the beasts of tarzan-第8章

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nor　had　she　had　time　to　round　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　　So　he　was

quite　at　a　loss　to　know　where　he　might　be。



Sometimes　he　wondered　if　the　ship　had　crossed　the　broad

Atlantic　to　deposit　him　upon　some　wild　South　American

shore；　but　the　presence　of　Numa；　the　lion；　decided　him　that

such　could　not　be　the　case。



As　Tarzan　made　his　lonely　way　through　the　jungle　paralleling

the　shore；　he　felt　strong　upon　him　a　desire　for　companionship；

so　that　gradually　he　commenced　to　regret　that　he　had　not　cast

his　lot　with　the　apes。　　He　had　seen　nothing　of　them　since　that

first　day；　when　the　influences　of　civilization　were　still

paramount　within　him。



Now　he　was　more　nearly　returned　to　the　Tarzan　of　old；

and　though　he　appreciated　the　fact　that　there　could　be

little　in　common　between　himself　and　the　great　anthropoids；

still　they　were　better　than　no　company　at　all。



Moving　leisurely；　sometimes　upon　the　ground　and　again

among　the　lower　branches　of　the　trees；　gathering　an　occasional

fruit　or　turning　over　a　fallen　log　in　search　of　the　larger

bugs；　which　he　still　found　as　palatable　as　of　old；　Tarzan　had

covered　a　mile　or　more　when　his　attention　was　attracted　by

the　scent　of　Sheeta　up…wind　ahead　of　him。



Now　Sheeta；　the　panther；　was　one　of　whom　Tarzan　was　exceptionally

glad　to　fall　in　with；　for　he　had　it　in　mind　not　only　to　utilize

the　great　cat's　strong　gut　for　his　bow；　but　also　to　fashion

a　new　quiver　and　loin…cloth　from　pieces　of　his　hide。　　

So；　whereas　the　ape…man　had　gone　carelessly　before；

he　now　became　the　personification　of　noiseless　stealth。



Swiftly　and　silently　he　glided　through　the　forest　in　the　wake

of　the　savage　cat；　nor　was　the　pursuer；　for　all　his　noble　birth；

one　whit　less　savage　than　the　wild；　fierce　thing　he　stalked。



As　he　came　closer　to　Sheeta　he　became　aware　that　the　panther

on　his　part　was　stalking　game　of　his　own；　and　even　as　he　realized

this　fact　there　came　to　his　nostrils；　wafted　from　his　right　by　a

vagrant　breeze；　the　strong　odour　of　a　company　of　great　apes。



The　panther　had　taken　to　a　large　tree　as　Tarzan　came　within

sight　of　him；　and　beyond　and　below　him　Tarzan　saw　the　tribe

of　Akut　lolling　in　a　little；　natural　clearing。　　Some　of　them

were　dozing　against　the　boles　of　trees；　while　others　roamed

about　turning　over　bits　of　bark　from　beneath　which　they

transferred　the　luscious　grubs　and　beetles　to　their　mouths。



Akut　was　the　closest　to　Sheeta。



The　great　cat　lay　crouched　upon　a　thick　limb；　hidden　from

the　ape's　view　by　dense　foliage；　waiting　patiently　until　the

anthropoid　should　come　within　range　of　his　spring。



Tarzan　cautiously　gained　a　position　in　the　same　tree　with　the

panther　and　a　little　above　him。　　In　his　left　hand　he　grasped

his　slim　stone　blade。　　He　would　have　preferred　to　use　his　noose；

but　the　foliage　surrounding　the　huge　cat　precluded　the　possibility

of　an　accurate　throw　with　the　rope。



Akut　had　now　wandered　quite　close　beneath　the　tree　wherein

lay　the　waiting　death。　　Sheeta　slowly　edged　his　hind　paws

along　the　branch　still　further　beneath　him；　and　then　with

a　hideous　shriek　he　launched　himself　toward　the　great　ape。　　

The　barest　fraction　of　a　second　before　his　spring　another

beast　of　prey　above　him　leaped；　its　weird　and　savage　cry

mingling　with　his。



As　the　startled　Akut　looked　up　he　saw　the　panther　almost

above　him；　and　already　upon　the　panther's　back　the　white

ape　that　had　bested　him　that　day　near　the　great　water。



The　teeth　of　the　ape…man　were　buried　in　the　back　of　Sheeta's

neck　and　his　right　arm　was　round　the　fierce　throat；　while

the　left　hand；　grasping　a　slender　piece　of　stone；　rose　and　fell

in　mighty　blows　upon　the　panther's　side　behind　the　left　shoulder。



Akut　had　just　time　to　leap　to　one　side　to　avoid　being

pinioned　beneath　these　battling　monsters　of　the　jungle。



With　a　crash　they　came　to　earth　at　his　feet。　　Sheeta　was　screaming；

snarling；　and　roaring　horribly；　but　the　white　ape　clung

