the return of tarzan-第24章

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

one　who　hunts　THE　LORD　WITH　THE　LARGE　HEAD　alone　and　by

nightand　slays　him。〃



Tarzan　had　heard　of　the　respect　in　which　Arabs　held　a

lion…killer；　and　he　was　not　sorry　that　chance　had　played　into

his　hands　thus　favorably　to　relieve　him　of　the　petty　tortures

of　the　tribe。　　Shortly　after　this　he　was　taken　to　a　goat…

skin　tent　upon　the　upper　side　of　the　DOUAR。　　There　he　was

fed；　and　then；　securely　bound；　was　left　lying　on　a　piece　of

native　carpet；　alone　in　the　tent。



He　could　see　a　guard　sitting　before　the　door　of　his　frail

prison；　but　when　he　attempted　to　force　the　stout　bonds　that

held　him　he　realized　that　any　extra　precaution　on　the　part

of　his　captors　was　quite　unnecessary；　not　even　his　giant

muscles　could　part　those　numerous　strands。



Just　before　dusk　several　men　approached　the　tent　where

he　lay；　and　entered　it。　　All　were　in　Arab　dress；　but　presently

one　of　the　number　advanced　to　Tarzan's　side；　and　as　he　let

the　folds　of　cloth　that　had　hidden　the　lower　half　of　his　face

fall　away　the　ape…man　saw　the　malevolent　features　of

Nikolas　Rokoff。　　There　was　a　nasty　smile　on　the　bearded　lips。

〃Ah；　Monsieur　Tarzan；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　indeed　a　pleasure。

But　why　do　you　not　rise　and　greet　your　guest？〃　　Then；　with

an　ugly　oath；　〃Get　up；　you　dog！〃　and；　drawing　back　his

booted　foot；　he　kicked　Tarzan　heavily　in　the　side。　　〃And　here

is　another；　and　another；　and　another；〃　he　continued；　as　he

kicked　Tarzan　about　the　face　and　side。　　〃One　for　each　of　the

injuries　you　have　done　me。〃



The　ape…man　made　no　replyhe　did　not　even　deign　to　look

upon　the　Russian　again　after　the　first　glance　of　recognition。

Finally　the　sheik；　who　had　been　standing　a　mute　and　frowning

witness　of　the　cowardly　attack；　intervened。



〃Stop！〃　he　commanded。　　〃Kill　him　if　you　will；　but　I　will

see　no　brave　man　subjected　to　such　indignities　in　my　presence。

I　have　half　a　mind　to　turn　him　loose；　that　I　may　see　how

long　you　would　kick　him　then。〃



This　threat　put　a　sudden　end　to　Rokoff's　brutality；　for　he

had　no　craving　to　see　Tarzan　loosed　from　his　bonds　while

he　was　within　reach　of　those　powerful　hands。



〃Very　well；〃　he　replied　to　the　Arab；　〃I　shall　kill　him　presently。〃



〃Not　within　the　precincts　of　my　DOUAR；〃　returned　the

sheik。　　〃When　he　leaves　here　he　leaves　alive。　　What　you　do

with　him　in　the　desert　is　none　of　my　concern；　but　I　shall

not　have　the　blood　of　a　Frenchman　on　the　hands　of　my　tribe

on　account　of　another　man's　quarrelthey　would　send

soldiers　here　and　kill　many　of　my　people；　and　burn　our　tents

and　drive　away　our　flocks。〃



〃As　you　say；〃　growled　Rokoff。　　〃I'll　take　him　out　into　the

desert　below　the　DOUAR；　and　dispatch　him。〃



〃You　will　take　him　a　day's　ride　from　my　country；〃　said

the　sheik；　firmly；　〃and　some　of　my　children　shall　follow　you

to　see　that　you　do　not　disobey　meotherwise　there　may　be

two　dead　Frenchmen　in　the　desert。〃



Rokoff　shrugged。　　〃Then　I　shall　have　to　wait　until　the

morrowit　is　already　dark。〃



〃As　you　will；〃　said　the　sheik。　　〃But　by　an　hour　after　dawn

you　must　be　gone　from　my　DOUAR。　　I　have　little　liking　for

unbelievers；　and　none　at　all　for　a　coward。〃



Rokoff　would　have　made　some　kind　of　retort；　but　he

checked　himself；　for　he　realized　that　it　would　require

but　little　excuse　for　the　old　man　to　turn　upon　him。

Together　they　left　the　tent。　　At　the　door　Rokoff　could　not

resist　the　temptation　to　turn　and　fling　a　parting　taunt　at　Tarzan。

〃Sleep　well；　monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃and　do　not　forget　to　pray　well；

