the beasts of tarzan- 第30部分

unless　the　man　should　escape　Sheeta。　　But　as　he　looked　he　saw

that　there　could　be　no　hope　of　that。　　The　fellow　had　retreated

to　the　end　of　the　bridge；　where　he　now　stood　trembling　and

wide…eyed；　facing　the　beast　that　moved　slowly　toward　him。



The　panther　crawled　with　belly　to　the　planking；　uttering

uncanny　mouthings。　　Rokoff　stood　as　though　petrified；

his　eyes　protruding　from　their　sockets；　his　mouth　agape；

and　the　cold　sweat　of　terror　clammy　upon　his　brow。



Below　him；　upon　the　deck；　he　had　seen　the　great　anthropoids；

and　so　had　not　dared　to　seek　escape　in　that　direction。　　

In　fact；　even　now　one　of　the　brutes　was　leaping　to　seize　the

bridge…rail　and　draw　himself　up　to　the　Russian's　side。



Before　him　was　the　panther；　silent　and　crouched。



Rokoff　could　not　move。　　His　knees　trembled。　　His　voice

broke　in　inarticulate　shrieks。　　With　a　last　piercing　wail　he

sank　to　his　kneesand　then　Sheeta　sprang。



Full　upon　the　man's　breast　the　tawny　body　hurtled；

tumbling　the　Russian　to　his　back。



As　the　great　fangs　tore　at　the　throat　and　chest；　Jane　Clayton

turned　away　in　horror；　but　not　so　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。　　A　cold

