the return of tarzan-第58章

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branches　opposite　him。　　The　cruel　little　eyes　took　in　the

clearing　at　a　glance；　then　there　was　a　chattered　report

returned　to　those　behind。　　Tarzan　could　hear　the　words。

The　scout　was　telling　the　other　members　of　the　tribe　that　the

coast　was　clear　and　that　they　might　enter　the　amphitheater

in　safety。



First　the　leader　dropped　lightly　upon　the　soft　carpet　of

the　grassy　floor；　and　then；　one　by　one；　nearly　a　hundred

anthropoids　followed　him。　　There　were　the　huge　adults　and

several　young。　　A　few　nursing　babes　clung　close　to　the

shaggy　necks　of　their　savage　mothers。



Tarzan　recognized　many　members　of　the　tribe。　　It　was

the　same　into　which　he　had　come　as　a　tiny　babe。　　Many　of

the　adults　had　been　little　apes　during　his　boyhood。　　He　had

frolicked　and　played　about　this　very　jungle　with　them

during　their　brief　childhood。　　He　wondered　if　they　would

remember　himthe　memory　of　some　apes　is　not　overlong；　and

two　years　may　be　an　eternity　to　them。



From　the　talk　which　he　overheard　he　learned　that　they

had　come　to　choose　a　new　kingtheir　late　chief　had　fallen　a

hundred　feet　beneath　a　broken　limb　to　an　untimely　end。



Tarzan　walked　to　the　end　of　an　overhanging　limb　in

plain　view　of　them。　　The　quick　eyes　of　a　female　caught

sight　of　him　first。　　With　a　barking　guttural　she　called

the　attention　of　the　others。　　Several　huge　bulls　stood

erect　to　get　a　better　view　of　the　intruder。　　With　bared

fangs　and　bristling　necks　they　advanced　slowly　toward　him；

with　deep…throated；　ominous　growls。



〃Karnath；　I　am　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；〃　said　the　ape…man　in

the　vernacular　of　the　tribe。　　〃You　remember　me。　　Together　we

teased　Numa　when　we　were　still　little　apes；　throwing　sticks

and　nuts　at　him　from　the　safety　of　high　branches。〃



The　brute　he　had　addressed　stopped　with　a　look　of　half…

comprehending；　dull　wonderment　upon　his　savage　face。



〃And　Magor；〃　continued　Tarzan；　addressing　another；　〃do　you

not　recall　your　former　kinghe　who　slew　the　mighty　Kerchak？

Look　at　me！　　Am　I　not　the　same　Tarzanmighty　hunterinvincible

fighterthat　you　all　knew　for　many　seasons？〃



The　apes　all　crowded　forward　now；　but　more　in　curiosity

than　threatening。　　They　muttered　among　themselves　for

a　few　moments。



〃What　do　you　want　among　us　now？〃　asked　Karnath。



〃Only　peace；〃　answered　the　ape…man。



Again　the　apes　conferred。　　At　length　Karnath　spoke　again。



〃Come　in　peace；　then；　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；〃　he　said。



And　so　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　dropped　lightly　to　the　turf

into　the　midst　of　the　fierce　and　hideous　hordehe　had

completed　the　cycle　of　evolution；　and　had　returned　to　be　once

again　a　brute　among　brutes。



There　were　no　greetings　such　as　would　have　taken　place

among　men　after　a　separation　of　two　years。　　The　majority

of　the　apes　went　on　about　the　little　activities　that　the

advent　of　the　ape…man　had　interrupted；　paying　no　further

attention　to　him　than　as　though　he　had　not　been　gone　from

the　tribe　at　all。



One　or　two　young　bulls　who　had　not　been　old　enough

to　remember　him　sidled　up　on　all　fours　to　sniff　at　him；　and

one　bared　his　fangs　and　growled　threateninglyhe　wished

to　put　Tarzan　immediately　into　his　proper　place。　　Had　Tarzan

backed　off；　growling；　the　young　bull　would　quite　probably

have　been　satisfied；　but　always　after　Tarzan's　station　among

his　fellow　apes　would　have　been　beneath　that　of　the　bull

which　had　made　him　step　aside。



But　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　did　not　back　off。　　Instead；　he　swung

