the beasts of tarzan- 第4部分

〃Very　well；〃　replied　Tarzan；　for　he　knew　that　he　could　trust

them　to　carry　out　any　sinister　threat　that　Paulvitch　had　made；

and　there　was　a　bare　chance　that　by　conceding　their　demands

he　might　save　the　boy。



That　they　would　permit　him　to　live　after　he　had　appended

his　name　to　the　cheque　never　occurred　to　him　as　being　within

the　realms　of　probability。　　But　he　was　determined　to　give　them

such　a　battle　as　they　would　never　forget；　and　possibly　to　take

Paulvitch　with　him　into　eternity。　　He　was　only　sorry　that　it

was　not　Rokoff。



He　took　his　pocket　cheque…book　and　fountain…pen　from　his　pocket。



〃What　is　the　amount？〃　he　asked。



Paulvitch　named　an　enormous　sum。　　Tarzan　could　scarce　restrain　a　smile。



Their　very　cupidity　was　to　prove　the　means　of　their　undoing；

in　the　matter　of　the　ransom　at　least。　　Purposely　he　hesitated

and　haggled　over　the　amount；　but　Paulvitch　was　obdurate。　　

Finally　the　ape…man　wrote　out　his　cheque　for　a　larger　sum

than　stood　to　his　credit　at　the　bank。



As　he　turned　to　hand　the　worthless　slip　of　paper　to　the

Russian　his　glance　chanced　to　pass　across　the　starboard　bow

of　the　Kincaid。　　To　his　surprise　he　saw　that　the　ship　lay　within

a　few　hundred　yards　of　land。　　Almost　down　to　the　water's

edge　ran　a　dense　tropical　jungle；　and　behind　was　higher　land

clothed　in　forest。



Paulvitch　noted　the　direction　of　his　gaze。



〃You　are　to　be　set　at　liberty　here；〃　he　said。



Tarzan's　plan　for　immediate　physical　revenge　upon　the

Russian　vanished。　　He　thought　the　land　before　him　the

mainland　of　Africa；　and　he　knew　that　should　they　liberate　him

here　he　could　doubtless　find　his　way　to　civilization　with

comparative　ease。



Paulvitch　took　the　cheque。



〃Remove　your　clothing；〃　he　said　to　the　ape…man。

〃Here　you　will　not　need　it。〃



Tarzan　demurred。



Paulvitch　pointed　to　the　armed　sailors。　　Then　the　Englishman

slowly　divested　himself　of　his　clothing。



A　boat　was　lowered；　and；　still　heavily　guarded；　the　ape…man

was　rowed　ashore。　　Half　an　hour　later　the　sailors　had　returned

to　the　Kincaid；　and　the　steamer　was　slowly　getting　under　way。



As　Tarzan　stood　upon　the　narrow　strip　of　beach　watching　the

departure　of　the　vessel　he　saw　a　figure　appear　at　the　rail

and　call　aloud　to　attract　his　attention。



The　ape…man　had　been　about　to　read　a　note　that　one　of

the　sailors　had　handed　him　as　the　small　boat　that　bore　him

to　the　shore　was　on　the　point　of　returning　to　the　steamer；

but　at　the　hail　from　the　vessel's　deck　he　looked　up。



He　saw　a　black…bearded　man　who　laughed　at　him　in　derision

as　he　held　high　above　his　head　the　figure　of　a　little　child。　　

Tarzan　half　started　as　though　to　rush　through　the　surf　and

strike　out　for　the　already　moving　steamer；　but　realizing　the

futility　of　so　rash　an　act　he　halted　at　the　water's　edge。