smile　of　satisfaction　touched　his　lips。　　The　scar　upon　his

forehead　that　had　burned　scarlet　faded　to　the　normal　hue　of　his

tanned　skin　and　disappeared。



Rokoff　fought　furiously　but　futilely　against　the　growling；

rending　fate　that　had　overtaken　him。　　For　all　his　countless

crimes　he　was　punished　in　the　brief　moment　of　the　hideous

death　that　claimed　him　at　the　last。



After　his　struggles　ceased　Tarzan　approached；　at　Jane's

suggestion；　to　wrest　the　body　from　the　panther　and　give　what

remained　of　it　decent　human　burial；　but　the　great　cat　rose

snarling　above　its　kill；　threatening　even　the　master　it　loved

in　its　savage　way；　so　that　rather　than　kill　his　friend　of　the

jungle；　Tarzan　was　forced　to　relinquish　his　intentions。



All　that　night　Sheeta；　the　panther；　crouched　upon　the　grisly

thing　that　had　been　Nikolas　Rokoff。　　The　bridge　of　the

Kincaid　was　slippery　with　blood。　　Beneath　the　brilliant

tropic　moon　the　great　beast　feasted　until；　when　the　sun　rose

the　following　morning；　there　remained　of　Tarzan's　great　enemy

only　gnawed　and　broken　bones。





Of　the　Russian's　party；　all　were　accounted　for　except　Paulvitch。　　

Four　were　prisoners　in　the　Kincaid's　forecastle。　　The　rest　were　dead。



With　these　men　Tarzan　got　up　steam　upon　the　vessel；　and　with

the　knowledge　of　the　mate；　who　happened　to　be　one　of　those　surviving；

he　planned　to　set　out　in　quest　of　Jungle　Island；　but　as　the　morning

dawned　there　came　with　it　a　heavy　gale　from　the　west　which　raised

a　sea　into　which　the　mate　of　the　Kincaid　dared　not　venture。

All　that　day　the　ship　lay　within　the　shelter　of　the　mouth　of　the　river；

for；　though　night　witnessed　a　lessening　of　the　wind；　it　was　thought

safer　to　wait　for　daylight　before　attempting　the　navigation　of

the　winding　channel　to　the　sea。



Upon　the　deck　of　the　steamer　the　pack　wandered　without

let　or　hindrance　by　day；　for　they　had　soon　learned　through

Tarzan　and　Mugambi　that　they　must　harm　no　one　upon　the

Kincaid；　but　at　night　they　were　confined　below。



Tarzan's　joy　had　been　unbounded　when　he　learned　from

his　wife　that　the　little　child　who　had　died　in　the　village　of

M'ganwazam　was　not　their　son。　　Who　the　baby　could　have

been；　or　what　had　become　of　their　own；　they　could　not　imagine；

and　as　both　Rokoff　and　Paulvitch　were　gone；　there　was

no　way　of　discovering。



There　was；　however；　a　certain　sense　of　relief　in　the　knowledge

that　they　might　yet　hope。　　Until　positive　proof　of　the　baby's

death　reached　them　there　was　always　that　to　buoy　them　up。



It　seemed　quite　evident　that　their　little　Jack　had　not　been

brought　aboard　the　Kincaid。　　Anderssen　would　have　known

of　it　had　such　been　the　case；　but　he　had　assured　Jane　time

and　time　again　that　the　little　one　he　had　brought　to　her　cabin

the　night　he　aided　her　to　escape　was　the　only　one　that　had

been　aboard　the　Kincaid　since　she　lay　at　Dover。









Chapter　18





Paulvitch　Plots　Revenge





As　Jane　and　Tarzan　stood　upon　the　vessel's　deck　recounting

to　one　another　the　details　of　the　various　adventures

through　which　each　had　passed　since　they　had　parted　in　their

London　home；　there　glared　at　them　from　beneath　scowling

brows　a　hidden　watcher　upon　the　shore。



Through　the　man's　brain　passed　plan　after　plan　whereby

he　might　thwart　the　escape　of　the　Englishman　and　his　wife；

for　so　long　as　the　vital　spark　remained　within　the　vindictive

brain　of　Alexander　Paulvitch　none　who　had　aroused　the　enmity

of　the　Russian　might　be　entirely　safe。



Plan　after　plan　he　formed　only　to　discard　each　either　as

impracticable；　or　unworthy　the　vengeance　his　wrongs　demanded。　　

So　warped　by　faulty　reasoning　was　the　criminal　mind　of

Rokoff's　lieutenant　that　he　could　not　grasp　the　real

truth　of　that　which　lay　between　himself　and　the　ape…man　and

see　that　always　the　fault　had　been；　not　with　the　English　lord；

but　with　himself　and　his　confederate。



And　at　the　rejection　of　each　new　scheme　Paulvitch　arrived

always　at　the　same　conclusionthat　he　could　accomplish

naught　while　half　the　breadth　of　the　Ugambi　separated　him

from　the　object　of　his　hatred。



But　how　was　he　to　span　the　crocodile…infested　waters？　

There　was　no　canoe　nearer　than　the　Mosula　village；　and

Paulvitch　was　none　too　sure　that　the　Kincaid　would　still　be

at　anchor　in　the　river　when　he　returned　should　he　take　the

time　to　traverse　the　jungle　to　the　distant　village　and　return

