the return of tarzan-第33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！



name　was　John　Caldwell；　he　was　from　London。〃



〃Oh；　Hazel；　I　wish　I　could　believe　it；〃　moaned　the　girl。

〃I　wish　I　could　believe　it；　but　those　features　are　burned　so

deep　into　my　memory　and　my　heart　that　I　should　recognize

them　anywhere　in　the　world　from　among　a　thousand　others；

who　might　appear　identical　to　any　one　but　me。〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　Jane？〃　cried　Hazel；　now　thoroughly　alarmed。

〃Who　do　you　think　it　is？〃



〃I　don't　think；　Hazel。　　I　know　that　that　is　a　picture　of

Tarzan　of　the　Apes。〃



〃Jane！〃



〃I　cannot　be　mistaken。　　Oh；　Hazel；　are　you　sure　that　he　is　dead？

Can　there　be　no　mistake？〃



〃I　am　afraid　not；　dear；〃　answered　Hazel　sadly。　　〃I　wish　I

could　think　that　you　are　mistaken；　but　now　a　hundred　and

one　little　pieces　of　corroborative　evidence　occur　to　me　that

meant　nothing　to　me　while　I　thought　that　he　was　John　Caldwell；

of　London。　　He　said　that　he　had　been　born　in　Africa；

and　educated　in　France。〃



〃Yes；　that　would　be　true；〃　murmured　Jane　Porter　dully。



〃The　first　officer；　who　searched　his　luggage；　found　nothing

to　identify　John　Caldwell；　of　London。　　Practically　all　his

belongings　had　been　made；　or　purchased；　in　Paris。　　Everything

that　bore　an　initial　was　marked　either　with　a　‘T'　alone；　or

with　‘J。　C。　T。'　　We　thought　that　he　was　traveling　incognito

under　his　first　two　namesthe　J。　C。　standing　for　John　Caldwell。〃



〃Tarzan　of　the　Apes　took　the　name　Jean　C。　Tarzan；〃　said

Jane；　in　the　same　lifeless　monotone。　　〃And　he　is　dead！　　Oh！

Hazel；　it　is　horrible！　　He　died　all　alone　in　this　terrible　ocean！

It　is　unbelievable　that　that　brave　heart　should　have　ceased

to　beatthat　those　mighty　muscles　are　quiet　and　cold　forever！

That　he　who　was　the　personification　of　life　and　health

and　manly　strength　should　be　the　prey　of　slimy；　crawling

things；　that〃　　But　she　could　go　no　further；　and　with　a　little

moan　she　buried　her　head　in　her　arms；　and　sank　sobbing　to　the　floor。



For　days　Miss　Porter　was　ill；　and　would　see　no　one　except

Hazel　and　the　faithful　Esmeralda。　　When　at　last　she　came　on

deck　all　were　struck　by　the　sad　change　that　had　taken　place

in　her。　　She　was　no　longer　the　alert；　vivacious　American

beauty　who　had　charmed　and　delighted　all　who　came　in　contact

with　her。　　Instead　she　was　a　very　quiet　and　sad　little

girlwith　an　expression　of　hopeless　wistfulness　that　none

but　Hazel　Strong　could　interpret。



The　entire　party　strove　their　utmost　to　cheer　and　amuse

her；　but　all　to　no　avail。　　Occasionally　the　jolly　Lord

Tennington　would　wring　a　wan　smile　from　her；　but　for　the

most　part　she　sat　with　wide　eyes　looking　out　across　the　sea。



With　Jane　Porter's　illness　one　misfortune　after　another

seemed　to　attack　the　yacht。　　First　an　engine　broke　down；　and

they　drifted　for　two　days　while　temporary　repairs　were　being　made。

Then　a　squall　struck　them　unaware；　that　carried　overboard

nearly　everything　above　deck　that　was　portable。　　Later　two　of

the　seamen　fell　to　fighting　in　the　forecastle；　with　the

result　that　one　of　them　was　badly　wounded　with　a　knife；　and

the　other　had　to　be　put　in　irons。　　Then；　to　cap　the　climax；

the　mate　fell　overboard　at　night；　and　was　drowned　before

help　could　reach　him。　　The　yacht　cruised　about　the　spot　for

ten　hours；　but　no　sign　of　the　man　was　seen　after　he

disappeared　from　the　deck　into　the　sea。



Every　member　of　the　crew　and　guests　was　gloomy　and　depressed

after　these　series　of　misfortunes。　　All　were　apprehensive　of

worse　to　come；　and　this　was　especially　true　of　the

seamen　who　recalled　all　sorts　of　terrible　omens　and　warnings

that　had　occurred　during　the　early　part　of　the　voyage；　and

which　they　could　now　clearly　translate　into　the　precursors　of

some　grim　and　terrible　tragedy　to　come。



Nor　did　the　croakers　have　long　to　wait。　　The　second　night

after　the　drowning　of　the　mate　the　little　yacht　was　suddenly

wracked　from　stem　to　stern。　　About　one　o'clock　in　the

morning　there　was　a　terrific　impact　that　threw　the　slumbering