Thus　he　stood；　his　gaze　riveted　upon　the　Kincaid　until　it

disappeared　beyond　a　projecting　promontory　of　the　coast。



From　the　jungle　at　his　back　fierce　bloodshot　eyes　glared

from　beneath　shaggy　overhanging　brows　upon　him。



Little　monkeys　in　the　tree…tops　chattered　and　scolded；　and　from

the　distance　of　the　inland　forest　came　the　scream　of　a　leopard。



But　still　John　Clayton；　Lord　Greystoke；　stood　deaf　and

unseeing；　suffering　the　pangs　of　keen　regret　for　the

opportunity　that　he　had　wasted　because　he　had　been　so

gullible　as　to　place　credence　in　a　single　statement　of

the　first　lieutenant　of　his　arch…enemy。



〃I　have　at　least；〃　he　thought；　〃one　consolationthe

knowledge　that　Jane　is　safe　in　London。　　Thank　Heaven　she；

too；　did　not　fall　into　the　clutches　of　those　villains。〃



Behind　him　the　hairy　thing　whose　evil　eyes　had　been

watching　his　as　a　cat　watches　a　mouse　was　creeping

stealthily　toward　him。



Where　were　the　trained　senses　of　the　savage　ape…man？



Where　the　acute　hearing？



Where　the　uncanny　sense　of　scent？









Chapter　3





Beasts　at　Bay





Slowly　Tarzan　unfolded　the　note　the　sailor　had　thrust　into

his　hand；　and　read　it。　　At　first　it　made　little　impression　on

his　sorrow…numbed　senses；　but　finally　the　full　purport　of　the

hideous　plot　of　revenge　unfolded　itself　before　his　imagination。





〃This　will　explain　to　you〃　＇the　note　read＇　〃the　exact　nature

of　my　intentions　relative　to　your　offspring　and　to　you。



〃You　were　born　an　ape。　　You　lived　naked　in　the　jungles

to　your　own　we　have　returned　you；　but　your　son　shall　rise　a

step　above　his　sire。　　It　is　the　immutable　law　of　evolution。



〃The　father　was　a　beast；　but　the　son　shall　be　a　manhe

shall　take　the　next　ascending　step　in　the　scale　of　progress。　　

He　shall　be　no　naked　beast　of　the　jungle；　but　shall　wear　a

loincloth　and　copper　anklets；　and；　perchance；　a　ring　in　his

nose；　for　he　is　to　be　reared　by　mena　tribe　of　savage　cannibals。



〃I　might　have　killed　you；　but　that　would　have　curtailed　the

full　measure　of　the　punishment　you　have　earned　at　my　hands。



〃Dead；　you　could　not　have　suffered　in　the　knowledge　of

your　son's　plight；　but　living　and　in　a　place　from　which　you

may　not　escape　to　seek　or　succour　your　child；　you　shall　suffer

worse　than　death　for　all　the　years　of　your　life　in　contemplation

of　the　horrors　of　your　son's　existence。



〃This；　then；　is　to　be　a　part　of　your　punishment　for　having

dared　to　pit　yourself　against　



N。　　R。



〃P。S。The　balance　of　your　punishment　has　to　do　with

what　shall　presently　befall　your　wifethat　I　shall

leave　to　your　imagination。〃





As　he　finished　reading；　a　slight　sound　behind　him　brought

him　back　with　a　start　to　the　world　of　present　realities。



Instantly　his　senses　awoke；　and　he　was　again　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。



