the beasts of tarzan-第6章

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presumptuous　stranger。



They　saw　the　new…comer　place　a　foot　upon　the　neck　of　the　quiet

figure　at　his　feet　and；　throwing　back　his　head；　give　vent　to

the　wild；　uncanny　challenge　of　the　bull…ape　that　has　made　a　kill。

Then　they　knew　that　their　king　was　dead。



Across　the　jungle　rolled　the　horrid　notes　of　the　victory　cry。　　

The　little　monkeys　in　the　tree…tops　ceased　their　chattering。　　

The　harsh…voiced；　brilliant…plumed　birds　were　still。　　From　afar

came　the　answering　wail　of　a　leopard　and　the　deep　roar　of　a　lion。



It　was　the　old　Tarzan　who　turned　questioning　eyes　upon

the　little　knot　of　apes　before　him。　　It　was　the　old　Tarzan　who

shook　his　head　as　though　to　toss　back　a　heavy　mane　that　had

fallen　before　his　facean　old　habit　dating　from　the　days　that

his　great　shock　of　thick；　black　hair　had　fallen　about　his

shoulders；　and　often　tumbled　before　his　eyes　when　it　had　meant

life　or　death　to　him　to　have　his　vision　unobstructed。



The　ape…man　knew　that　he　might　expect　an　immediate

attack　on　the　part　of　that　particular　surviving　bull…ape　who

felt　himself　best　fitted　to　contend　for　the　kingship　of　the　tribe。　　

Among　his　own　apes　he　knew　that　it　was　not　unusual　for　an

entire　stranger　to　enter　a　community　and；　after　having

dispatched　the　king；　assume　the　leadership　of　the　tribe　himself；

together　with　the　fallen　monarch's　mates。



On　the　other　hand；　if　he　made　no　attempt　to　follow　them；

they　might　move　slowly　away　from　him；　later　to　fight　among

themselves　for　the　supremacy。　　That　he　could　be　king　of　them；

if　he　so　chose；　he　was　confident；　but　he　was　not　sure　he　cared

to　assume　the　sometimes　irksome　duties　of　that　position；

for　he　could　see　no　particular　advantage　to　be　gained　thereby。



One　of　the　younger　apes；　a　huge；　splendidly　muscled　brute；

was　edging　threateningly　closer　to　the　ape…man。　　Through　his

bared　fighting　fangs　there　issued　a　low；　sullen　growl。



Tarzan　watched　his　every　move；　standing　rigid　as　a　statue。　　

To　have　fallen　back　a　step　would　have　been　to　precipitate　an

immediate　charge；　to　have　rushed　forward　to　meet　the　other

might　have　had　the　same　result；　or　it　might　have　put　the

bellicose　one　to　flightit　all　depended　upon　the　young　bull's

stock　of　courage。



To　stand　perfectly　still；　waiting；　was　the　middle　course。　　

In　this　event　the　bull　would；　according　to　custom；　approach

quite　close　to　the　object　of　his　attention；　growling　hideously

and　baring　slavering　fangs。　　Slowly　he　would　circle　about　the　other；

as　though　with　a　chip　upon　his　shoulder；　and　this　he　did；

even　as　Tarzan　had　foreseen。



It　might　be　a　bluff　royal；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　so　unstable　is