for　when　you　die　tomorrow　it　will　be　in　such　agony　that　you　will

be　unable　to　pray　for　blaspheming。〃



No　one　had　bothered　to　bring　Tarzan　either　food　or　water　since

noon；　and　consequently　he　suffered　considerably　from　thirst。

He　wondered　if　it　would　be　worth　while　to　ask　his

guard　for　water；　but　after　making　two　or　three　requests

without　receiving　any　response；　he　decided　that　it　would　not。



Far　up　in　the　mountains　he　heard　a　lion　roar。　　How　much

safer　one　was；　he　soliloquized；　in　the　haunts　of　wild　beasts

than　in　the　haunts　of　men。　　Never　in　all　his　jungle　life　had　he

been　more　relentlessly　tracked　down　than　in　the　past　few

months　of　his　experience　among　civilized　men。　　Never　had　he

been　any　nearer　death。



Again　the　lion　roared。　　It　sounded　a　little　nearer。　　Tarzan　felt

the　old；　wild　impulse　to　reply　with　the　challenge　of　his　kind。

His　kind？　　He　had　almost　forgotten　that　he　was　a　man　and　not　an　ape。

He　tugged　at　his　bonds。　　God；　if　he　could　but　get　them　near

those　strong　teeth　of　his。　　He　felt　a　wild　wave　of　madness　sweep

over　him　as　his　efforts　to　regain　his　liberty　met　with　failure。



Numa　was　roaring　almost　continually　now。　　It　was　quite

evident　that　he　was　coming　down　into　the　desert　to　hunt。

It　was　the　roar　of　a　hungry　lion。　　Tarzan　envied　him；　for　he

was　free。　　No　one　would　tie　him　with　ropes　and　slaughter

him　like　a　sheep。　　It　was　that　which　galled　the　ape…man。

He　did　not　fear　to　die；　noit　was　the　humiliation　of　defeat

before　death；　without　even　a　chance　to　battle　for　his　life。



It　must　be　near　midnight；　thought　Tarzan。　　He　had　several

hours　to　live。　　Possibly　he　would　yet　find　a　way　to　take

Rokoff　with　him　on　the　long　journey。　　He　could　hear　the　savage

lord　of　the　desert　quite　close　by　now。　　Possibly　he　sought

his　meat　from　among　the　penned　animals　within　the　DOUAR。



For　a　long　time　silence　reigned；　then　Tarzan's　trained　ears

caught　the　sound　of　a　stealthily　moving　body。　　It　came

from　the　side　of　the　tent　nearest　the　mountainsthe　back。

Nearer　and　nearer　it　came。　　He　waited；　listening　intently；　for

it　to　pass。　　For　a　time　there　was　silence　without；　such　a　terrible

silence　that　Tarzan　was　surprised　that　he　did　not　hear　the

breathing　of　the　animal　he　felt　sure　must　be　crouching　close

to　the　back　wall　of　his　tent。



There！　　It　is　moving　again。　　Closer　it　creeps。　　Tarzan　turns　his

head　in　the　direction　of　the　sound。　　It　is　very　dark　within　the　tent。

Slowly　the　back　rises　from　the　ground；　forced　up　by　the　head　and

shoulders　of　a　body　that　looks　all　black　in　the　semi…darkness。

Beyond　is　a　faint　glimpse　of　the　dimly　starlit　desert。

A　grim　smile　plays　about　Tarzan's　lips。　　At　least　Rokoff　will

be　cheated。　　How　mad　he　will　be！　　And　death　will　be　more

merciful　than　he　could　have　hoped　for　at　the　hands　of　the　Russian。



Now　the　back　of　the　tent　drops　into　place；　and　all　is　darkness

againwhatever　it　is　is　inside　the　tent　with　him。　　He　hears

it　creeping　close　to　himnow　it　is　beside　him。　　He　closes

his　eyes　and　waits　for　the　mighty　paw。　　Upon　his　upturned

face　falls　the　gentle　touch　of　a　soft　hand　groping　in　the　dark；

and　then　a　girl's　voice　in　a　scarcely　audible　whisper

pronounces　his　name。



〃Yes；　it　is　I；〃　he　whispers　in　reply。　　〃But　in　the　name　of

Heaven　who　are　you？〃



〃The　Ouled…Nail　of　Sisi　Aissa；〃　came　the　answer。　　While　she

spoke　Tarzan　could　feel　her　working　about　his　bonds。

Occasionally　the　cold　steel　of　a　knife　touched　his　flesh。

A　moment　later　he　was　free。



〃Come！〃　she　whispered。



On　hands　and　knees　he　followed　her　out　of　the　tent　by　the　way

she　had　come。　　She　continued　crawling　thus　flat　to　the　ground

until　she　reached　a　little　patch　of　shrub。　　There　she　halted

until　he　gained　her　side。　　For　a　moment　he　looked　at　her

before　he　spoke。



〃I　cannot　understand；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃Why　are　you　here？

How　did　you　know　that　I　was　a　prisoner　in　that　tent？

How　does　it　happen　that　it　is　you　who　have　saved　me？〃



She　smiled。　　〃I　have　come　a　long　way　tonight；〃　she　said；

〃and　we　have　a　long　way　to　go　before　we　shall　be　out　of　danger。

Come；　I　shall　tell　you　all　about　as　we　go。〃



Together　they　rose　and　set　off　across　the　desert　in　the

direction　of　the　mountains。



〃I　was　not　quite　sure　that　I　should　ever　reach　you；〃　she

said　at　last。　　〃EL　ADREA　is　abroad　tonight；　and　after

I　left　the　horses　I　think　he　winded　me　and　was　followingI

was　t