the return of tarzan-第61章

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

lay　the　dungeon　with　the　false　wall。



As　he　paused　a　moment　upon　the　brink　of　the　well　a　faint

sound　came　to　him　through　the　opening　above。　　His　quick

ears　caught　and　translated　itit　was　the　dance　of　death　that

preceded　a　sacrifice；　and　the　singsong　ritual　of　the

high　priestess。　　He　could　even　recognize　the　woman's　voice。

Could　it　be　that　the　ceremony　marked　the　very　thing　he

had　so　hastened　to　prevent？　　A　wave　of　horror　swept　over　him。

Was　he；　after　all；　to　be　just　a　moment　too　late？　　Like　a

frightened　deer　he　leaped　across　the　narrow　chasm　to　the

continuation　of　the　passage　beyond。　　At　the　false　wall　he

tore　like　one　possessed　to　demolish　the　barrier　that

confronted　himwith　giant　muscles　he　forced　the　opening；

thrusting　his　head　and　shoulders　through　the　first　small

hole　he　made；　and　carrying　the　balance　of　the　wall　with　him；

to　clatter　resoundingly　upon　the　cement　floor　of　the　dungeon。



With　a　single　leap　he　cleared　the　length　of　the　chamber　and

threw　himself　against　the　ancient　door。　　But　here　he　stopped。

The　mighty　bars　upon　the　other　side　were　proof　even　against

such　muscles　as　his。　　It　needed　but　a　moment's　effort　to

convince　him　of　the　futility　of　endeavoring　to　force　that

impregnable　barrier。　　There　was　but　one　other　way；　and　that

led　back　through　the　long　tunnels　to　the　bowlder　a　mile

beyond　the　city's　walls；　and　then　back　across　the　open　as

he　had　come　to　the　city　first　with　his　Waziri。



He　realized　that　to　retrace　his　steps　and　enter　the　city

from　above　ground　would　mean　that　he　would　be　too　late　to

save　the　girl；　if　it　were　indeed　she　who　lay　upon　the　sacrificial

altar　above　him。　　But　there　seemed　no　other　way；　and　so　he

turned　and　ran　swiftly　back　into　the　passageway　beyond　the

broken　wall。　　At　the　well　he　heard　again　the　monotonous

voice　of　the　high　priestess；　and；　as　he　glanced　aloft；　the

opening；　twenty　feet　above；　seemed　so　near　that　he　was

tempted　to　leap　for　it　in　a　mad　endeavor　to　reach　the　inner

courtyard　that　lay　so　near。



If　he　could　but　get　one　end　of　his　grass　rope　caught　upon

some　projection　at　the　top　of　that　tantalizing　aperture！

In　the　instant's　pause　and　thought　an　idea　occurred　to　him。

He　would　attempt　it。　　Turning　back　to　the　tumbled　wall；

he　seized　one　of　the　large；　flat　slabs　that　had　composed　it。

Hastily　making　one　end　of　his　rope　fast　to　the　piece　of　granite；

he　returned　to　the　shaft；　and；　coiling　the　balance　of　the　rope　on

the　floor　beside　him；　the　ape…man　took　the　heavy　slab　in　both

hands；　and；　swinging　it　several　times　to　get　the　distance　and

the　direction　fixed；　he　let　the　weight　fly　up　at　a　slight　angle；

so　that；　instead　of　falling　straight　back　into　the　shaft　again；

it　grazed　the　far　edge；　tumbling　over　into　the　court　beyond。



Tarzan　dragged　for　a　moment　upon　the　slack　end　of　the

rope　until　he　felt　that　the　stone　was　lodged　with　fair

security　at　the　shaft's　top；　then　he　swung　out　over　the　black

depths　beneath。　　The　moment　his　full　weight　came　upon　the

rope　he　felt　it　slip　from　above。　　He　waited　there　in　awful

suspense　as　it　dropped　in　little　jerks；　inch　by　inch。

The　stone　was　being　dragged　up　the　outside　of　the　masonry

surrounding　the　top　of　the　shaftwould　it　catch　at　the　very　edge；

or　would　his　weight　drag　it　over　to　fall　upon　him　as　he　hurtled

into　the　unknown　depths　below？







Chapter　25





Through　the　Forest　Primeval



For　a　brief；　sickening　moment　Tarzan　felt　the　slipping　of

the　rope　to　which　he　clung；　and　heard　the　scraping　of

the　block　of　stone　against　the　masonry　above。



Then　of　a　sudden　the　rope　was　stillthe　stone　had　caught　at

the　very　edge。　　Gingerly　the　ape…man　clambered　up　the　frail　rope。

In　a　moment　his　head　was　above　the　edge　of　the　shaft。

The　court　was　empty。　　The　inhabitants　of　Opar　were　viewing

the　sacrifice。　　Tarzan　could　hear　the　voice　of　La　from　the

nearby　sacrificial　court。　　The　dance　had　ceased。　　It　must　be

almost　time　for　the　knife　to　fall；　but　even　as　he　thought　these

