tarzan and the jewels of opar- 第15部分

saw　a　family　of　lions　approaching　along　the　path　from

the　direction　of　the　river。　　The　ape…man　counted　seven

a　male　and　two　lionesses；　full　grown；　and　four　young

lions　as　large　and　quite　as　formidable　as　their

parents。　　Tarzan　halted；　growling；　and　the　lions

paused；　the　great　male　in　the　lead　baring　his　fangs　and

rumbling　forth　a　warning　roar。　　In　his　hand　the　ape…man

held　his　heavy　spear；　but　he　had　no　intention　of

pitting　his　puny　weapon　against　seven　lions；　yet　he

stood　there　growling　and　roaring　and　the　lions　did

likewise。　　It　was　purely　an　exhibition　of　jungle　bluff。

Each　was　trying　to　frighten　off　the　other。　　Neither

wished　to　turn　back　and　give　way；　nor　did　either　at

first　desire　to　precipitate　an　encounter。　　The　lions

were　fed　sufficiently　so　as　not　to　be　goaded　by　pangs

of　hunger　and　as　for　Tarzan　he　seldom　ate　the　meat　of

the　carnivores；　but　a　point　of　ethics　was　at　stake　and

neither　side　wished　to　back　down。　　So　they　stood　there

facing　one　another；　making　all　sorts　of　hideous　noises

the　while　they　hurled　jungle　invective　back　and　forth。

How　long　this　bloodless　duel　would　have　persisted　it　is

difficult　to　say；　though　eventually　Tarzan　would　have

been　forced　to　yield　to　superior　numbers。



There　came；　however；　an　interruption　which　put　an　end

to　the　deadlock　and　it　came　from　Tarzan's　rear。　　He　and

the　lions　had　been　making　so　much　noise　that　neither

could　hear　anything　above　their　concerted　bedlam；　and

so　it　was　that　Tarzan　did　not　hear　the　great　bulk

bearing　down　upon　him　from　behind　until　an　instant

before　it　was　upon　him；　and　then　he　turned　to　see　Buto；

the　rhinoceros；　his　little；　pig　eyes　blazing；　charging

madly　toward　him　and　already　so　close　that　escape

seemed　impossible；　yet　so　perfectly　were　mind　and

muscles　coordinated　in　this　unspoiled；　primitive　man

that　almost　simultaneously　with　the　sense　perception　of

the　threatened　danger　he　wheeled　and　hurled　his　spear

at　Buto's　chest。　　It　was　a　heavy　spear　shod　with　iron；

and　behind　it　were　the　giant　muscles　of　the　ape…man；

while　coming　to　meet　it　was　the　enormous　weight　of　Buto

and　the　momentum　of　his　rapid　rush。　　All　that　happened

in　the　instant　that　Tarzan　turned　to　meet　the　charge　of

the　irascible　rhinoceros　might　take　long　to　tell；　and

yet　would　have　taxed　the　swiftest　lens　to　record。

As　his　spear　left　his　hand　the　ape…man　was　looking　down

upon　the　mighty　horn　lowered　to　toss　him；　so　close　was

Buto　to　him。　　The　spear　entered　the　rhinoceros'　neck　at

its　junction　with　the　left　shoulder　and　passed　almost

entirely　through　the　beast's　body；　and　at　the　instant

that　he　launched　it；　Tarzan　leaped　straight　into　the

air　alighting　upon　Buto's　back　but　escaping　the　mighty

horn。



Then　Buto　espied　the　lions　and　bore　madly　down　upon

them　while　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　leaped　nimbly　into　the

