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第36章

the return of tarzan-第36章

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the unconscious man; new thoughts presented themselves to

the ape…manthoughts born of the refining influences of

civilization; and of its cruelties。  It came to him that

seldom if ever did civilized man kill a fellow being without

some pretext; however slight。  It was true that Tarzan wished

this man's weapons and ornaments; but was it necessary to take

his life to obtain them?



The longer he thought about it; the more repugnant became

the thought of taking human life needlessly; and thus

it happened that while he was trying to decide just what

to do; they had come to a little clearing; at the far side of

which lay a palisaded village of beehive huts。



As the warrior emerged from the forest; Tarzan caught a

fleeting glimpse of a tawny hide worming its way through the

matted jungle grasses in his wakeit was Numa; the lion。

He; too; was stalking the black man。  With the instant that

Tarzan realized the native's danger his attitude toward his

erstwhile prey altered completelynow he was a fellow man

threatened by a common enemy。



Numa was about to chargethere was little time in which

to compare various methods or weigh the probable results

of any。  And then a number of things happened; almost

simultaneouslythe lion sprang from his ambush toward the

retreating blackTarzan cried out in warningand the black

turned just in time to see Numa halted in mid…flight by a

slender strand of grass rope; the noosed end of which

had fallen cleanly about his neck。



The ape…man had acted so quickly that he had been

unable to prepare himself to withstand the strain and shock

of Numa's great weight upon the rope; and so it was that

though the rope stopped the beast before his mighty talons

could fasten themselves in the flesh of the black; the strain

overbalanced Tarzan; who came tumbling to the ground not

six paces from the infuriated animal。  Like lightning Numa

turned upon this new enemy; and; defenseless as he was;

Tarzan of the Apes was nearer to death that instant than he

ever before had been。  It was the black who saved him。

The warrior realized in an instant that he owed his life

to this strange white man; and he also saw that only a miracle

could save his preserver from those fierce yellow fangs that

had been so near to his own flesh。



With the quickness of thought his spear arm flew back;

and then shot forward with all the force of the sinewy

muscles that rolled beneath the shimmering ebon hide。

True to its mark the iron…shod weapon flew; transfixing

Numa's sleek carcass from the right groin to beneath the

left shoulder。 With a hideous scream of rage and pain the

brute turned again upon the black。  A dozen paces he had

gone when Tarzan's rope brought him to a stand once more

then he wheeled again upon the ape…man; only to feel the

painful prick of a barbed arrow as it sank half its length

in his quivering flesh。  Again he stopped; and by this time

Tarzan had run twice around the stem of a great tree with

his rope; and made the end fast。



The black saw the trick; and grinned; but Tarzan knew

that Numa must be quickly finished before those mighty

teeth had found and parted the slender cord that held him。

It was a matter of but an instant to reach the black's side

and drag his long knife from its scabbard。  Then he signed

the warrior to continue to shoot arrows into the great beast

while he attempted to close in upon him with the knife; so

as one tantalized upon one side; the other sneaked cautiously

in upon the other。  Numa was furious。  He raised his voice

in a perfect frenzy of shrieks; growls; and hideous moans;

the while he reared upon his hind legs in futile attempt

to reach first one and then the other of his tormentors。



But at length the agile ape…man saw his chance; and rushed

in upon the beast's left side behind the mighty shoulder。

A giant arm encircled the tawny throat; and a long blade sank

once; true as a die; into the fierce heart。  Then Tarzan arose;

and the black man and the white looked into each other's eyes

across the body of their killand the black made the sign of

peace and friendship; and Tarzan of the Apes answered in kind。







Chapter 15





From Ape to Savage





The noise of their battle with Numa had drawn an excited

horde of savages from the nearby village; and a moment

after the lion's death the two men were surrounded by

lithe; ebon warriors; gesticulating and jabberinga

thousand questions that drowned each ventured reply。



And then the women came; and the childreneager; curious;

and; at sight of Tarzan; more questioning than ever。

The ape…man's new friend finally succeeded in making

himself heard; and when he had done talking the men and

women of the village vied with one another in doing honor

to the strange creature who had saved their fellow and

battled single…handed with fierce Numa。



At last they led him back to their village; where they

brought him gifts of fowl; and goats; and cooked food。

When he pointed to their weapons the warriors hastened

to fetch spear; shield; arrows; and a bow。  His friend of the

encounter presented him with the knife with which he had

killed Numa。  There was nothing in all the village he could

not have had for the asking。



How much easier this was; thought Tarzan; than murder

and robbery to supply his wants。  How close he had been to

killing this man whom he never had seen before; and who

now was manifesting by every primitive means at his

command friendship and affection for his would…be slayer。

Tarzan of the Apes was ashamed。  Hereafter he would at least wait

until he knew men deserved it before he thought of killing them。



The idea recalled Rokoff to his mind。  He wished that he

might have the Russian to himself in the dark jungle for a

few minutes。  There was a man who deserved killing if ever

any one did。  And if he could have seen Rokoff at that moment

as he assiduously bent every endeavor to the pleasant task

of ingratiating himself into the affections of the beautiful

Miss Strong; he would have longed more than ever to mete

out to the man the fate he deserved。



Tarzan's first night with the savages was devoted to a wild

orgy in his honor。  There was feasting; for the hunters had

brought in an antelope and a zebra as trophies of their skill;

and gallons of the weak native beer were consumed。  As the

warriors danced in the firelight; Tarzan was again impressed

by the symmetry of their figures and the regularity of their

featuresthe flat noses and thick lips of the typical West

Coast savage were entirely missing。  In repose the faces of the

men were intelligent and dignified; those of the women

ofttimes prepossessing。



It was during this dance that the ape…man first noticed

that some of the men and many of the women wore ornaments

of goldprincipally anklets and armlets of great weight;

apparently beaten out of the solid metal。  When he

expressed a wish to examine one of these; the owner removed

it from her person and insisted; through the medium of signs;

that Tarzan accept it as a gift。  A close scrutiny of the

bauble convinced the ape…man that the article was of

virgin gold; and he was surprised; for it was the first time

that he had ever seen golden ornaments among the savages

of Africa; other than the trifling baubles those near the

coast had purchased or stolen from Europeans。  He tried

to ask them from whence the metal came; but he could not

make them understand。



When the dance was done Tarzan signified his intention

to leave them; but they almost implored him to accept the

hospitality of a great hut which the chief set apart for his

sole use。  He tried to explain that he would return in the

morning; but they could not understand。  When he finally

walked away from them toward the side of the village opposite

the gate; they were still further mystified as to his intentions。



Tarzan; however; knew just

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