the return of tarzan-第14章

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D'Arnot　returned　from　his　conference　with　Monsieur　Flaubert

shortly　after　four。



〃It　is　all　arranged；〃　he　said。　　〃Everything　is　satisfactory。

Tomorrow　morning　at　daylightthere　is　a　secluded　spot　on

the　road　not　far　from　Etamps。　　For　some　personal　reason

Monsieur　Flaubert　preferred　it。　　I　did　not　demur。〃



〃Good！〃　was　Tarzan's　only　comment。　　He　did　not　refer　to

the　matter　again　even　indirectly。　　That　night　he　wrote　several

letters　before　he　retired。　　After　sealing　and　addressing　them

he　placed　them　all　in　an　envelope　addressed　to　D'Arnot。

As　he　undressed　D'Arnot　heard　him　humming　a　music…hall　ditty。



The　Frenchman　swore　under　his　breath。　　He　was　very　unhappy；

for　he　was　positive　that　when　the　sun　rose　the　next

morning　it　would　look　down　upon　a　dead　Tarzan。　　It　grated

upon　him　to　see　Tarzan　so　unconcerned。



〃This　is　a　most　uncivilized　hour　for　people　to　kill　each

other；〃　remarked　the　ape…man　when　he　had　been　routed　out　of

a　comfortable　bed　in　the　blackness　of　the　early　morning　hours。

He　had　slept　well；　and　so　it　seemed　that　his　head　scarcely

touched　the　pillow　ere　his　man　deferentially　aroused　him。

His　remark　was　addressed　to　D'Arnot；　who　stood　fully

dressed　in　the　doorway　of　Tarzan's　bedroom。



D'Arnot　had　scarcely　slept　at　all　during　the　night。　　He　was

nervous；　and　therefore　inclined　to　be　irritable。



〃I　presume　you　slept　like　a　baby　all　night；〃　he　said。



Tarzan　laughed。　　〃From　your　tone；　Paul；　I　infer　that　you

rather　harbor　the　fact　against　me。　　I　could　not　help　it；　really。〃



〃No；　Jean；　it　is　not　that；〃　replied　D'Arnot；　himself

smiling。　　〃But　you　take　the　entire　matter　with　such

infernal　indifferenceit　is　exasperating。　　One　would

think　that　you　were　going　out　to　shoot　at　a　target；

rather　than　to　face　one　of　the　best　shots　in　France。〃



Tarzan　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃I　am　going　out　to　expiate

a　great　wrong；　Paul。　　A　very　necessary　feature　of　the　expiation

is　the　marksmanship　of　my　opponent。　　Wherefore；　then；　should

I　be　dissatisfied？　　Have　you　not　yourself　told　me　that　Count

de　Coude　is　a　splendid　marksman？〃



〃You　mean　that　you　hope　to　be　killed？〃　exclaimed　D'Arnot；

in　horror。



〃I　cannot　say　that　I　hope　to　be；　but　you　must　admit　that

there　is　little　reason　to　believe　that　I　shall　not　be　killed。〃



Had　D'Arnot　known　the　thing　that　was　in　the　ape…man's

mindthat　had　been　in　his　mind　almost　from　the　first

intimation　that　De　Coude　would　call　him　to　account　on　the

field　of　honorhe　would　have　been　even　more　horrified　than

he　was。



In　silence　they　entered　D'Arnot's　great　car；　and　in

similar　silence　they　sped　over　the　dim　road　that　leads

to　Etamps。　　Each　man　was　occupied　with　his　own　thoughts。

D'Arnot's　were　very　mournful；　for　he　was　genuinely　fond

of　Tarzan。　　The　great　friendship　which　had　sprung　up　between

these　two　men　whose　lives　and　training　had　been　so　widely

different　had　but　been　strengthened　by　association；　for

they　were　both　men　to　whom　the　same　high　ideals　of　manhood；

of　personal　courage；　and　of　honor　appealed　with　equal　force。

They　could　understand　one　another；　and　each　could　be　proud

of　the　friendship　of　the　other。



Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　wrapped　in　thoughts　of　the　past；

pleasant　memories　of　the　happier　occasions　of　his　lost

jungle　life。　　He　recalled　the　countless　boyhood　hours　that

he　had　spent　cross…legged　upon　the　table　in　his　dead　father's

cabin；　his　little　brown　body　bent　over　one　of　the　fascinating

picture　books　from　which；　unaided；　he　had　gleaned　the　secret

of　the　printed　language　long　before　the　sounds　of

human　speech　fell　upon　his　ears。　　A　smile　of　contentment

softened　his　strong　face　as　he　thought　of　that　day　of　days

that　he　had　had　alone　with　Jane　Porter　in　the　heart　of　his

primeval　forest。



Presently　his　reminiscences　were　broken　in　upon　by　the

stopping　of　the　carthey　were　at　their　destination。

Tarzan's　mind　returned　to　the　affairs　of　the　moment。

He　knew　that　he　was　about　to　die；　but　there　was　no　fear　of

death　in　him。　　To　a　denizen　of　the　cruel　jungle　death　is

a　commonplace。　　The　first　law　of　nature　compels　them　to

cling　tenaciously　to　lifeto　fight　for　it；　but　it　does

not　teach　them　to　fear　death。



D'Arnot　and　Tarzan　were　first　upon　the　field　of　honor。　　A

moment　later　De　Coude；　Monsieur　Flaubert；　and　a　third

gentleman　arrived。　　The　last　was　introduced　to　D'Arnot　and

Tarzan；　he　was　a　physician。



D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert　spoke　together　in　whispers