the　mind　of　an　ape；　a　passing　impulse　might　hurl　the　hairy　mass；

tearing　and　rending；　upon　the　man　without　an　instant's　warning。



As　the　brute　circled　him　Tarzan　turned　slowly；　keeping

his　eyes　ever　upon　the　eyes　of　his　antagonist。　　He　had

appraised　the　young　bull　as　one　who　had　never　quite　felt　equal

to　the　task　of　overthrowing　his　former　king；　but　who　one　day

would　have　done　so。　　Tarzan　saw　that　the　beast　was　of　wondrous

proportions；　standing　over　seven　feet　upon　his　short；　bowed　legs。



His　great；　hairy　arms　reached　almost　to　the　ground　even

when　he　stood　erect；　and　his　fighting　fangs；　now　quite　close

to　Tarzan's　face；　were　exceptionally　long　and　sharp。　　Like　the

others　of　his　tribe；　he　differed　in　several　minor　essentials

from　the　apes　of　Tarzan's　boyhood。



At　first　the　ape…man　had　experienced　a　thrill　of　hope　at

sight　of　the　shaggy　bodies　of　the　anthropoidsa　hope　that

by　some　strange　freak　of　fate　he　had　been　again　returned　to

his　own　tribe；　but　a　closer　inspection　had　convinced　him　that

these　were　another　species。



As　the　threatening　bull　continued　his　stiff　and　jerky

circling　of　the　ape…man；　much　after　the　manner　that　you　have

noted　among　dogs　when　a　strange　canine　comes　among　them；

it　occurred　to　Tarzan　to　discover　if　the　language　of　his　own

tribe　was　identical　with　that　of　this　other　family；　and　so　he

addressed　the　brute　in　the　language　of　the　tribe　of　Kerchak。



〃Who　are　you；〃　he　asked；　〃who　threatens　Tarzan　of　the　Apes？〃



The　hairy　brute　looked　his　surprise。



〃I　am　Akut；〃　replied　the　other　in　the　same　simple；　primal

tongue　which　is　so　low　in　the　scale　of　spoken　languages　that；

as　Tarzan　had　surmised；　it　was　identical　with　that　of　the　tribe

in　which　the　first　twenty　years　of　his　life　had　been　spent。



〃I　am　Akut；〃　said　the　ape。　　〃Molak　is　dead。　　I　am　king。

Go　away　or　I　shall　kill　you！〃



〃You　saw　how　easily　I　killed　Molak；〃　replied　Tarzan。　　〃So　I

could　kill　you　if　I　cared　to　be　king。　　But　Tarzan　of　the

Apes　would　not　be　king　of　the　tribe　of　Akut。　　All　he　wishes

is　to　live　in　peace　in　this　country。　　Let　us　be　friends。　　

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　can　help　you；　and　you　can　help　Tarzan

of　the　Apes。〃



〃You　cannot　kill　Akut；〃　replied　the　other。　　〃None　is　so

great　as　Akut。　　Had　you　not　killed　Molak；　Akut　would　have

done　so；　for　Akut　was　ready　to　be　king。〃



For　answer　the　ape…man　hurled　himself　upon　the　great　brute

who　during　the　conversation　had　slightly　relaxed　his　vigilance。



In　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　the　man　had　seized　the　wrist　of

the　great　ape；　and　before　the　other　could　grapple　with　him

had　whirled　him　about　and　leaped　upon　his　broad　back。



Down　they　went　together；　but　so　well　had　Tarzan's　plan

worked　out　that　before　ever　they　touched　the　ground　he　had

gained　the　same　hold　upon　Akut　that　had　broken　Molak's　neck。



Slowly　he　brought　the　pressure　to　bear；　and　then　as　in　days

gone　by　he　had　given　Kerchak　the　chance　to　surrender　and

live；　so　now　he　gave　to　Akutin　whom　he　saw　a　possible

ally　of　great　strength　and　resourcethe　option　of　living　in

amity　with　him　or　dying　as　he　had　just　seen　his　savage　and

heretofore　invincible　king　die。



〃Ka…Goda？〃　whispered　Tarzan　to　the　ape　beneath　him。



It　was　the　same　question　that　he　had　whispered　to　Kerchak；

and　in　the　language　of　the　apes　it　means；　broadly；

〃Do　you　surrender？〃



Akut　thought　of　the　creaking　sound　he　had　heard　just

before　Molak's　thick　neck　had　snapped；　and　he　shuddered。



He　hated　to　give　up　the　kingship；　though；　so　again　he　struggled

to　free　himself；　but　a　sudden　torturing　pressure　upon　his

vertebra　brought　an　agonized　〃ka…goda！〃　from　his　lips。



Tarzan　relaxed　his　grip　a　trifle。



〃You　may　still　be　king；　Akut；〃　he　said。　　〃Tarzan　told　you

that　he　did　not　wish　to　be　king。　　If　any　question　your　right；

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　will　help　you　in　your　battles。〃



The　ape…man　rose；　and　Akut　came　slowly　to　his　feet。　　

Shaking　his　bullet　head　and　growling　angrily；　he　waddled　toward

his　tribe；　looking　first　at　one　and　then　at　another　of　the

larger　bulls　who　might　be　expected　to　challenge　his　leadership。



But　none　did　so；　instead；　they　drew　away　as　he　approached；

and　presently　the　whole　pack　moved　off　into　the　jungle；

and　Tarzan　was　left　alone　once　more　upon　the　beach。



The　ape…man　was　sore　from　the　wounds　that　Molak　had

inflicted　upon　him；　but　he　was　inured　to　physical　suffering

and　endured　it　with　the　calm　and　fortitude　of　the　wild　beasts

that　had　taught　him　to　lead　the　jungle　life　after　the　manner

of　all　those　that　are　born　to　it。



His　first　need；　he　realized；　was　for　weapons　of　offence　and　defence；

for　his　encounter　with　the　apes；　and　the　distant　notes　of　the　savage

voices　of　Numa　the　lion；　and　Sheeta；　the　panther；　warned　him　that

his　was　to　be　no　life　of　indolent　ease　and　security。



It　was　but　a　return　to　the　old　existence　of　constant　bloodshed

and　dangerto　the　hunting　and　the　being　hunted。　　Grim　beasts

would　stalk　him；　as　they　had　stalked　him　in　the　past；

and　never　would　there　be　a　moment；　by　savage　day　or　by

cruel　night；　that　he　might　not　have　instant　need　of　such　crude

weapons　as　he　could　fashion　from　the　materials　at　hand。



Upon　the　shore　he　found　an　out…cropping　of　brittle；　igneous　rock。　　

By　dint　of　much　labour　he　managed　to　chip　off　a　narrow　sliver　s