the return of tarzan-第25章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

was　terribly　frightened。〃



〃What　a　brave　girl；〃　he　said。　　〃And　you　ran　all　that　risk

for　a　strangeran　alienan　unbeliever？〃



She　drew　herself　up　very　proudly。



〃I　am　the　daughter　of　the　Sheik　Kabour　ben　Saden；〃　she　answered。

〃I　should　be　no　fit　daughter　of　his　if　I　would　not　risk　my

life　to　save　that　of　the　man　who　saved　mine　while　he　yet

thought　that　I　was　but　a　common　Ouled…Nail。〃



〃Nevertheless；〃　he　insisted；　〃you　are　a　very　brave　girl。

But　how　did　you　know　that　I　was　a　prisoner　back　there？〃



〃Achmet…din…Taieb；　who　is　my　cousin　on　my　father's　side；　was

visiting　some　friends　who　belong　to　the　tribe　that　captured　you。

He　was　at　the　DOUAR　when　you　were　brought　in。　　When　he　reached

home　he　was　telling　us　about　the　big　Frenchman　who　had　been

captured　by　Ali…ben…Ahmed　for　another　Frenchman　who　wished

to　kill　him。　　From　the　description　I　knew　that　it　must　be　you。

My　father　was　away。　　I　tried　to　persuade　some　of　the　men　to

come　and　save　you；　but　they　would　not　do　it；　saying：　　‘Let　the

unbelievers　kill　one　another　if　they　wish。　　It　is　none　of　our

affair；　and　if　we　go　and　interfere　with　Ali…ben…Ahmed's　plans

we　shall　only　stir　up　a　fight　with　our　own　people。'



〃So　when　it　was　dark　I　came　alone；　riding　one　horse　and

leading　another　for　you。　　They　are　tethered　not　far　from　here。

By　morning　we　shall　be　within　my　father's　DOUAR。

He　should　be　there　himself　by　nowthen　let　them　come　and

try　to　take　Kadour　ben　Saden's　friend。〃



For　a　few　moments　they　walked　on　in　silence。



〃We　should　be　near　the　horses；〃　she　said。　　〃It　is　strange

that　I　do　not　see　them　here。〃



Then　a　moment　later　she　stopped；　with　a　little　cry　of　consternation。



〃They　are　gone！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃It　is　here　that　I　tethered　them。〃



