape…man　had　left　her　Jane　Clayton　walked

restlessly　back　and　forth　across　the　silken　rugs　of　the　library。　　

Her　mother　heart　ached；　bereft　of　its　firstborn。　　Her　mind　was

in　an　anguish　of　hopes　and　fears。



Though　her　judgment　told　her　that　all　would　be　well　were

her　Tarzan　to　go　alone　in　accordance　with　the　mysterious

stranger's　summons；　her　intuition　would　not　permit　her　to

lay　aside　suspicion　of　the　gravest　dangers　to　both　her　husband

and　her　son。



The　more　she　thought　of　the　matter；　the　more　convinced

she　became　that　the　recent　telephone　message　might　be　but

a　ruse　to　keep　them　inactive　until　the　boy　was　safely　hidden

away　or　spirited　out　of　England。　　Or　it　might　be　that　it　had

been　simply　a　bait　to　lure　Tarzan　into　the　hands　of　the

implacable　Rokoff。



With　the　lodgment　of　this　thought　she　stopped　in　wide…

eyed　terror。　　Instantly　it　became　a　conviction。　　She　glanced　at

the　great　clock　ticking　the　minutes　in　the　corner　of　the　library。



It　was　too　late　to　catch　the　Dover　train　that　Tarzan　was　to　take。　　

There　was　another；　later；　however；　that　would　bring　her　to

the　Channel　port　in　time　to　reach　the　address　the　stranger

had　given　her　husband　before　the　appointed　hour。



Summoning　her　maid　and　chauffeur；　she　issued　instructions　rapidly。　　

Ten　minutes　later　she　was　being　whisked　through　the　crowded

streets　toward　the　railway　station。



It　was　nine…forty…five　that　night　that　Tarzan　entered　the

squalid　〃pub〃　on　the　water…front　in　Dover。　　As　he　passed

into　the　evil…smelling　room　a　muffled　figure　brushed　past　him

toward　the　street。



〃Come；　my　lord！〃　whispered　the　stranger。



The　ape…man　wheeled　about　and　followed　the　other　into　the

ill…lit　alley；　which　custom　had　dignified　with　the　title

of　thoroughfare。　　Once　outside；　the　fellow　led　the　way　into　the

darkness；　nearer　a　wharf；　where　high…piled　bales；　boxes；　and

casks　cast　dense　shadows。　　Here　he　halted。



〃Where　is　the　boy？〃　asked　Greystoke。



〃On　that　small　steamer　whose　lights　you　can　just　see　yonder；〃

replied　the　other。



In　the　gloom　Tarzan　was　trying　to　peer　into　the　features　of

his　companion；　but　he　did　not　recognize　the　man　as　one

whom　he　had　ever　before　seen。　　Had　he　guessed　that　his　guide

was　Alexis　Paulvitch　he　would　have　realized　that　naught　but

treachery　lay　in　the　man's　heart；　and　that　danger　lurked　in

the　path　of　every　move。



〃He　is　unguarded　now；〃　continued　the　Russian。　　〃Those　who

took　him　feel　perfectly　safe　from　detection；　and　with

the　exception　of　a　couple　of　members　of　the　crew；　whom　I

have　furnished　with　enough　gin　to　silence　them　effectually

for　hours；　there　is　none　aboard　the　Kincaid。　　We　can　go

aboard；　get　the　child；　and　return　without　the　slightest　fear。〃



Tarzan　nodded。



〃Let's　be　about　it；　then；〃　he　said。



His　guide　led　him　to　a　small　boat　moored　alongside　the　wharf。　　

The　two　men　entered；　and　Paulvitch　pulled　rapidly　toward

the　steamer。　　The　black　smoke　issuing　from　her　funnel　did

not　at　the　time　make　any　suggestion　to　Tarzan's　mind。　　All　his

thoughts　were　occupied　with　the　hope　that　in　a　few　moments

he　would　again　have　his　little　son　in　his　arms。



At　the　steamer's　side　they　found　a　monkey…ladder　dangling

close　above　them；　and　up　this　the　two　men　crept　stealthily。　　

Once　on　deck　they　hastened　aft　to　where　the　Russian　pointed

to　a　hatch。



〃The　boy　is　hidden　there；〃　he　said。　　〃You　had　better　go

down　after　him；　as　there　is　less　chance　that　he　will　cry　in

fright　than　should　he　find　himself　in　the　arms　of　a　stranger。　　

I　will　stand　on　guard　here。〃



So　anxious　was　Tarzan　to　rescue　the　child　that　he　gave　not

the　slightest　thought　to　the　strangeness　of　all　the　conditions

surrounding　the　Kincaid。　　That　her　deck　was　deserted；　though

she　had　steam　up；　and　from　the　volume　of　smoke　pouring

from　her　funnel　was　all　ready　to　get　under　way　made　no

impression　upon　him。



With　the　thought　that　in　another　instant　he　would　fold　that

precious　little　bundle　of　humanity　in　his　arms；　the　ape…man

swung　down　into　the　darkness　below。　　Scarcely　had　he　released

his　hold　upon　the　edge　of　the　hatch　than　the　heavy

covering　fell　clattering　above　him。



Instantly　he　knew　that　he　was　the　victim　of　a　plot；　and　that

far　from　rescuing　his　son　he　had　himself　fallen　into　the　hands

of　his　enemies。　　Though　he　immediately　endeavoured　to　reach

the　hatch　and　lift　the　cover；　he　was　unable　to　do　so。



Striking　a　match；　he　explored　his　surroundings；　finding

that　a　little　compartment　had　been　partitioned　off　from　the

main　hold；　with　the　hatch　above　his　head　the　only　means　of

ingress　or　egress。　　It　was　evident　that　the　room　had　been

prepared　for　the　very　purpose　of　serving　as　a　cell　for　himself。



There　was　nothing　in　the　compartment；　and　no　other　occupant。　　

If　the　child　was　on　board　the　Kincaid　he　was　confined　elsewhere。



For　over　twenty　years；　from　infancy　to　manhood；　the　ape…man

had　roamed　his　savage　jungle　haunts　without　human　companionship

of　any　nature。　　He　had　learned　at　the　most　impressionable　period

of　his　life　to　take　his　pleasures　and　his　sorrows　as　the　beasts

take　theirs。



So　it　was　that　he　neither　raved　nor　stormed　against　fate；

but　instead　waited　pat