the return of tarzan-第23章

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and　there；　not　ten　paces　before　him；　stood　the　grim　cause　of

the　terror　of　his　mount。



Superb；　majestic；　his　graceful　tail　extended　and　quivering；

and　his　two　eyes　of　fire　riveted　full　upon　his　prey；　stood

Numa　EL　ADREA；　the　black　lion。　　A　little　thrill　of　joy

tingled　through　Tarzan's　nerves。　　It　was　like　meeting　an　old

friend　after　years　of　separation。　　For　a　moment　he　sat　rigid　to

enjoy　the　magnificent　spectacle　of　this　lord　of　the　wilderness。



But　now　Numa　was　crouching　for　the　spring。　　Very　slowly

Tarzan　raised　his　gun　to　his　shoulder。　　He　had　never　killed　a

large　animal　with　a　gun　in　all　his　lifeheretofore　he　had

depended　upon　his　spear；　his　poisoned　arrows；　his　rope；　his

knife；　or　his　bare　hands。　　Instinctively　he　wished　that　he　had

his　arrows　and　his　knifehe　would　have　felt　surer　with　them。



Numa　was　lying　quite　flat　upon　the　ground　now；　presenting

only　his　head。　　Tarzan　would　have　preferred　to　fire　a　little

from　one　side；　for　he　knew　what　terrific　damage　the　lion

could　do　if　he　lived　two　minutes；　or　even　a　minute　after　he

was　hit。　　The　horse　stood　trembling　in　terror　at　Tarzan's　back。

The　ape…man　took　a　cautious　step　to　one　sideNuma　but　followed

him　with　his　eyes。　　Another　step　he　took；　and　then　another。

Numa　had　not　moved。　　Now　he　could　aim　at　a　point　between

the　eye　and　the　ear。



His　finger　tightened　upon　the　trigger；　and　as　he　fired

Numa　sprang。　　At　the　same　instant　the　terrified　horse

made　a　last　frantic　effort　to　escapethe　tether　parted；

and　he　went　careening　down　the　canon　toward　the　desert。



No　ordinary　man　could　have　escaped　those　frightful　claws

when　Numa　sprang　from　so　short　a　distance；　but　Tarzan　was

no　ordinary　man。　　From　earliest　childhood　his　muscles　had

been　trained　by　the　fierce　exigencies　of　his　existence　to　act

with　the　rapidity　of　thought。　　As　quick　as　was　EL　ADREA；

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　quicker；　and　so　the　great　beast

crashed　against　a　tree　where　he　had　expected　to　feel　the　soft

flesh　of　man；　while　Tarzan；　a　couple　of　paces　to　the　right；

pumped　another　bullet　into　him　that　brought　him　clawing

and　roaring　to　his　side。



Twice　more　Tarzan　fired　in　quick　succession；　and　then

EL　ADREA　lay　still　and　roared　no　more。　　It　was　no　longer

Monsieur　Jean　Tarzan；　it　was　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　that　put　a

