the return of tarzan-第46章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

should　happen　to　require　a　second　adventure　beneath　the　coat。



And　so　when　Spider　elected　to　draw　last　he　graciously

offered　to　take　the　first　chance　himself。　　His　hand　was　under

the　coat　for　but　a　moment；　yet　those　quick；　deft　fingers　had

felt　of　each　coin；　and　found　and　discarded　the　fatal　piece。

When　he　brought　forth　his　hand　it　contained　an　1888　franc　piece。

Then　Clayton　drew。　　Jane　Porter　leaned　forward　with　a　tense

and　horrified　expression　on　her　face　as　the　hand　of　the　man

she　was　to　marry　groped　about　beneath　the　coat。　Presently　he

withdrew　it；　a　franc　piece　lying　in　the　palm。　For　an　instant

he　dared　not　look；　but　Monsieur　Thuran；　who　had　leaned

nearer　to　see　the　date；　exclaimed　that　he　was　safe。



Jane　Porter　sank　weak　and　trembling　against　the　side　of

the　boat。　　She　felt　sick　and　dizzy。　　And　now；　if　Spider

should　not　draw　the　1875　piece　she　must　endure　the　whole

horrid　thing　again。



The　sailor　already　had　his　hand　beneath　the　coat。　　Great　beads

of　sweat　were　standing　upon　his　brow。　　He　trembled　as　though

with　a　fit　of　ague。　　Aloud　he　cursed　himself　for　having

taken　the　last　draw；　for　now　his　chances　for　escape　were

but　three　to　one；　whereas　Monsieur　Thuran's　had　been　five　to

one；　and　Clayton's　four　to　one。



The　Russian　was　very　patient；　and　did　not　hurry　the　man；

for　he　knew　that　he　himself　was　quite　safe　whether　the　1875

piece　came　out　this　time　or　not。　　When　the　sailor　withdrew

his　hand　and　looked　at　the　piece　of　money　within；　he

dropped　fainting　to　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　　Both　Clayton

