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第45章

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

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