the return of tarzan-第40章

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took　to　the　trees。　　Then　he　raced　quickly　to　the　upper　terrace；

there　doubling　on　his　tracks　and　making　his　way　rapidly

back　toward　the　village。　　Here　he　found　that　every　Arab　and

Manyuema　had　joined　in　the　pursuit；　leaving　the　village

deserted　except　for　the　chained　prisoners　and　a　single　guard。



The　sentry　stood　at　the　open　gate；　looking　in　the　direction

of　the　forest；　so　that　he　did　not　see　the　agile　giant　that

dropped　to　the　ground　at　the　far　end　of　the　village　street。

With　drawn　bow　the　ape…man　crept　stealthily　toward　his

unsuspecting　victim。　　The　prisoners　had　already　discovered

him；　and　with　wide　eyes　filled　with　wonder　and　with　hope

they　watched　their　would…be　rescuer。　　Now　he　halted　not　ten

paces　from　the　unconscious　Manyuema。　　The　shaft　was

drawn　back　its　full　length　at　the　height　of　the　keen　gray

eye　that　sighted　along　its　polished　surface。　　There　was　a

sudden　twang　as　the　brown　fingers　released　their　hold；　and

without　a　sound　the　raider　sank　forward　upon　his　face；　a

wooden　shaft　transfixing　his　heart　and　protruding　a　foot

from　his　black　chest。



Then　Tarzan　turned　his　attention　to　the　fifty　women　and

youths　chained　neck　to　neck　on　the　long　slave　chain。

There　was　no　releasing　of　the　ancient　padlocks　in　the　time　that

was　left　him；　so　the　ape…man　called　to　them　to　follow　him　as

they　were；　and；　snatching　the　gun　and　cartridge　belt　from　the

dead　sentry；　he　led　the　now　happy　band　out　through　the　village

gate　and　into　the　forest　upon　the　far　side　of　the　clearing。



It　was　a　slow　and　arduous　march；　for　the　slave　chain　was　new

to　these　people；　and　there　were　many　delays　as　one　of　their

number　would　stumble　and　fall；　dragging　others　down　with　her。

Then；　too；　Tarzan　had　been　forced　to　make　a　wide　detour　to

avoid　any　possibility　of　meeting　with　returning　raiders。

He　was　partially　guided　by　occasional　shots　which

indicated　that　the　Arab　horde　was　still　in　touch　with　the

villagers；　but　he　knew　that　if　they　would　but　follow　his

advice　there　would　be　but　few　casualties　other　than　on　the

side　of　the　marauders。



Toward　dusk　the　firing　ceased　entirely；　and　Tarzan　knew

that　the　Arabs　had　all　returned　to　the　village。　　He　could

scarce　repress　a　smile　of　triumph　as　he　thought　of　their　rage

on　discovering　that　their　guard　had　been　killed　and　their

prisoners　taken　away。　　Tarzan　had　wished　that　he　might　have

taken　some　of　the　great　store　of　ivory　the　village　contained；

solely　for　the　purpose　of　still　further　augmenting　the　wrath

of　his　enemies；　but　he　knew　that　that　was　not　necessary　for

its　salvation；　since　he　already　had　a　plan　mapped　out　which

would　effectually　prevent　the　Arabs　leaving　the　country　with

a　single　tusk。　　And　it　would　have　been　cruel　to　have　needlessly

burdened　these　poor；　overwrought　women　with　the　extra

weight　of　the　heavy　ivory。



It　was　after　midnight　when　Tarzan；　with　his　slow…moving

caravan；　approached　the　spot　where　the　elephants　lay。

Long　before　they　reached　it　they　had　been　guided　by　the

huge　fire　the　natives　had　built　in　the　center　of　a　hastily

improvised　BOMA；　partially　for　warmth　and　partially　to

keep　off　chance　lions。



When　they　had　come　close　to　the　encampment　Tarzan

called　aloud　to　let　them　know　that　friends　were　coming。

It　was　a　joyous　reception　the　little　party　received　when　the

blacks　within　the　BOMA　saw　the　long　file　of　fettered　friends

and　relatives　enter　the　firelight。　　These　had　all　been　given　up

as　lost　forever；　as　had　Tarzan　as　well；　so　that　the　happy　blacks

would　have　remained　awake　all　night　to　feast　on　elephant

meat　and　celebrate　the　return　of　their　fellows；　had　not

Tarzan　insisted　that　they　take　what　sleep　they　could；　against

the　work　of　the　coming　day。



At　that；　sleep　was　no　easy　matter；　for　the　women　who

had　lost　their　men　or　their　children　in　the　day's　massacre

and　battle　made　night　hideous　with　their　continued　wailing

and　howling。　　Finally；　however；　Tarzan　succeeded　in　silencing