tangled　creepers　at　one　side　of　the　trail。　　The　first

lion　met　Buto's　charge　and　was　tossed　high　over　the

back　of　the　maddened　brute；　torn　and　dying；　and　then

the　six　remaining　lions　were　upon　the　rhinoceros；

rending　and　tearing　the　while　they　were　being　gored　or

trampled。　　From　the　safety　of　his　perch　Tarzan　watched

the　royal　battle　with　the　keenest　interest；　for　the

more　intelligent　of　the　jungle　folk　are　interested　in

such　encounters。　　They　are　to　them　what　the　racetrack

and　the　prize　ring；　the　theater　and　the　movies　are　to

us。　They　see　them　often；　but　always　they　enjoy　them　for

no　two　are　precisely　alike。



For　a　time　it　seemed　to　Tarzan　that　Buto；　the

rhinoceros；　would　prove　victor　in　the　gory　battle。

Already　had　he　accounted　for　four　of　the　seven　lions

and　badly　wounded　the　three　remaining　when　in　a

momentary　lull　in　the　encounter　he　sank　limply　to　his

knees　and　rolled　over　upon　his　side。　　Tarzan's　spear

had　done　its　work。　　It　was　the　man…made　weapon　which

killed　the　great　beast　that　might　easily　have　survived

the　assault　of　seven　mighty　lions；　for　Tarzan's　spear

had　pierced　the　great　lungs；　and　Buto；　with　victory

almost　in　sight；　succumbed　to　internal　hemorrhage。



Then　Tarzan　came　down　from　his　sanctuary　and　as　the

wounded　lions；　growling；　dragged　themselves　away；　the

ape…man　cut　his　spear　from　the　body　of　Buto；　hacked　off

a　steak　and　vanished　into　the　jungle。　　The　episode　was

over。　　It　had　been　all　in　the　day's　worksomething

which　you　and　I　might　talk　about　for　a　lifetime　Tarzan

dismissed　from　his　mind　the　moment　that　the　scene

passed　from　his　sight。







12



La　Seeks　Vengeance





Swinging　back　through　the　jungle　in　a　wide　circle　the

ape…man　came　to　the　river　at　another　point；　drank　and

took　to　the　trees　again　and　while　he　hunted；　all

oblivious　of　his　past　and　careless　of　his　future；　there

came　through　the　dark　jungles　and　the　open；　parklike

places　and　across　the　wide　meadows；　where　grazed　the

countless　herbivora　of　the　mysterious　continent；　a

weird　and　terrible　caravan　in　search　of　him。　　There

were　fifty　frightful　men　with　hairy　bodies　and　gnarled

and　crooked　legs。　　They　were　armed　with　knives　and

great　bludgeons　and　at　their　head　marched　an　almost

naked　woman；　beautiful　beyond　compare。　　It　was　La　of

Opar；　High　Priestess　of　the　Flaming　God；　and　fifty　of

her　horrid　priests　searching　for　the　purloiner　of　the

sacred　sacrificial　knife。



Never　before　had　La　passed　beyond　the　crumbling　outer

walls　of　Opar；　but　never　before　had　need　been　so

insistent。　　The　sacred　knife　was　gone！　　Handed　down

through　countless　ages　it　had　come　to　her　as　a　heritage

and　an　insignia　of　her　religious　office　and　regal

authority　from　some　long…dead　progenitor　of　lost　and

forgotten　Atlantis。　　The　loss　of　the　crown　jewels　or

the　Great　Seal　of　England　could　have　brought　no　greater

consternation　to　a　British　king　than　did　the　pilfering

of　the　sacred　knife　bring　to　La；　the　Oparian；　Queen　and

High　Priestess　of　the　degraded　remnants　of　the　oldest

civilization　upon　earth。　　When　Atlantis；　with　all　her

mighty　cities　and　her　cultivated　fields　and　her　great

commerce　and　culture　and　riches　sank　into　the　sea　long

ages　since；　she　took　with　her　all　but　a　handful　of　her

colonists　working　the　vast　gold　mines　of　Central

Africa。　　From　these　and　their　degraded　slaves　and　a

later　intermixture　of　the　blood　of　the　anthropoids

sprung　the　gnarled　men　of　Opar；　but　by　some　queer　freak

of　fate；　aided　by　natural　selection；　the　old　Atlantean

