the return of tarzan-第45章

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from　their　caps；　although　both　Clayton　and　Monsieur

Thuran　had　done　their　best　to　convince　them　that　these

would　only　add　to　the　suffering　they　were　enduring。



Weak　and　hopeless；　the　entire　party　lay　beneath　the　pitiless

tropic　sun；　with　parched　lips　and　swollen　tongues；　waiting　for

the　death　they　were　beginning　to　crave。　　The　intense　suffering

of　the　first　few　days　had　become　deadened　for　the　three

passengers　who　had　eaten　nothing；　but　the　agony　of　the

sailors　was　pitiful；　as　their　weak　and　impoverished　stomachs

attempted　to　cope　with　the　bits　of　leather　with　which　they

had　filled　them。　　Tompkins　was　the　first　to　succumb。　　Just　a

week　from　the　day　the　LADY　ALICE　went　down　the　sailor　died

horribly　in　frightful　convulsions。



For　hours　his　contorted　and　hideous　features　lay　grinning

back　at　those　in　the　stern　of　the　little　boat；　until　Jane

Porter　could　endure　the　sight　no　longer。

〃Can　you　not　drop　his　body　overboard；　William？〃　she　asked。



Clayton　rose　and　staggered　toward　the　corpse。　　The　two

remaining　sailors　eyed　him　with　a　strange；　baleful　light　in

their　sunken　orbs。　　Futilely　the　Englishman　tried　to　lift　the

corpse　over　the　side　of　the　boat；　but　his　strength　was　not

equal　to　the　task。



〃Lend　me　a　hand　here；　please；〃　he　said　to　Wilson；　who　lay

nearest　him。



〃Wot　do　you　want　to　throw　'im　over　for？〃　questioned　the

sailor；　in　a　querulous　voice。



〃We've　got　to　before　we're　too　weak　to　do　it；〃　replied　Clayton。

〃He'd　be　awful　by　tomorrow；　after　a　day　under　that　broiling　sun。〃



〃Better　leave　well　enough　alone；〃　grumbled　Wilson。

〃We　may　need　him　before　tomorrow。〃



Slowly　the　meaning　of　the　man's　words　percolated　into

Clayton's　understanding。　　At　last　he　realized　the　fellow's

reason　for　objecting　to　the　disposal　of　the　dead　man。



〃God！〃　whispered　Clayton；　in　a　horrified　tone。　　〃You　don't　mean〃



〃W'y　not？〃　growled　Wilson。　　〃Ain't　we　gotta　live？　　He's　dead；〃

he　added；　jerking　his　thumb　in　the　direction　of　the　corpse。

〃He　won't　care。〃



〃Come　here；　Thuran；〃　said　Clayton；　turning　toward　the　Russian。

〃We'll　have　something　worse　than　death　aboard　us　if　we　don't

get　rid　of　this　body　before　dark。〃



Wilson　staggered　up　menacingly　to　prevent　the　contemplated　act；

but　when　his　comrade；　Spider；　took　sides　with　Clayton　and

Monsieur　Thuran　he　gave　up；　and　sat　eying　the　corpse

hungrily　as　the　three　men；　by　combining　their　efforts；

succeeded　in　rolling　it　overboard。



All　the　balance　of　the　day　Wilson　sat　glaring　at　Clayton；

in　his　eyes　the　gleam　of　insanity。　　Toward　evening；　as　the

sun　was　sinking　into　the　sea；　he　commenced　to　chuckle　and

mumble　to　himself；　but　his　eyes　never　left　Clayton。



After　it　became　quite　dark　Clayton　could　still　feel　those　terrible

eyes　upon　him。　　He　dared　not　sleep；　and　yet　so　exhausted

was　he　that　it　was　a　constant　fight　to　retain　consciousness。

After　what　seemed　an　eternity　of　suffering　his　head　dropped

upon　a　thwart；　and　he　slept。　　How　long　he　was　unconscious

he　did　not　knowhe　was　awakened　by　a　shuffling　noise　quite

close　to　him。　　The　moon　had　risen；　and　as　he　opened　his

startled　eyes　he　saw　Wilson　creeping　stealthily　toward　him；

his　mouth　open　and　his　swollen　tongue　hanging　out。



The　slight　noise　had　awakened　Jane　Porter　at　the　same　time；

and　as　she　saw　the　hideous　tableau　she　gave　a　shrill　cry

of　alarm；　and　at　the　same　instant　the　sailor　lurched　forward

and　fell　upon　Clayton。　　Like　a　wild　beast　his　teeth　sought

the　throat　of　his　intended　prey；　but　Clayton；　weak　though　he

was；　still　found　sufficient　strength　to　hold　the　maniac's

mouth　from　him。



At　Jane　Porter's　scream　Monsieur　Thuran　and　Spider　awoke。

On　seeing　the　cause　of　her　alarm；　both　men　crawled　to

Clayton's　rescue；　and　between　the　three　of　them　were　able

to　subdue　Wilson　and　hurl　him　to　the　bottom　of　the　boat。

For　a　few　minutes　he　lay　there　chattering　and　laughing；　and　then；

with　an　awful　scream；　and　before　any　of　his　companions

could　prevent；　he　staggered　to　his　feet　and　leaped　overboard。



The　reaction　from　the　terrific　strain　of　excitement　left　the

weak　survivors　trembling　and　prostrated。　　Spider　broke　down

and　wept；　Jane　Porter　prayed；　Clayton　swore　softly　to　himself；

Monsieur　Thuran　sat　with　his　head　in　his　hands；　thinking。

The　result　of　his　cogitation　developed　the　following　morning

in　a　proposition　he　made　to　Spider　and　Clayton。



〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Monsieur　Thuran；　〃you　see　the　fate　that

