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第17章

the return of tarzan-第17章

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she threw her silken handkerchief upon his shoulder;

to be rewarded with a franc。



When her place upon the floor had been taken by another

the bright…eyed Abdul saw her in conversation with two

Arabs at the far side of the room; near a side door that

let upon an inner court; around the gallery of which were

the rooms occupied by the girls who danced in this cafe。



At first he thought nothing of the matter; but presently he

noticed from the corner of his eye one of the men nod in

their direction; and the girl turn and shoot a furtive glance

at Tarzan。  Then the Arabs melted through the doorway into

the darkness of the court。



When it came again the girl's turn to dance she hovered

close to Tarzan; and for the ape…man alone were her sweetest

smiles。  Many an ugly scowl was cast upon the tall European

by swarthy; dark…eyed sons of the desert; but neither smiles

nor scowls produced any outwardly visible effect upon him。

Again the girl cast her handkerchief upon his shoulder; and

again was she rewarded with a franc piece。  As she was sticking

it upon her forehead; after the custom of her kind; she

bent low toward Tarzan; whispering a quick word in his ear。



〃There are two without in the court;〃 she said quickly; in

broken French; 〃who would harm m'sieur。  At first I promised

to lure you to them; but you have been kind; and I cannot

do it。  Go quickly; before they find that I have failed them。

I think that they are very bad men。〃



Tarzan thanked the girl; assuring her that he would be careful;

and; having finished her dance; she crossed to the little

doorway and went out into the court。  But Tarzan did not leave

the cafe as she had urged。



For another half hour nothing unusual occurred; then a

surly…looking Arab entered the cafe from the street。  He stood

near Tarzan; where he deliberately made insulting remarks

about the European; but as they were in his native tongue

Tarzan was entirely innocent of their purport until Abdul

took it upon himself to enlighten him。



〃This fellow is looking for trouble;〃 warned Abdul。  〃He is

not alone。  In fact; in case of a disturbance; nearly every

man here would be against you。  It would be better to leave

quietly; master。〃



〃Ask the fellow what he wants;〃 commanded Tarzan。



〃He says that ‘the dog of a Christian' insulted the Ouled…

Nail; who belongs to him。  He means trouble; m'sieur。〃



〃Tell him that I did not insult his or any other Ouled…

Nail; that I wish him to go away and leave me alone。

That I have no quarrel with him; nor has he any with me。〃



〃He says;〃 replied Abdul; after delivering this message to

the Arab; 〃that besides being a dog yourself that you are the

son of one; and that your grandmother was a hyena。

Incidentally you are a liar。〃



The attention of those near by had now been attracted

by the altercation; and the sneering laughs that followed

this torrent of invective easily indicated the trend of the

sympathies of the majority of the audience。



Tarzan did not like being laughed at; neither did he relish

the terms applied to him by the Arab; but he showed no

sign of anger as he arose from his seat upon the bench。

A half smile played about his lips; but of a sudden a mighty

fist shot into the face of the scowling Arab; and back of it

were the terrible muscles of the ape…man。



At the instant that the man fell a half dozen fierce plainsmen

sprang into the room from where they had apparently been

waiting for their cue in the street before the cafe。

With cries of 〃Kill the unbeliever!〃 and 〃Down with the

dog of a Christian!〃 they made straight for Tarzan。

A number of the younger Arabs in the audience sprang to

their feet to join in the assault upon the unarmed white man。

Tarzan and Abdul were rushed back toward the end of

the room by the very force of numbers opposing them。

The young Arab remained loyal to his master; and with

drawn knife fought at his side。



With tremendous blows the ape…man felled all who came

within reach of his powerful hands。  He fought quietly and

without a word; upon his lips the same half smile they had

worn as he rose to strike down the man who had insulted him。

It seemed impossible that either he or Abdul could survive the

sea of wicked…looking swords and knives that surrounded

them; but the very numbers of their assailants proved the

best bulwark of their safety。  So closely packed was the

howling; cursing mob that no weapon could be wielded to

advantage; and none of the Arabs dared use a firearm for

fear of wounding one of his compatriots。



Finally Tarzan succeeded in seizing one of the most

persistent of his attackers。  With a quick wrench he disarmed

the fellow; and then; holding him before them as a shield;

he backed slowly beside Abdul toward the little door which

led into the inner courtyard。  At the threshold he paused for

an instant; and; lifting the struggling Arab above his head;

hurled him; as though from a catapult; full in the faces of

his on…pressing fellows。



Then Tarzan and Abdul stepped into the semidarkness of

the court。  The frightened Ouled…Nails were crouching at the

tops of the stairs which led to their respective rooms; the

only light in the courtyard coming from the sickly candles

which each girl had stuck with its own grease to the woodwork

of her door…frame; the better to display her charms

to those who might happen to traverse the dark inclosure。



Scarcely had Tarzan and Abdul emerged from the room ere

a revolver spoke close at their backs from the shadows

beneath one of the stairways; and as they turned to meet this

new antagonist; two muffled figures sprang toward them;

firing as they came。  Tarzan leaped to meet these two new

assailants。  The foremost lay; a second later; in the trampled

dirt of the court; disarmed and groaning from a broken wrist。

Abdul's knife found the vitals of the second in the instant

that the fellow's revolver missed fire as he held it to the

faithful Arab's forehead。



The maddened horde within the cafe were now rushing out in

pursuit of their quarry。  The Ouled…Nails had extinguished

their candles at a cry from one of their number; and the

only light within the yard came feebly from the open and

half…blocked door of the cafe。  Tarzan had seized a sword

from the man who had fallen before Abdul's knife; and now

he stood waiting for the rush of men that was coming in

search of them through the darkness。



Suddenly he felt a light hand upon his shoulder from behind;

and a woman's voice whispering; 〃Quick; m'sieur; this way。  Follow me。〃



〃Come; Abdul;〃 said Tarzan; in a low tone; to the youth;

〃we can be no worse off elsewhere than we are here。〃



The woman turned and led them up the narrow stairway

that ended at the door of her quarters。  Tarzan was close

beside her。  He saw the gold and silver bracelets upon her

bare arms; the strings of gold coin that depended from her hair

ornaments; and the gorgeous colors of her dress。  He saw that

she was a Ouled…Nail; and instinctively he knew that she

was the same who had whispered the warning in his ear

earlier in the evening。



As they reached the top of the stairs they could hear the

angry crowd searching the yard beneath。



〃Soon they will search here;〃 whispered the girl。

〃They must not find you; for; though you fight with the

strength of many men; they will kill you in the end。

Hasten; you can drop from the farther window of my room to the

street beyond。  Before they discover that you are no longer in

the court of the buildings you will be safe within the hotel。〃



But even as she spoke; several men had started up the

stairway at the head of which they stood。  There was a sudden

cry from one of the searchers。  They had been discovered。

Quickly the crowd rushed for the stairway。  The foremost

assailant leaped quickly upward; but at the top he met the

sudden sword that he had not expecte

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