the beasts of tarzan-第42章

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had　had　no　sight　of　Sheeta；　or　Akut　and　the　other　great　apes；

though　Tarzan　had　sometimes　met　them　in　the　jungle　as　he　hunted。



And　as　matters　tended　from　bad　to　worse　in　the　camp　of

the　castaways　upon　the　east　coast　of　Jungle　Island；　another

camp　came　into　being　upon　the　north　coast。



Here；　in　a　little　cove；　lay　a　small　schooner；　the　Cowrie；

whose　decks　had　but　a　few　days　since　run　red　with　the　blood

of　her　officers　and　the　loyal　members　of　her　crew；　for　the

Cowrie　had　fallen　upon　bad　days　when　it　had　shipped　such

men　as　Gust　and　Momulla　the　Maori　and　that　arch…fiend

Kai　Shang　of　Fachan。



There　were　others；　too；　ten　of　them　all　told；　the　scum　of

the　South　Sea　ports；　but　Gust　and　Momulla　and　Kai　Shang

were　the　brains　and　cunning　of　the　company。　　It　was　they　who

had　instigated　the　mutiny　that　they　might　seize　and　divide

the　catch　of　pearls　which　constituted　the　wealth　of　the

Cowrie's　cargo。



It　was　Kai　Shang　who　had　murdered　the　captain　as　he　lay

asleep　in　his　berth；　and　it　had　been　Momulla　the　Maori　who

had　led　the　attack　upon　the　officer　of　the　watch。



Gust；　after　his　own　peculiar　habit；　had　found　means　to

delegate　to　the　others　the　actual　taking　of　life。　　Not　that

Gust　entertained　any　scruples　on　the　subject；　other　than　those

which　induced　in　him　a　rare　regard　for　his　own　personal　safety。　　

There　is　always　a　certain　element　of　risk　to　the　assassin；

for　victims　of　deadly　assault　are　seldom　prone　to　die　quietly

and　considerately。　　There　is　always　a　certain　element　of　risk

to　go　so　far　as　to　dispute　the　issue　with　the　murderer。

It　was　this　chance　of　dispute　which　Gust　preferred　to　forgo。



But　now　that　the　work　was　done　the　Swede　aspired　to　the

position　of　highest　command　among　the　mutineers。　　He　had

even　gone　so　far　as　to　appropriate　and　wear　certain　articles

belonging　to　the　murdered　captain　of　the　Cowriearticles　of

apparel　which　bore　upon　them　the　badges　and　insignia　of　authority。



Kai　Shang　was　peeved。　　He　had　no　love　for　authority；　and

certainly　not　the　slightest　intention　of　submitting　to　the

domination　of　an　ordinary　Swede　sailor。



The　seeds　of　discontent　were；　therefore；　already　planted　in　the　camp

of　the　mutineers　of　the　Cowrie　at　the　north　edge　of　Jungle　Island。

But　Kai　Shang　realized　that　he　must　act　with　circumspection；

for　Gust　alone　of　the　motley　horde　possessed　sufficient

knowledge　of　navigation　to　get　them　out　of　the　South　Atlantic

and　around　the　cape　into　more　congenial　waters　where　they　might

find　a　market　for　their　ill…gotten　wealth；　and　no　questions　asked。



The　day　before　they　sighted　Jungle　Island　and　discovered

the　little　land…locked　harbour　upon　the　bosom　of　which　the

Cowrie　now　rode　quietly　at　anchor；　the　watch　had　discovered

the　smoke　and　funnels　of　a　warship　upon　the　southern　horizon。



The　chance　of　being　spoken　and　investigated　by　a　man…of…war

appealed　not　at　all　to　any　of　them；　so　they　put　into　hiding

for　a　few　days　until　the　danger　should　have　passed。



And　now　Gust　did　not　wish　to　venture　out　to　sea　again。　　

There　was　no　telling；　he　insisted；　but　that　the　ship　they　had

seen　was　actually　searching　for　them。　　Kai　Shang　pointed　out

that　such　could　not　be　the　case　since　it　was　impossible　for

any　human　being　other　than　themselves　to　have　knowledge

of　what　had　transpired　aboard　the　Cowrie。



But　Gust　was　not　to　be　persuaded。　　In　his　wicked　heart　he

nursed　a　scheme　whereby　he　might　increase　his　share　of　the

booty　by　something　like　one　hundred　per　cent。　　He　alone

could　sail　the　Cowrie；　therefore　the　others　could　not　leave

Jungle　Island　without　him；　but　what　was　there　to　prevent

Gust；　with　just　sufficient　men　to　man　the　schooner；　slipping

away　from　Kai　Shang；　Momulla　the　Maori；　and　some　half

of　the　crew　when　opportunity　presented？



It　was　for　this　opportunity　that　Gust　waited。　　Some　day

there　would　come　a　moment　when　Kai　Shang；　Momulla；　and

three　or　four　of　the　others　would　be　absent　from　camp；

