the beasts of tarzan-第40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！



as　a　price　for　permission　to　quit　the　Kincaid　unmolested；

every　cent　of　money　and　article　of　value　upon　his　person

and　in　his　cabin。



〃And　you'll　have　to　make　up　your　mind　mighty　quick；〃

growled　the　man；　〃for　I　want　to　turn　in。　　Come　now；　choose

his　lordship　or　the　jungle？〃



〃You'll　be　sorry　for　this；〃　grumbled　the　Russian。



〃Shut　up；〃　admonished　the　sailor。　　〃If　you　get　funny　I

may　change　my　mind；　and　keep　you　here　after　all。〃



Now　Paulvitch　had　no　intention　of　permitting　himself　to

fall　into　the　hands　of　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　if　he　could　possibly

avoid　it；　and　while　the　terrors　of　the　jungle　appalled　him　they

were；　to　his　mind；　infinitely　preferable　to　the　certain　death

which　he　knew　he　merited　and　for　which　he　might　look　at

the　hands　of　the　ape…man。



〃Is　anyone　sleeping　in　my　cabin？〃　he　asked。



The　sailor　shook　his　head。　　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃Lord　and　Lady

Greystoke　have　the　captain's　cabin。　　The　mate　is　in　his　own；

and　there　ain't　no　one　in　yours。〃



〃I'll　go　and　get　my　valuables　for　you；〃　said　Paulvitch。



〃I'll　go　with　you　to　see　that　you　don't　try　any　funny　business；〃

said　the　sailor；　and　he　followed　the　Russian　up　the　ladder　to　the　deck。



At　the　cabin　entrance　the　sailor　halted　to　watch；　permitting

Paulvitch　to　go　alone　to　his　cabin。　　Here　he　gathered　together

his　few　belongings　that　were　to　buy　him　the　uncertain　safety

of　escape；　and　as　he　stood　for　a　moment　beside　the　little

table　on　which　he　had　piled　them　he　searched　his　brain　for

some　feasible　plan　either　to　ensure　his　safety　or　to　bring

revenge　upon　his　enemies。



And　presently　as　he　thought　there　recurred　to　his　memory

the　little　black　box　which　lay　hidden　in　a　secret　receptacle

beneath　a　false　top　upon　the　table　where　his　hand　rested。



The　Russian's　face　lighted　to　a　sinister　gleam　of　malevolent

satisfaction　as　he　stooped　and　felt　beneath　the　table　top。　　

A　moment　later　he　withdrew　from　its　hiding…place　the　thing

he　sought。　　He　had　lighted　the　lantern　swinging　from　the

beams　overhead　that　he　might　see　to　collect　his　belongings；

and　now　he　held　the　black　box　well　in　the　rays　of　the　lamplight；

while　he　fingered　at　the　clasp　that　fastened　its　lid。



The　lifted　cover　revealed　two　compartments　within　the　box。　　

In　one　was　a　mechanism　which　resembled　the　works　of　a

small　clock。　　There　also　was　a　little　battery　of　two　dry　cells。

A　wire　ran　from　the　clockwork　to　one　of　the　poles　of　the

battery；　and　from　the　other　pole　through　the　partition　into

the　other　compartment；　a　second　wire　returning　directly　to

the　clockwork。



Whatever　lay　within　the　second　compartment　was　not　visible；

for　a　cover　lay　over　it　and　appeared　to　be　sealed　in　place

by　asphaltum。　　In　the　bottom　of　the　box；　beside　the　clockwork；

lay　a　key；　and　this　Paulvitch　now　withdrew　and　fitted

to　the　winding　stem。



Gently　he　turned　the　key；　muffling　the　noise　of　the　winding

operation　by　throwing　a　couple　of　articles　of　clothing　over

the　box。　　All　the　time　he　listened　intently　for　any　sound　which

might　indicate　that　the　sailor　or　another　were　approaching

his　cabin；　but　none　came　to　interrupt　his　work。



When　the　winding　was　completed　the　Russian　set　a　pointer

upon　a　small　dial　at　the　side　of　the　clockwork；　then　he

replaced　the　cover　upon　the　black　box；　and　returned　the

entire　machine　to　its　hiding…place　in　the　table。



A　sinister　smile　curled　the　man's　bearded　lips　as　he　gathered

up　his　valuables；　blew　out　the　lamp；　and　stepped　from　his　cabin

to　the　side　of　the　waiting　sailor。



〃Here　are　my　things；〃　said　the　Russian；　〃now　let　me　go。〃



〃I'll　first　take　a　look　in　your　pockets；〃　replied　the　sailor。　　

〃You　might　have　overlooked　some　trifling　thing　that　won't

be　of　no　use　to　you　in　the　jungle；　but　that'll　come　in　mighty

handy　to　a　poor　sailorman　in　London。　　Ah！　just　as　I　feared；〃

he　ejaculated　an　instant　later　as　he　withdrew　a　roll　of　bank…

