the beasts of tarzan-第23章

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Make　your　peace　with　God！　　Tell　me　the　worst；　or　I　will

tear　you　to　pieces　with　my　hands　and　teeth。　　You　have　seen

that　I　can　do　it！〃



A　look　of　wide…eyed　surprise　overspread　Anderssen's　face。



〃Why；〃　he　whispered；　〃Ay　did　not　hurt　them。　　Ay　tried

to　save　them　from　that　Russian。　　Your　vife　was　kind　to　me　on

the　Kincaid；　and　Ay　hear　that　little　baby　cry　sometimes。　　

Ay　got　a　vife　an'　kid　for　my　own　by　Christiania　an'　Ay　couldn't

bear　for　to　see　them　separated　an'　in　Rokoff's　hands　any　more。　　

That　vas　all。　　Do　Ay　look　like　Ay　ban　here　to　hurt　them？〃

he　continued　after　a　pause；　pointing　to　the　arrow　protruding

from　his　breast。



There　was　something　in　the　man's　tone　and　expression　that

convinced　Tarzan　of　the　truth　of　his　assertions。　　More　weighty

than　anything　else　was　the　fact　that　Anderssen　evidently　seemed

more　hurt　than　frightened。　　He　knew　he　was　going　to　die；

so　Tarzan's　threats　had　little　effect　upon　him；　but　it　was

quite　apparent　that　he　wished　the　Englishman　to　know　the

truth　and　not　to　wrong　him　by　harbouring　the　belief　that　his

words　and　manner　indicated　that　he　had　entertained。



The　ape…man　instantly　dropped　to　his　knees　beside　the　Swede。



〃I　am　sorry；〃　he　said　very　simply。　　〃I　had　looked　for　none

but　knaves　in　company　with　Rokoff。　　I　see　that　I　was　wrong。　　

That　is　past　now；　and　we　will　drop　it　for　the　more　important

matter　of　getting　you　to　a　place　of　comfort　and　looking　after

your　wounds。　　We　must　have　you　on　your　feet　again　as　soon

as　possible。〃



The　Swede；　smiling；　shook　his　head。



〃You　go　on　an'　look　for　the　vife　an'　kid；〃　he　said。　　

〃Ay　ban　as　gude　as　dead　already；　but〃he　hesitated〃Ay　hate

to　think　of　the　hyenas。　　Von't　you　finish　up　this　job？〃



Tarzan　shuddered。　　A　moment　ago　he　had　been　upon　the　point

of　killing　this　man。　　Now　he　could　no　more　have　taken　his　life

than　he　could　have　taken　the　life　of　any　of　his　best　friends。



He　lifted　the　Swede's　head　in　his　arms　to　change　and　ease　his　position。



Again　came　a　fit　of　coughing　and　the　terrible　haemorrhage。　　

After　it　was　over　Anderssen　lay　with　closed　eyes。



Tarzan　thought　that　he　was　dead；　until　he　suddenly　raised

his　eyes　to　those　of　the　ape…man；　sighed；　and　spokein　a

very　low；　weak　whisper。



〃Ay　tank　it　blow　purty　soon　purty　hard！〃　he　said；　and　died。









Chapter　11





Tambudza





Tarzan　scooped　a　shallow　grave　for　the　Kincaid's　cook；

beneath　whose　repulsive　exterior　had　beaten　the　heart　of

a　chivalrous　gentleman。　　That　was　all　he　could　do　in　the　cruel

jungle　for　the　man　who　had　given　his　life　in　the　service　of

his　little　son　and　his　wife。



Then　Tarzan　took　up　again　the　pursuit　of　Rokoff。　　Now　that

he　was　positive　that　the　woman　ahead　of　him　was　indeed

Jane；　and　that　she　had　again　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the