exploring　or　hunting。　　The　Swede　racked　his　brain　for　some　plan

whereby　he　might　successfully　lure　from　the　sight　of　the

anchored　ship　those　whom　he　had　determined　to　abandon。



To　this　end　he　organized　hunting　party　after　hunting　party；

but　always　the　devil　of　perversity　seemed　to　enter　the　soul　of

Kai　Shang；　so　that　wily　celestial　would　never　hunt　except

in　the　company　of　Gust　himself。



One　day　Kai　Shang　spoke　secretly　with　Momulla　the　Maori；

pouring　into　the　brown　ear　of　his　companion　the　suspicions

which　he　harboured　concerning　the　Swede。　　Momulla　was　for

going　immediately　and　running　a　long　knife　through

the　heart　of　the　traitor。



It　is　true　that　Kai　Shang　had　no　other　evidence　than　the

natural　cunning　of　his　own　knavish　soulbut　he　imagined

in　the　intentions　of　Gust　what　he　himself　would　have　been

glad　to　accomplish　had　the　means　lain　at　hand。



But　he　dared　not　let　Momulla　slay　the　Swede；　upon　whom

they　depended　to　guide　them　to　their　destination。　　

They　decided；　however；　that　it　would　do　no　harm　to　attempt　to

frighten　Gust　into　acceding　to　their　demands；　and　with　this

purpose　in　mind　the　Maori　sought　out　the　self…constituted

commander　of　the　party。



When　he　broached　the　subject　of　immediate　departure

Gust　again　raised　his　former　objectionthat　the　warship

might　very　probably　be　patrolling　the　sea　directly　in　their

southern　path；　waiting　for　them　to　make　the　attempt　to　reach

other　waters。



Momulla　scoffed　at　the　fears　of　his　fellow；　pointing　out

that　as　no　one　aboard　any　warship　knew　of　their　mutiny　there

could　be　no　reason　why　they　should　be　suspected。



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Gust；　〃there　is　where　you　are　wrong。　　

There　is　where　you　are　lucky　that　you　have　an　educated　man

like　me　to　tell　you　what　to　do。　　You　are　an　ignorant　savage；

Momulla；　and　so　you　know　nothing　of　wireless。〃



The　Maori　leaped　to　his　feet　and　laid　his　hand　upon　the

hilt　of　his　knife。



〃I　am　no　savage；〃　he　shouted。



〃I　was　only　joking；〃　the　Swede　hastened　to　explain。　　〃We　are

old　friends；　Momulla；　we　cannot　afford　to　quarrel；　at　least

not　while　old　Kai　Shang　is　plotting　to　steal　all　the　pearls

from　us。　　If　he　could　find　a　man　to　navigate　the　Cowrie　he

would　leave　us　in　a　minute。　　All　his　talk　about　getting　away

from　here　is　just　because　he　has　some　scheme　in　his　head　to

get　rid　of　us。〃



〃But　the　wireless；〃　asked　Momulla。　　〃What　has　the　wireless

to　do　with　our　remaining　here？〃



〃Oh　yes；〃　replied　Gust；　scratching　his　head。　　He　was　wondering

if　the　Maori　were　really　so　ignorant　as　to　believe　the

preposterous　lie　he　was　about　to　unload　upon　him。　　〃Oh　yes！　

You　see　every　warship　is　equipped　with　what　they　call　a

wireless　apparatus。　　It　lets　them　talk　to　other　ships　hundreds

of　miles　away；　and　it　lets　them　listen　to　all　that　is　said　on

these　other　ships。　　Now；　you　see；　when　you　fellows　were

shooting　up　the　Cowrie　you　did　a　whole　lot　of　loud　talking；　and

there　isn't　any　doubt　but　that　that　warship　was　a…lyin'　off　south

of　us　listenin'　to　it　all。　　Of　course　they　might　not　have　learned

the　name　of　the　ship；　but　they　heard　enough　to　know　that　the

crew　of　some　ship　was　mutinying　and　killin'　her　officers。　　So　you

see　they'll　be　waiting　to　search　every　ship　they　sight　for　a

long　time　to　come；　and　they　may　not　be　far　away　now。〃



When　he　had　ceased　speaking　the　Swede　strove　to　assume

an　air　of　composure　that　his　listener　might　not　have　his

suspicions　aroused　as　to　the　truth　of　the　statements　that

had　just　been　made。



Momulla　sat　for　some　time　in　silence；　eyeing　Gust。　　At　last

he　rose。



〃You　are　a　great　liar；〃　he　said。　　〃If　you　don't　get　us　on

our　way　by　tomorrow　you'll　never　have　another　chance　to　lie；

for　I　heard　two　of　the　men　saying　that　they'd　like　to　run

a　knife　into　you　and　that　if　you　kept　them　in　this　hole　any

longer　they'd　do　it。〃



〃Go　and　ask　Kai　Shang　if　there　is　not　a　wireless；〃　replied　Gust。　　

〃He　will　tell　you　that　there　is　such　a　thing　and　that　vessels

can　talk