savage　foot　upon　the　body　of　his　savage　kill；　and；　raising

his　face　to　the　full　moon；　lifted　his　mighty　voice　in　the　weird

and　terrible　challenge　of　his　kinda　bull　ape　had　made　his　kill。

And　the　wild　things　in　the　wild　mountains　stopped　in　their

hunting；　and　trembled　at　this　new　and　awful　voice；

while　down　in　the　desert　the　children　of　the　wilderness　came

out　of　their　goatskin　tents　and　looked　toward　the　mountains；

wondering　what　new　and　savage　scourge　had　come　to　devastate

their　flocks。



A　half　mile　from　the　valley　in　which　Tarzan　stood；　a　score

of　white…robed　figures；　bearing　long；　wicked…looking　guns；

halted　at　the　sound；　and　looked　at　one　another　with

questioning　eyes。　　But　presently；　as　it　was　not　repeated；

they　took　up　their　silent；　stealthy　way　toward　the　valley。



Tarzan　was　now　confident　that　Gernois　had　no　intention

of　returning　for　him；　but　he　could　not　fathom　the　object

that　had　prompted　the　officer　to　desert　him；　yet　leave　him

free　to　return　to　camp。　　His　horse　gone；　he　decided　that　it

would　be　foolish　to　remain　longer　in　the　mountains；　so　he

set　out　toward　the　desert。



He　had　scarcely　entered　the　confines　of　the　canon　when

the　first　of　the　white…robed　figures　emerged　into　the　valley

upon　the　opposite　side。　　For　a　moment　they　scanned　the　little

depression　from　behind　sheltering　bowlders；　but　when　they

had　satisfied　themselves　that　it　was　empty　they　advanced

across　it。　　Beneath　the　tree　at　one　side　they　came　upon　the

body　of　EL　ADREA。　　With　muttered　exclamations　they　crowded

about　it。　　Then；　a　moment　later；　they　hurried　down　the　canon

which　Tarzan　was　threading　a　brief　distance　in　advance　of　them。

They　moved　cautiously　and　in　silence；　taking　advantage　of　shelter；

as　men　do　who　are　stalking　man。







Chapter　10





Through　the　Valley　of　the　Shadow





As　Tarzan　walked　down　the　wild　canon　beneath　the　brilliant

African　moon　the　call　of　the　jungle　was　strong　upon　him。

The　solitude　and　the　savage　freedom　filled　his　heart　with

life　and　buoyancy。　　Again　he　was　Tarzan　of　the　Apesevery

sense　alert　against　the　chance　of　surprise　by　some　jungle

enemyyet　treading　lightly　and　with　head　erect；　in　proud

consciousness　of　his　might。



The　nocturnal　sounds　of　the　mountains　were　new　to　him；

yet　they　fell　upon　his　ears　like　the　soft　voice　of　a　half…

forgotten　love。　　Many　he　intuitively　sensedah；　there　was　one

that　was　familiar　indeed；　the　distant　coughing　of　Sheeta；　the

leopard；　but　there　was　a　strange　note　in　the　final　wail　which

made　him　doubt。　　It　was　a　panther　he　heard。



Presently　a　new　sounda　soft；　stealthy　soundobtruded

itself　among　the　others。　　No　human　ears　other　than　the　ape…

man's　would　have　detected　it。　　At　first　he　did　not　translate　it；

but　finally　he　realized　that　it　came　from　the　bare　feet　of　a

number　of　human　beings。　　They　were　behind　him；　and　they

were　coming　toward　him　quietly。　　He　was　being　stalked。



In　a　flash　he　knew　why　he　had　been　left　in　that　little

valley　by　Gernois；　but　there　had　been　a　hitch　in　the

arrangementsthe　men　had　come　too　late。　　Closer　and　closer　came

the　footsteps。　　Tarzan　halted　and　faced　them；　his　rifle　ready　in

his　hand。　　Now　he　caught　a　fleeting　glimpse　of　a　white　burnoose。

He　called　aloud　in　French；　asking　what　they　would　of　him。

His　reply　was　the　flash　of　a　long　gun；　and　with　the　sound　of

the　shot　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　plunged　forward　upon　his　face。



The　Arabs　did　not　rush　out　immediately；　instead；　they

waited　to　be　sure　that　their　victim　did　not　rise。　　Then　they

came　rapidly　from　their　concealment；　and　bent　over　him。

It　was　soon　apparent　that　he　was　not　dead。　　One　of　the　men　put

the　muzzle　of　his　gun　to　the　back　of　Tarzan's　head　to　finish

him；　but　another　waved　him　aside。　　〃If　we　bring　him　alive

the　reward　is　to　be　greater；〃　explained　the　latter。

So　they　bound　his　hands　and　feet；　and；　picking　him　up；

placed　him　on　the　shoulders　of　four　of　their　number。

Then　the　march　was　resumed　toward　the　desert。　　When　they　had

come　out　of　the　mountains　they　turned　toward　the　south；　and

about　daylight　came　to　the　spot　where　their　horses　stood

in　care　of　two　of　their　number。



From　here　on　their　progress　was　more　rapid。　　Tarzan；　who

had　regained　consciousness；　was　tied　to　a　spare　horse；　which

they　evidently　had　brought　for　the　purpose。　　His　wound　was　but

a　slight　scratch；　which　had　furrowed　the　flesh　across　his　temple。

It　had　stopped　bleeding；　but　the　dried　and　clotted

blood　smeared　his　face　and　clothing。　　He　had　said　no　word

since　he　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　these　Arabs；　nor　had

they　addressed　him　other　than　to　issue　a　few　brief　commands

to　him　when　the　horses　had　been　reached。



For　six　hours　they　rode　rapidly　across　the　burning　desert；

avoiding　the　oases　near　which　their　way　led。　　About　noon

they　came　to　a　DOUAR　of　about　twenty　tents。　　Here　they

halted；　and　as　one　of　the　Arabs　was　releasing　the　alfa…grass

ropes　which　bound　him　to　his　mount　they　were　surrounded

by　a　mob　of　men；　women；　and　children。　　Many　of　the　tribe；

and　more　especially　the　women；　appeared　to　take　delight　in

heaping　insults　upon　the　prisoner；　and　some　had　even　gone

so　far　as　to　throw　stones　at　him　and　strike　him　with

sticks；　when　an　old　sheik　appeared　and　drove　them　away。



〃Ali…ben…Ahmed　tells　me；〃　he　said；　〃that　this　man　sat　alone

in　the　mountains　and　slew　EL　ADREA。　　What　the　business　of

the　stranger　who　sent　us　after　him　may　be；　I　know　not；　and　what

he　may　do　with　this　man　when　we　turn　him　over　to　him；　I

care　not；　but　the　prisoner　is　a　brave　man；　and　while　he　is　in

our　hands　he　shall　be　treated　with　the　respect　that　be　due

one　who　hunts　THE　LORD　WITH　THE　LARGE　HEAD　alon