strain　had　remained　pure　and　undegraded　in　the　females

descended　from　a　single　princess　of　the　royal　house　of

Atlantis　who　had　been　in　Opar　at　the　time　of　the　great

catastrophe。　　Such　was　La。



Burning　with　white…hot　anger　was　the　High　Priestess；

her　heart　a　seething；　molten　mass　of　hatred　for　Tarzan

of　the　Apes。　　The　zeal　of　the　religious　fanatic　whose

altar　has　been　desecrated　was　triply　enhanced　by　the

rage　of　a　woman　scorned。　　Twice　had　she　thrown　her

heart　at　the　feet　of　the　godlike　ape…man　and　twice　had

she　been　repulsed。　　La　knew　that　she　was　beautifuland

she　was　beautiful；　not　by　the　standards　of　prehistoric

Atlantis　alone；　but　by　those　of　modern　times　was　La

physically　a　creature　of　perfection。　　Before　Tarzan

came　that　first　time　to　Opar；　La　had　never　seen　a　human

male　other　than　the　grotesque　and　knotted　men　of　her

clan。　　With　one　of　these　she　must　mate　sooner　or　later

that　the　direct　line　of　high　priestesses　might　not　be

broken；　unless　Fate　should　bring　other　men　to　Opar。

Before　Tarzan　came　upon　his　first　visit；　La　had　had　no

thought　that　such　men　as　he　existed；　for　she　knew　only

her　hideous　little　priests　and　the　bulls　of　the　tribe

of　great　anthropoids　that　had　dwelt　from　time

immemorial　in　and　about　Opar；　until　they　had　come　to　be

looked　upon　almost　as　equals　by　the　Oparians。　　Among

the　legends　of　Opar　were　tales　of　godlike　men　of　the

olden　time　and　of　black　men　who　had　come　more　recently；

but　these　latter　had　been　enemies　who　killed　and

robbed。　　And；　too；　these　legends　always　held　forth　the

hope　that　some　day　that　nameless　continent　from　which

their　race　had　sprung；　would　rise　once　more　out　of　the

sea　and　with　slaves　at　the　long　sweeps　would　send　her

carven；　gold…picked　galleys　forth　to　succor　the

long…exiled　colonists。



The　coming　of　Tarzan　had　aroused　within　La's　breast　the

wild　hope　that　at　last　the　fulfillment　of　this　ancient

prophecy　was　at　hand；　but　more　strongly　still　had　it

aroused　the　hot　fires　of　love　in　a　heart　that　never

otherwise　would　have　known　the　meaning　of　that

all…consuming　passion；　for　such　a　wondrous　creature　as

La　could　never　have　felt　love　for　any　of　the　repulsive

priests　of　Opar。　　Custom；　duty　and　religious　zeal　might

have　commanded　the　union；　but　there　could　have　been　no

love　on　La's　part。　　She　had　grown　to　young　womanhood　a

cold　and　heartless　creature；　daughter　of　a　thousand

other　cold；　heartless；　beautiful　women　who　had　never

known　love。　　And　so　when　love　came　to　her　it　liberated

all　the　pent　passions　of　a　thousand　generations；

transforming　La　into　a　pulsing；　throbbing　volcano　of

desire；　and　with　desire　thwarted　this　great　force　of

love　and　gentleness　and　sacrifice　was　transmuted　by　its

own　fires　into　one　of　hatred　and　revenge。



It　was　in　a　state　of　mind　superinduced　by　these

conditions　that　La　led　forth　her　jabbering　company　to

retrieve　the　sacred　emblem　of　her　high　office　and　wreak

vengeance　upon　the　author　of　her　wrongs。　　To　Werper　she

gave　little　thought。　　The　fact　that　the　knife　had　been

in　his　hand　when　it　departed　from　Opar　brought　down　no

thoughts　of　vengeance　upon　his　head。　　Of　course；　he

should　be　slain　when　captured；　but　his　death　would　give

La　no　pleasureshe　looked　for　that　in　the　contemplated

death　agonies　of　Tarzan。　　He　should　be　tortured。

His　should　be　a　slow　and　frightful　death。　　His　punishment

should　be　adequate　to　the　immensity　of　his　crime。

He　had　wrested　the　sacred　knife　from　La；　he　had　lain

sacreligious　hands　upon　the　High　Priestess　of　the

Flaming　God；　he　had　desecrated　the　altar