for　a　brief　time。　　The　Count　de　Coude　and　Tarzan　stood　apart

at　opposite　sides　of　the　field。　　Presently　the　seconds

summoned　them。　　D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert　had　examined

both　pistols。　　The　two　men　who　were　to　face　each　other　a

moment　later　stood　silently　while　Monsieur　Flaubert　recited

the　conditions　they　were　to　observe。



They　were　to　stand　back　to　back。　　At　a　signal　from　Monsieur

Flaubert　they　were　to　walk　in　opposite　directions；

their　pistols　hanging　by　their　sides。　　When　each　had　proceeded

ten　paces　D'Arnot　was　to　give　the　final　signalthen　they

were　to　turn　and　fire　at　will　until　one　fell；　or　each　had

expended　the　three　shots　allowed。



While　Monsieur　Flaubert　spoke　Tarzan　selected　a　cigarette

from　his　case；　and　lighted　it。　　De　Coude　was　the　personification

of　coolnesswas　he　not　the　best　shot　in　France？



Presently　Monsieur　Flaubert　nodded　to　D'Arnot；　and

each　man　placed　his　principal　in　position。



〃Are　you　quite　ready；　gentlemen？〃　asked　Monsieur　Flaubert。



〃Quite；〃　replied　De　Coude。



Tarzan　nodded。　　Monsieur　Flaubert　gave　the　signal。　　He

and　D'Arnot　stepped　back　a　few　paces　to　be　out　of　the　line

of　fire　as　the　men　paced　slowly　apart。　　Six！　　Seven！　　Eight！

There　were　tears　in　D'Arnot's　eyes。　　He　loved　Tarzan　very　much。

Nine！　　Another　pace；　and　the　poor　lieutenant　gave　the

signal　he　so　hated　to　give。　　To　him　it　sounded　the　doom

of　his　best　friend。



Quickly　De　Coude　wheeled　and　fired。　　Tarzan　gave　a　little　start。

His　pistol　still　dangled　at　his　side。　　De　Coude　hesitated；

as　though　waiting　to　see　his　antagonist　crumple　to　the　ground。

The　Frenchman　was　too　experienced　a　marksman　not　to　know　that

he　had　scored　a　hit。　　Still　Tarzan　made　no　move　to　raise　his　pistol。

De　Coude　fired　once　more；　but　the　attitude　of　the　ape…manthe

utter　indifference　that　was　so　apparent　in　every　line　of　the

nonchalant　ease　of　his　giant　figure；　and　the　even　unruffled

puffing　of　his　cigarettehad　disconcerted　the　best　marksman

in　France。　　This　time　Tarzan　did　not　start；　but　again　De　Coude

knew　that　he　had　hit。



Suddenly　the　explanation　leaped　to　his　mindhis　antagonist

was　coolly　taking　these　terrible　chances　in　the　hope

that　he　would　receive　no　staggering　wound　from　any　of

De　Coude's　three　shots。　　Then　he　would　take　his　own　time

about　shooting　De　Coude　down　deliberately；　coolly；　and　in

cold　blood。　　A　little　shiver　ran　up　the　Frenchman's　spine。

It　was　fiendishdiabolical。　　What　manner　of　creature　was　this

that　could　stand　complacently　with　two　bullets　in　him；　waiting

for　the　third？



And　so　De　Coude　took　careful　aim　this　time；　but　his　nerve

was　gone；　and　he　made　a　clean　miss。　　Not　once　had　Tarzan

raised　his　pistol　hand　from　where　it　hung　beside　his　leg。



For　a　moment　the　two　stood　looking　straight　into　each

other's　eyes。　　On　Tarzan's　face　was　a　pathetic　expression

of　disappointment。　　On　De　Coude's　a　rapidly　growing

expression　of　horroryes；　of　terror。



He　could　endure　it　no　longer。



〃Mother　of　God！　　Monsieurshoot！〃　he　screamed。



But　Tarzan　did　not　raise　his　pistol。　　Instead；　he　advanced

toward　De　Coude；　and　when　D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert；

misinterpreting　his　intention；　would　have　rushed　between

them；　he　raised　his　left　hand　in　a　sign　of　remonstrance。



〃Do　not　fear；〃　he　said　to　them；　〃I　shall　not　harm　him。〃



It　was　most　unusual；　but　they　halted。　　Tarzan　advanced

until　he　was　quite　close　to　De　Coude。



〃There　must　have　been　something　wrong　with　monsieur's

pistol；〃　he　said。　　〃Or　mon