things　he　was　running　rapidly　toward　the　sound　of　the　high

priestess'　voice。



Fate　guided　him　to　the　very　doorway　of　the　great　roofless　chamber。

Between　him　and　the　altar　was　the　long　row　of　priests　and

priestesses；　awaiting　with　their　golden　cups　the　spilling

of　the　warm　blood　of　their　victim。　　La's　hand　was　descending

slowly　toward　the　bosom　of　the　frail；　quiet　figure　that　lay

stretched　upon　the　hard　stone。　　Tarzan　gave　a　gasp　that　was

almost　a　sob　as　he　recognized　the　features　of　the　girl　he　loved。

And　then　the　scar　upon　his　forehead　turned　to　a　flaming　band　of

scarlet；　a　red　mist　floated　before　his　eyes；　and；　with　the

awful　roar　of　the　bull　ape　gone　mad；　he　sprang　like　a　huge

lion　into　the　midst　of　the　votaries。



Seizing　a　cudgel　from　the　nearest　priest；　he　laid　about　him　like

a　veritable　demon　as　he　forged　his　rapid　way　toward　the　altar。

The　hand　of　La　had　paused　at　the　first　noise　of　interruption。

When　she　saw　who　the　author　of　it　was　she　went　white。

She　had　never　been　able　to　fathom　the　secret　of　the

strange　white　man's　escape　from　the　dungeon　in　which　she

had　locked　him。　　She　had　not　intended　that　he　should　ever

leave　Opar；　for　she　had　looked　upon　his　giant　frame　and

handsome　face　with　the　eyes　of　a　woman　and　not　those

of　a　priestess。



In　her　clever　mind　she　had　concocted　a　story　of　wonderful

revelation　from　the　lips　of　the　flaming　god　himself；

in　which　she　had　been　ordered　to　receive　this　white

stranger　as　a　messenger　from　him　to　his　people　on　earth。

That　would　satisfy　the　people　of　Opar；　she　knew。　　The　man

would　be　satisfied；　she　felt　quite　sure；　to　remain　and　be　her

husband　rather　than　to　return　to　the　sacrificial　altar。



But　when　she　had　gone　to　explain　her　plan　to　him　he

had　disappeared；　though　the　door　had　been　tightly　locked

as　she　had　left　it。　　And　now　he　had　returnedmaterialized

from　thin　airand　was　killing　her　priests　as　though　they

had　been　sheep。　　For　the　moment　she　forgot　her　victim；

and　before　she　could　gather　her　wits　together　again　the

huge　white　man　was　standing　before　her；　the　woman　who　had

lain　upon　the　altar　in　his　arms。



〃One　side；　La；〃　he　cried。　　〃You　saved　me　once；　and　so　I

would　not　harm　you；　but　do　not　interfere　or　attempt　to

follow；　or　I　shall　have　to　kill　you　also。〃



As　he　spoke　he　stepped　past　her　toward　the　entrance　to　the

subterranean　vaults。



〃Who　is　she？〃　asked　the　high　priestess；　pointing　at

the　unconscious　woman。



〃She　is　mine；〃　said　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。



For　a　moment　the　girl　of　Opar　stood　wide…eyed　and　staring。

Then　a　look　of　hopeless　misery　suffused　her　eyes

tears　welled　into　them；　and　with　a　little　cry　she　sank　to

the　cold　floor；　just　as　a　swarm　of　frightful　men　dashed　past

her　to　leap　upon　the　ape…man。



But　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　not　there　when　they　reached

out　to　seize　him。　　With　a　light　bound　he　had　disappeared

into　the　passage　leading　to　the　pits　below；　and　when　his

pursuers　came　more　cautiously　after　they　found　the　chamber

empty；　they　but　laughed　and　jabbered　to　one　another；　for

they　knew　that　there　was　no　exit　from　the　pits　other　than　the

one　through　which　he　had　entered。　　If　he　came　out　at　all　he

must　come　this　way；　and　they　would　wait　and　watch　for　him　above。



And　so　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；　carrying　the　unconscious　Jane

Porter；　came　through　the　pits　of　Opar　beneath　the　temple　of

The　Flaming　God　without　pursuit。　　But　when　the　men　of

Opar　had　talked　further　about　the　matter；　they　recalled　to

mind　that　this　very　man　had　escaped　once　before　into　the

pits；　and；　though　they　had　watched　the　entrance　he　had

not　come　forth；　and　yet　today　he　had　come　upon　them　from

the　outside。　　They　would　again　send　fifty　men　out　into　the

valley　to　find　and　capture　this　desecrater　of　their　temple。



After　Tarzan　reached　the　shaft　beyond　the　broken　wall；

he　felt　so　positive　of　the　successful　issue　of　his　flight　that

he　stopped　to　replace　the　t