the return of tarzan-第7章

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at　a　rapid　pace。



Tarzan　had　been　wont　to　traverse　the　Rue　Maule　on　his

way　home　at　night。　　Because　it　was　very　quiet　and　very

dark　it　reminded　him　more　of　his　beloved　African　jungle

than　did　the　noisy　and　garish　streets　surrounding　it。

If　you　are　familiar　with　your　Paris　you　will　recall　the

narrow；　forbidding　precincts　of　the　Rue　Maule。　　If　you　are

not；　you　need　but　ask　the　police　about　it　to　learn　that　in

all　Paris　there　is　no　street　to　which　you　should　give　a

wider　berth　after　dark。



On　this　night　Tarzan　had　proceeded　some　two　squares　through

the　dense　shadows　of　the　squalid　old　tenements　which　line

this　dismal　way　when　he　was　attracted　by　screams　and　cries

for　help　from　the　third　floor　of　an　opposite　building。

The　voice　was　a　woman's。　　Before　the　echoes　of　her　first

cries　had　died　Tarzan　was　bounding　up　the　stairs　and

through　the　dark　corridors　to　her　rescue。



At　the　end　of　the　corridor　on　the　third　landing　a　door

stood　slightly　ajar；　and　from　within　Tarzan　heard　again　the

same　appeal　that　had　lured　him　from　the　street。

Another　instant　found　him　in　the　center　of　a　dimly…lighted　room。

An　oil　lamp　burned　upon　a　high；　old…fashioned　mantel；　casting

its　dim　rays　over　a　dozen　repulsive　figures。　　All　but　one

were　men。　　The　other　was　a　woman　of　about　thirty。　　Her　face；

marked　by　low　passions　and　dissipation；　might　once　have

been　lovely。　　She　stood　with　one　hand　at　her　throat；　crouching

against　the　farther　wall。



〃Help；　monsieur；〃　she　cried　in　a　low　voice　as　Tarzan

entered　the　room；　〃they　were　killing　me。〃



As　Tarzan　turned　toward　the　men　about　him　he　saw　the

crafty；　evil　faces　of　habitual　criminals。　　He　wondered　that

they　had　made　no　effort　to　escape。　　A　movement　behind　him

caused　him　to　turn。　　Two　things　his　eyes　saw；　and　one　of

them　caused　him　considerable　wonderment。　　A　man　was

sneaking　stealthily　from　the　room；　and　in　the　brief　glance

that　Tarzan　had　of　him　he　saw　that　it　was　Rokoff。

But　the　other　thing　that　he　saw　was　of　more　immediate　interest。

It　was　a　great　brute　of　a　fellow　tiptoeing　upon　him　from

behind　with　a　huge　bludgeon　in　his　hand；　and　then；　as

the　man　and　his　confederates　saw　that　he　was　discovered；

there　was　a　concerted　rush　upon　Tarzan　from　all　sides。

Some　of　the　men　drew　knives。　　Others　picked　up　chairs；　while　the

fellow　with　the　bludgeon　raised　it　high　above　his　head　in　a

mighty　swing　that　would　have　crushed　Tarzan's　head　had　it

ever　descended　upon　it。



But　the　brain；　and　the　agility；　and　the　muscles　that　had　coped

with　the　mighty　strength　and　cruel　craftiness　of　Terkoz　and

Numa　in　the　fastness　of　their　savage　jungle　were　not　to　be　so

easily　subdued　as　these　apaches　of　Paris　had　believed。



Selecting　his　most　formidable　antagonist；　the　fellow　with

the　bludgeon；　Tarzan　charged　full　upon　him；　dodging　the

falling　weapon；　and　catching　the　man　a　terrific　blow　on　the

point　of　the　chin　that　felled　him　in　his　tracks。



Then　he　turned　upon　the　others。　　This　was　sport。　　He　was

reveling　in　the　joy　of　battle　and　the　lust　of　blood。　　As　though

it　had　been　but　a　brittle　shell；　to　break　at　the　least　rough

usage；　the　thin　veneer　of　his　civilization　fell　from　him；　and

the　ten　burly　villains　found　themselves　penned　in　a　small

room　with　a　wild　and　savage　beast；　against　whose　steel

muscles　their　puny　strength　was　less　than　futile。



At　the　end　of　the　corridor　without　stood　Rokoff；　waiting

the　outcome　of　the　affair。　　He　wished　to　be　sure　that　Tarzan

was　dead　before　he　left；　but　it　was　not　a　part　of　his　plan　to

be　one　of　those　within　the　room　when　the　murder　occurred。



The　woman　still　stood　where　she　had　when　Tarzan　entered；

but　her　face　had　undergone　a　number　of　changes　with

the　few　minutes　which　had　elapsed。　　From　the　semblance　of

distress　which　it　had　worn　when　Tarzan　first　saw　it；　it　had

changed　to　one　of　craftiness　as　he　had　wheeled　to　meet　the

attack　from　behind；　but　the　change　Tarzan　had　not　seen。



