the return of tarzan-第42章

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body　of　the　sentry；　falling　with　wide…sprawled　arms　and

legs；　assumed　the　likeness　of　a　great　beast　of　prey。　　In　their

anxiety　to　escape；　many　of　the　blacks　scaled　the　palisade；

while　others　tore　down　the　bars　from　the　gates　and　rushed

madly　across　the　clearing　toward　the　jungle。



For　a　time　no　one　turned　back　toward　the　thing　that　had

frightened　them；　but　Tarzan　knew　that　they　would　in　a　moment；

and　when　they　discovered　that　it　was　but　the　dead

body　of　their　sentry；　while　they　would　doubtless　be　still

further　terrified；　he　had　a　rather　definite　idea　as　to　what

they　would　do；　and　so　he　faded　silently　away　toward　the

south；　taking　the　moonlit　upper　terrace　back　toward　the

camp　of　the　Waziri。



Presently　one　of　the　Arabs　turned　and　saw　that　the　thing

that　had　leaped　from　the　tree　upon　them　lay　still　and　quiet

where　it　had　fallen　in　the　center　of　the　village　street。

Cautiously　he　crept　back　toward　it　until　he　saw　that　it　was

but　a　man。　　A　moment　later　he　was　beside　the　figure；　and　in

another　had　recognized　it　as　the　corpse　of　the　Manyuema

who　had　stood　on　guard　at　the　village　gate。



His　companions　rapidly　gathered　around　at　his　call；　and

after　a　moment's　excited　conversation　they　did　precisely

what　Tarzan　had　reasoned　they　would。　　Raising　their　guns　to

their　shoulders；　they　poured　volley　after　volley　into　the　tree

from　which　the　corpse　had　been　thrownhad　Tarzan　remained

there　he　would　have　been　riddled　by　a　hundred　bullets。



When　the　Arabs　and　Manyuema　discovered　that　the　only

marks　of　violence　upon　the　body　of　their　dead　comrade

were　giant　finger　prints　upon　his　swollen　throat　they　were

again　thrown　into　deeper　apprehension　and　despair。

That　they　were　not　even　safe　within　a　palisaded　village

at　night　came　as　a　distinct　shock　to　them。　　That　an　enemy

could　enter　into　the　midst　of　their　camp　and　kill　their

sentry　with　bare　hands　seemed　outside　the　bounds　of　reason；

and　so　the　superstitious　Manyuema　commenced　to　attribute

their　ill　luck　to　supernatural　causes；　nor　were　the　Arabs

able　to　offer　any　better　explanation。



With　at　least　fifty　of　their　number　flying　through　the　black

jungle；　and　without　the　slightest　knowledge　of　when　their

uncanny　foemen　might　resume　the　cold…blooded　slaughter

they　had　commenced；　it　was　a　desperate　band　of　cut…throats

that　waited　sleeplessly　for　the　dawn。　　Only　on　the

promise　of　the　Arabs　that　they　would　leave　the　village　at

daybreak；　and　hasten　onward　toward　their　own　land；　would

the　remaining　Manyuema　consent　to　stay　at　the　village　a

moment　longer。　　Not　even　fear　of　their　cruel　masters　was

sufficient　to　overcome　this　new　terror。



And　so　it　was　that　when　Tarzan　and　his　warriors　returned

to　the　attack　the　next　morning　they　found　the　raiders

prepared　to　march　out　of　the　village。　　The　Manyuema　were

laden　with　stolen　ivory。　　As　Tarzan　saw　it　he　grinned；　for　he

knew　that　they　would　not　carry　it　far。　　Then　he　saw　something

which　caused　him　anxietya　number　of　the　Manyuema

were　lighting　torches　in　the　remnant　of　the　camp…fire。

They　were　about　to　fire　the　village。



Tarzan　was　perched　in　a　tall　tree　some　hundred　yards　from

the　palisade。　　Making　a　trumpet　of　his　hands；　he　called　loudly

in　the　Arab　tongue：　　〃Do　not　fire　the　huts；　or　we　shall　kill

you　all！　　Do　not　fire　the　huts；　or　we　shall　kill　you　all！〃



A　dozen　times　he　repeated　it。　　The　Manyuema　hesitated；

then　one　of　them　flung　his　torch　into　the　campfire。

The　others　were　about　to　do　the　same　when　an　Arab　sprung

upon　them　with　a　stick；　beating　them　toward　the　huts。

Tarzan　could　see　that　he　was　commanding　them　to　fire　the

little　thatched　dwellings。　　Then　he　stood　erect　upon　the

swaying　branch　a　hundred　feet　above　the　ground；　and；

raising　one　of　the　Arab　guns　to　his　shoulder；　took　careful　aim

and　fired。　　With　the　report　the　Arab　who　was　urging　on　his

men　to　burn　the　village　fell　in　his　tracks；　and　the

Manyuema　threw　away　their　torches　and　fled　from　the　village。

