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第56章

the return of tarzan-第56章

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part of the ape…man。  Ten spears were fastened end to end;

and with one end of this remarkable chain attached to his

waist; Tarzan at last succeeded in reaching the summit。



Once there; he drew up one of his blacks; and in this way

the entire party was finally landed in safety upon the

bowlder's top。  Immediately Tarzan led them to the

treasure chamber; where to each was allotted a load of

two ingots; for each about eighty pounds。



By midnight the entire party stood once more at the

foot of the bowlder; but with their heavy loads it was mid…

forenoon ere they reached the summit of the cliffs。

From there on the homeward journey was slow; as these proud

fighting men were unaccustomed to the duties of porters。

But they bore their burdens uncomplainingly; and at the end

of thirty days entered their own country。



Here; instead of continuing on toward the northwest and

their village; Tarzan guided them almost directly west; until

on the morning of the thirty…third day he bade them break

camp and return to their own village; leaving the gold where

they had stacked it the previous night。



〃And you; Waziri?〃 they asked。



〃I shall remain here for a few days; my children;〃 he replied。

〃Now hasten back to thy wives and children。〃



When they had gone Tarzan gathered up two of the ingots

and; springing into a tree; ran lightly above the tangled and

impenetrable mass of undergrowth for a couple of hundred yards;

to emerge suddenly upon a circular clearing about which the

giants of the jungle forest towered like a guardian host。

In the center of this natural amphitheater; was a little

flat…topped mound of hard earth。



Hundreds of times before had Tarzan been to this secluded

spot; which was so densely surrounded by thorn bushes

and tangled vines and creepers of huge girth that

not even Sheeta; the leopard; could worm his sinuous way

within; nor Tantor; with his giant strength; force the

barriers which protected the council chamber of the great

apes from all but the harmless denizens of the savage jungle。



Fifty trips Tarzan made before he had deposited all the

ingots within the precincts of the amphitheater。  Then from

the hollow of an ancient; lightning…blasted tree he produced

the very spade with which he had uncovered the chest of

Professor Archimedes Q。 Porter which he had once; apelike;

buried in this selfsame spot。  With this he dug a long trench;

into which he laid the fortune that his blacks had carried

from the forgotten treasure vaults of the city of Opar。



That night he slept within the amphitheater; and early the

next morning set out to revisit his cabin before returning to

his Waziri。  Finding things as he had left them; he went

forth into the jungle to hunt; intending to bring his prey to

the cabin where he might feast in comfort; spending the

night upon a comfortable couch。



For five miles toward the south he roamed; toward the

banks of a fair…sized river that flowed into the sea about six

miles from his cabin。  He had gone inland about half a mile

when there came suddenly to his trained nostrils the one

scent that sets the whole savage jungle aquiverTarzan

smelled man。



The wind was blowing off the ocean; so Tarzan knew that

the authors of the scent were west of him。  Mixed with the

man scent was the scent of Numa。  Man and lion。

〃I had better hasten;〃 thought the ape…man; for he had

recognized the scent of whites。  〃Numa may be a…hunting。〃



When he came through the trees to the edge of the jungle

he saw a woman kneeling in prayer; and before her stood a

wild; primitive…looking white man; his face buried in his arms。

Behind the man a mangy lion was advancing slowly toward this

easy prey。  The man's face was averted; the woman's bowed

in prayer。  He could not see the features of either。



Already Numa was about to spring。  There was not a

second to spare。  Tarzan could not even unsling his bow and

fit an arrow in time to send one of his deadly poisoned

shafts into the yellow hide。  He was too far away to reach

the beast in time with his knife。  There was but a single

hopea lone alternative。  And with the quickness of thought

the ape…man acted。



A brawny arm flew backfor the briefest fraction of an

instant a huge spear poised above the giant's shoulderand

then the mighty arm shot out; and swift death tore through

the intervening leaves to bury itself in the heart of the

leaping lion。  Without a sound he rolled over at the very

feet of his intended victimsdead。



For a moment neither the man nor the woman moved。  Then the

latter opened her eyes to look with wonder upon the dead

beast behind her companion。  As that beautiful head went

up Tarzan of the Apes gave a gasp of incredulous astonishment。

Was he mad?  It could not be the woman he loved!

But; indeed; it was none other。



And the woman rose; and the man took her in his arms

to kiss her; and of a sudden the ape…man saw red through

a bloody mist of murder; and the old scar upon his

forehead burned scarlet against his brown hide。



There was a terrible expression upon his savage face as he

fitted a poisoned shaft to his bow。  An ugly light gleamed

in those gray eyes as he sighted full at the back of the

unsuspecting man beneath him。



For an instant he glanced along the polished shaft;

drawing the bowstring far back; that the arrow might pierce

through the heart for which it was aimed。



But he did not release the fatal messenger。  Slowly the

point of the arrow drooped; the scar upon the brown

forehead faded; the bowstring relaxed; and Tarzan of the Apes;

with bowed head; turned sadly into the jungle toward the

village of the Waziri。







Chapter 23





The Fifty Frightful Men





For several long minutes Jane Porter and William Cecil

Clayton stood silently looking at the dead body of the

beast whose prey they had so narrowly escaped becoming。



The girl was the first to speak again after her outbreak

of impulsive avowal。



〃Who could it have been?〃 she whispered。



〃God knows!〃 was the man's only reply。



〃If it is a friend; why does he not show himself?〃

continued Jane。  〃Wouldn't it be well to call out to him;

and at least thank him?〃



Mechanically Clayton did her bidding; but there was no response。



Jane Porter shuddered。  〃The mysterious jungle;〃 she murmured。

〃The terrible jungle。  It renders even the manifestations of

friendship terrifying。〃



〃We had best return to the shelter;〃 said Clayton。  〃You

will be at least a little safer there。  I am no protection

whatever;〃 he added bitterly。



〃Do not say that; William;〃 she hastened to urge; acutely

sorry for the wound her words had caused。  〃You have

done the best you could。  You have been noble; and self…

sacrificing; and brave。  It is no fault of yours that you are

not a superman。  There is only one other man I have ever

known who could have done more than you。  My words were

ill chosen in the excitement of the reactionI did not wish

to wound you。  All that I wish is that we may both understand

once and for all that I can never marry youthat such a

marriage would be wicked。〃



〃I think I understand;〃 he replied。  〃Let us not speak of

it againat least until we are back in civilization。〃



The next day Thuran was worse。  Almost constantly he was in

a state of delirium。  They could do nothing to relieve him;

nor was Clayton over…anxious to attempt anything。  On the

girl's account he feared the Russianin the bottom

 of his heart he hoped the man would die。  The thought

that something might befall him that would leave her

entirely at the mercy of this beast caused him greater

anxiety than the probability that almost certain death

awaited her should she be left entirely alone upon the

outskirts of the cruel forest。



The Englishman had extracted the heavy spear from the body

of the lion; so that when he went into the f

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