and　Monsieur　Thuran　hastened　weakly　to　examine　the　coin；

which　had　rolled　from　the　man's　hand　and　lay　beside　him。

It　was　not　dated　1875。　　The　reaction　from　the　state　of　fear　he

had　been　in　had　overcome　Spider　quite　as　effectually　as

though　he　had　drawn　the　fated　piece。



But　now　the　whole　proceeding　must　be　gone　through　again。

Once　more　the　Russian　drew　forth　a　harmless　coin。　　Jane

Porter　closed　her　eyes　as　Clayton　reached　beneath　the　coat。

Spider　bent；　wide…eyed；　toward　the　hand　that　was　to　decide

his　fate；　for　whatever　luck　was　Clayton's　on　this　last　draw；

the　opposite　would　be　Spider's。

Then　William　Cecil　Clayton；　Lord　Greystoke；　removed　his　hand

from　beneath　the　coat；　and　with　a　coin　tight　pressed　within

his　palm　where　none　might　see　it；　he　looked　at　Jane　Porter。

He　did　not　dare　open　his　hand。



〃Quick！〃　hissed　Spider。　　〃My　Gawd；　let's　see　it。〃



Clayton　opened　his　fingers。　　Spider　was　the　first　to　see

the　date；　and　ere　any　knew　what　his　intention　was　he　raised

himself　to　his　feet；　and　lunged　over　the　side　of　the　boat；

to　disappear　forever　into　the　green　depths　beneaththe　coin

had　not　been　the　1875　piece。



The　strain　had　exhausted　those　who　remained　to　such　an

extent　that　they　lay　half　unconscious　for　the　balance　of　the

day；　nor　was　the　subject　referred　to　again　for　several　days。

Horrible　days　of　increasing　weakness　and　hopelessness。

At　length　Monsieur　Thuran　crawled　to　where　Clayton　lay。



〃We　must　draw　once　more　before　we　are　too　weak　even　to　eat；〃

he　whispered。



Clayton　was　in　such　a　state　that　he　was　scarcely　master　of

his　own　will。　　Jane　Porter　had　not　spoken　for　three　days。

He　knew　that　she　was　dying。　　Horrible　as　the　thought　was；

he　hoped　that　the　sacrifice　of　either　Thuran　or　himself　might

be　the　means　of　giving　her　renewed　strength；　and　so　he

immediately　agreed　to　the　Russian's　proposal。



They　drew　under　the　same　plan　as　before；　but　there

could　be　but　one　resultClayton　drew　the　1875　piece。



〃When　shall　it　be？〃　he　asked　Thuran。



The　Russian　had　already　drawn　a　pocketknife　from　his　trousers；

and　was　weakly　attempting　to　open　it。



〃Now；〃　he　muttered；　and　his　greedy　eyes　gloated　upon　the　Englishman。



〃Can't　you　wait　until　dark？〃　asked　Clayton。　　〃Miss　Porter

must　not　see　this　thing　done。　　We　were　to　have　been　married；

you　know。〃



A　look　of　disappointment　came　over　Monsieur　Thuran's　face。



〃Very　well；〃　he　replied　hesitatingly。　　〃It　will　not　be　long

until　night。　　I　have　waited　for　many　daysI　can　wait　a　few

hours　longer。〃



〃Thank　you；　my　friend；〃　murmured　Clayton。　　〃Now　I　shall　go

to　her　side　and　remain　with　her　until　it　is　time。　　I　would

like　to　have　an　hour　or　two　with　her　before　I　die。〃



When　Clayton　reached　the　girl's　side　she　was　unconscious

he　knew　that　she　was　dying；　and　he　was　glad　that　she

should　not　have　to　see　or　know　the　awful　tragedy　that　was

shortly　to　be　enacted。　　He　took　her　hand　and　raised　it　to　his

cracked　and　swollen　lips。　　For　a　long　time　he　lay　caressing　the

emaciated；　clawlike　thing　that　had　once　been　the　beautiful；

shapely　white　hand　of　the　young　Baltimore　belle。



It　was　quite　dark　before　he　knew　it；　but　he　was　recalled

to　himself　by　a　voice　out　of　the　night。　　It　was　the　Russian

calling　him　to　his　doom。



〃I　am　coming；　Monsieur　Thuran；〃　he　hastened　to　reply。



Thrice　he　attempted　to　turn　himself　upon　his　hands　and

knees；　that　he　might　crawl　back　to　his　death；　but　in　the

few　hours　that　he　had　lain　there　he　had　become　too

weak　to　return　to　Thuran's　side。



〃You　will　have　to　come　to　me；　monsieur；〃　he　called　weakly。

〃I　have　not　sufficient　strength　to　gain　my　hands　and　knees。〃



〃SAPRISTI！〃　muttered　Monsieur　Thuran。　　〃You　are　attempting

to　cheat　me　out　of　my　winnings。〃



Clayton　heard　the　man　shuffling　about　in　the　bottom　of

the　boat。　　Finally　there　was　a　despairing　groan。　　〃I　cannot

crawl；〃　he　heard　the　Russian　wail。　　〃It　is　too　late。　　You　have

tricked　me；　you　dirty　English　dog。〃



〃I　have　not　tricked　you；　monsieur；〃　replied　Clayton。

〃I　have　done　my　best　to　rise；　but　I　shall　try　again；

and　if　you　will　try　possibly　each　of　us　can　crawl　halfway；

and　then　you　shall　have　your　‘winnings。'〃



Again　Clayton　exerted　his　remaining　strength　to　the　utmost；

and　he　heard　Thuran　apparently　doing　the　same。　　Nearly　an　hour

later　the　Englishman　succeeded　in　raising　himself　to　his

hands　and　knees；　but　at　the　first　forward　movement

he　pitched　upon　his　face。



A　moment　later　he　heard　an　exclamation　of　relief　from

Monsieur　Thuran。



〃I　am　coming；〃　whispered　the　Russian。



Again　Clayton　essayed　to　stagger　on　to　meet　his　fate；　but

once　more　he　pitched　headlong　to　the　boat's　bottom；　nor；

try　as　he　would；　could　he　again　rise。　　His　last　effort　caused

him　to　roll　over　on　his　back；　and　there　he　lay　looking　up　at

the　stars；　while　behind　him；　coming　ever　nearer　and　nearer；

he　could　hear　the　laborious　shuffling；　and　the　stertorous

breathing　of　the　Russian。



It　seemed　that　he　must　have　lain　thus　an　hour　waiting　for　the

thing　to　crawl　out　of　the　dark　and　end　his　misery。　　It　was　quite

close　now；　but　there　were　longer　and　longer　pauses　between

its　efforts　to　advance；　and　each　forward　movement　seemed

to　the　waiting　Englishman　to　be　almost　imperceptible。



Finally　he　knew　that　Thuran　was　quite　close　beside　him。

He　heard　a　cackling　laugh；　something　touched　his　face；　and

he　lost　consciousness。







Chapter　19





The　City　of　Gold





The　very　night　that　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　became　chief　of

the　Waziri　the　woman　he　loved　lay　dying　in　a　tiny　boat

two　hundred　miles　west　of　him　upon　the　Atlantic。

As　he　danced　among　his　naked　fellow　savages；　the　firelight

gleaming　against　his　great；　rolling　muscles；　the

personification　of　physical　perfection　and　strength；

the　woman　who　loved　him　lay　thin　and　emaciated　in　the

last　coma　that　precedes　death　by　thirst　and　starvation。



The　week　following　the　induction　of　Tarzan　into　the　kingship

of　the　Waziri　was　occupied　in　escorting　the　Manyuema　of

the　Arab　raiders　to　the　northern　boundary　of　Waziri　in

accordance　with　the　promise　which　Tarzan　had　made　them。

Before　he　left　them　he　exacted　a　pledge　from　them　that　they

would　not　lead　any　expeditions　against　the　Waziri　in　the

future；　nor　was　it　a　difficult　promise　to　obtain。　　They　had　had

sufficient　expe