the return of tarzan-第60章

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reported　to　Washington　at　once。'



〃And　would　you　believe　it；　Miss　Strong；〃　continued　Tennington；

〃I　had　the　very　deuce　of　a　job　to　convince　the　old

fellow　that　there　was　not　only　no　rural　free　delivery；　but

no　town；　and　that　he　was　not　even　on　the　same　continent　as

Washington；　nor　in　the　same　hemisphere。



〃When　he　did　realize　he　commenced　to　worry　about　his

daughterI　think　it　is　the　first　time　that　he　really

has　appreciated　our　position　here；　or　the　fact　that　Miss

Porter　may　not　have　been　rescued。〃



〃I　hate　to　think　about　it；〃　said　the　girl；　〃and　yet　I　can

think　of　nothing　else　than　the　absent　members　of　our　party。〃



〃Let　us　hope　for　the　best；〃　replied　Tennington。　　〃You　yourself

have　set　us　each　a　splendid　example　of　bravery；　for　in　a

way　your　loss　has　been　the　greatest。〃



〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　〃I　could　have　loved　Jane　Porter　no　more

had　she　been　my　own　sister。〃



Tennington　did　not　show　the　surprise　he　felt。　　That　was　not

at　all　what　he　meant。　　He　had　been　much　with　this　fair

daughter　of　Maryland　since　the　wreck　of　the　LADY　ALICE；

and　it　had　recently　come　to　him　that　he　had　grown　much　more

fond　of　her　than　would　prove　good　for　the　peace　of　his　mind；

for　he　recalled　almost　constantly　now　the　confidence　which

Monsieur　Thuran　had　imparted　to　him　that　he　and　Miss　Strong

were　engaged。　　He　wondered　if；　after　all；　Thuran　had　been

quite　accurate　in　his　statement。　　He　had　never　seen　the　slightest

indication　on　the　girl's　part　of　more　than　ordinary　friendship。



〃And　then　in　Monsieur　Thuran's　loss；　if　they　are　lost；　you

would　suffer　a　severe　bereavement；〃　he　ventured。



She　looked　up　at　him　quickly。　　〃Monsieur　Thuran　had　become

a　very　dear　friend；〃　she　said。　　〃I　liked　him　very　much；

though　I　have　known　him　but　a　short　time。〃



〃Then　you　were　not　engaged　to　marry　him？〃　he　blurted　out。

〃Heavens；　nol！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　did　not　care　for　him　at　all