guests　and　crew　from　berth　and　bunk。　　A　mighty　shudder　ran

through　the　frail　craft；　she　lay　far　over　to　starboard；　the

engines　stopped。　　For　a　moment　she　hung　there　with　her　decks

at　an　angle　of　forty…five　degreesthen；　with　a　sullen；　rending

sound；　she　slipped　back　into　the　sea　and　righted。



Instantly　the　men　rushed　upon　deck；　followed　closely　by

the　women。　　Though　the　night　was　cloudy；　there　was　little

wind　or　sea；　nor　was　it　so　dark　but　that　just　off　the　port

bow　a　black　mass　could　be　discerned　floating　low　in　the　water。



〃A　derelict；〃　was　the　terse　explanation　of　the　officer　of　the　watch。



Presently　the　engineer　hurried　on　deck　in　search　of　the　captain。



〃That　patch　we　put　on　the　cylinder　head's　blown　out；　sir；〃　he

reported；　〃and　she's　makin'　water　fast　for'ard　on　the　port　bow。〃



An　instant　later　a　seaman　rushed　up　from　below。



〃My　Gawd！〃　he　cried。　　〃Her　whole　bleedin'　bottom's　ripped

out。　　She　can't　float　twenty　minutes。〃



〃Shut　up！〃　roared　Tennington。　　〃Ladies；　go　below　and　get

some　of　your　things　together。　　It　may　not　be　so　bad　as　that；

but　we　may　have　to　take　to　the　boats。　　It　will　be　safer

to　be　prepared。　　Go　at　once；　please。　　And；　Captain　Jerrold；

send　some　competent　man　below；　please；　to　ascertain　the　exact

extent　of　the　damage。　　In　the　meantime　I　might　suggest　that

you　have　the　boats　provisioned。〃



The　calm；　low　voice　of　the　owner　did　much　to　reassure

the　entire　party；　and　a　moment　later　all　were　occupied　with

the　duties　he　had　suggested。　　By　the　time　the　ladies　had

returned　to　the　deck　the　rapid　provisioning　of　the　boats　had

been　about　completed；　and　a　moment　later　the　officer　who

had　gone　below　had　returned　to　report。　　But　his　opinion　was

scarcely　needed　to　assure　the　huddled　group　of　men　and

women　that　the　end　of　the　LADY　ALICE　was　at　hand。



〃Well；　sir？〃　said　the　captain；　as　his　officer　hesitated。



〃I　dislike　to　frighten　the　ladies；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃but　she

can't　float　a　dozen　minutes；　in　my　opinion。　　There's　a　hole　in

her　you　could　drive　a　bally　cow　through；　sir。〃



For　five　minutes　the　LADY　ALICE　had　been　settling　rapidly

by　the　bow。　　Already　her　stern　loomed　high　in　the　air；　and

foothold　on　the　deck　was　of　the　most　precarious　nature。

She　carried　four　boats；　and　these　were　all　filled　and　lowered

away　in　safety。　　As　they　pulled　rapidly　from　the　stricken

little　vessel　Jane　Porter　turned　to　have　one　last　look　at　her。

Just　then　there　came　a　loud　crash　and　an　ominous　rumbling

and　pounding　from　the　heart　of　the　shipher　machinery　had

broken　loose；　and　was　dashing　its　way　toward　the　bow；

tearing　out　partitions　and　bulkheads　as　it　wentthe　stern　rose

rapidly　high　above　them；　for　a　moment　she　seemed　to　pause

therea　vertical　shaft　protruding　from　the　bosom　of　the

ocean；　and　then　swiftly　she　dove　headforemost　beneath　the　waves。



In　one　of　the　boats　the　brave　Lord　Tennington　wiped　a　tear

from　his　eyehe　had　not　seen　a　fortune　in　money　go　down

forever　into　the　sea；　but　a　dear；　beautiful　friend　whom　he

had　loved。



At　last　the　long　night　broke；　and　a　tropical　sun　smote

down　upon　the　rolling　water。　　Jane　Porter　had　dropped　into　a

fitful　slumberthe　fierce　light　of　the　sun　upon　her　upturned

face　awoke　her。　　She　looked　about　her。　　In　the　boat　with　her

were　three　sailors；　Clayton；　and　Monsieur　Thuran。　　Then　she

looked　for　the　other　boats；　but　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach

there　was　nothing　to　break　the　fearful　monotony　of　that

waste　of　watersthey　were　alone　in　a　small　boat　upon　the

broad　Atlantic。







Chapter　14





Back　to　the　Primitive





As　Tarzan　struck　the　water；　his　first　impulse　was　to　swim　clear

of　the　ship　and　possible　danger　from　her　propellers。　　He　knew

whom　to　thank　for　his　present　predicament；　and　as　he　lay　in

the　sea；　just　supporting　himself　by　a　gentle　movement　of　his

hands；　his　chief　emotion　was　one　of　chagrin　that　he　had　been

so　easily　bested　by　Rokoff。



He　lay　thus　for　some　time；　watching　the　receding　and

rapidl