the beasts of tarzan-第4章

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he　brought　her　food　to　her；　though　more　often　than　not　she

hurled　the　bulk　of　it　through　the　tiny　cabin　port　the　moment

that　the　door　closed　behind　him。



During　the　days　of　anguish　that　followed　Jane　Clayton's

imprisonment；　but　two　questions　were　uppermost　in　her

mindthe　whereabouts　of　her　husband　and　her　son。　　She　fully

believed　that　the　baby　was　aboard　the　Kincaid；　provided　that

he　still　lived；　but　whether　Tarzan　had　been　permitted　to　live

after　having　been　lured　aboard　the　evil　craft　she　could　not　guess。



She　knew；　of　course；　the　deep　hatred　that　the　Russian　felt

for　the　Englishman；　and　she　could　think　of　but　one　reason

for　having　him　brought　aboard　the　shipto　dispatch　him　in

comparative　safety　in　revenge　for　his　having　thwarted

Rokoff's　pet　schemes；　and　for　having　been　at　last　the

means　of　landing　him　in　a　French　prison。





Tarzan；　on　his　part；　lay　in　the　darkness　of　his　cell；　ignorant

of　the　fact　that　his　wife　was　a　prisoner　in　the　cabin　almost

above　his　head。



The　same　Swede　that　served　Jane　brought　his　meals　to　him；

but；　though　on　several　occasions　Tarzan　had　tried　to

draw　the　man　into　conversation；　he　had　been　unsuccessful。　　

He　had　hoped　to　learn　through　this　fellow　whether　his　little

son　was　aboard　the　Kincaid；　but　to　every　question　upon　this

or　kindred　subjects　the　fellow　returned　but　one　reply；

〃Ay　tank　it　blow　purty　soon　purty　hard。〃　　So　after　several

attempts　Tarzan　gave　it　up。



For　weeks　that　seemed　months　to　the　two　prisoners　the　little

steamer　forged　on　they　knew　not　where。　　Once　the　Kincaid

stopped　to　coal；　only　immediately　to　take　up　the　seemingly

interminable　voyage。



Rokoff　had　visited　Jane　Clayton　but　once　since　he　had　locked

her　in　the　tiny　cabin。　　He　had　come　gaunt　and　hollow…eyed

from　a　long　siege　of　sea…sickness。　　The　object　of　his　visit

was　to　obtain　from　her　her　personal　cheque　for　a　large　sum　in

return　for　a　guarantee　of　her　personal　safety　and　return　to　England。



〃When　you　set　me　down　safely　in　any　civilized　port；

together　with　my　son　and　my　husband；〃　she　replied；　〃I　will

pay　you　in　gold　twice　the　amount　you　ask；　but　until　then　you

shall　not　have　a　cent；　nor　the　promise　of　a　cent　under　any

other　conditions。〃



〃You　will　give　me　the　cheque　I　ask；〃　he　replied　with　a　snarl；

〃or　neither　you　nor　your　child　nor　your　husband　will　ever

again　set　foot　within　any　port；　civilized　or　otherwise。〃



〃I　would　not　trust　you；〃　she　replied。　　〃What　guarantee

have　I　that　you　would　not　take　my　money　and　then　do　as　you

pleased　with　me　and　mine　regardless　of　your　promise？〃



〃I　think　you　will　do　as　I　bid；〃　he　said；　turning　to　leave

the　cabin。　　〃Remember　that　I　have　your　sonif　you　chance

to　hear　the　agonized　wail　of　a　tortured　child　it　may　console

you　to　reflect　that　it　is　because　of　your　stubbornness　that

the　baby　suffersand　that　it　is　your　baby。〃



〃You　would　not　do　it！〃　cried　the　girl。　　〃You　would　not

could　not　be　so　fiendishly　cruel！〃



〃It　is　not　I　that　am　cruel；　but　you；〃　he　returned；

〃for　you　permit　a　paltry　sum　of　money　to　stand　between

your　baby　and　immunity　from　suffering。〃



The　end　of　it　was　that　Jane　Clayton　wrote　out　a　cheque

of　large　denomination　and　handed　it　to　Nikolas　Rokoff；

who　left　her　cabin　with　a　grin　of　satisfaction　upon　his　lips。



The　following　day　the　hatch　was　removed　from　Tarzan's　cell；

and　as　he　looked　up　he　saw　Paulvitch's　head　framed　in

the　square　of　light　above　him。



〃Come　up；〃　commanded　the　Russian。　　〃But　bear　in　mind

that　you　will　be　shot　if　you　make　a　single　move　to　attack　me

or　any　other　aboard　the　ship。〃



The　ape…man　swung　himself　lightly　to　the　deck。　　About　him；

but　at　a　respectful　distance；　stood　a　half…dozen　sailors

armed　with　rifles　and　revolvers。　　Facing　him　was　Paulvitch。



Tarzan　looked　about　for　Rokoff；　who　he　felt　sure　must　be

aboard；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　him。



〃Lord　Greystoke；〃　commenced　the　Russian；　〃by　your　continued

