the return of tarzan-第13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！



should　the　occasion　demand。　　It　is　only　the　same　precaution

that　we　take　with　every　known　criminal。　　Why　does　monsieur　ask？〃



〃They　are　known　to　me；〃　replied　Tarzan。　　〃I　wish　to　see

Monsieur　Rokoff　on　a　little　matter　of　business。　　If　you　can

direct　me　to　his　lodgings　I　shall　appreciate　it。〃



A　few　minutes　later　he　bade　the　policeman　adieu；　and；

with　a　slip　of　paper　in　his　pocket　bearing　a　certain　address

in　a　semirespectable　quarter；　he　walked　briskly　toward　the

nearest　taxi　stand。



Rokoff　and　Paulvitch　had　returned　to　their　rooms；　and　were

sitting　talking　over　the　probable　outcome　of　the　evening's

events。　　They　had　telephoned　to　the　offices　of　two　of　the

morning　papers　from　which　they　momentarily　expected

representatives　to　hear　the　first　report　of　the　scandal

that　was　to　stir　social　Paris　on　the　morrow。



A　heavy　step　sounded　on　the　stairway。　　〃Ah；　but　these

newspaper　men　are　prompt；〃　exclaimed　Rokoff；　and　as　a　knock

fell　upon　the　door　of　their　room：　　〃Enter；　monsieur。〃



The　smile　of　welcome　froze　upon　the　Russian's　face　as

he　looked　into　the　hard；　gray　eyes　of　his　visitor。



〃Name　of　a　name！〃　he　shouted；　springing　to　his　feet；

〃What　brings　you　here！〃



〃Sit　down！〃　said　Tarzan；　so　low　that　the　men　could　barely

catch　the　words；　but　in　a　tone　that　brought　Rokoff　to　his

chair；　and　kept　Paulvitch　in　his。



〃You　know　what　has　brought　me　here；〃　he　continued；　in

the　same　low　tone。　　〃It　should　be　to　kill　you；　but　because

you　are　Olga　de　Coude's　brother　I　shall　not　do　thatnow。



〃I　shall　give　you　a　chance　for　your　lives。　　Paulvitch　does

not　count　muchhe　is　merely　a　stupid；　foolish　little　tool；

and　so　I　shall　not　kill　him　so　long　as　I　permit　you　to　live。

Before　I　leave　you　two　alive　in　this　room　you　will　have　done

two　things。　　The　first　will　be　to　write　a　full　confession　of

your　connection　with　tonight's　plotand　sign　it。



〃The　second　will　be　to　promise　me　upon　pain　of　death　that　you

will　permit　no　word　of　this　affair　to　get　into　the　newspapers。

If　you　do　not　do　both；　neither　of　you　will　be　alive　when　I

pass　next　through　that　doorway。　　Do　you　understand？〃

And；　without　waiting　for　a　reply：　　〃Make　haste；　there　is　ink

before　you；　and　paper　and　a　pen。〃



Rokoff　assumed　a　truculent　air；　attempting　by　bravado　to

show　how　little　he　feared　Tarzan's　threats。　　An　instant　later

he　felt　the　ape…man's　steel　fingers　at　his　throat；　and　Paulvitch；

who　attempted　to　dodge　them　and　reach　the　door；　was

lifted　completely　off　the　floor；　and　hurled　senseless　into　a

corner。　　When　Rokoff　commenced　to　blacken　about　the　face

Tarzan　released　his　hold　and　shoved　the　fellow　back　into

his　chair。　　After　a　moment　of　coughing　Rokoff　sat　sullenly

glaring　at　the　man　standing　opposite　him。　　Presently　Paulvitch

came　to　himself；　and　limped　painfully　back　to　his　chair

at　Tarzan's　command。



〃Now　write；〃　said　the　ape…man。　　〃If　it　is　necessary　to　handle

you　again　I　shall　not　be　so　lenient。〃



Rokoff　picked　up　a　pen　and　commenced　to　write。



〃See　that　you　omit　no　detail；　and　that　you　mention　every

name；〃　cautioned　Tarzan。



Presently　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door。　　〃Enter；〃　said　Tarzan。