them；　on　the　plea　that　their　noise　would　attract　the　Arabs　to

their　hiding…place；　when　all　would　be　slaughtered。



When　dawn　came　Tarzan　explained　his　plan　of　battle　to

the　warriors；　and　without　demur　one　and　all　agreed　that　it

was　the　safest　and　surest　way　in　which　to　rid　themselves　of

their　unwelcome　visitors　and　be　revenged　for　the　murder　of

their　fellows。



First　the　women　and　children；　with　a　guard　of　some

twenty　old　warriors　and　youths；　were　started　southward；　to

be　entirely　out　of　the　zone　of　danger。　　They　had　instructions

to　erect　temporary　shelter　and　construct　a　protecting　BOMA

of　thorn　bush；　for　the　plan　of　campaign　which　Tarzan　had

chosen　was　one　which　might　stretch　out　over　many　days；

or　even　weeks；　during　which　time　the　warriors　would　not

return　to　the　new　camp。



Two　hours　after　daylight　a　thin　circle　of　black　warriors

surrounded　the　village。　　At　intervals　one　was　perched　high

in　the　branches　of　a　tree　which　could　overlook　the　palisade。

Presently　a　Manyuema　within　the　village　fell；　pierced　by　a

single　arrow。　　There　had　been　no　sound　of　attacknone　of

the　hideous　war…cries　or　vainglorious　waving　of　menacing

spears　that　ordinarily　marks　the　attack　of　savagesjust　a

silent　messenger　of　death　from　out　of　the　silent　forest。



The　Arabs　and　their　followers　were　thrown　into　a　fine

rage　at　this　unprecedented　occurrence。　　They　ran　for　the

gates；　to　wreak　dire　vengeance　upon　the　foolhardy　perpetrator

of　the　outrage；　but　they　suddenly　realized　that　they　did

not　know　which　way　to　turn　to　find　the　foe。　　As　they　stood

debating　with　many　angry　shouts　and　much　gesticulating；

one　of　the　Arabs　sank　silently　to　the　ground　in　their　very

midsta　thin　arrow　protruding　from　his　heart。



Tarzan　had　placed　the　finest　marksmen　of　the　tribe　in　the

surrounding　trees；　with　directions　never　to　reveal　themselves

while　the　enemy　was　faced　in　their　direction。　　As　a　black

released　his　messenger　of　death　he　would　slink　behind

the　sheltering　stem　of　the　tree　he　had　selected；　nor　would

he　again　aim　until　a　watchful　eye　told　him　that　none　was

looking　toward　his　tree。



Three　times　the　Arabs　started　across　the　clearing　in　the

direction　from　which　they　thought　the　arrows　came；　but

each　time　another　arrow　would　come　from　behind　to　take

its　toll　from　among　their　number。　　Then　they　would　turn　and

charge　in　a　new　direction。　　Finally　they　set　out　upon　a

determined　search　of　the　forest；　but　the　blacks　melted

before　them；　so　that　they　saw　no　sign　of　an　enemy。



But　above　them　lurked　a　grim　figure　in　the　dense　foliage

of　the　mighty　treesit　was　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；　hovering　over

them　as　if　he　had　been　the　shadow　of　death。　　Presently　a

Manyuema　forged　ahead　of　his　companions；　there　was　none

to　see　from　what　direction　death　came；　and　so　it　came

quickly；　and　a　moment　later　those　behind　stumbled　over

the　dead　body　of　their　comradethe　inevitable　arrow　piercing

the　still　heart。



It　does　not　take　a　great　deal　of　this　manner　of　warfare　to

get　upon　the　nerves　of　white　men；　and　so　it　is　little　to　be

wondered　at　that　the　Manyuema　were　soon　panic…stricken。

Did　one　forge　ahead　an　arrow　found　his　heart；　did　one　lag

behind　he　never　again　was　seen　alive；　did　one　stumble　to

one　side；　even　for　a　bare　moment　from　the　sight　of　his　fellows；

he　did　not　returnand　always　when　they　came　upon

the　bodies　of　their　dead　they　found　those　terrible　arrows

driven　with　the　accuracy　of　superhuman　power　straight

through　the　victim's　heart。　　But　worse　than　all　else　was　the

hideous　fact　that　not　once　during　the　morning　had　they　seen

or　heard　the　slightest　sign　of　an　enemy　other　than　the

pitiless　arrows。



When　finally　they　returned　to　the　village　it　was　no　better。

Every　now　and　then；　at　varying　intervals　that　were　maddening

in　the　terrible　suspense　they　caused；　a　man　would　plunge

forward　dead。　　The　blacks　besought　their　masters　to　leave

this　terrible　place；　but　the　Arabs　feared　to　take　up　the　march

through　the　grim　and　hostile　forest　beset　by　this　ne