The　last　Tarzan　saw　of　them　they　were　racing　toward　the　jungle；

while　their　former　masters　knelt　upon　the　ground　and　fired　at　them。



But　however　angry　the　Arabs　might　have　been　at　the

insubordination　of　their　slaves；　they　were　at　least　convinced

that　it　would　be　the　better　part　of　wisdom　to　forego　the

pleasure　of　firing　the　village　that　had　given　them　two　such

nasty　receptions。　　In　their　hearts；　however；　they　swore　to

return　again　with　such　force　as　would　enable　them　to　sweep

the　entire　country　for　miles　around；　until　no　vestige　of

human　life　remained。



They　had　looked　in　vain　for　the　owner　of　the　voice

which　had　frightened　off　the　men　who　had　been　detailed

to　put　the　torch　to　the　huts；　but　not　even　the　keenest　eye

among　them　had　been　able　to　locate　him。　　They　had　seen

the　puff　of　smoke　from　the　tree　following　the　shot　that

brought　down　the　Arab；　but；　though　a　volley　had　immediately

been　loosed　into　its　foliage；　there　had　been　no　indication

that　it　had　been　effective。



Tarzan　was　too　intelligent　to　be　caught　in　any　such　trap；

and　so　the　report　of　his　shot　had　scarcely　died　away　before

the　ape…man　was　on　the　ground　and　racing　for　another　tree

a　hundred　yards　away。　　Here　he　again　found　a　suitable　perch

from　which　he　could　watch　the　preparations　of　the　raiders。

It　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　have　considerable　more

fun　with　them；　so　again　he　called　to　them　through

his　improvised　trumpet。



〃Leave　the　ivory！〃　he　cried。　　〃Leave　the　ivory！　　Dead　men

have　no　use　for　ivory！〃



Some　of　the　Manyuema　started　to　lay　down　their　loads；

but　this　was　altogether　too　much　for　the　avaricious　Arabs。

With　loud　shouts　and　curses　they　aimed　their　guns　full

upon　the　bearers；　threatening　instant　death　to　any　who

might　lay　down　his　load。　　They　could　give　up　firing　the

village；　but　the　thought　of　abandoning　this　enormous

fortune　in　ivory　was　quite　beyond　their　conceptionbetter

death　than　that。



And　so　they　marched　out　of　the　village　of　the　Waziri；　and

on　the　shoulders　of　their　slaves　was　the　ivory　ransom　of　a

score　of　kings。　　Toward　the　north　they　marched；　back　toward

their　savage　settlement　in　the　wild　and　unknown　country

which　lies　back　from　the　Kongo　in　the　uttermost　depths

of　The　Great　Forest；　and　on　either　side　of　them　traveled

an　invisible　and　relentless　foe。



Under　Tarzan's　guidance　the　black　Waziri　warriors　stationed

themselves　along　the　trail　on　either　side　in　the　densest　underbrush。

They　stood　at　far　intervals；　and；　as　the　column　passed；

a　single　arrow　or　a　heavy　spear；　well　aimed；　would　pierce

a　Manyuema　or　an　Arab。　　Then　the　Waziri　would　melt　into　the

distance　and　run　ahead　to　take　his　stand　farther　on。

They　did　not　strike　unless　success　were　sure　and　the

danger　of　detection　almost　nothing；　and　so　the　arrows

and　the　spears　were　few　and　far　between；　but　so　persistent

and　inevitable　that　the　slow…moving　column　of　heavy…laden

raiders　was　in　a　constant　state　of　panicpanic　at

the　uncertainty　of　who　the　next　would　be　to　fall；　and　when。



It　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　the　Arabs　prevented

their　men　a　dozen　times　from　throwing　away　their　burdens　and

fleeing　like　frightened　rabbits　up　the　trail　toward　the　north。

And　so　the　day　wore　ona　frightful　nightmare　of　a　day　for　the

raidersa　day　of　weary　but　well…repaid　work　for　the　Waziri。

At　night　the　Arabs　constructed　a　rude　BOMA　in　a　little

clearing　by　a　river；　and　went　into　camp。



At　intervals　during　the　night　a　rifle　would　bark　close

above　their　heads；　and　one　of　the　dozen　sentries　which

they　now　had　posted　would　tumble　to　the　ground。　　Such　a

condition　was　insupportable；　for　they　saw　that　by　means　of

these　hideous　tactics　they　would　be　completely　wiped　out；　one

by　one；　without　inflicting　a　single　death　upon　their　enemy。

But　yet；　with　the　persistent　avariciousness　of　the

white　man；　the　Arabs　clung　to　their　loot；　and　when　morning

came　forced　the　demoralized　Manyuema　to　take　up　their

burdens　of　death　and　stagger　on　into　th