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第8章

the return of tarzan-第8章

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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 drawing his revolver and; from

where he lay on the floor; fired at Tarzan。  The shot missed;

and before the man could fire again Tarzan had swept the

lamp from the mantel and plunged the room into darkness。



The next they saw was a lithe form spring to the sill of

the open window and leap; panther…like; onto the pole across

the walk。  When the police gathered themselves together and

reached the street their prisoner was nowhere to be seen。



They did not handle the woman and the men who had

not escaped any too gently when they took them to the

station; they were a very sore and humiliated detail of police。

It galled them to think that it would be necessary to report

that a single unarmed man had wiped the floor with the

whole lot of them; and then escaped them as easily as

though they had not existed。



The officer who had remained in the street swore that no

one had leaped from the window or left the building from

the time they entered until they had come out。  His comrades

thought that he lied; but they could not prove it。



When Tarzan found himself clinging to the pole outside the

window; he followed his jungle instinct and looked below for

enemies before he ventured down。  It was well he did; for

just beneath stood a policeman。  Above; Tarzan saw no one;

so he went up instead of down。



The top of the pole was opposite the roof of the building;

so it was but the work of an instant for the muscles that

had for years sent him hurtling through the treetops of his

primeval forest to carry him across the little space between

the pole and the roof。  From one building he went to another;

and so on; with much climbing; until at a cross street he

discovered another pole; down which he ran to the ground。



For a square or two he ran swiftly; then he turned into a

little all…night cafe and in the lavatory removed the

evidences of his over…roof promenade from hands and clothes。

When he emerged a few moments later it was to saunter

slowly on toward his apartments。



Not far from them he came to a well…lighted boulevard which

it was necessary to cross。  As he stood directly beneath

a brilliant arc light; waiting for a limousine that was

approaching to pass him; he heard his name called in a sweet

feminine voice。  Looking up; he met the smiling eyes of Olga de

Coude as she leaned forward upon the back seat of the machine。

He bowed very low in response to her friendly greeting。

When he straightened up the machine had borne her away。



〃Rokoff and the Countess de Coude both in the same

evening;〃 he soliloquized; 〃Paris is not so large; after all。〃







Chapter 4





The Countess Explains





〃Your Paris is more dangerous than my savage jungles;

Paul;〃 concluded Tarzan; after narrating his adventures

to his friend the morning following his encounter with

the apaches and police in the Rue Maule。  〃Why did they

lure me there?  Were they hungry?〃



D'Arnot feigned a horrified shudder; but he laughed at the

quaint suggestion。



〃It is difficult to rise above the jungle standards and reason

by the light of civilized ways; is it not; my friend?〃 he

queried banteringly。



〃Civilized ways; forsooth;〃 scoffed Tarzan。  〃Jungle standards

do not countenance wanton atrocities。  There we kill for

food and for self…preservation; or in the winning of mates

and the protection of the young。  Always; you see; in

accordance with the dictates of some great natural law。

But here!  Faugh; your civilized man is more brutal than

the brutes。  He kills wantonly; and; worse than that; he

utilizes a noble sentiment; the brotherhood of man; as a

lure to entice his unwary victim to his doom。  It was in

answer to an appeal from a fellow being that I hastened

to that room where the assassins lay in wait for me。



〃I did not realize; I could not realize for a long time

afterward; that any woman could sink to such moral depravity

as that one must have to call a would…be rescuer to death。

But it must have been sothe sight of Rokoff there and

the woman's later repudiation of me to the police make

it impossible to place any other construction upon her acts。

Rokoff must have known that I frequently passed through

the Rue Maule。  He lay in wait for mehis entire scheme

worked out to the last detail; even to the woman's story in

case a hitch should occur in the program such as really did

happen。  It is all perfectly plain to me。〃



〃Well;〃 said D'Arnot; 〃among other things; it has taught

you what I have been unable to impress upon youthat

the Rue Maule is a good place to avoid after dark。〃



〃On the contrary;〃 replied Tarzan; with a smile; 〃it has

convinced me that it is the one worth…while street in all

Paris。  Never again shall I miss an opportunity to traverse it;

for it has given me the first real entertainment I have had

since I left Africa。〃



〃It may give you more than you will relish even without

another visit;〃 said D'Arnot。  〃You are not through with the

police yet; remember。  I know the Paris police well enough

to assure you that they will not soon forget what you did

to them。  Sooner or later they will get you; my dear Tarzan;

and then they will lock the wild man of the woods up behind

iron bars。  How will you like that?〃



〃They will never lock Tarzan of the Apes behind iron bars;〃

replied he; grimly。



There was something in the man's voice as he said it that

caused D'Arnot to look up sharply at his friend。  What he

saw in the set jaw and the cold; gray eyes made the young

Frenchman very apprehensive for this great child; who could

recognize no law mightier than his own mighty physical

prowess。  He saw that something must be done to set Tarzan

right with the police before another encounter was possible。



〃You have much to learn; Tarzan;〃 he said gravely。  〃The

law of man must be respected; whether you relish it or no。

Nothing but trouble can come to you and your friends

should you persist in defying the police。  I can explain it to

them once for you; and that I shall do this very day; but

hereafter you must obey the law。  If its representatives say

‘Come;' you must come; if they say ‘Go;' you must go。

Now we shall go to my great friend in the department and

fix up this matter of the Rue Maule。  Come!〃



Together they entered the office of the police official a half

hour later。  He was very cordial。  He remembered Tarzan from

the visit the two had made him several months prior in the

matter of finger prints。



When D'Arnot had concluded the narration of the events

which had transpired the previous evening; a grim smile was

playing about the lips of the policeman。  He touched a button

near his hand; and as he waited for the clerk to respond to

its summons he searched through the papers on his desk

for one which he finally located。



〃Here; Joubon;〃 he said as the clerk entered。  〃Summon these

officershave them come to me at once;〃 and he handed the

man the paper he had sought。  Then he turned to Tarzan。



〃You have committed a very grave offense; monsieur;〃 he

said; not unkindly; 〃and but for the explanation made by

our good friend here I should be inclined to judge you harshly。

I am; instead; about to do a rather unheard…of…thing。

I have summoned the officers whom you maltreated last night。

They shall hear Lieutenant D'Arnot's story; and then I shall

leave it to their discretion to say whether you shall be

prosecuted or not。



〃You have much to learn about the ways of civilization。

Things that seem strange or unnecessary to you; you must

learn to accept until you are able to judge the motives

behind them。  The officers whom you attacked were but doing

their duty。  They had no discretion in the matter。  Every day

they risk their lives in the protection of the 

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