tenaciously　and　in　silence　to　the　thrashing　body　of　his　quarry。



Steadily　and　remorselessly　the　stone　knife　was　driven　home

through　the　glossy　hidetime　and　again　it　drank　deep；　until

with　a　final　agonized　lunge　and　shriek　the　great　feline　rolled

over　upon　its　side　and；　save　for　the　spasmodic　jerking　of　its

muscles；　lay　quiet　and　still　in　death。



Then　the　ape…man　raised　his　head；　as　he　stood　over　the

carcass　of　his　kill；　and　once　again　through　the　jungle　rang

his　wild　and　savage　victory　challenge。



Akut　and　the　apes　of　Akut　stood　looking　in　startled　wonder

at　the　dead　body　of　Sheeta　and　the　lithe；　straight　figure　of

the　man　who　had　slain　him。



Tarzan　was　the　first　to　speak。



He　had　saved　Akut's　life　for　a　purpose；　and；　knowing　the

limitations　of　the　ape　intellect；　he　also　knew　that　he　must

make　this　purpose　plain　to　the　anthropoid　if　it　were　to　serve

him　in　the　way　he　hoped。



〃I　am　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；〃　he　said；　〃Mighty　hunter。　　Mighty　fighter。

By　the　great　water　I　spared　Akut's　life　when　I　might　have　taken　it

and　become　king　of　the　tribe　of　Akut。　　Now　I　have　saved　Akut　from

death　beneath　the　rending　fangs　of　Sheeta。



〃When　Akut　or　the　tribe　of　Akut　is　in　danger；　let　them

call　to　Tarzan　thus〃and　the　ape…man　raised　the　hideous

cry　with　which　the　tribe　of　Kerchak　had　been　wont　to　summon

its　absent　members　in　times　of　peril。



〃And；〃　he　continued；　〃when　they　hear　Tarzan　call　to　them；

let　them　remember　what　he　has　done　for　Akut　and　come　to　him

with　great　speed。　　Shall　it　be　as　Tarzan　says？〃



〃Huh！〃　assented　Akut；　and　from　the　members　of　his　tribe

there　rose　a　unanimous　〃Huh。〃



Then；　presently；　they　went　to　feeding　again　as　though

nothing　had　happened；　and　with　them　fed　John　Clayton；

Lord　Greystoke。



He　noticed；　however；　that　Akut　kept　always　close　to　him；

and　was　often　looking　at　him　with　a　strange　wonder　in　his

little　bloodshot　eyes；　and　once　he　did　a　thing　that　Tarzan

during　all　his　long　years　among　the　apes　had　never　before

seen　an　ape　dohe　found　a　particularly　tender　morsel　and

handed　it　to　Tarzan。



As　the　tribe　hunted；　the　glistening　body　of　the　ape…man

mingled　with　the　brown；　shaggy　hides　of　his　companions。　　

Oftentimes　they　brushed　together　in　passing；　but　the　apes

had　already　taken　his　presence　for　granted；　so　that　he　was

as　much　one　of　them　as　Akut　himself。



If　he　came　too　close　to　a　she　with　a　young　baby；　the　former

would　bare　her　great　fighting　fangs　and　growl　ominously；

and　occasionally　a　truculent　young　bull　would　snarl　a　warning

if　Tarzan　approached　while　the　former　was　eating。　　But　in

those　things　the　treatment　was　no　different　from　that　which

they　accorded　any　other　member　of　the　tribe。



Tarzan　on　his　part　felt　very　much　at　home　with　these　fierce；

hairy　progenitors　of　primitive　man。　　He　skipped　nimbly　out

of　reach　of　each　threatening　femalefor　such　is　the　way　of

apes；　if　they　be　not　in　one　of　their　occasional　fits　of　bestial

rageand　he　growled　back　at　the　truculent　young　bulls；　baring

his　canine　teeth　even　as　they。　　Thus　easily　he　fell　back　into

the　way　of　his　early　life；　nor　did　it　seem　that　he　had

ever　tasted　association　with　creatures　of　his　own　kind。



For　the　better　part　of　a　week　he　roamed　the　jungle　with

his　new　friends；　partly　because　of　a　desire　for　companionship

and　partially　through　a　well…laid　plan　to　impress　himself

indelibly　upon　their　memories；　which　at　best　are　none　too　long；

for　Tarzan　from　past　experience　knew　that　it　might　serve　him

in　good　stead　to　have　a　tribe　of　these　powerful　and　terrible

beasts　at　his　call。



When　he　was　convinced　that　he　had　succeeded　to　some　extent

in　fixing　his　identity　upon　them　he　decided　to　again　take　up

his　exploration。　　To　this　end　he　set　out　toward　the　north

early　one　day；　and；　keeping　parallel　with　the　shore；

travelled　rapidly　until　almost　nightfall。



When　the　sun　rose　the　next　morning　he　saw　that　it　lay　almost

directly　to　his　right　as　he　stood　upon　the　beach　instead

of　s