in　that　way。〃



There　was　something　that　Lord　Tennington　wanted　to　say

to　Hazel　Stronghe　wanted　very　badly　to　say　it；　and　to

say　it　at　once；　but　somehow　the　words　stuck　in　his　throat。

He　started　lamely　a　couple　of　times；　cleared　his　throat；

became　red　in　the　face；　and　finally　ended　by　remarking

that　he　hoped　the　cabins　would　be　finished　before　the

rainy　season　commenced。



But；　though　he　did　not　know　it；　he　had　conveyed　to　the

girl　the　very　message　he　intended；　and　it　left　her　happy

happier　than　she　had　ever　before　been　in　all　her　life。



Just　then　further　conversation　was　interrupted　by　the　sight

of　a　strange　and　terrible…looking　figure　which　emerged　from

the　jungle　just　south　of　the　camp。　　Tennington　and　the　girl

saw　it　at　the　same　time。　　The　Englishman　reached　for　his

revolver；　but　when　the　half…naked；　bearded　creature　called

his　name　aloud　and　came　running　toward　them　he　dropped

his　hand　and　advanced　to　meet　it。



None　would　have　recognized　in　the　filthy；　emaciated　creature；

covered　by　a　single　garment　of　small　skins；　the　immaculate

Monsieur　Thuran　the　party　had　last　seen　upon　the　deck

of　the　LADY　ALICE。



Before　the　other　members　of　the　little　community　were　apprised

of　his　presence　Tennington　and　Miss　Strong　questioned　him

regarding　the　other　occupants　of　the　missing　boat。



〃They　are　all　dead；〃　replied　Thuran。　　〃The　three　sailors

died　before　we　made　land。　　Miss　Porter　was　carried　off　into

the　jungle　by　some　wild　animal　while　I　was　lying　delirious

with　fever。　　Clayton　died　of　the　same　fever　but　a　few　days　since。

And　to　think　that　all　this　time　we　have　been　separated　by

but　a　few　milesscarcely　a　day's　march。　　It　is　terrible！〃





How　long　Jane　Porter　lay　in　the　darkness　of　the　vault　beneath

the　temple　in　the　ancient　city　of　Opar　she　did　not　know。

For　a　time　she　was　delirious　with　fever；　but　after　this

passed　she　commenced　slowly　to　regain　her　strength。

Every　day　the　woman　who　brought　her　food　beckoned　to　her

to　arise；　but　for　many　days　the　girl　could　only　shake　her

head　to　indicate　that　she　was　too　weak。



But　eventually　she　was　able　to　gain　her　feet；　and　then　to

stagger　a　few　steps　by　supporting　herself　with　one　hand

upon　the　wall。　　Her　captors　now　watched　her　with

increasing　interest。　　The　day　was　approaching；　and　the

victim　was　gaining　in　strength。



Presently　the　day　came；　and　a　young　woman　whom　Jane　Porter

had　not　seen　before　came　with　several　others　to　her　dungeon。

Here　some　sort　of　ceremony　was　performedthat　it　was　of

a　religious　nature　the　girl　was　sure；　and　so　she　took

new　heart；　and　rejoiced　that　she　had　fallen　among　people

upon　whom　the　refining　and　softening　influences　of　religion

evidently　had　fallen。　　They　would　treat　her　humanelyof

that　she　was　now　quite　sure。



And　so　when　they　led　her　from　her　dungeon；　through　long；

dark　corridors；　and　up　a　flight　of　concrete　steps　to　a　brilliant

courtyard；　she　went　willingly；　even　gladlyfor　was　she　not

among　the　servants　of　God？　　It　might　be；　of　course；　that　their

interpretation　of　the　supreme　being　differed　from　her　own；

but　that　they　owned　a　god　was　sufficient　evidence　to　her　that

they　were　kind　and　good。



But　when　she　saw　a　stone　altar　in　the　center　of　the　courtyard；

and　dark…brown　stains　upon　it　and　the　nearby　concrete　of

the　floor；　she　began　to　wonder　and　to　doubt。　　And　as　they

stooped　and　bound　her　ankles；　and　secured　her　wrists

behind　her；　her　doubts　were　turned　to　fear。　　A　moment　later；

as　she　was　lifted　and　placed　supine　across　the　altar's　top；

hope　left　her　entirely；　and　she　trembled　in　an　agony　of　fright。



During　the　grotesque　dance　of　the　votaries　which　followed；

she　lay　frozen　in　horror；　nor　did　she　require　the　sight

of　the　thin　blade　in　the　hands　of　the　high　priestess　as　it

rose　slowly　above　her　to　enlighten　her　further　as　to　her　doom。



As　the　hand　began　its　descent；　Jane　Porter　closed　her　eyes

and　sent　up　a　silent　prayer　to　the　Maker　she　was　so　soon　to

facethen　she　succumbed　to　the　strain　upon　her　tired

nerves；　and　swooned。





Day　and　night　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　raced　through　the　primeval

forest　toward　the　ruined　city　in　which　he　was　positive

the　woman　he　loved　lay　either　a　prisoner　or　dead。



In　a　day　and　a　night　he　covered　the　same　distance　that

the　fifty　frightful　men　had　taken　the　better　part　of　a　week　to

traverse；　for　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　traveled　along　the　middle

terrace　high　above　the　tangled　obstacles　that　impede

progress　upon　the　ground。



The　story　the　young　bull　ape　had　told　made　it　clear　to　him

that　the　girl　captive　had　been　Jane　Porter；　for　there　was　not

another　small　white　〃she〃　in　all　the　jungle。　　The　〃bulls〃　he

had　recognized　from　the　ape's　crude　description　as　the

grotesque　parodies　upon　humanity　who　inhabit　the　ruins　of　Opar。

And　the　girl's　fate　he　could　picture　as　plainly　as　though

he　were　an　eyewitness　to　it。　　When　they　would　lay　her　across

that　trim　altar　he　could　not　guess；　but　that　her　dear；　frail

body　would　eventually　find　its　way　there　he　was　confident。



But；　finally；　after　what　seemed　long　ages　to　the　impatient

ape…man；　he　topped　the　barrier　cliffs　that　hemmed　the　desolate

valley；　and　below　him　lay　the　grim　and　awful　ruins　of

the　now　hideous　city　of　Opar。　　At　a　rapid　trot　he　started

across　the　dry　and　dusty；　bowlder…strewn　ground　toward　the

goal　of　his　desires。



Would　he　be　in　time　to　rescue？　　He　hoped　against　hope。

At　least　he　could　be　revenged；　and　in　his　wrath　it　seemed

to　him　that　he　was　equal　to　the　task　of　wiping　out　the　entire

population　of　that　terrible　city。　　It　was　nearly　noon　when　he

reached　the　great　bowlder　at　the　top　of　which　terminated　the

secret　passage　to　the　pits　beneath　the　city。　　Like　a　cat　he　scaled

the　precipitous　sides　of　the　frowning　granite　KOPJE。

A　moment　later　he　was　running　through　the　darkness　of　the

long；　straight　tunnel　that　led　to　the　treasure　vault。

Through　this　he　passed；　then　on　and　on　until　at　last　he

came　to　the　well…like　shaft　upon　the　opposite　side　of　which

lay　the　dungeon　with　the　false　wall。