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第27章

the return of tarzan-第27章

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I am your best friend。  Have I not protected your honor as

though it were my own?〃



Gernois sneered; and spat out an oath。



〃Just one more little payment;〃 continued Rokoff; 〃and the

papers I wish; and you have my word of honor that I shall

never ask another cent from you; or further information。〃



〃And a good reason why;〃 growled Gernois。  〃What you

ask will take my last cent; and the only valuable military

secret I hold。  You ought to be paying me for the information;

instead of taking both it and money; too。〃



〃I am paying you by keeping a still tongue in my head;〃

retorted Rokoff。  〃But let's have done。  Will you; or will you not?

I give you three minutes to decide。  If you are not agreeable

I shall send a note to your commandant tonight that will end

in the degradation that Dreyfus sufferedthe only difference

being that he did not deserve it。〃



For a moment Gernois sat with bowed head。  At length he arose。

He drew two pieces of paper from his blouse。



〃Here;〃 he said hopelessly。  〃I had them ready; for I knew

that there could be but one outcome。〃  He held them toward

the Russian。



Rokoff's cruel face lighted in malignant gloating。  He seized

the bits of paper。



〃You have done well; Gernois;〃 he said。  〃I shall not trouble

you againunless you happen to accumulate some more money or

information;〃 and he grinned。



〃You never shall again; you dog!〃 hissed Gernois。  〃The

next time I shall kill you。  I came near doing it tonight。

For an hour I sat with these two pieces of paper on my table

before me ere I came herebeside them lay my loaded revolver。

I was trying to decide which I should bring。  Next time the

choice shall be easier; for I already have decided。  You had

a close call tonight; Rokoff; do not tempt fate a second time。〃



Then Gernois rose to leave。  Tarzan barely had time to drop

to the landing and shrink back into the shadows on the far

side of the door。  Even then he scarcely hoped to elude

detection。  The landing was very small; and though he flattened

himself against the wall at its far edge he was scarcely more

than a foot from the doorway。  Almost immediately it

opened; and Gernois stepped out。  Rokoff was behind him。

Neither spoke。  Gernois had taken perhaps three steps down

the stairway when he halted and half turned; as though to

retrace his steps。



Tarzan knew that discovery would be inevitable。  Rokoff still

stood on the threshold a foot from him; but he was looking in the

opposite direction; toward Gernois。  Then the officer evidently

reconsidered his decision; and resumed his downward course。

Tarzan could hear Rokoff's sigh of relief。  A moment later

the Russian went back into the room and closed the door。



Tarzan waited until Gernois had had time to get well out

of hearing; then he pushed open the door and stepped into

the room。  He was on top of Rokoff before the man could rise

from the chair where he sat scanning the paper Gernois had

given him。  As his eyes turned and fell upon the ape…man's

face his own went livid。



〃You!〃 he gasped。



〃I;〃 replied Tarzan。



〃What do you want?〃 whispered Rokoff; for the look in the

ape…man's eyes frightened him。  〃Have you come to kill me?

You do not dare。  They would guillotine you。  You do not

dare kill me。〃



〃I dare kill you; Rokoff;〃 replied Tarzan; 〃for no one knows

that you are here or that I am here; and Paulvitch would tell

them that it was Gernois。  I heard you tell Gernois so。  But that

would not influence me; Rokoff。  I would not care who knew

that I had killed you; the pleasure of killing you would more

than compensate for any punishment they might inflict upon me。

You are the most despicable cur of a coward; Rokoff; I have ever

heard of。  You should be killed。  I should love to kill you;〃

and Tarzan approached closer to the man。



Rokoff's nerves were keyed to the breaking point。  With a shriek

he sprang toward an adjoining room; but the ape…man was upon

his back while his leap was yet but half completed。  Iron fingers

sought his throatthe great coward squealed like a stuck pig;

until Tarzan had shut off his wind。  Then the ape…man dragged

him to his feet; still choking him。  The Russian struggled

futilelyhe was like a babe in the mighty grasp of Tarzan of the Apes。



Tarzan sat him in a chair; and long before there was danger

of the man's dying he released his hold upon his throat。

When the Russian's coughing spell had abated Tarzan spoke

to him again。



〃I have given you a taste of the suffering of death;〃 he said。

〃But I shall not killthis time。  I am sparing you solely for

the sake of a very good woman whose great misfortune it was

to have been born of the same woman who gave birth to you。

But I shall spare you only this once on her account。

Should I ever learn that you have again annoyed her or

her husbandshould you ever annoy me againshould I

hear that you have returned to France or to any French

posession; I shall make it my sole business to hunt you down

and complete the choking I commenced tonight。〃  Then he

turned to the table; on which the two pieces of paper still lay。

As he picked them up Rokoff gasped in horror。



Tarzan examined both the check and the other。  He was

amazed at the information the latter contained。  Rokoff had

partially read it; but Tarzan knew that no one could remember

the salient facts and figures it held which made it of real

value to an enemy of France。



〃These will interest the chief of staff;〃 he said; as he

slipped them into his pocket。

Rokoff groaned。  He did not dare curse aloud。



The next morning Tarzan rode north on his way to Bouira

and Algiers。  As he had ridden past the hotel Lieutenant

Gernois was standing on the veranda。  As his eyes discovered

Tarzan he went white as chalk。  The ape…man would have been

glad had the meeting not occurred; but he could not avoid it。

He saluted the officer as he rode past。  Mechanically Gernois

returned the salute; but those terrible; wide eyes followed

the horseman; expressionless except for horror。  It was as

though a dead man looked upon a ghost。



At Sidi Aissa Tarzan met a French officer with whom he

had become acquainted on the occasion of his recent

sojourn in the town。



〃You left Bou Saada early?〃 questioned the officer。

〃Then you have not heard about poor Gernois。〃



〃He was the last man I saw as I rode away;〃 replied Tarzan。

〃What about him?〃



〃He is dead。  He shot himself about eight o'clock this morning。〃



Two days later Tarzan reached Algiers。  There he found that

he would have a two days' wait before he could catch a ship

bound for Cape Town。  He occupied his time in writing out

a full report of his mission。  The secret papers he had taken

from Rokoff he did not inclose; for he did not dare trust

them out of his own possession until he had been authorized

to turn them over to another agent; or himself return to

Paris with them。



As Tarzan boarded his ship after what seemed a most tedious

wait to him; two men watched him from an upper deck。

Both were fashionably dressed and smooth shaven。  The taller

of the two had sandy hair; but his eyebrows were very black。

Later in the day they chanced to meet Tarzan on deck;

but as one hurriedly called his companion's attention to

something at sea their faces were turned from Tarzan as he

passed; so that he did not notice their features。  In fact;

he had paid no attention to them at all。



Following the instructions of his chief; Tarzan had booked

his passage under an assumed nameJohn Caldwell; London。

He did not understand the necessity of this; and it caused him

considerable speculation。  He wondered what role he was to

play in Cape Town。



〃Well;〃 he thought; 〃thank Heaven that I am rid of Rokoff。

He was commencing to annoy me。  I wonder if I am really

becoming so civilized that presently I shall develop a set of

nerves。  He woul

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