As　he　wheeled　about；　it　was　a　beast　at　bay；　vibrant　with

the　instinct　of　self…preservation；　that　faced　a　huge　bull…ape

that　was　already　charging　down　upon　him。



The　two　years　that　had　elapsed　since　Tarzan　had　come　out

of　the　savage　forest　with　his　rescued　mate　had　witnessed

slight　diminution　of　the　mighty　powers　that　had　made　him

the　invincible　lord　of　the　jungle。　　His　great　estates　in　Uziri

had　claimed　much　of　his　time　and　attention；　and　there　he

had　found　ample　field　for　the　practical　use　and　retention　of

his　almost　superhuman　powers；　but　naked　and　unarmed　to　do

battle　with　the　shaggy；　bull…necked　beast　that　now　confronted

him　was　a　test　that　the　ape…man　would　scarce　have　welcomed

at　any　period　of　his　wild　existence。



But　there　was　no　alternative　other　than　to　meet　the　rage…

maddened　creature　with　the　weapons　with　which　nature　had

endowed　him。



Over　the　bull's　shoulder　Tarzan　could　see　now　the　heads

and　shoulders　of　perhaps　a　dozen　more　of　these　mighty　fore…

runners　of　primitive　man。



He　knew；　however；　that　there　was　little　chance　that　they

would　attack　him；　since　it　is　not　within　the　reasoning　powers

of　the　anthropoid　to　be　able　to　weigh　or　appreciate　the　value

of　concentrated　action　against　an　enemyotherwise　they

would　long　since　have　become　the　dominant　creatures　of

their　haunts；　so　tremendous　a　power　of　destruction　lies　in

their　mighty　thews　and　savage　fangs。



With　a　low　snarl　the　beast　now　hurled　himself　at　Tarzan；

but　the　ape…man　had　found；　among　other　things　in　the　haunts

of　civilized　man；　certain　methods　of　scientific　warfare　that

are　unknown　to　the　jungle　folk。



Whereas；　a　few　years　since；　he　would　have　met　the　brute

rush　with　brute　force；　he　now　sidestepped　his　antagonist's

headlong　charge；　and　as　the　brute　hurtled　past　him　swung　a

mighty　right　to　the　pit　of　the　ape's　stomach。



With　a　howl　of　mingled　rage　and　anguish　the　great　anthropoid

bent　double　and　sank　to　the　ground；　though　almost

instantly　he　was　again　struggling　to　his　feet。



Before　he　could　regain　them；　however；　his　white…skinned

foe　had　wheeled　and　pounced　upon　him；　and　in　the　act　there

dropped　from　the　shoulders　of　the　English　lord　the　last　shred

of　his　superficial　mantle　of　civilization。



Once　again　he　was　the　jungle　beast　revelling　in　bloody

conflict　with　his　kind。　　Once　again　he　was　Tarzan；

son　of　Kala　the　she…ape。



His　strong；　white　teeth　sank　into　the　hairy　throat　of　his

enemy　as　he　sought　the　pulsing　jugular。



Powerful　fingers　held　the　mighty　fangs　from　his　own　flesh；

or　clenched　and　beat　with　the　power　of　a　steam…hammer

upon　the　snarling；　foam…flecked　face　of　his　adversary。



In　a　circle　about　them　the　balance　of　the　tribe　of　apes　stood

watching　and　enjoying　the　struggle。　　They　muttered　low　gutturals

of　approval　as　bits　of　white　hide　or　hairy　bloodstained

skin　were　torn　from　one　contestant　or　the　other。　　But　they

were　silent　in　amazement　and　expectation　when　they　saw　the

mighty　white　ape　wriggle　upon　the　back　of　their　king；　and；

with　steel　muscles　tensed　beneath　the　armpits　of　his　antagonist；

bear　down　mightily　with　his　open　palms　upon　the　back　of　the

thick　bullneck；　so　that　the　king　ape　could　but　shriek　in　agony

and　flounder　helplessly　about　upon　the　thick　mat　of　jungle　grass。



As　Tarzan　had　overcome　the　huge　Terkoz　that　time　years

before　when　he　had　been　about　to　set　out　upon　his　quest　for

human　beings　of　his　own　kind　and　colour；　so　now　he　overcame

this　other　great　ape　with　the　same　wrestling　hold　upon

which　he　had　stumbled　by　accident　during　that　other　combat。　　

The　little　audience　of　fierce　anthropoids　heard　the　creaking

of　their　king's　neck　mingling　with　his　agonized　shrieks

and　hideous　roaring。



Then　there　came　a　sudden　crack；　like　the　breaking　of　a

stout　limb　before　the　fury　of　the　wind。　　The　bullet…head

crumpled　forward　upon　its　flaccid　neck　against　the　great

hairy　chestthe　roaring　and　the　shrieking　ceased。



The　little　pig…eyes　of　the　onlookers　wandered　from　the　still

form　of　their　leader　to　that　of　the　white　ape　that　was　rising

to　its　feet　beside　the　vanquished；　then　back　to　their　king　as

though　in　wonder　that　he　did　not　arise　and　slay　this

presumptuous　stranger。



They　saw　the　new…comer　place　a　f