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第38章

the return of tarzan-第38章

小说: the return of tarzan 字数: 每页4000字

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

very narrow; and upon the far side of it was a great village

of stone; much of which had fallen and crumbled into decay。〃



The balance of Waziri's story was practically the same as

that which Busuli had told。



〃I should like to go there and see this strange city;〃 said

Tarzan; 〃and get some of their yellow metal from its fierce

inhabitants。〃



〃It is a long march;〃 replied Waziri; 〃and I am an old

man; but if you will wait until the rainy season is over and

the rivers have gone down I will take some of my warriors

and go with you。〃



And Tarzan had to be contented with that arrangement;

though he would have liked it well enough to have set off the

next morninghe was as impatient as a child。  Really Tarzan

of the Apes was but a child; or a primeval man; which is

the same thing in a way。



The next day but one a small party of hunters returned to

the village from the south to report a large herd of elephant

some miles away。  By climbing trees they had had a fairly

good view of the herd; which they described as numbering

several large tuskers; a great many cows and calves;

and full…grown bulls whose ivory would be worth having。



The balance of the day and evening was filled with preparation

for a great huntspears were overhauled; quivers were

replenished; bows were restrung; and all the while the

village witch doctor passed through the busy throngs disposing

of various charms and amulets designed to protect the possessor

from hurt; or bring him good fortune in the morrow's hunt。



At dawn the hunters were off。  There were fifty sleek; black

warriors; and in their midst; lithe and active as a young

forest god; strode Tarzan of the Apes; his brown skin

contrasting oddly with the ebony of his companions。  Except for

color he was one of them。  His ornaments and weapons were

the same as theirshe spoke their languagehe laughed

and joked with them; and leaped and shouted in the brief

wild dance that preceded their departure from the village; to

all intent and purpose a savage among savages。  Nor; had he

questioned himself; is it to be doubted that he would have

admitted that he was far more closely allied to these people

and their life than to the Parisian friends whose ways;

apelike; he had successfully mimicked for a few short months。



But he did think of D'Arnot; and a grin of amusement

showed his strong white teeth as he pictured the immaculate

Frenchman's expression could he by some means see Tarzan

as he was that minute。  Poor Paul; who had prided himself on

having eradicated from his friend the last traces of wild savagery。

〃How quickly have I fallen!〃 thought Tarzan; but in his heart

he did not consider it a fallrather; he pitied the poor

creatures of Paris; penned up like prisoners in their silly

clothes; and watched by policemen all their poor lives;

that they might do nothing that was not entirely artificial

and tiresome。



A two hours' march brought them close to the vicinity in

which the elephants had been seen the previous day。

From there on they moved very quietly indeed searching for

the spoor of the great beasts。  At length they found the

well…marked trail along which the herd had passed not many

hours before。  In single file they followed it for about half

an hour。  It was Tarzan who first raised his hand in signal

that the quarry was at handhis sensitive nose had warned

him that the elephants were not far ahead of them。



The blacks were skeptical when he told them how he knew。



〃Come with me;〃 said Tarzan; 〃and we shall see。〃



With the agility of a squirrel he sprang into a tree and ran

nimbly to the top。  One of the blacks followed more slowly

and carefully。  When he had reached a lofty limb beside the

ape…man the latter pointed to the south; and there; some few

hundred yards away; the black saw a number of huge black

backs swaying back and forth above the top of the lofty

jungle grasses。  He pointed the direction to the watchers below;

indicating with his fingers the number of beasts he could count。



Immediately the hunters started toward the elephants。

The black in the tree hastened down; but Tarzan stalked; after

his own fashion; along the leafy way of the middle terrace。



It is no child's play to hunt wild elephants with the crude

weapons of primitive man。  Tarzan knew that few native

tribes ever attempted it; and the fact that his tribe did so

gave him no little pridealready he was commencing to

think of himself as a member of the little community。

As Tarzan moved silently through the trees he saw the

warriors below creeping in a half circle upon the still

unsuspecting elephants。  Finally they were within sight of the

great beasts。  Now they singled out two large tuskers; and at

a signal the fifty men rose from the ground where they had

lain concealed; and hurled their heavy war spears at the two

marked beasts。  There was not a single miss; twenty…five

spears were embedded in the sides of each of the giant animals。

One never moved from the spot where it stood when the

avalanche of spears struck it; for two; perfectly aimed;

had penetrated its heart; and it lunged forward upon

its knees; rolling to the ground without a struggle。



The other; standing nearly head…on toward the hunters;

had not proved so good a mark; and though every spear

struck not one entered the great heart。  For a moment the

huge bull stood trumpeting in rage and pain; casting about

with its little eyes for the author of its hurt。  The blacks

had faded into the jungle before the weak eyes of the monster

had fallen upon any of them; but now he caught the sound of

their retreat; and; amid a terrific crashing of underbrush

and branches; he charged in the direction of the noise。



It so happened that chance sent him in the direction of

Busuli; whom he was overtaking so rapidly that it was as

though the black were standing still instead of racing at full

speed to escape the certain death which pursued him。

Tarzan had witnessed the entire performance from the branches

of a nearby tree; and now that he saw his friend's peril he

raced toward the infuriated beast with loud cries; hoping to

distract him。



But it had been as well had he saved his breath; for the

brute was deaf and blind to all else save the particular

object of his rage that raced futilely before him。

And now Tarzan saw that only a miracle could save Busuli;

and with the same unconcern with which he had once hunted

this very man he hurled himself into the path of the elephant

to save the black warrior's life。



He still grasped his spear; and while Tantor was yet six

or eight paces behind his prey; a sinewy white warrior

dropped as from the heavens; almost directly in his path。

With a vicious lunge the elephant swerved to the right to

dispose of this temerarious foeman who dared intervene

between himself and his intended victim; but he had not

reckoned on the lightning quickness that could galvanize

those steel muscles into action so marvelously swift as to

baffle even a keener eyesight than Tantor's。



And so it happened that before the elephant realized that

his new enemy had leaped from his path Tarzan had driven

his iron…shod spear from behind the massive shoulder straight

into the fierce heart; and the colossal pachyderm had toppled

to his death at the feet of the ape…man。



Busuli had not beheld the manner of his deliverance; but

Waziri; the old chief; had seen; and several of the other

warriors; and they hailed Tarzan with delight as they swarmed

about him and his great kill。  When he leaped upon the mighty

carcass; and gave voice to the weird challenge with which he

announced a great victory; the blacks shrank back in fear;

for to them it marked the brutal Bolgani; whom they feared

fully as much as they feared Numa; the lion; but with a fear

with which was mixed a certain 

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