notes　from　Paulvitch's　inside　coat　pocket。



The　Russian　scowled；　muttering　an　imprecation；　but　nothing

could　be　gained　by　argument；　and　so　he　did　his　best　to

reconcile　himself　to　his　loss　in　the　knowledge　that　the　sailor

would　never　reach　London　to　enjoy　the　fruits　of　his　thievery。



It　was　with　difficulty　that　Paulvitch　restrained　a　consuming

desire　to　taunt　the　man　with　a　suggestion　of　the　fate　that

would　presently　overtake　him　and　the　other　members　of　the

Kincaid's　company；　but　fearing　to　arouse　the　fellow's

suspicions；　he　crossed　the　deck　and　lowered　himself　in　silence

into　his　canoe。



A　minute　or　two　later　he　was　paddling　toward　the　shore　to

be　swallowed　up　in　the　darkness　of　the　jungle　night；　and　the

terrors　of　a　hideous　existence　from　which；　could　he　have　had

even　a　slight　foreknowledge　of　what　awaited　him　in　the　long

years　to　come；　he　would　have　fled　to　the　certain　death　of　the

open　sea　rather　than　endure　it。



The　sailor；　having　made　sure　that　Paulvitch　had　departed；

returned　to　the　forecastle；　where　he　hid　away　his　booty　and

turned　into　his　bunk；　while　in　the　cabin　that　had　belonged　to

the　Russian　there　ticked　on　and　on　through　the　silences　of

the　night　the　little　mechanism　in　the　small　black　box　which

held　for　the　unconscious　sleepers　upon　the　ill…starred　Kincaid

the　coming　vengeance　of　the　thwarted　Russian。









Chapter　19





The　Last　of　the　〃Kincaid〃





Shortly　after　the　break　of　day　Tarzan　was　on　deck　noting

the　condition　of　the　weather。　　The　wind　had　abated。　　

The　sky　was　cloudless。　　Every　condition　seemed　ideal　for

the　commencement　of　the　return　voyage　to　Jungle　Island；

where　the　beasts　were　to　be　left。　　And　thenhome！



The　ape…man　aroused　the　mate　and　gave　instructions　that

the　Kincaid　sail　at　the　earliest　possible　moment。　　

The　remaining　members　of　the　crew；　safe　in　Lord　Greystoke's

assurance　that　they　would　not　be　prosecuted　for　their　share　in

the　villainies　of　the　two　Russians；　hastened　with　cheerful

alacrity　to　their　several　duties。



The　beasts；　liberated　from　the　confinement　of　the　hold；

wandered　about　the　deck；　not　a　little　to　the　discomfiture　of

the　crew　in　whose　minds　there　remained　a　still　vivid　picture

of　the　savagery　of　the　beasts　in　conflict　with　those　who　had

gone　to　their　deaths　beneath　the　fangs　and　talons　which　even

now　seemed　itching　for　the　soft　flesh　of　further　prey。



Beneath　the　watchful　eyes　of　Tarzan　and　Mugambi；　however；

Sheeta　and　the　apes　of　Akut　curbed　their　desires；　so　that

the　men　worked　about　the　deck　amongst　them　in　far　greater

security　than　they　imagined。



At　last　the　Kincaid　slipped　down　the　Ugambi　and　ran　out

upon　the　shimmering　waters　of　the　Atlantic。　　Tarzan　and　Jane

Clayton　watched　the　verdure…clad　shore…line　receding　in　the

ship's　wake；　and　for　once　the　ape…man　left　his　native　soil

without　one　single　pang　of　regret。



No　ship　that　sailed　the　seven　seas　could　have　borne　him

away　from　Africa　to　resume　his　search　for　his　lost　boy　with

half　the　speed　that　the　Englishman　would　have　desired；　and

the　slow…moving　Kincaid　seemed　scarce　to　move　at　all　to　the

impatient　mind　of　the　bereaved　father。



Yet　the　vessel　made　progress　even　when　she　seemed　to　be

standing　still；　and　presently　the　low　hills　of　Jungle　Island

became　distinctly　visible　upon　the　western　horizon　ahead。



In　the　cabin　of　Alexander　Paulvitch　the　thing　within　the

black　box　ticked；　ticked；　ticked；　with　apparently　unending

monotony；　but　yet；　second　by　second；　a　little　arm　which

protruded　from　the　periphery　of　one　of　its　wheels　came　nearer

and　nearer　to　another　little　arm　which　projected　from　the

hand　which　Paulvitch　had　set　at　a　certain　point　upon　the　dial

beside　the　clockwork。　　When　those　two　arms　touched　one

another　the　ticking　of　the　mechanism　would　ceasefor　ever。



Jane　and　Tarzan　stood　upon　the　bridge　looking　out　toward

Jungle　Island。　　The　men　were　forward；　also　watching　the　land

grow　upward　out　of　the　ocean。　　The　beasts　had　sought　the

shade　of　the　galley；　where　they　were　curle