Tarzan　stooped　to　examine　the　ground。　　He　found　that　a

large　shrub　had　been　torn　up　by　the　roots。　　Then　he　found

something　else。　　There　was　a　wry　smile　on　his　face　as　he　rose

and　turned　toward　the　girl。



〃EL　ADREA　has　been　here。　　From　the　signs；　though；　I　rather

think　that　his　prey　escaped　him。　　With　a　little　start　they

would　be　safe　enough　from　him　in　the　open。〃



There　was　nothing　to　do　but　continue　on　foot。　　The　way

led　them　across　a　low　spur　of　the　mountains；　but　the　girl

knew　the　trail　as　well　as　she　did　her　mother's　face。

They　walked　in　easy；　swinging　strides；　Tarzan　keeping　a　hand's

breadth　behind　the　girl's　shoulder；　that　she　might　set　the

pace；　and　thus　be　less　fatigued。　　As　they　walked　they　talked；

occasionally　stopping　to　listen　for　sounds　of　pursuit。



It　was　now　a　beautiful；　moonlit　night。　　The　air　was　crisp

and　invigorating。　　Behind　them　lay　the　interminable　vista　of

the　desert；　dotted　here　and　there　with　an　occasional　oasis。

The　date　palms　of　the　little　fertile　spot　they　had　just　left；

and　the　circle　of　goatskin　tents；　stood　out　in　sharp　relief

against　the　yellow　sanda　phantom　paradise　upon　a　phantom　sea。

Before　them　rose　the　grim　and　silent　mountains。　　Tarzan's　blood

leaped　in　his　veins。　　This　was　life！　　He　looked　down　upon　the

girl　beside　hima　daughter　of　the　desert　walking　across　the

face　of　a　dead　world　with　a　son　of　the　jungle。　　He　smiled　at

the　thought。　　He　wished　that　he　had　had　a　sister；　and　that　she

had　been　like　this　girl。　　What　a　bully　chum　she　would　have　been！



They　had　entered　the　mountains　now；　and　were　progressing

more　slowly；　for　the　trail　was　steeper　and　very　rocky。



For　a　few　minutes　they　had　been　silent。　　The　girl　was

wondering　if　they　would　reach　her　father's　DOUAR　before　the

pursuit　had　overtaken　them。　　Tarzan　was　wishing　that　they

might　walk　on　thus　forever。　　If　the　girl　were　only　a　man

they　might。　　He　longed　for　a　friend　who　loved　the　same　wild

life　that　he　loved。　　He　had　learned　to　crave　companionship；

but　it　was　his　misfortune　that　most　of　the　men　he　knew

preferred　immaculate　linen　and　their　clubs　to　nakedness　and

the　jungle。　　It　was；　of　course；　difficult　to　understand；

yet　it　was　very　evident　that　they　did。



The　two　had　just　turned　a　projecting　rock　around　which

the　trail　ran　when　they　were　brought　to　a　sudden　stop。

There；　before　them；　directly　in　the　middle　of　the　path；　stood

Numa；　EL　ADREA；　the　black　lion。　　His　green　eyes　looked　very

wicked；　and　he　bared　his　teeth；　and　lashed　his　bay…black　sides

with　his　angry　tail。　　Then　he　roaredthe　fearsome；　terror…

inspiring　roar　of　the　hungry　lion　which　is　also　angry。



〃Your　knife；〃　said　Tarzan　to　the　girl；　extending　his　hand。

She　slipped　the　hilt　of　the　weapon　into　his　waiting　palm。

As　his　fingers　closed　upon　it　he　drew　her　back　and　pushed　her

behind　him。　　〃Walk　back　to　the　desert　as　rapidly　as　you　can。

If　you　hear　me　call　you　will　know　that　all　is　well；　and

you　may　return。〃



〃It　is　useless；〃　she　replied；　resignedly。　　〃This　is　the　end。〃



〃Do　as　I　tell　you；〃　he　commanded。　　〃Quickly！　　He　is　about

to　charge。〃　　The　girl　dropped　back　a　few　paces；　where　she

stood　watching　for　the　terrible　sight　that　she　knew　she

should　soon　witness。



The　lion　was　advancing　slowly　toward　Tarzan；　his　nose　to

the　ground；　like　a　challenging　bull；　his　tail　extended　now

and　quivering　as　though　with　intense　excitement。



The　ape…man　stood；　half　crouching；　the　long　Arab　knife

glistening　in　the　moonlight。　　Behind　him　the　tense　figure　of

the　girl；　motionless　as　a　carven　statue。　　She　leaned　slightly

forward；　her　lips　parted；　her　eyes　wide。　　Her　only　conscious

thought　was　wonder　at　the　bravery　of　the　man　who　dared

face　with　a　puny　knife　the　lord　with　the　large　head。　　A　man


of　her　own　blood　would　have　knelt　in　prayer　and　gone　down

beneath　those　awful　fangs　without　resistance。　　In　either　case

the　result　would　be　the　sameit　was　inevitable；　but　she　could

not　repress　a　thrill　of　admiration　as　her　eyes　rested　upon

the　heroic　figure　before　her。　　Not　a　tremor　in　the　whole

giant　framehis　attitude　as　menacing　and　defiant　as　that　of

EL　ADREA　himself。



The　lion　was　quite　close　to　him　nowbut　a　few　paces

intervenedhe　crouched；　and　then；　with　a　deafening

roar；　he　sprang。







Chapter　11





John　Caldwell；　London





As　Numa　EL　ADREA　launched　himself　with　widespread　paws

and　bared　fangs　he　looked　to　find　this　puny　man　as

easy　prey　as　the　score　who　had　gone　down　beneath

him　in　the　past。　　To　him　man　was　a　clumsy；　slow…moving；

defenseless　creaturehe　had　little　respect　for　him。



But　this　time　he　found　that　he　was　pitted　against　a　creature

as　agile　and　as　quick　as　himself。　　When　his　mighty　frame

struck　the　spot　where　the　man　had　been　he　was　no　longer　there。



The　watching　girl　was　transfixed　by　astonishment　at　the

ease　with　which　the　crouching　man　eluded　the　great　paws。

And　now；　O　Allah！　　He　had　rushed　in　behind　EL　ADREA'S

shoulder　even　before　the　beast　could　turn；　and　had　grasped

him　by　the　mane。　　The　lion　reared　upon　his　hind　legs　like　a

horseTarzan　had　known　that　he　would　do　this；　and　he　was　ready。

A　giant　arm　encircled　the　black…maned　throat；　and　once；　twice；

a　dozen　times　a　sharp　blade　darted　in　and　out　of　the　bay…black

side　behind　the　left　shoulder。



Frantic　were　the　leaps　of　Numaawful　his　roars　of　rage

and　pain；　but　the　giant　upon　his　back　could　not　be　dislodged

or　brought　within　reach　of　fangs　or　talons　in　the　brief

interval　of　life　that　remained　to　the　lord　with　the　large　head。

He　was　quite　dead　when　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　released　his　hold

and　arose。　　Then　the　daughter　of　the　desert　witnessed　a　thing

that　terrified　her　even　more　than　had　the　presence　of　EL　ADREA。

The　man　placed　a　foot　upon　the　carcass　of　his　kill；　and；

with　his　handsome　face　raised　toward　the　full　moon；　gave　voice

to　the　most　frightful　cry　that　ever　had　smote　upon　her　ears。



With　a　little　cry　of　fear　she　shrank　away　from　himshe

thought　that　the　fearful　strain　of　the　encounter　had　driven

him　mad。　　As　the　last　note　of　that　fiendish　challenge　died　out

in　the　diminishing　echoes　of　the　distance　the　man　d