Later　an　expression　of　surprise　and　then　one　of　horror

superseded　the　others。　　And　who　may　wonder。　　For　the

immaculate　gentleman　her　cries　had　lured　to　what　was　to　have

been　his　death　had　been　suddenly　metamorphosed　into　a

demon　of　revenge。　　Instead　of　soft　muscles　and　a　weak

resistance；　she　was　looking　upon　a　veritable　Hercules　gone　mad。



〃MON　DIEU！〃　she　cried；　〃he　is　a　beast！〃　　For　the　strong；

white　teeth　of　the　ape…man　had　found　the　throat　of　one　of

his　assailants；　and　Tarzan　fought　as　he　had　learned　to　fight

with　the　great　bull　apes　of　the　tribe　of　Kerchak。



He　was　in　a　dozen　places　at　once；　leaping　hither　and

thither　about　the　room　in　sinuous　bounds　that　reminded

the　woman　of　a　panther　she　had　seen　at　the　zoo。　　Now　a　wrist…

bone　snapped　in　his　iron　grip；　now　a　shoulder　was　wrenched

from　its　socket　as　he　forced　a　victim's　arm　backward　and　upward。



With　shrieks　of　pain　the　men　escaped　into　the　hallway　as

quickly　as　they　could；　but　even　before　the　first　one　staggered；

bleeding　and　broken；　from　the　room；　Rokoff　had　seen　enough

to　convince　him　that　Tarzan　would　not　be　the　one　to　lie

dead　in　that　house　this　night；　and　so　the　Russian　had

hastened　to　a　nearby　den　and　telephoned　the　police　that　a

man　was　committing　murder　on　the　third　floor　of　Rue　Maule；　27。

When　the　officers　arrived　they　found　three　men　groaning

on　the　floor；　a　frightened　woman　lying　upon　a　filthy　bed；　her

face　buried　in　her　arms；　and　what　appeared　to　be　a　well…

dressed　young　gentleman　standing　in　the　center　of　the　room

awaiting　the　reenforcements　which　he　had　thought　the　footsteps

of　the　officers　hurrying　up　the　stairway　had　announced

but　they　were　mistaken　in　the　last；　it　was　a　wild　beast

that　looked　upon　them　through　those　narrowed　lids　and　steel…

gray　eyes。　　With　the　smell　of　blood　the　last　vestige　of

civilization　had　deserted　Tarzan；　and　now　he　stood　at　bay；　like　a

lion　surrounded　by　hunters；　awaiting　the　next　overt　act；　and

crouching　to　charge　its　author。



〃What　has　happened　here？〃　asked　one　of　the　policemen。



Tarzan　explained　briefly；　but　when　he　turned　to　the　woman

for　confirmation　of　his　statement　he　was　appalled　by　her　reply。



〃He　lies！〃　she　screamed　shrilly；　addressing　the　policeman。

〃He　came　to　my　room　while　I　was　alone；　and　for　no　good

purpose。　　When　I　repulsed　him　he　would　have　killed　me　had

not　my　screams　attracted　these　gentlemen；　who　were　passing

the　house　at　the　time。　　He　is　a　devil；　monsieurs；　alone　he　has

all　but　killed　ten　men　with　his　bare　hands　and　his　teeth。〃



So　shocked　was　Tarzan　by　her　ingratitude　that　for　a　moment

he　was　struck　dumb。　　The　police　were　inclined　to　be　a　little

skeptical；　for　they　had　had　other　dealings　with　this

same　lady　and　her　lovely　coterie　of　gentlemen　friends。

However；　they　were　policemen；　not　judges；　so　they　decided　to

place　all　the　inmates　of　the　room　under　arrest；　and　let　another；

whose　business　it　was；　separate　the　innocent　from　the　guilty。



But　they　found　that　it　was　one　thing　to　tell　this　well…

dressed　young　man　that　he　was　under　arrest；　but　quite

another　to　enforce　it。



〃I　am　guilty　of　no　offense；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃I　have　but

sought　to　defend　myself。　　I　do　not　know　why　the　woman　has

told　you　what　she　has。　　She　can　have　no　enmity　against　me；

for　never　until　I　came　to　this　room　in　response　to　her　cries

for　help　had　I　seen　her。〃



〃Come；　come；〃　said　one　of　the　officers；　〃there　are　judges

to　listen　to　all　that；〃　and　he　advanced　to　lay　his　hand　upon

Tarzan's　shoulder。　　An　instant　later　he　lay　crumpled　in　a

corner　of　the　room；　and　then；　as　his　comrades　rushed　in　upon

the　ape…man；　they　experienced　a　taste　of　what　the　apaches

had　but　recently　gone　through。　　So　quickly　and　so　roughly

did　he　handle　them　that　they　had　not　even　an　opportunity

to　draw　their　revolvers。



During　the　brief　fight　Tarzan　had　noted　the　open　window

and；　beyond；　the　stem　of　a　tree；　or　a　telegraph　polehe

could　not　tell　which。　　As　the　last　officer　went　down；　one　of

his　fellows　succeeded　in