tarzan and the jewels of opar- 第5部分

lay　the　entrance　to　the　passage…way　leading　to　the

treasure　vault；　gave　the　Belgian　ample　cover　as　he

followed　Tarzan　toward　Opar。



He　saw　the　giant　ape…man　swing　himself　nimbly　up　the

face　of　the　great　rock。　　Werper；　clawing　fearfully

during　the　perilous　ascent；　sweating　in　terror；　almost

palsied　by　fear；　but　spurred　on　by　avarice；　following

upward；　until　at　last　he　stood　upon　the　summit　of　the

rocky　hill。



Tarzan　was　nowhere　in　sight。　　For　a　time　Werper　hid

behind　one　of　the　lesser　boulders　that　were　scattered

over　the　top　of　the　hill；　but；　seeing　or　hearing

nothing　of　the　Englishman；　he　crept　from　his　place　of

concealment　to　undertake　a　systematic　search　of　his

surroundings；　in　the　hope　that　he　might　discover　the

location　of　the　treasure　in　ample　time　to　make　his

escape　before　Tarzan　returned；　for　it　was　the　Belgian's

desire　merely　to　locate　the　gold；　that；　after　Tarzan

had　departed；　he　might　come　in　safety　with　his

followers　and　carry　away　as　much　as　he　could　transport。



He　found　the　narrow　cleft　leading　downward　into　the

heart　of　the　kopje　along　well…worn；　granite　steps。　　He

advanced　quite　to　the　dark　mouth　of　the　tunnel　into

which　the　runway　disappeared；　but　here　he　halted；

fearing　to　enter；　lest　he　meet　Tarzan　returning。



The　ape…man；　far　ahead　of　him；　groped　his　way　along　the

rocky　passage；　until　he　came　to　the　ancient　wooden

door。　　A　moment　later　he　stood　within　the　treasure

chamber；　where；　ages　since；　long…dead　hands　had　ranged

the　lofty　rows　of　precious　ingots　for　the　rulers　of

that　great　continent　which　now　lies　submerged　beneath

the　waters　of　the　Atlantic。



No　sound　broke　the　stillness　of　the　subterranean　vault。

There　was　no　evidence　that　another　had　discovered　the

forgotten　wealth　since　last　the　ape…man　had　visited　its

hiding　place。



Satisfied；　Tarzan　turned　and　retraced　his　steps　toward

the　summit　of　the　kopje。　　Werper；　from　the　concealment

of　a　jutting；　granite　shoulder；　watched　him　pass　up

from　the　shadows　of　the　stairway　and　advance　toward　the

edge　of　the　hill　which　faced　the　rim　of　the　valley

where　the　Waziri　awaited　the　signal　of　their　master。

Then　Werper；　slipping　stealthily　from　his　hiding　place；

dropped　into　the　somber　darkness　of　the　entrance　and

disappeared。



Tarzan；　halting　upon　the　kopje's　edge；　raised　his　voice

in　the　thunderous　roar　of　a　lion。　　Twice；　at　regular

intervals；　he　repeated　the　call；　standing　in　attentive

silence　for　several　minutes　after　the　echoes　of　the

third　call　had　died　away。　　And　then；　from　far　across

the　valley；　faintly；　came　an　answering　roaronce；

twice；　thrice。　　Basuli；　the　Waziri　chieftain；　had　heard

and　replied。



Tarzan　again　made　his　way　toward　the　treasure　vault；

knowing　that　in　a　few　hours　his　blacks　would　be　with

him；　ready　to　bear　away　another　fortune　in　the

strangely　shaped；　golden　ingots　of　Opar。　　In　the

meantime　he　would　carry　as　much　of　the　precious　metal

to　the　summit　of　the　kopje　as　he　could。



Six　trips　he　made　in　the　five　hours　before　Basuli

reached　the　kopje；　and　at　the　end　of　that　time　he　had

transported　forty…eight　ingots　to　the　edge　of　the　great

boulder；　carrying　upon　each　trip　a　load　which　might

well　have　staggered　two　ordinary　men；　yet　his　giant

