the return of tarzan-第37章

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



Tarzan；　however；　knew　just　what　he　was　about。　　In　the

past　he　had　had　experience　with　the　rodents　and　vermin

that　infest　every　native　village；　and；　while　he　was　not

overscrupulous　about　such　matters；　he　much　preferred　the

fresh　air　of　the　swaying　trees　to　the　fetid　atmosphere　of　a　hut。



The　natives　followed　him　to　where　a　great　tree　overhung

the　palisade；　and　as　Tarzan　leaped　for　a　lower　branch

and　disappeared　into　the　foliage　above；　precisely　after　the

manner　of　Manu；　the　monkey；　there　were　loud　exclamations

of　surprise　and　astonishment。　　For　half　an　hour　they　called

to　him　to　return；　but　as　he　did　not　answer　them　they　at

last　desisted；　and　sought　the　sleeping…mats　within　their　huts。



Tarzan　went　back　into　the　forest　a　short　distance　until

he　had　found　a　tree　suited　to　his　primitive　requirements；

and　then；　curling　himself　in　a　great　crotch；　he　fell

immediately　into　a　deep　sleep。



The　following　morning　he　dropped　into　the　village　street

as　suddenly　as　he　had　disappeared　the　preceding　night。

For　a　moment　the　natives　were　startled　and　afraid；　but　when

they　recognized　their　guest　of　the　night　before　they

welcomed　him　with　shouts　and　laughter。　　That　day　he

accompanied　a　party　of　warriors　to　the　nearby　plains　on　a

great　hunt；　and　so　dexterous　did　they　find　this　white　man

with　their　own　crude　weapons　that　another　bond　of　respect

and　admiration　was　thereby　wrought。



For　weeks　Tarzan　lived　with　his　savage　friends；　hunting

buffalo；　antelope；　and　zebra　for　meat；　and　elephant　for　ivory。

Quickly　he　learned　their　simple　speech；　their　native　customs；

and　the　ethics　of　their　wild；　primitive　tribal　life。

He　found　that　they　were　not　cannibalsthat　they　looked

with　loathing　and　contempt　upon　men　who　ate　men。



Busuli；　the　warrior　whom　he　had　stalked　to　the　village；

told　him　many　of　the　tribal　legendshow；　many　years

before；　his　people　had　come　many　long　marches　from　the

north；　how　once　they　had　been　a　great　and　powerful　tribe；

and　how　the　slave　raiders　had　wrought　such　havoc　among

them　with　their　death…dealing　guns　that　they　had　been

reduced　to　a　mere　remnant　of　their　former　numbers　and　power。



〃They　hunted　us　down　as　one　hunts　a　fierce　beast；〃　said　Busuli。

〃There　was　no　mercy　in　them。　　When　it　was　not　slaves　they

sought　it　was　ivory；　but　usually　it　was　both。　　Our　men　were

killed　and　our　women　driven　away　like　sheep。　　We　fought

against　them　for　many　years；　but　our　arrows　and　spears

could　not　prevail　against　the　sticks　which　spit　fire

and　lead　and　death　to　many　times　the　distance　that　our

mightiest　warrior　could　place　an　arrow。　　At　last；　when　my

father　was　a　young　man；　the　Arabs　came　again；　but　our

warriors　saw　them　a　long　way　off；　and　Chowambi；　who　was

chief　then；　told　his　people　to　gather　up　their　belongings

and　come　away　with　himthat　he　would　lead　them　far　to

the　south　until　they　found　a　spot　to　which　the　Arab　raiders

did　not　come。



〃And　they　did　as　he　bid；　carrying　all　their　belongings；

including　many　tusks　of　ivory。　　For　months　they　wandered；

suffering　untold　hardships　and　privations；　for　much　of　the

way　was　through　dense　jungle；　and　across　mighty　mountains；

but　finally　they　came　to　this　spot；　and　although　they　sent

parties　farther　on　to　search　for　an　even　better　location；

none　has　ever　been　found。〃



〃And　the　raiders　have　never　found　you　here？〃　asked　Tarzan。



〃About　a　year　ago　a　small　party　of　Arabs　and　Manyuema

stumbled　upon　us；　but　we　drove　them　off；　killing　many。

For　days　we　followed　them；　stalking　them　for　the　wild　beasts

they　are；　picking　them　off　one　by　one；　until　but　a　handful

remained；　but　these　escaped　us。〃



As　Busuli　talked　he　fingered　a　heavy　gold　armlet　that

encircled　the　glossy　hide　of　his　left　arm。　　Tarzan's　eyes

had　been　upon　the　ornament；　but　his　thoughts　were　elsewhere。

Presently　he　recalled　the　question　he　had　tried　to　ask　when

