the return of tarzan-第43章

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came　forced　the　demoralized　Manyuema　to　take　up　their

burdens　of　death　and　stagger　on　into　the　jungle。



For　three　days　the　withering　column　kept　up　its　frightful　march。

Each　hour　was　marked　by　its　deadly　arrow　or　cruel　spear。

The　nights　were　made　hideous　by　the　barking　of　the　invisible

gun　that　made　sentry　duty　equivalent　to　a　death　sentence。



On　the　morning　of　the　fourth　day　the　Arabs　were　compelled

to　shoot　two　of　their　blacks　before　they　could　compel

the　balance　to　take　up　the　hated　ivory；　and　as　they　did　so　a

voice　rang　out；　clear　and　strong；　from　the　jungle：　　〃Today

you　die；　oh；　Manyuema；　unless　you　lay　down　the　ivory。

Fall　upon　your　cruel　masters　and　kill　them！　　You　have　guns；

why　do　you　not　use　them？　　Kill　the　Arabs；　and　we　will　not

harm　you。　　We　will　take　you　back　to　our　village　and　feed

you；　and　lead　you　out　of　our　country　in　safety　and　in　peace。

Lay　down　the　ivory；　and　fall　upon　your　masterswe　will

help　you。　　Else　you　die！〃



As　the　voice　died　down　the　raiders　stood　as　though　turned

to　stone。　　The　Arabs　eyed　their　Manyuema　slaves；　the　slaves

looked　first　at　one　of　their　fellows；　and　then　at　anotherthey

were　but　waiting　for　some　one　to　take　the　initiative。

There　were　some　thirty　Arabs　left；　and　about　one　hundred

and　fifty　blacks。　　All　were　armedeven　those　who　were

acting　as　porters　had　their　rifles　slung　across　their　backs。



The　Arabs　drew　together。　　The　sheik　ordered　the　Manyuema

to　take　up　the　march；　and　as　he　spoke　he　cocked　his　rifle

and　raised　it。　　But　at　the　same　instant　one　of　the　blacks

threw　down　his　load；　and；　snatching　his　rifle　from　his　back；

fired　point…black　at　the　group　of　Arabs。　　In　an　instant　the

camp　was　a　cursing；　howling　mass　of　demons；　fighting　with

guns　and　knives　and　pistols。　　The　Arabs　stood　together；　and

defended　their　lives　valiantly；　but　with　the　rain　of　lead

that　poured　upon　them　from　their　own　slaves；　and　the　shower

of　arrows　and　spears　which　now　leaped　from　the　surrounding

jungle　aimed　solely　at　them；　there　was　little　question

from　the　first　what　the　outcome　would　be。　　In　ten　minutes

from　the　time　the　first　porter　had　thrown　down　his　load　the

last　of　the　Arabs　lay　dead。



When　the　firing　had　ceased　Tarzan　spoke　again　to　the　Manyuema：



〃Take　up　our　ivory；　and　return　it　to　our　village；　from

whence　you　stole　it。　　We　shall　not　harm　you。〃



For　a　moment　the　Manyuema　hesitated。　　They　had　no

stomach　to　retrace　that　difficult　three　days'　trail。

They　talked　together　in　low　whispers；　and　one　turned

toward　the　jungle；　calling　aloud　to　the　voice　that　had

spoken　to　them　from　out　of　the　foliage。



〃How　do　we　know　that　when　you　have　us　in　your　village　you

will　not　kill　us　all？〃　he　asked。



〃You　do　not　know；〃　replied　Tarzan；　〃other　than　that　we

have　promised　not　to　harm　you　if　you　will　return　our

ivory　to　us。　　But　this　you　do　know；　that　it　lies　within　our

power　to　kill　you　all　if　you　do　not　return　as　we　direct；

and　are　we　not　more　likely　to　do　so　if　you　anger　us　than

if　you　do　as　we　bid？〃



〃Who　are　you　that　speaks　the　tongue　of　our　Arab　masters？〃

cried　the　Manyuema　spokesman。　　〃Let　us　see　you；　and　then

we　shall　give　you　our　answer。〃



Tarzan　stepped　out　of　the　jungle　a　dozen　paces　from　them。



〃Look！〃　he　said。　　When　they　saw　that　he　was　white　they

were　filled　with　awe；　for　never　had　they　seen　a　white　savage

before；　and　at　his　great　muscles　and　giant　frame　they　were

struck　with　wonder　and　admiration。



〃You　may　trust　me；〃　said　Tarzan。　　〃So　long　as　you　do　as

I　tell　you；　and　harm　none　of　my　people；　we　shall　do　you

no　hurt。　　Will　you　take　up　our　ivory　and　return　in　peace　to

our　village；　or　shall　we　follow　along　your　trail　toward　the

north　as　we　have　followed　for　the　past　three　days？〃



The　recollection　of　the　horrid　days　that　had　just　passed

was　the　thing　that　finally　decided　the　Manyuema；　and　so；

after　a　short　conference；　they　took　up　their　burdens　and　set