with　a　canoe。　　Yet　there　was　no　other　way；　and　so；　convinced

that　thus　alone　might　he　hope　to　reach　his　prey；　Paulvitch；

with　a　parting　scowl　at　the　two　figures　upon　the　Kincaid's

deck；　turned　away　from　the　river。



Hastening　through　the　dense　jungle；　his　mind　centred　upon

his　one　fetichrevengethe　Russian　forgot　even　his　terror

of　the　savage　world　through　which　he　moved。



Baffled　and　beaten　at　every　turn　of　Fortune's　wheel；

reacted　upon　time　after　time　by　his　own　malign　plotting；

the　principal　victim　of　his　own　criminality；　Paulvitch

was　yet　so　blind　as　to　imagine　that　his　greatest　happiness

lay　in　a　continuation　of　the　plottings　and　schemings　which

had　ever　brought　him　and　Rokoff　to　disaster；　and　the　latter

finally　to　a　hideous　death。



As　the　Russian　stumbled　on　through　the　jungle　toward　the　Mosula

village　there　presently　crystallized　within　his　brain　a　plan

which　seemed　more　feasible　than　any　that　he　had　as　yet　considered。



He　would　come　by　night　to　the　side　of　the　Kincaid；　and

once　aboard；　would　search　out　the　members　of　the　ship's

original　crew　who　had　survived　the　terrors　of　this　frightful

expedition；　and　enlist　them　in　an　attempt　to　wrest　the　vessel

from　Tarzan　and　his　beasts。



In　the　cabin　were　arms　and　ammunition；　and　hidden　in　a

secret　receptacle　in　the　cabin　table　was　one　of　those　infernal

machines；　the　construction　of　which　had　occupied　much　of

Paulvitch's　spare　time　when　he　had　stood　high　in　the

confidence　of　the　Nihilists　of　his　native　land。



That　was　before　he　had　sold　them　out　for　immunity　and

gold　to　the　police　of　Petrograd。　　Paulvitch　winced　as　he

recalled　the　denunciation　of　him　that　had　fallen　from　the　lips

of　one　of　his　former　comrades　ere　the　poor　devil　expiated　his

political　sins　at　the　end　of　a　hempen　rope。



But　the　infernal　machine　was　the　thing　to　think　of　now。　　

He　could　do　much　with　that　if　he　could　but　get　his　hands

upon　it。　　Within　the　little　hardwood　case　hidden　in　the　cabin

table　rested　sufficient　potential　destructiveness　to　wipe　out

in　the　fraction　of　a　second　every　enemy　aboard　the　Kincaid。



Paulvitch　licked　his　lips　in　anticipatory　joy；　and　urged　his

tired　legs　to　greater　speed　that　he　might　not　be　too　late　to　the

ship's　anchorage　to　carry　out　his　designs。



All　depended；　of　course；　upon　when　the　Kincaid　departed。　　

The　Russian　realized　that　nothing　could　be　accomplished

beneath　the　light　of　day。　　Darkness　must　shroud　his　approach

to　the　ship's　side；　for　should　he　be　sighted　by　Tarzan　or　Lady

Greystoke　he　would　have　no　chance　to　board　the　vessel。



The　gale　that　was　blowing　was；　he　believed；　the　cause　of

the　delay　in　getting　the　Kincaid　under　way；　and　if　it

continued　to　blow　until　night　then　the　chances　were　all　in

his　favour；　for　he　knew　that　there　was　little　likelihood

of　the　ape…man　attempting　to　navigate　the　tortuous　channel

of　the　Ugambi　while　darkness　lay　upon　the　surface　of　the　water；

hiding　the　many　bars　and　the　numerous　small　islands　which　are

scattered　over　the　expanse　of　the　river's　mouth。



It　was　well　after　noon　when　Paulvitch　came　to　the　Mosula

village　upon　the　bank　of　the　tributary　of　the　Ugambi。　　

Here　he　was　received　with　suspicion　and　unfriendliness　by　the

native　chief；　who；　like　all　those　who　came　in　contact　with

Rokoff　or　Paulvitch；　had　suffered　in　some　manner　from　the

greed；　the　cruelty；　or　the　lust　of　the　two　Muscovites。



When　Paulvitch　demanded　the　use　of　a　canoe　the　chief

grumbled　a　surly　refusal　and　ordered　the　white　man　from

the　village。　　Surrounded　by　angry；　muttering　warriors　who

seemed　to　be　but　waiting　some　slight　pretext　to　transfix　him

with　their　menacing　spears　the　Russian　could　do　naught　else

than　withdraw。



A　dozen　fighting　men　led　him　to　the　edge　of　the　clearing；

leaving　him　with　a　warning　never　to　show　himself　again　in

the　vicinity　of　their　village。



Stifling　his　anger；　Paulvitch　slunk　into　the　jungle；　but　once

beyond　the　sight　of　the　warriors　he　paused　and　listened　intently。　　

He　could　hear　the　voices　of　his　escort　as　the　men　returned

to　the　village；　and　when　he　was　sure　that　they　were

not　following　him　he　wormed　his　way　through　the　bushes　to

the　edge　of　the　river；　still　determined　some　way　to　obtain　a　canoe。



Life　itself　depended　upon　his　reaching　the　Kincaid　and

enlisting　the　survivors　of　the　ship's　crew　in　his　service；

for　to　be　abandoned　here