his　giant　palm　with　all　the　force　of　his　mighty　muscles；　and；

catching　the　young　bull　alongside　the　head；　sent　him

sprawling　across　the　turf。　　The　ape　was　up　and　at　him　again

in　a　second；　and　this　time　they　closed　with　tearing　fingers

and　rending　fangsor　at　least　that　had　been　the　intention　of

the　young　bull；　but　scarcely　had　they　gone　down；　growling

and　snapping；　than　the　ape…man's　fingers　found　the　throat

of　his　antagonist。



Presently　the　young　bull　ceased　to　struggle；　and　lay　quite　still。

Then　Tarzan　released　his　hold　and　arosehe　did　not　wish　to　kill；

only　to　teach　the　young　ape；　and　others　who　might　be　watching；

that　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　still　master。



The　lesson　served　its　purposethe　young　apes　kept　out

of　his　way；　as　young　apes　should　when　their　betters　were

about；　and　the　old　bulls　made　no　attempt　to　encroach　upon

his　prerogatives。　　For　several　days　the　she…apes　with　young

remained　suspicious　of　him；　and　when　he　ventured　too　near

rushed　upon　him　with　wide　mouths　and　hideous　roars。

Then　Tarzan　discreetly　skipped　out　of　harm's　way；　for

that　also　is　a　custom　among　the　apesonly　mad　bulls　will

attack　a　mother。　　But　after　a　while　even　they　became

accustomed　to　him。



He　hunted　with　them　as　in　days　gone　by；　and　when　they

found　that　his　superior　reason　guided　him　to　the　best　food

sources；　and　that　his　cunning　rope　ensnared　toothsome　game

that　they　seldom　if　ever　tasted；　they　came　again　to　look　up

to　him　as　they　had　in　the　past　after　he　had　become　their　king。

And　so　it　was　that　before　they　left　the　amphitheater　to　return

to　their　wanderings　they　had　once　more　chosen　him　as　their　leader。



The　ape…man　felt　quite　contented　with　his　new　lot。　　He　was

not　happythat　he　never　could　be　again；　but　he　was　at

least　as　far　from　everything　that　might　remind　him　of　his

past　misery　as　he　could　be。　　Long　since　he　had　given　up　every

intention　of　returning　to　civilization；　and　now　he　had　decided

to　see　no　more　his　black　friends　of　the　Waziri。　　He　had

foresworn　humanity　forever。　　He　had　started　life　an　apeas

an　ape　he　would　die。



He　could　not；　however；　erase　from　his　memory　the　fact

that　the　woman　he　loved　was　within　a　short　journey　of　the

stamping…ground　of　his　tribe；　nor　could　he　banish　the

haunting　fear　that　she　might　be　constantly　in　danger。

That　she　was　illy　protected　he　had　seen　in　the　brief

instant　that　had　witnessed　Clayton's　inefficiency。

The　more　Tarzan　thought　of　it；　the　more　keenly　his

conscience　pricked　him。



Finally　he　came　to　loathe　himself　for　permitting　his　own　selfish

sorrow　and　jealousy　to　stand　between　Jane　Porter　and　safety。

As　the　days　passed　the　thing　preyed　more　and　more　upon

his　mind；　and　he　had　about　determined　to　return　to　the

coast　and　place　himself　on　guard　over　Jane　Porter　and

Clayton；　when　news　reached　him　that　altered　all　his　plans

and　sent　him　dashing　madly　toward　the　east　in　reckless

disregard　of　accident　and　death。



Before　Tarzan　had　returned　to　the　tribe；　a　certain　young

bull；　not　being　able　to　secure　a　mate　from　among　his　own

people；　had；　according　to　custom；　fared　forth　through　the

wild　jungle；　like　some　knight…errant　of　old；　to　win　a　fair

lady　from　some　neighboring　community。



He　had　but　just　returned　with　his　bride；　and　was　narrating　his

adventures　quickly　before　he　should　forget　them。　　Among　other

things　he　told　of　seeing　a　great　tribe　of　strange…looking　apes。



〃They　were　all　hairy…faced　bulls　but　one；〃　he　said；　〃and

that　one　was　a　she；　lighter　in　color　even　than　this　stranger；〃

and　he　chucked　a　thumb　at　Tarzan。



The　ape…man　was　all　attention　in　an　instant。　　He　asked

questions　as　rapidly　as　the　slow…witted　anthropoid　could

answer　them。



〃Were　the　bulls　short；　with　crooked　legs？〃



〃They　were。〃



〃Did　they　wear　the　skins　of　Numa　and　Sheeta　about　their

loins；　and　carry　sticks　and　knives？〃



〃They　did。〃



〃And　were　there　many　yellow　rings　about　their　arms　and　legs？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃And　the　she　onewas　she　small　and　slender；　and　very　white？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Did　she　seem　to　be　one　of　the　tribe；　or　was　she　a　prisoner？〃



〃They　dragged　her　alongsometimes　by　an　armsometimes

by　the　long　hair　that　grew　upon　her　head；　and　always　they

kicked　and　beat　her。　　Oh；　but　it　was　great　fun　to　watch　them。〃



〃God！〃　muttered　Tarzan。



〃Where　were　they　when　you　saw　them；　and　which　way

were　they　going？〃　continued　the　ape…man。



〃They　were　beside　the　second　water　back　there；〃　and　he

pointed　to　the　south。　　〃W