frame　showed　no　evidence　of　fatigue；　as　he　helped　to

raise　his　ebon　warriors　to　the　hill　top　with　the　rope

that　had　been　brought　for　the　purpose。



Six　times　he　had　returned　to　the　treasure　chamber；　and

six　times　Werper；　the　Belgian；　had　cowered　in　the　black

shadows　at　the　far　end　of　the　long　vault。　　Once　again

came　the　ape…man；　and　this　time　there　came　with　him

fifty　fighting　men；　turning　porters　for　love　of　the

only　creature　in　the　world　who　might　command　of　their

fierce　and　haughty　natures　such　menial　service。　　Fifty…two

more　ingots　passed　out　of　the　vaults；　making　the　total

of　one　hundred　which　Tarzan　intended　taking　away

with　him。



As　the　last　of　the　Waziri　filed　from　the　chamber；

Tarzan　turned　back　for　a　last　glimpse　of　the　fabulous

wealth　upon　which　his　two　inroads　had　made　no

appreciable　impression。　　Before　he　extinguished　the

single　candle　he　had　brought　with　him　for　the　purpose；

and　the　flickering　light　of　which　had　cast　the　first

alleviating　rays　into　the　impenetrable　darkness　of　the

buried　chamber；　that　it　had　known　for　the　countless

ages　since　it　had　lain　forgotten　of　man；　Tarzan's　mind

reverted　to　that　first　occasion　upon　which　he　had

entered　the　treasure　vault；　coming　upon　it　by　chance　as

he　fled　from　the　pits　beneath　the　temple；　where　he　had

been　hidden　by　La；　the　High　Priestess　of　the　Sun

Worshipers。



He　recalled　the　scene　within　the　temple　when　he　had

lain　stretched　upon　the　sacrificial　altar；　while　La；

with　high…raised　dagger；　stood　above　him；　and　the　rows

of　priests　and　priestesses　awaited；　in　the　ecstatic

hysteria　of　fanaticism；　the　first　gush　of　their

victim's　warm　blood；　that　they　might　fill　their　golden

goblets　and　drink　to　the　glory　of　their　Flaming　God。



The　brutal　and　bloody　interruption　by　Tha；　the　mad

priest；　passed　vividly　before　the　ape…man's

recollective　eyes；　the　flight　of　the　votaries　before

the　insane　blood　lust　of　the　hideous　creature；　the

brutal　attack　upon　La；　and　his　own　part　of　the　grim

tragedy　when　he　had　battled　with　the　infuriated　Oparian

and　left　him　dead　at　the　feet　of　the　priestess　he　would

have　profaned。



This　and　much　more　passed　through　Tarzan's　memory　as

he　stood　gazing　at　the　long　tiers　of　dull…yellow　metal。

He　wondered　if　La　still　ruled　the　temples　of　the　ruined

city　whose　crumbling　walls　rose　upon　the　very

foundations　about　him。　　Had　she　finally　been　forced

into　a　union　with　one　of　her　grotesque　priests？

It　seemed　a　hideous　fate；　indeed；　for　one　so　beautiful。

With　a　shake　of　his　head；　Tarzan　stepped　to　the

flickering　candle；　extinguished　its　feeble　rays　and

turned　toward　the　exit。



Behind　him　the　spy　waited　for　him　to　be　gone。　　He　had

learned　the　secret　for　which　he　had　come；　and　now　he

could　return　at　his　leisure　to　his　waiting　followers；

bring　them　to　the　treasure　vault　and　carry　away　all　the

gold　that　they　could　stagger　under。



The　Waziri　had　reached　the　outer　end　of　the　tunnel；

and　were　winding　upward　toward　the　fresh　air　and　the

welcome　starlight　of　the　kopje's　summit；　before　Tarzan

shook　off　the　detaining　hand　of　reverie　and　started

slowly　after　them。



Once　again；　and；　he　thought；　for　the　last　time；　he

closed　the　massive　door　of　the　treasure　room。　　In　the

darkness　behind　him　Werper　rose　and　stretched　his

cramped　muscles。　　He　stretched　forth　a　hand　and

