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第44章

the return of tarzan-第44章

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well…bred face and irreproachable manners had so captivated

her but a few short months ago?  And Jane Porter!  Would

she have still loved this savage warrior chieftain; dancing

naked among his naked savage subjects?  And D'Arnot!

Could D'Arnot have believed that this was the same man he

had introduced into half a dozen of the most select clubs

of Paris?  What would his fellow peers in the House of

Lords have said had one pointed to this dancing giant; with

his barbaric headdress and his metal ornaments; and said:

〃There; my lords; is John Clayton; Lord Greystoke。〃



And so Tarzan of the Apes came into a real kingship

among menslowly but surely was he following the evolution

of his ancestors; for had he not started at the very bottom?







Chapter 18





The Lottery of Death





Jane Porter had been the first of those in the lifeboat

to awaken the morning after the wreck of the LADY ALICE。

The other members of the party were asleep upon the thwarts

or huddled in cramped positions in the bottom of the boat。



When the girl realized that they had become separated

from the other boats she was filled with alarm。  The sense

of utter loneliness and helplessness which the vast expanse

of deserted ocean aroused in her was so depressing that;

from the first; contemplation of the future held not the

slightest ray of promise for her。  She was confident that

they were lostlost beyond possibility of succor。



Presently Clayton awoke。  It was several minutes before he

could gather his senses sufficiently to realize where he was;

or recall the disaster of the previous night。  Finally his

bewildered eyes fell upon the girl。



〃Jane!〃 he cried。  〃Thank God that we are together!〃



〃Look;〃 said the girl dully; indicating the horizon with an

apathetic gesture。  〃We are all alone。〃



Clayton scanned the water in every direction。



〃Where can they be?〃 he cried。  〃They cannot have gone down;

for there has been no sea; and they were afloat after the

yacht sankI saw them all。〃



He awoke the other members of the party; and explained their plight。



〃It is just as well that the boats are scattered; sir;〃 said

one of the sailors。  〃They are all provisioned; so that they

do not need each other on that score; and should a storm

blow up they could be of no service to one another even if

they were together; but scattered about the ocean there is a

much better chance that one at least will be picked up; and

then a search will be at once started for the others。

Were we together there would be but one chance of rescue;

where now there may be four。〃



They saw the wisdom of his philosophy; and were cheered

by it; but their joy was short…lived; for when it was

decided that they should row steadily toward the east and

the continent; it was discovered that the sailors who had

been at the only two oars with which the boat had been

provided had fallen asleep at their work; and allowed both

to slip into the sea; nor were they in sight anywhere upon

the water。



During the angry words and recriminations which followed

the sailors nearly came to blows; but Clayton succeeded in

quieting them; though a moment later Monsieur Thuran almost

precipitated another row by making a nasty remark about the

stupidity of all Englishmen; and especially English sailors。



〃Come; come; mates;〃 spoke up one of the men; Tompkins;

who had taken no part in the altercation; 〃shootin'

off our bloomin' mugs won't get us nothin'。  As Spider 'ere

said afore; we'll all bloody well be picked up; anyway; sez

'e; so wot's the use o' squabblin'?  Let's eat; sez I。〃



〃That's not a bad idea;〃 said Monsieur Thuran; and then;

turning to the third sailor; Wilson; he said:  〃Pass one of

those tins aft; my good man。〃



〃Fetch it yerself;〃 retorted Wilson sullenly。  〃I ain't a…takin'

no orders from nofurrineryou ain't captain o' this ship yet。〃



The result was that Clayton himself had to get the tin;

and then another angry altercation ensued when one of the

sailors accused Clayton and Monsieur Thuran of conspiring to

control the provisions so that they could have the lion's share。



〃Some one should take command of this boat;〃 spoke up Jane Porter;

thoroughly disgusted with the disgraceful wrangling that had

marked the very opening of a forced companionship that might

last for many days。  〃It is terrible enough to be alone

in a frail boat on the Atlantic; without having the added

misery and danger of constant bickering and brawling among

the members of our party。  You men should elect a leader;

and then abide by his decisions in all matters。  There is

greater need for strict discipline here than there is

upon a well…ordered ship。〃



She had hoped before she voiced her sentiments that it

would not be necessary for her to enter into the transaction

at all; for she believed that Clayton was amply able to cope

with every emergency; but she had to admit that so far at

least he had shown no greater promise of successfully handling

the situation than any of the others; though he had at least

refrained from adding in any way to the unpleasantness; even

going so far as to give up the tin to the sailors when they

objected to its being opened by him。



The girl's words temporarily quieted the men; and finally it

was decided that the two kegs of water and the four tins of

food should be divided into two parts; one…half going forward

to the three sailors to do with as they saw best; and the

balance aft to the three passengers。



Thus was the little company divided into two camps; and

when the provisions had been apportioned each immediately

set to work to open and distribute food and water。  The sailors

were the first to get one of the tins of 〃food〃 open; and their

curses of rage and disappointment caused Clayton to ask

what the trouble might be。



〃Trouble!〃 shrieked Spider。  〃Trouble!  It's worse than

troubleit's death!  This … tin is full of coal oil!〃



Hastily now Clayton and Monsieur Thuran tore open one of

theirs; only to learn the hideous truth that it also contained;

not food; but coal oil。  One after another the four tins on

board were opened。  And as the contents of each became

known howls of anger announced the grim truththere was

not an ounce of food upon the boat。



〃Well; thank Gawd it wasn't the water;〃 cried Thompkins。

〃It's easier to get along without food than it is without water。

We can eat our shoes if worse comes to worst; but we

couldn't drink 'em。〃



As he spoke Wilson had been boring a hole in one of the water

kegs; and as Spider held a tin cup he tilted the keg to pour

a draft of the precious fluid。  A thin stream of blackish;

dry particles filtered slowly through the tiny aperture into

the bottom of the cup。  With a groan Wilson dropped the keg; and

sat staring at the dry stuff in the cup; speechless with horror。



〃The kegs are filled with gunpowder;〃 said Spider; in a low tone;

turning to those aft。  And so it proved when the last had been opened。



〃Coal oil and gunpowder!〃 cried Monsieur Thuran。

〃SAPRISTI!  What a diet for shipwrecked mariners!〃



With the full knowledge that there was neither food nor

water on board; the pangs of hunger and thirst became

immediately aggravated; and so on the first day of their tragic

adventure real suffering commenced in grim earnest; and the

full horrors of shipwreck were upon them。



As the days passed conditions became horrible。  Aching eyes

scanned the horizon day and night until the weak

and weary watchers would sink exhausted to the bottom of

the boat; and there wrest in dream…disturbed slumber a

moment's respite from the horrors of the waking reality。



The sailors; goaded by the remorseless pangs of hunger;

had eaten their leather belts; their shoes; the sweatbands

from their caps; although both Clayton and Monsieur

Thuran had done their best to convince them that these

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