the beasts of tarzan-第37章

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It　was　Sheeta；　and　with　grinning　jaws　the　mighty　beast

slunk　silently　toward　the　terror…stricken　man。



When　Rokoff　saw　what　it　was　that　stalked　him　his　shrieks　for

help　filled　the　air；　as　with　trembling　knees　he　stood；　as　one

paralyzed；　before　the　hideous　death　that　was　creeping　upon　him。



Tarzan　took　a　step　toward　the　Russian；　his　brain　burning

with　a　raging　fire　of　vengeance。　　At　last　he　had　the　murderer

of　his　son　at　his　mercy。　　His　was　the　right　to　avenge。



Once　Jane　had　stayed　his　hand　that　time　that　he　sought　to　take

the　law　into　his　own　power　and　mete　to　Rokoff　the　death　that

he　had　so　long　merited；　but　this　time　none　should　stay　him。



His　fingers　clenched　and　unclenched　spasmodically　as　he　approached

the　trembling　Russ；　beastlike　and　ominous　as　a　brute　of　prey。



Presently　he　saw　that　Sheeta　was　about　to　forestall　him；

robbing　him　of　the　fruits　of　his　great　hate。



He　called　sharply　to　the　panther；　and　the　words；　as　if

they　had　broken　a　hideous　spell　that　had　held　the　Russian；

galvanized　him　into　sudden　action。　　With　a　scream　he　turned

and　fled　toward　the　bridge。



After　him　pounced　Sheeta　the　panther；　unmindful　of　his

master's　warning　voice。



Tarzan　was　about　to　leap　after　the　two　when　he　felt　a　light

touch　upon　his　arm。　　Turning；　he　found　Jane　at　his　elbow。



〃Do　not　leave　me；〃　she　whispered。　　〃I　am　afraid。〃



Tarzan　glanced　behind　her。



All　about　were　the　hideous　apes　of　Akut。　　Some；　even；

were　approaching　the　young　woman　with　bared　fangs　and

menacing　guttural　warnings。



The　ape…man　warned　them　back。　　He　had　forgotten　for　the

moment　that　these　were　but　beasts；　unable　to　differentiate

his　friends　and　his　foes。　　Their　savage　natures　were　roused　by

their　recent　battle　with　the　sailors；　and　now　all　flesh　outside

the　pack　was　meat　to　them。



Tarzan　turned　again　toward　the　Russian；　chagrined　that

he　should　have　to　forgo　the　pleasure　of　personal　revenge

unless　the　man　should　escape　Sheeta。　　But　as　he　looked　he　saw

that　there　could　be　no　hope　of　that。　　The　fellow　had　retreated

to　the　end　of　the　bridge；　where　he　now　stood　trembling　and

wide…eyed；　facing　the　beast　that　moved　slowly　toward　him。



The　panther　crawled　with　belly　to　the　planking；　uttering

uncanny　mouthings。　　Rokoff　stood　as　though　petrified；

his　eyes　protruding　from　their　sockets；　his　mouth　agape；

and　the　cold　sweat　of　terror　clammy　upon　his　brow。



Below　him；　upon　the　deck；　he　had　seen　the　great　anthropoids；

and　so　had　not　dared　to　seek　escape　in　that　direction。　　

In　fact；　even　now　one　of　the　brutes　was　leaping　to　seize　the

bridge…rail　and　draw　himself　up　to　the　Russian's　side。



Before　him　was　the　panther；　silent　and　crouched。



Rokoff　could　not　move。　　His　knees　trembled。　　His　voice

broke　in　inarticulate　shrieks。　　With　a　last　piercing　wail　he

sank　to　his　kneesand　then　Sheeta　sprang。



Full　upon　the　man's　breast　the　tawny　body　hurtled；

tumbling　the　Russian　to　his　back。



As　the　great　fangs　tore　at　the　throat　and　chest；　Jane　Clayton

turned　away　in　horror；　but　not　so　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。　　A　cold