off　to　retrace　their　steps　toward　the　village　of　the　Waziri。

At　the　end　of　the　third　day　they　marched　into　the　village　gate；

and　were　greeted　by　the　survivors　of　the　recent　massacre；

to　whom　Tarzan　had　sent　a　messenger　in　their　temporary　camp

to　the　south　on　the　day　that　the　raiders　had　quitted　the

village；　telling　them　that　they　might　return　in　safety。



It　took　all　the　mastery　and　persuasion　that　Tarzan　possessed

to　prevent　the　Waziri　falling　on　the　Manyuema　tooth

and　nail；　and　tearing　them　to　pieces；　but　when　he　had

explained　that　he　had　given　his　word　that　they　would　not　be

molested　if　they　carried　the　ivory　back　to　the　spot　from

which　they　had　stolen　it；　and　had　further　impressed　upon

his　people　that　they　owed　their　entire　victory　to　him；　they

finally　acceded　to　his　demands；　and　allowed　the　cannibals

to　rest　in　peace　within　their　palisade。



That　night　the　village　warriors　held　a　big　palaver　to

celebrate　their　victories；　and　to　choose　a　new　chief。

Since　old　Waziri's　death　Tarzan　had　been　directing　the

warriors　in　battle；　and　the　temporary　command　had　been

tacitly　conceded　to　him。　　There　had　been　no　time　to　choose

a　new　chief　from　among　their　own　number；　and；　in　fact；

so　remarkably　successful　had　they　been　under　the　ape…man's

generalship　that　they　had　had　no　wish　to　delegate　the　supreme

authority　to　another　for　fear　that　what　they　already　had

gained　might　be　lost。　　They　had　so　recently　seen　the　results

of　running　counter　to　this　savage　white　man's　advice　in　the

disastrous　charge　ordered　by　Waziri；　in　which　he　himself

had　died；　that　it　had　not　been　difficult　for　them　to　accept

Tarzan's　authority　as　final。



The　principal　warriors　sat　in　a　circle　about　a　small　fire

to　discuss　the　relative　merits　of　whomever　might　be　suggested

as　old　Waziri's　successor。　　It　was　Busuli　who　spoke　first：



〃Since　Waziri　is　dead；　leaving　no　son；　there　is　but　one

among　us　whom　we　know　from　experience　is　fitted　to　make

us　a　good　king。　　There　is　only　one　who　has　proved　that　he

can　successfully　lead　us　against　the　guns　of　the　white　man；

and　bring　us　easy　victory　without　the　loss　of　a　single　life。

There　is　only　one；　and　that　is　the　white　man　who　has　led

us　for　the　past　few　days；〃　and　Busuli　sprang　to　his　feet；　and

with　uplifted　spear　and　half…bent；　crouching　body　commenced

to　dance　slowly　about　Tarzan；　chanting　in　time　to　his　steps：

〃Waziri；　king　of　the　Waziri；　Waziri；　killer　of　Arabs；

Waziri；　king　of　the　Waziri。〃



One　by　one　the　other　warriors　signified　their　acceptance

of　Tarzan　as　their　king　by　joining　in　the　solemn　dance。

The　women　came　and　squatted　about　the　rim　of　the　circle；

beating　upon　tom…toms；　clapping　their　hands　in　time　to

the　steps　of　the　dancers；　and　joining　in　the　chant　of

the　warriors。　　In　the　center　of　the　circle　sat　Tarzan

of　the　ApesWaziri；　king　of　the　Waziri；　for；　like　his

predecessor；　he　was　to　take　the　name　of　his　tribe　as　his　own。



Faster　and　faster　grew　the　pace　of　the　dancers；　louder　and

louder　their　wild　and　savage　shouts。　　The　women　rose　and

fell　in　unison；　shrieking　now　at　the　tops　of　their　voices。

The　spears　were　brandishing　fiercely；　and　as　the　dancers　stooped

down　and　beat　their　shields　upon　the　hard…tramped　earth　of

the　village　street　the　whole　sight　was　as　terribly　primeval

and　savage　as　though　it　were　being　staged　in　the　dim　dawn

of　humanity；　countless　ages　in　the　past。



As　the　excitement　waxed　the　ape…man　sprang　to　his　feet

and　joined　in　the　wild　ceremony。　　In　the　center　of　the

circle　of　glittering　black　bodies　he　leaped　and　roared　and

shook　his　heavy　spear　in　the　same　mad　abandon　that　enthralled

his　fellow　savages。　　The　last　remnant　of　his　civilization　was

forgottenhe　was　a　primitive　man　to　the　fullest　now；　reveling

in　the　freedom　of　the　fierce；　wild　life　he　loved；　gloating　in

his　kingship　among　these　wild　blacks。



Ah；　if　Olga　de　Coude　had　but　seen　him　thencould　she

have　recognized　the　well…dressed；　quiet　young　man　whose

well…bred　face　and　irreproachable　manners　had　so　captivated

her　b