the return of tarzan-第15章
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〃There must have been something wrong with monsieur's
pistol;〃 he said。 〃Or monsieur is unstrung。 Take mine;
monsieur; and try again;〃 and Tarzan offered his pistol; butt
foremost; to the astonished De Coude。
〃MON DIEU; monsieur!〃 cried the latter。 〃Are you mad?〃
〃No; my friend;〃 replied the ape…man; 〃but I deserve to die。
It is the only way in which I may atone for the wrong I have
done a very good woman。 Take my pistol and do as I bid。〃
〃It would be murder;〃 replied De Coude。 〃But what wrong
did you do my wife? She swore to me that〃
〃I do not mean that;〃 said Tarzan quickly。 〃You saw all
the wrong that passed between us。 But that was enough to
cast a shadow upon her name; and to ruin the happiness of
a man against whom I had no enmity。 The fault was all
mine; and so I hoped to die for it this morning。 I am
disappointed that monsieur is not so wonderful a marksman
as I had been led to believe。〃
〃You say that the fault was all yours?〃 asked De Coude eagerly。
〃All mine; monsieur。 Your wife is a very pure woman。
She loves only you。 The fault that you saw was all mine。
The thing that brought me there was no fault of either the
Countess de Coude or myself。 Here is a paper which will quite
positively demonstrate that;〃 and Tarzan drew from his pocket
the statement Rokoff had written and signed。
De Coude took it and read。 D'Arnot and Monsieur Flaubert
had drawn near。 They were interested spectators of this
strange ending of a strange duel。 None spoke until De
Coude had quite finished; then he looked up at Tarzan。
〃You are a very brave and chivalrous gentleman;〃 he said。
〃I thank God that I did not kill you。〃
De Coude was a Frenchman。 Frenchmen are impulsive。 He threw
his arms about Tarzan and embraced him。 Monsieur Flaubert
embraced D'Arnot。 There was no one to embrace the doctor。
So possibly it was pique which prompted him to interfere;
and demand that he be permitted to dress Tarzan's wounds。
〃This gentleman was hit once at least;〃 he said。 〃Possibly thrice。〃
〃Twice;〃 said Tarzan。 〃Once in the left shoulder; and again
in the left sideboth flesh wounds; I think。〃 But the doctor
insisted upon stretching him upon the sward; and tinkering
with him until the wounds were cleansed and the flow of
blood checked。
One result of the duel was that they all rode back to Paris
together in D'Arnot's car; the best of friends。 De Coude
was so relieved to have had this double assurance of his
wife's loyalty that he felt no rancor at all toward Tarzan。
It is true that the latter had assumed much more of the fault
than was rightly his; but if he lied a little he may be
excused; for he lied in the service of a woman; and he lied
like a gentleman。
The ape…man was confined to his bed for several days。 He
felt that it was foolish and unnecessary; but the doctor and
D'Arnot took the matter so to heart that he gave in to please
them; though it made him laugh to think of it。
〃It is droll;〃 he said to D'Arnot。 〃To lie abed because of a
pin prick! Why; when Bolgani; the king gorilla; tore me almost
to pieces; while I was still but a little boy; did I have a
nice soft bed to lie on? No; only the damp; rotting vegetation
of the jungle。 Hidden beneath some friendly bush I lay for
days and weeks with only Kala to nurse mepoor; faithful
Kala; who kept the insects from my wounds and warned off
the beasts of prey。
〃When I called for water she brought it to me in her own
mouththe only way she knew to carry it。 There was no
sterilized gauze; there was no antiseptic bandagethere
was nothing that would not have driven our dear doctor mad
to have seen。 Yet I recoveredrecovered to lie in bed
because of a tiny scratch that one of the jungle folk would
scarce realize unless it were upon the end of his nose。〃
But the time was soon over; and before he realized it
Tarzan found himself abroad again。 Several times De Coude
had called; and when he found that Tarzan was anxious for
employment of some nature he promised to see what could
be done to find a berth for him。
It was the first day that Tarzan was permitted to go out
that he received a message from De Coude requesting him
to call at the count's office that afternoon。
He found De Coude awaiting him with a very pleasant welcome;
and a sincere congratulation that he was once more
upon his feet。 Neither had ever mentioned the duel or the
cause of it since that morning upon the field of honor。
〃I think that I have found just the thing for you; Monsieur
Tarzan;〃 said the count。 〃It is a position of much trust and
responsibility; which also requires considerably physical courage
and prowess。 I cannot imagine a man better fitted than
you; my dear Monsieur Tarzan; for this very position。 It will
necessitate travel; and later it may lead to a very much better
postpossibly in the diplomatic service。
〃At first; for a short time only; you will be a special agent
in the service of the ministry of war。 Come; I will take you
to the gentleman who will be your chief。 He can explain
the duties better than I; and then you will be in a position
to judge if you wish to accept or no。〃
De Coude himself escorted Tarzan to the office of General
Rochere; the chief of the bureau to which Tarzan would be
attached if he accepted the position。 There the count left
him; after a glowing description to the general of the many
attributes possessed by the ape…man which should fit him
for the work of the service。
A half hour later Tarzan walked out of the office the
possessor of the first position he had ever held。 On the morrow
he was to return for further instructions; though General
Rochere had made it quite plain that Tarzan might prepare
to leave Paris for an almost indefinite period; possibly on
the morrow。
It was with feelings of the keenest elation that he hastened
home to bear the good news to D'Arnot。 At last he was to be
of some value in the world。 He was to earn money; and; best
of all; to travel and see the world。
He could scarcely wait to get well inside D'Arnot's sitting
room before he burst out with the glad tidings。 D'Arnot was
not so pleased。
〃It seems to delight you to think that you are to leave
Paris; and that we shall not see each other for months; perhaps。
Tarzan; you are a most ungrateful beast!〃 and D'Arnot laughed。
〃No; Paul; I am a little child。 I have a new toy; and I am
tickled to death。〃
And so it came that on the following day Tarzan left
Paris en route for Marseilles and Oran。
Chapter 7
The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa
Tarzan's first mission did not bid fair to be either
exciting or vastly important。 There was a certain lieutenant
of SPAHIS whom the government had reason to suspect
of improper relations with a great European power。
This Lieutenant Gernois; who was at present stationed at
Sidibel…Abbes; had recently been attached to the general staff;
where certain information of great military value had come
into his possession in the ordinary routine of his duties。
It was this information which the government suspected the
great power was bartering for with the officer。
It was at most but a vague hint dropped by a certain
notorious Parisienne in a jealous mood that had caused
suspicion to rest upon the lieutenant。 But general staffs are
jealous of their secrets; and treason so serious a thing that
even a hint of it may not be safely neglected。 And so it was
that Tarzan had come to Algeria in the guise of an American
hunter and traveler to keep a close eye upon Lieutenant Gernois。
He had looked forward with keen delight to again seeing
his beloved Africa; but this northern aspect of it was so
different from his tropical jungle home that he might as well
have been back in Paris for all the heart thrills of homecoming
that he experienc