smile　of　satisfaction　touched　his　lips。　　The　scar　upon　his

forehead　that　had　burned　scarlet　faded　to　the　normal　hue　of　his

tanned　skin　and　disappeared。



Rokoff　fought　furiously　but　futilely　against　the　growling；

rending　fate　that　had　overtaken　him。　　For　all　his　countless

crimes　he　was　punished　in　the　brief　moment　of　the　hideous

death　that　claimed　him　at　the　last。



After　his　struggles　ceased　Tarzan　approached；　at　Jane's

suggestion；　to　wrest　the　body　from　the　panther　and　give　what

remained　of　it　decent　human　burial；　but　the　great　cat　rose

snarling　above　its　kill；　threatening　even　the　master　it　loved

in　its　savage　way；　so　that　rather　than　kill　his　friend　of　the

jungle；　Tarzan　was　forced　to　relinquish　his　intentions。



All　that　night　Sheeta；　the　panther；　crouched　upon　the　grisly

thing　that　had　been　Nikolas　Rokoff。　　The　bridge　of　the

Kincaid　was　slippery　with　blood。　　Beneath　the　brilliant

tropic　moon　the　great　beast　feasted　until；　when　the　sun　rose

the　following　morning；　there　remained　of　Tarzan's　great　enemy

only　gnawed　and　broken　bones。





Of　the　Russian's　party；　all　were　accounted　for　except　Paulvitch。　　

Four　were　prisoners　in　the　Kincaid's　forecastle。　　The　rest　were　dead。



With　these　men　Tarzan　got　up　steam　upon　the　vessel；　and　with

the　knowledge　of　the　mate；　who　happened　to　be　one　of　those　surviving；

he　planned　to　set　out　in　quest　of　Jungle　Island；　but　as　the　morning

dawned　there　came　with　it　a　heavy　gale　from　the　west　which　raised

a　sea　into　which　the　mate　of　the　Kincaid　dared　not　venture。

All　that　day　the　ship　lay　within　the　shelter　of　the　mouth　of　the　river；

for；　though　night　witnessed　a　lessening　of　the　wind；　it　was　thought

safer　to　wait　for　daylight　before　attempting　the　navigation　of

the　winding　channel　to　the　sea。



Upon　the　deck　of　the　steamer　the　pack　wandered　without

let　or　hindrance　by　day；　for　they　had　soon　learned　through

Tarzan　and　Mugambi　that　they　must　harm　no　one　upon　the

Kincaid；　but　at　night　they　were　confined　below。



Tarzan's　joy　had　been　unbounded　when　he　learned　from

his　wife　that　the　little　child　who　had　died　in　the　village　of

M'ganwazam　was　not　their　son。　　Who　the　baby　could　have

been；　or　what　had　become　of　their　own；　they　could　not　imagine；

and　as　both　Rokoff　and　Paulvitch　were　gone；　there　was

no　way　of　discovering。



There　was；　however；　a　certain　sense　of　relief　in　the　knowledge

that　they　might　yet　hope。　　Until　positive　proof　of　the　baby's

death　reached　them　there　was　always　that　to　buoy　them　up。



It　seemed　quite　evident　that　their　little　Jack　had　not　been

brought　aboard　the　Kincaid。　　Anderssen　would　have　known

of　it　had　such　been　the　case；　but　he　had　assured　Jane　time

and　time　again　that　the　little　one　he　had　brought　to　her　cabin

the　night　he　aided　her　to　escape　was　the　only　one　that　had

been　aboard　the　Kincaid　since　she　lay　at　Dover。









Chapter　18





Paulvitch　Plots　Revenge





As　Jane　and　Tarzan　stood　upon　the　vessel's　deck　recounting

to　one　another　the　details　of　the　various　adventures

through　which　each　had　passed　since　they　had　parted　in　their

London　home；　there　glared　at　them　from　beneath　scowling

brows　a　hidden　watcher　upon　the　shore。



Through　the　man's　brain　passed　plan　after　plan　whereby

he　might　thwart　the　escape　of　the　Englishman　and　his　wife；

for　so　long　as　the　vital　spark　remained　within　the　vindictive

brain　of　Alexander　Paulvitch　none　who　had　aroused　the　enmity

of　the　Russian　might　be　entirely　safe。



Plan　after　plan　he　formed　only　to　discard　each　either　as

impracticable；　or　unworthy　the　vengeance　his　wrongs　demanded。　　

So　warped　by　faulty　reasoning　was　the　criminal　mind　of

Rokoff's　lieutenant　that　he　could　not　grasp　the　real

truth　of　that　which　lay　between　himself　and　the　ape…man　and

see　that　always　the　fault　had　been；　not　with　the　English　lord；

but　with　himself　and　his　confederate。



And　at　the　rejection　of　each　new　scheme　Paulvitch　arrived

always　at　the　same　conclusionthat　he　could　accomplish

naught　while　half　the　breadth　of　the　Ugambi　separated　him

from　the　object　of　his　hatred。



But　how　was　he　to　span　the　crocodile…infested　waters？　

There　was　no　canoe　nearer　than　the　Mosula　village；　and

Paulvitch　was　none　too　sure　that　the　Kincaid　would　still　be

at　anchor　in　the　river　when　he　returned　should　he　take　the

time　to　traverse　the　jungle　to　the　distant　village　and　return

with　a　canoe。　　Yet　there　was　no　other　way；　and　so；　convinced

that　thus　alone　might　he　hope　to　reach　his　prey；　Paulvitch；

with　a　parting　scowl　at　the　two　figures　upon　the　Kincaid's

deck；　turned　away　from　the　river。



Hastening　through　the　dense　jungle；　his　mind　centred　upon

his　one　fetichrevengethe　Russian　forgot　even　his　terror

of　the　savage　world　through　which　he　moved。



Baffled　and　beaten　at　every　turn　of　Fortune's　wheel；

reacted　upon　time　after　time