and　wanton　interference　with　M。　　Rokoff　and　his　plans

you　have　at　last　brought　yourself　and　your　family　to　this

unfortunate　extremity。　　You　have　only　yourself　to　thank。　　

As　you　may　imagine；　it　has　cost　M。　　Rokoff　a　large　amount

of　money　to　finance　this　expedition；　and；　as　you　are　the　sole

cause　of　it；　he　naturally　looks　to　you　for　reimbursement。



〃Further；　I　may　say　that　only　by　meeting　M。　　Rokoff's　just

demands　may　you　avert　the　most　unpleasant　consequences　to

your　wife　and　child；　and　at　the　same　time　retain　your　own

life　and　regain　your　liberty。〃



〃What　is　the　amount？〃　asked　Tarzan。　　〃And　what　assurance

have　I　that　you　will　live　up　to　your　end　of　the　agreement？　

I　have　little　reason　to　trust　two　such　scoundrels　as　you

and　Rokoff；　you　know。〃



The　Russian　flushed。



〃You　are　in　no　position　to　deliver　insults；〃　he　said。　　

〃You　have　no　assurance　that　we　will　live　up　to　our　agreement

other　than　my　word；　but　you　have　before　you　the　assurance　that

we　can　make　short　work　of　you　if　you　do　not　write　out　the

cheque　we　demand。



〃Unless　you　are　a　greater　fool　than　I　imagine；　you　should

know　that　there　is　nothing　that　would　give　us　greater　pleasure

than　to　order　these　men　to　fire。　　That　we　do　not　is　because

we　have　other　plans　for　punishing　you　that　would　be　entirely

upset　by　your　death。〃



〃Answer　one　question；〃　said　Tarzan。　　〃Is　my　son　on　board　this　ship？〃



〃No；〃　replied　Alexis　Paulvitch；　〃your　son　is　quite　safe　elsewhere；

nor　will　he　be　killed　until　you　refuse　to　accede　to　our　fair　demands。

If　it　becomes　necessary　to　kill　you；　there　will　be　no　reason　for

not　killing　the　child；　since　with　you　gone　the　one　whom　we　wish

to　punish　through　the　boy　will　be　gone；　and　he　will　then　be　to　us

only　a　constant　source　of　danger　and　embarrassment。　　You　see；

therefore；　that　you　may　only　save　the　life　of　your　son　by

saving　your　own；　and　you　can　only　save　your　own　by　giving

us　the　cheque　we　ask。〃



〃Very　well；〃　replied　Tarzan；　for　he　knew　that　he　could　trust

them　to　carry　out　any　sinister　threat　that　Paulvitch　had　made；

and　there　was　a　bare　chance　that　by　conceding　their　demands

he　might　save　the　boy。



That　they　would　permit　him　to　live　after　he　had　appended

his　name　to　the　cheque　never　occurred　to　him　as　being　within

the　realms　of　probability。　　But　he　was　determined　to　give　them

such　a　battle　as　they　would　never　forget；　and　possibly　to　take

Paulvitch　with　him　into　eternity。　　He　was　only　sorry　that　it

was　not　Rokoff。



He　took　his　pocket　cheque…book　and　fountain…pen　from　his　pocket。



〃What　is　the　amount？〃　he　asked。



Paulvitch　named　an　enormous　sum。　　Tarzan　could　scarce　restrain　a　smile。



Their　very　cupidity　was　to　prove　the　means　of　their　undoing；

in　the　matter　of　the　ransom　at　least。　　Purposely　he　hesitated

and　haggled　over　the　amount；　but　Paulvitch　was　obdurate。　　

Finally　the　ape…man　wrote　out　his　cheque　for　a　larger　sum

than　stood　to　his　credit　at　the　bank。



As　he　turned　to　hand　the　worthless　slip　of　paper　to　the

Russian　his　glance　chanced　to　pass　across　the　starboard　bow

of　the　Kincaid。　　To　his　surprise　he　saw　that　the　ship　lay　within

a　few　hundred　yards　of　land。　　Almost　down　to　the　water's

edge　ran　a　dense　tropical　jungle；　and　behind　was　higher　land

clothed　in　forest。



Paulvitch　noted　the　direction　of　his　gaze。



〃You　are　to　be　set　at　liberty　here；〃　he　said。



Tarzan's　plan　for　immediate　physical　revenge　upon　the

Russian　vanished。　　He　thought　the　land　before　him　the

mainland　of　Africa；　and　he　knew　that　should　they　liberate　him

here　he　could　doubtless　find　his　way　to　civilization　with

comparative　ease。



Paulvitch　took　the　cheque。



〃Remove　your　clothing；〃　he　said　to　the　ape…man。

〃Here　you　will　not　need　it。〃



Tarzan　demurred。



Paulvitch　pointed　to　the　armed　sailors。　　Then　the　Englishman

slowly　divested　himself　of　his　clothing。



A　boat　was　lowered；　and；　still　heavily　guarded；　the　ape…man

was　rowed　ashore。　　Half　an　hour　later　the　sailors　had　returned

to