awaits　us　all　unless　we　are　picked　up　within　a　day　or　two。

That　there　is　little　hope　of　that　is　evidenced　by　the　fact

that　during　all　the　days　we　have　drifted　we　have　seen　no

sail；　nor　the　faintest　smudge　of　smoke　upon　the　horizon。



〃There　might　be　a　chance　if　we　had　food；　but　without　food

there　is　none。　　There　remains　for　us；　then；　but　one　of　two

alternatives；　and　we　must　choose　at　once。　　Either　we　must

all　die　together　within　a　few　days；　or　one　must　be　sacrificed

that　the　others　may　live。　　Do　you　quite　clearly　grasp　my　meaning？〃



Jane　Porter；　who　had　overheard；　was　horrified。　　If　the

proposition　had　come　from　the　poor；　ignorant　sailor；　she

might　possibly　have　not　been　so　surprised；　but　that　it　should

come　from　one　who　posed　as　a　man　of　culture　and　refinement；

from　a　gentleman；　she　could　scarcely　credit。



〃It　is　better　that　we　die　together；　then；〃　said　Clayton。



〃That　is　for　the　majority　to　decide；〃　replied　Monsieur　Thuran。

〃As　only　one　of　us　three　will　be　the　object　of　sacrifice；

we　shall　decide。　　Miss　Porter　is　not　interested；

since　she　will　be　in　no　danger。〃



〃How　shall　we　know　who　is　to　be　first？〃　asked　Spider。



〃It　may　be　fairly　fixed　by　lot；〃　replied　Monsieur　Thuran。

〃I　have　a　number　of　franc　pieces　in　my　pocket。　　We　can

choose　a　certain　date　from　among　themthe　one　to　draw　this

date　first　from　beneath　a　piece　of　cloth　will　be　the　first。〃



〃I　shall　have　nothing　to　do　with　any　such　diabolical　plan；〃

muttered　Clayton；　〃even　yet　land　may　be　sighted　or　a　ship

appearin　time。〃



〃You　will　do　as　the　majority　decide；　or　you　will　be　‘the

first'　without　the　formality　of　drawing　lots；〃　said　Monsieur

Thuran　threateningly。　　〃Come；　let　us　vote　on　the　plan；　I

for　one　am　in　favor　of　it。　　How　about　you；　Spider？〃

〃And　I；〃　replied　the　sailor。



〃It　is　the　will　of　the　majority；〃　announced　Monsieur

Thuran；　〃and　now　let　us　lose　no　time　in　drawing　lots。

It　is　as　fair　for　one　as　for　another。　　That　three　may

live；　one　of　us　must　die　perhaps　a　few　hours　sooner

than　otherwise。〃



Then　he　began　his　preparation　for　the　lottery　of　death；

while　Jane　Porter　sat　wide…eyed　and　horrified　at　thought　of

the　thing　that　she　was　about　to　witness。　　Monsieur　Thuran

spread　his　coat　upon　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　and　then　from　a

handful　of　money　he　selected　six　franc　pieces。　　The　other　two

men　bent　close　above　him　as　he　inspected　them。　　Finally　he

handed　them　all　to　Clayton。



〃Look　at　them　carefully；〃　he　said。　　〃The　oldest　date　is

eighteen…seventy…five；　and　there　is　only　one　of　that　year。〃



Clayton　and　the　sailor　inspected　each　coin。　　To　them　there

seemed　not　the　slightest　difference　that　could　be　detected

other　than　the　dates。　　They　were　quite　satisfied。　　Had　they

known　that　Monsieur　Thuran's　past　experience　as　a　card

sharp　had　trained　his　sense　of　touch　to　so　fine　a　point　that

he　could　almost　differentiate　between　cards　by　the　mere　feel

of　them；　they　would　scarcely　have　felt　that　the　plan　was　so

entirely　fair。　　The　1875　piece　was　a　hair　thinner　than　the

other　coins；　but　neither　Clayton　nor　Spider　could　have

detected　it　without　the　aid　of　a　micrometer。



〃In　what　order　shall　we　draw？〃　asked　Monsieur　Thuran；

knowing　from　past　experience　that　the　majority　of　men

always　prefer　last　chance　in　a　lottery　where　the　single　prize

is　some　distasteful　thingthere　is　always　the　chance　and　the

hope　that　another　will　draw　it　first。　　Monsieur　Thuran；　for

reasons　of　his　own；　preferred　to　draw　first　if　the　drawing

should　happen　to　requ