Russian；　it　seemed　that　with　all　the　incredible　speed　of　his

fleet　and　agile　muscles　he　moved　at　but　a　snail's　pace。



It　was　with　difficulty　that　he　kept　the　trail；　for　there　were

many　paths　through　the　jungle　at　this　pointcrossing　and

crisscrossing；　forking　and　branching　in　all　directions；　and　over

them　all　had　passed　natives　innumerable；　coming　and　going。　　

The　spoor　of　the　white　men　was　obliterated　by　that　of　the

native　carriers　who　had　followed　them；　and　over　all　was　the

spoor　of　other　natives　and　of　wild　beasts。



It　was　most　perplexing；　yet　Tarzan　kept　on　assiduously；

checking　his　sense　of　sight　against　his　sense　of　smell；　that　he

might　more　surely　keep　to　the　right　trail。　　But；　with　all　his

care；　night　found　him　at　a　point　where　he　was　positive　that

he　was　on　the　wrong　trail　entirely。



He　knew　that　the　pack　would　follow　his　spoor；　and　so　he

had　been　careful　to　make　it　as　distinct　as　possible；　brushing

often　against　the　vines　and　creepers　that　walled　the　jungle…

path；　and　in　other　ways　leaving　his　scent…spoor　plainly　discernible。



As　darkness　settled　a　heavy　rain　set　in；　and　there　was

nothing　for　the　baffled　ape…man　to　do　but　wait　in　the　partial

shelter　of　a　huge　tree　until　morning；　but　the　coming　of　dawn

brought　no　cessation　of　the　torrential　downpour。



For　a　week　the　sun　was　obscured　by　heavy　clouds；　while

violent　rain　and　wind　storms　obliterated　the　last　remnants　of

the　spoor　Tarzan　constantly　though　vainly　sought。



During　all　this　time　he　saw　no　signs　of　natives；　nor　of　his

own　pack；　the　members　of　which　he　feared　had　lost　his　trail

during　the　terrific　storm。　　As　the　country　was　strange　to　him；

he　had　been　unable　to　judge　his　course　accurately；　since　he　had　had

neither　sun　by　day　nor　moon　nor　stars　by　night　to　guide　him。



When　the　sun　at　last　broke　through　the　clouds　in　the

fore…　noon　of　the　seventh　day；　it　looked　down　upon

an　almost　frantic　ape…man。



For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　had　been

lost　in　the　jungle。　　That　the　experience　should　have　befallen

him　at　such　a　time　seemed　cruel　beyond　expression。　　Somewhere　in

this　savage　land　his　wife　and　son　lay　in　the　clutches　of　the

arch…fiend　Rokoff。



What　hideous　trials　might　they　not　have　undergone　during

those　seven　awful　days　that　nature　had　thwarted　him　in　his

endeavours　to　locate　them？　　Tarzan　knew　the　Russian；　in

whose　power　they　were；　so　well　that　he　could　not　doubt　but

that　the　man；　filled　with　rage　that　Jane　had　once　escaped

him；　and　knowing　that　Tarzan　might　be　close　upon　his　trail；

would　wreak　without　further　loss　of　time　whatever　vengeance

his　polluted　mind　might　be　able　to　conceive。



But　now　that　the　sun　shone　once　more；　the　ape…man　was　still

at　a　loss　as　to　what　direction　to　take。　　He　knew　that　Rokoff

had　left　the　river　in　pursuit　of　Anderssen；　but　whether　he

would　continue　inland　or　return　to　the　Ugambi　was　a　question。



The　ape…man　had　seen　that　the　river　at　the　point　he　had　left

it　was　growing　narrow　and　swift；　so　that　he　judged　that

it　could　not　be　navigable　even　for　canoes　to　any　great

distance　farther　toward　its　source。　　However；　if　Rokoff　had

not　returned　to　the　river；　in　what　direction　had　he　proceeded？



From　the　direction　of　Anderssen's　flight　with　Jane　and　the

child　Tarzan　was　convinced　that　the　man　had　purposed

attempting　the　tremendous　feat　of　crossing　the　continent　to

Zanzibar；　but　whether　Rokoff　would　dare　so　dangerous　a

journey　or　not　was　a　question。



Fear　might　drive　him　to　the　attempt　now　that　he　knew　the

manner　of　horrible　pack　that　was　upon　his　trail；　and　that

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　following　him　to　wreak　upon　him

the　vengeance　that　he　deserved。



At　last　the　ape…man　determined　to　continue　toward　the

northeast　in　the　general　direction　of　German　East　Africa　until

he　came　upon　natives　from　whom　he　might　gain　information

as　to　Rokoff's　whereabouts。



The　second　day　following　the　cessation　of　the　rain　Tarzan

came　upon　a　native　village　the　inhabitants　of　which　fled　into

the　bush　the　instant　their　eyes　fell　upon　him。　　Tarzan；　not　to

be　thwarted　in　any　such　manner　as　this；　pursued　them；　and

after　a　brief　chase　caught　up　with　a　young　warrior。　　The　fellow

was　so　badly　frightened　that　he　was　unable　to　defend

himself；　dropping　his　weapons　and　falling　upon　the　ground；

wide…eyed　and　screaming　as　he　gazed　on　his　captor。



It　was　with　considerable　difficulty　that　the　ape…man　quieted

the　fellow's　fears　sufficiently　to　obtain　a　coherent　statement

from　him　as　to　the　cause　of　his　uncalled…for　terror。



From　him　Tarzan　learned；　by　dint　of　much　coaxing；　that

a　party　of　whites　had　passed　through　the　village　several

days　before。　　These　men　had　told　them　of　a　terrible　white

devil　that　pursued　them；　warning　the　natives　against　it　and

the　frightful　pack　of　demons　that　accompanied　it。



The　black　had　recognized　Tarzan　as　the　white　devil　from

the　descriptions　given　by　the　whites　and　their　black　servants。　　

Behind　him　he　had　expected　to　see　a　horde　of　demons　disguised

as　apes　and　panthers。



In　this　Tarzan　saw　the　cunning　hand　of　Rokoff。　　The　Russian

was　attempt