A　dapper　young　man　came　in。　　〃I　am　from　the　MATIN；〃

he　announced。　　〃I　understand　that　Monsieur　Rokoff　has

a　story　for　me。〃



〃Then　you　are　mistaken；　monsieur；〃　replied　Tarzan。

〃You　have　no　story　for　publication；　have　you；　my　dear　Nikolas。〃



Rokoff　looked　up　from　his　writing　with　an　ugly　scowl

upon　his　face。



〃No；〃　he　growled；　〃I　have　no　story　for　publicationnow。〃



〃Nor　ever；　my　dear　Nikolas；〃　and　the　reporter　did　not　see

the　nasty　light　in　the　ape…man's　eye；　but　Nikolas　Rokoff　did。



〃Nor　ever；〃　he　repeated　hastily。



〃It　is　too　bad　that　monsieur　has　been　troubled；〃　said　Tarzan；

turning　to　the　newspaper　man。　　〃I　bid　monsieur　good

evening；〃　and　he　bowed　the　dapper　young　man　out　of　the

room；　and　closed　the　door　in　his　face。



An　hour　later　Tarzan；　with　a　rather　bulky　manuscript　in　his

coat　pocket；　turned　at　the　door　leading　from　Rokoff's　room。



〃Were　I　you　I　should　leave　France；〃　he　said；　〃for　sooner

or　later　I　shall　find　an　excuse　to　kill　you　that　will　not　in

any　way　compromise　your　sister。〃







Chapter　6





A　Duel





D'Arnot　was　asleep　when　Tarzan　entered　their　apartments

after　leaving　Rokoff's。　　Tarzan　did　not　disturb　him；　but

the　following　morning　he　narrated　the　happenings　of

the　previous　evening；　omitting　not　a　single　detail。



〃What　a　fool　I　have　been；〃　he　concluded。　　〃De　Coude　and

his　wife　were　both　my　friends。　　How　have　I　returned　their

friendship？　　Barely　did　I　escape　murdering　the　count。　　I　have

cast　a　stigma　on　the　name　of　a　good　woman。　　It　is　very　probable

that　I　have　broken　up　a　happy　home。〃



〃Do　you　love　Olga　de　Coude？〃　asked　D'Arnot。



〃Were　I　not　positive　that　she　does　not　love　me　I　could　not

answer　your　question；　Paul；　but　without　disloyalty　to　her　I

tell　you　that　I　do　not　love　her；　nor　does　she　love　me。　　For　an

instant　we　were　the　victims　of　a　sudden　madnessit　was　not

loveand　it　would　have　left　us；　unharmed；　as　suddenly　as

it　had　come　upon　us　even　though　De　Coude　had　not　returned。

As　you　know；　I　have　had　little　experience　of　women。　　Olga

de　Coude　is　very　beautiful；　that；　and　the　dim　light　and　the

seductive　surroundings；　and　the　appeal　of　the　defenseless　for

protection；　might　have　been　resisted　by　a　more　civilized

man；　but　my　civilization　is　not　even　skin　deepit　does　not　go

deeper　than　my　clothes。



〃Paris　is　no　place　for　me。　　I　will　but　continue　to　stumble

into　more　and　more　serious　pitfalls。　　The　man…made

restrictions　are　irksome。　　I　feel　always　that　I　am　a　prisoner。

I　cannot　endure　it；　my　friend；　and　so　I　think　that　I　shall　go

back　to　my　own　jungle；　and　lead　the　life　that　God　intended

that　I　should　lead　when　He　put　me　there。〃



〃Do　not　take　it　so　to　heart；　Jean；〃　responded　D'Arnot。

〃You　have　acquitted　yourself　much　better　than　most

‘civilized'　men　would　have　under　similar　circumstances。

As　to　leaving　Paris　at　this　time；　I　rather　think　that

Raoul　de　Coude　may　be　expected　to　have　something　to　say

on　that　subject　before　long。〃



Nor　was　D'Arnot　mistaken。　　A　week　later　on　Monsieur　Flaubert

was　announced　about　eleven　in　the　morning；　as　D'Arnot　and

Tarzan　were　breakfasting。　　Monsieur　Flaubert　was　an

impressively　polite　gentleman。　　With　many　low　bows　he　delivered

Monsieur　le　Count　de　Coude's　challenge　to　Monsieur　Tarzan。

Would　monsieur　be　so　very　kind　as　to　arrange　to　have

a　friend　meet　Monsieur　Flaubert　at　as　early　an　hour　as

convenient；　that　the　details　might　be　arranged　to　the　mutual

satisfaction　of　all　concerned？



Certainly。　　Monsieur　Tarzan　would　be　delighted　to　place

his　interests　unreservedly　in　the　hands　of　his　friend；

Lieutenant　D'Arnot。　　And　so　it　was　arranged　that　D'Arnot

was　to　call　on　Monsieur　Flaubert　at　two　that　afternoon；

and　the　polite　Monsieur　Flaubert；　with　many　bows；　left　them。



When　they　were　again　alone　D'Arnot　looked　quizzically　at　Tarzan。



〃Well？〃　he　said。



〃Now　to　my　sins　I　must　add　murder；　or　else　myself　be　killed；〃

said　Tarzan。　　〃I　am　progressing　rapidly　in　the　ways　of

my　civilized　brothers。〃



〃What　weapons　shall　you　select？〃　asked　D'Arnot。

〃De　Coude　is　accredited　with　being　a　master　with　the　sword；

and　a　splendid　shot。〃



〃I　might　then　choose　poisoned　arrows　at　twenty　paces；

or　spears　at　the　same　distance；〃　laughed　Tarzan。

〃Make　it　pistols；　Paul。〃



〃He　will　kill　you；　Jean。〃



〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it；〃　replied　Tarzan。　　〃I　must　die　some　day。〃



〃We　had　better　make　it　swords；〃　said　D'Arnot。　　〃He　will　be

satisfied　with　wounding　you；　and　there　is　less　danger　of　a

mortal　wound。〃

〃Pistols；〃　said　Tarzan；　with　finality。



D'Arnot　tried　to　argue　him　out　of　it；　but　without　avail；

so　pistols　it　was。



D'Arnot　returned　from　his　conference　with　Monsieur　Flaubert

shortly　after　four。



〃It　is　all　arranged；〃　he　said。　　〃Everyth