lovingly　caressed　a　golden　ingot　on　the　nearest　tier。

He　raised　it　from　its　immemorial　resting　place　and

weighed　it　in　his　hands。　　He　clutched　it　to　his　bosom

in　an　ecstasy　of　avarice。



Tarzan　dreamed　of　the　happy　homecoming　which　lay　before

him；　of　dear　arms　about　his　neck；　and　a　soft　cheek

pressed　to　his；　but　there　rose　to　dispel　that　dream　the

memory　of　the　old　witch…doctor　and　his　warning。



And　then；　in　the　span　of　a　few　brief　seconds；　the　hopes

of　both　these　men　were　shattered。　　The　one　forgot　even

his　greed　in　the　panic　of　terrorthe　other　was　plunged

into　total　forgetfulness　of　the　past　by　a　jagged

fragment　of　rock　which　gashed　a　deep　cut　upon　his　head。







5



The　Altar　of　the　Flaming　God





It　was　at　the　moment　that　Tarzan　turned　from　the　closed

door　to　pursue　his　way　to　the　outer　world。　　The　thing

came　without　warning。　　One　instant　all　was　quiet　and

stabilitythe　next；　and　the　world　rocked；　the　tortured

sides　of　the　narrow　passageway　split　and　crumbled；

great　blocks　of　granite；　dislodged　from　the　ceiling；

tumbled　into　the　narrow　way；　choking　it；　and　the　walls

bent　inward　upon　the　wreckage。　　Beneath　the　blow　of　a

fragment　of　the　roof；　Tarzan　staggered　back　against　the

door　to　the　treasure　room；　his　weight　pushed　it　open

and　his　body　rolled　inward　upon　the　floor。



In　the　great　apartment　where　the　treasure　lay　less

damage　was　wrought　by　the　earthquake。　　A　few　ingots

toppled　from　the　higher　tiers；　a　single　piece　of　the

rocky　ceiling　splintered　off　and　crashed　downward　to

the　floor；　and　the　walls　cracked；　though　they　did　not

collapse。



There　was　but　the　single　shock；　no　other　followed　to

complete　the　damage　undertaken　by　the　first。　　Werper；

thrown　to　his　length　by　the　suddenness　and　violence　of

the　disturbance；　staggered　to　his　feet　when　he　found

himself　unhurt。　　Groping　his　way　toward　the　far　end　of

the　chamber；　he　sought　the　candle　which　Tarzan　had　left

stuck　in　its　own　wax　upon　the　protruding　end　of　an

ingot。



By　striking　numerous　matches　the　Belgian　at　last　found

what　he　sought；　and　when；　a　moment　later；　the　sickly

rays　relieved　the　Stygian　darkness　about　him；　he

breathed　a　nervous　sigh　of　relief；　for　the　impenetrable

gloom　had　accentuated　the　terrors　of　his　situation。



As　they　became　accustomed　to　the　light　the　man　turned

his　eyes　toward　the　doorhis　one　thought　now　was　of

escape　from　this　frightful　tomband　as　he　did　so　he

saw　the　body　of　the　naked　giant　lying　stretched　upon

the　floor　just　within　the　doorway。　　Werper　drew　back　in

sudden　fear　of　detection；　but　a　second　glance　convinced

him　that　the　Englishman　was　dead。　　From　a　great　gash　in

the　man's　head　a　pool　of　blood　had　collected　upon　the

concrete　floor。



Quickly；　the　Belgian　leaped　over　the　prostrate　form　of

his　erstwhile　host；　and　without　a　thought　of　succor　for

the　man　in　whom；　for　aught　he　knew；　life　still

remained；　he　bolted　for　the　passageway　and　safety。



But　his　renewed　hopes　were　soon　dashed。　　Just　beyond

the　doorway　he　found　the　passage　completely　clogged　and

choked　by　impenetrable　masses　of　shattered　rock。

Once　more　he　turned　and　re…entered　the　treasure　vault。

Taking　the　candle　from　its　place　he　commenced　a

systematic　search　of　the　apartment；　nor　had　he　gone　far

before　he　discovered　another　door　i