he　first　came　to　the　tribethe　question　he　could　not　at　that

time　make　them　understand。　　For　weeks　he　had　forgotten　so　trivial

a　thing　as　gold；　for　he　had　been　for　the　time　a　truly

primeval　man　with　no　thought　beyond　today。　　But　of　a　sudden

the　sight　of　gold　awakened　the　sleeping　civilization　that　was

in　him；　and　with　it　came　the　lust　for　wealth。　　That　lesson

Tarzan　had　learned　well　in　his　brief　experience　of　the　ways

of　civilized　man。　　He　knew　that　gold　meant　power　and　pleasure。

He　pointed　to　the　bauble。



〃From　whence　came　the　yellow　metal；　Busuli？〃　he　asked。



The　black　pointed　toward　the　southeast。



〃A　moon's　march　awaymaybe　more；〃　he　replied。



〃Have　you　been　there？〃　asked　Tarzan。



〃No；　but　some　of　our　people　were　there　years　ago；　when

my　father　was　yet　a　young　man。　　One　of　the　parties　that

searched　farther　for　a　location　for　the　tribe　when　first　they

settled　here　came　upon　a　strange　people　who　wore　many

ornaments　of　yellow　metal。　　Their　spears　were　tipped　with　it；

as　were　their　arrows；　and　they　cooked　in　vessels　made　all

of　solid　metal　like　my　armlet。



〃They　lived　in　a　great　village　in　huts　that　were　built　of

stone　and　surrounded　by　a　great　wall。　　They　were　very　fierce；

rushing　out　and　falling　upon　our　warriors　before　ever　they

learned　that　their　errand　was　a　peaceful　one。　　Our　men　were

few　in　number；　but　they　held　their　own　at　the　top　of　a　little

rocky　hill；　until　the　fierce　people　went　back　at　sunset　into　their

wicked　city。　　Then　our　warriors　came　down　from　their　hill；

and；　after　taking　many　ornaments　of　yellow　metal　from　the

bodies　of　those　they　had　slain；　they　marched　back　out　of

the　valley；　nor　have　any　of　us　ever　returned。



〃They　are　wicked　peopleneither　white　like　you　nor　black

like　me；　but　covered　with　hair　as　is　Bolgani；　the　gorilla。

Yes；　they　are　very　bad　people　indeed；　and　Chowambi　was

glad　to　get　out　of　their　country。〃



〃And　are　none　of　those　alive　who　were　with　Chowambi；　and　saw

these　strange　people　and　their　wonderful　city？〃　asked　Tarzan。



〃Waziri；　our　chief；　was　there；〃　replied　Busuli。　　〃He　was

a　very　young　man　then；　but　he　accompanied　Chowambi；

who　was　his　father。〃



So　that　night　Tarzan　asked　Waziri　about　it；　and　Waziri；　who

was　now　an　old　man；　said　that　it　was　a　long　march；　but　that

the　way　was　not　difficult　to　follow。　　He　remembered　it　well。



〃For　ten　days　we　followed　this　river　which　runs　beside

our　village。　　Up　toward　its　source　we　traveled　until　on　the

tenth　day　we　came　to　a　little　spring　far　up　upon　the　side　of　a

lofty　mountain　range。　　In　this　little　spring　our　river　is　born。

The　next　day　we　crossed　over　the　top　of　the　mountain；　and

upon　the　other　side　we　came　to　a　tiny　rivulet　which　we

followed　down　into　a　great　forest。　　For　many　days　we

traveled　along　the　winding　banks　of　the　rivulet　that　had　now

become　a　river；　until　we　came　to　a　greater　river；　into　which

it　emptied；　and　which　ran　down　the　center　of　a　mighty　valley。



〃Then　we　followed　this　large　river　toward　its　source；　hoping

to　come　to　more　open　land。　　After　twenty　days　of　marching

from　the　time　we　had　crossed　the　mountains　and　passed　out　of

our　own　country　we　came　again　to　another　range　of　mountains。

Up　their　side　we　followed　the　great　river；　that　had　now

dwindled　to　a　tiny　rivulet；　until　we　came　to　a　little　cave

near　the　mountain…top。　　In　this　cave　was　the　mother　of　the　river。



〃I　remember　that　we　camped　there　that　night；　and　that　it

was　very　cold；　for　the　mountains　were　high。　　The　next　day

we　decided　to　ascend　to　the　top　of　the　mountains；　and　see

what　the　country　upon　the　other　side　looked　like；　and　if

it　seemed　no　better　than　that　which　we　had　so　far　traversed

we　would　return　to　our　village　and　tell　them　that　they　had

already　found　the　best　place　in　all　the　world　to　live。



〃And　so　we　clambered　up　the　face　of　the　rocky　cliffs

until　we　reached　the　summit；　and　there　from　a　flat

mountain…top　we　saw；　not　far　beneath　us；　a　shallow　valley；

very　narrow；　and　upon　the　far　side　of　it　was