the beasts of tarzan- 第7部分

snarling；　and　roaring　horribly；　but　the　white　ape　clung

tenaciously　and　in　silence　to　the　thrashing　body　of　his　quarry。



Steadily　and　remorselessly　the　stone　knife　was　driven　home

through　the　glossy　hidetime　and　again　it　drank　deep；　until

with　a　final　agonized　lunge　and　shriek　the　great　feline　rolled

over　upon　its　side　and；　save　for　the　spasmodic　jerking　of　its

muscles；　lay　quiet　and　still　in　death。



Then　the　ape…man　raised　his　head；　as　he　stood　over　the

carcass　of　his　kill；　and　once　again　through　the　jungle　rang

his　wild　and　savage　victory　challenge。



Akut　and　the　apes　of　Akut　stood　looking　in　startled　wonder

at　the　dead　body　of　Sheeta　and　the　lithe；　straight　figure　of

the　man　who　had　slain　him。



Tarzan　was　the　first　to　speak。



He　had　saved　Akut's　life　for　a　purpose；　and；　knowing　the

limitations　of　the　ape　intellect；　he　also　knew　that　he　must

make　this　purpose　plain　to　the　anthropoid　if　it　were　to　serve

him　in　the　way　he　hoped。



〃I　am　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；〃　he　said；　〃Mighty　hunter。　　Mighty　fighter。

By　the　great　water　I　spared　Akut's　life　when　I　might　have　taken　it

and　become　king　of　the　tribe　of　Akut。　　Now　I　have　saved　Akut　from

death　beneath　the　rending　fangs　of　Sheeta。



〃When　Akut　or　the　tribe　of　Akut　is　in　danger；　let　them

call　to　Tarzan　thus〃and　the　ape…man　raised　the　hideous

cry　with　which　the　tribe　of　Kerchak　had　been　wont　to　summon

its　absent　members　in　times　of　peril。



〃And；〃　he　continued；　〃when　they　hear　Tarzan　call　to　them；

let　them　remember　what　he　has　done　for　Akut　and　come　to　him

with　great　speed。　　Shall　it　be　as　Tarzan　says？〃



〃Huh！〃　assented　Akut；　and　from　the　members　of　his　tribe

there　rose　a　unanimous　〃Huh。〃



Then；　presently；　they　went　to　feeding　again　as　though

nothing　had　happened；　and　with　them　fed　John　Clayton；

Lord　Greystoke。



He　noticed；　however；　that　Akut　kept　always　close　to　him；

and　was　often　looking　at　him　with　a　strange　wonder　in　his

little　bloodshot　eyes；　and　once　he　did　a　thing　that　Tarzan

during　all　his　long　years　among　the　apes　had　never　before

seen　an　ape　dohe　found　a　particularly　tender　morsel　and

handed　it　to　Tarzan。



As　the　tribe　hunted；　the　glistening　body　of　the　ape…man

mingled　with　the　brown；　shaggy　hides　of　his　companions。　　

Oftentimes　they　brushed　together　in　passing；　but　the　apes

had　already　taken　his　presence　for　granted；　so　that　he　was

as　much　one　of　them　as　Akut　himself。



If　he　came　too　close　to　a　she　with　a　young　baby；　the　former

would　bare　her　great　fighting　fangs　and　growl　ominously；

and　occasionally　a　truculent　young　bull　would　snarl　a　warning

if　Tarzan　approached　while　the　former　was　eating。　　But　in

those　things　the　treatment　was　no　different　from　that　which

they　accorded　any　other　member　of　the　tribe。



Tarzan　on　his　part　felt　very　much　at　home　with　these　fierce；

hairy　progenitors　of　primitive　man。　　He　skipped　nimbly　out

of　reach　of　each　threatening　femalefor　such　is　the　way　of

apes；　if　they　be　not　in　one　of　their　occasional　fits　of　bestial

rageand　he　growled　back　at　the　truculent　young　bulls；　baring

his　canine　teeth　even　as　they。　　Thus　easily　he　fell　back　into

the　way　of　his　early　life；　nor　did　it　seem　that　he　had

ever　tasted　association　with　creatures　of　his　own　kind。



For　the　better　part　of　a　week　he　roamed　the　jungle　with

his　new　friends；　partly　because　of　a　desire　for　companionship

and　partially　through　a　well…laid　plan　to　impress　himself

indelibly　upon　their　memories；　which　at　best　are　none　too　long；

for　Tarzan　from　past　experience　knew　that　it　might　serve　him

in　good　stead　to　have　a　tribe　of　these　powerful　and　terrible

beasts　at　his　call。



When　he　was　convinced　that　he　had　succeeded　to　some　extent

in　fixing　his　identity　upon　them　he　decided　to　again　take　up

his　exploration。　　To　this　end　he　set　out　toward　the　north

early　one　day；　and；　keeping　parallel　with　the　shore；

travelled　rapidly　until　almost　nightfall。



When　the　sun　rose　the　next　morning　he　saw　that　it　lay　almost

directly　to　his　right　as　he　stood　upon　the　beach　instead

of　straight　out　across　the　water　as　heretofore；　and　so　he

reasoned　that　the　shore　line　had　trended　toward　the　west。　　

All　the　second　day　he　continued　his　rapid　course；　and　when

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　sought　speed；　he　passed　through　the　middle

terrace　of　the　forest　with　the　rapidity　of　a　squirrel。



That　night　the　sun　set　straight　out　across　the　water　opposite

the　land；　and　then　the　ape…man　guessed　at　last　the　truth　that

he　had　been　suspecting。



Rokoff　had　set　him　ashore　upon　an　island。



He　might　have　known　it！　　If　there　was　any　plan　that　would

render　his　position　more　harrowing　he　should　have　known

that　such　would　be　the　one　adopted　by　the　Russian；　and　what

could　be　more　terrible　than　to　leave　him　to　a　lifetime　of

suspense　upon　an　uninhabited　island？



Rokoff　doubtless　had　sailed　directly　to　the　mainland；　where

it　would　be　a　comparatively　easy　thing　for　him　to　find　the

means　of　delivering　the　infant　Jack　into　the　hands　of　the　cruel

and　savage　foster…parents；　who；　as　his　note　had　threatened；

would　have　the　upbringing　of　the　child。



Tarzan　shuddered　as　he　thought　of　the　cruel　suffering　the

little　one　must　endure　in　such　a　life；　even　though　he　might

fall　into　the　hands　of　individuals　whose　intentions　toward

him　were　of　the　kindest。　　The　ape…man　had　had　sufficient

experience　with　the　lower　savages　of　Africa　to　know　that　even

there　may　be　found　the　cruder　virtues　of　charity　and　humanity；

but　their　lives　were　at　best　but　a　series　of　terrible　privations；

dangers；　and　sufferings。



Then　there　was　the　horrid　after…fate　that　awaited　the　child

as　he　grew　to　manhood。　　The　horrible　practices　that　would

form　a　part　of　his　life…training　would　alone　be　sufficient

to　bar　him　forever　from　association　with　those　of　his　own　race

and　station　in　life。



A　cannibal！　　His　little　boy　a　savage　man…eater！　　It　was　too

horrible　to　contemplate。



The　filed　teeth；　the　slit　nose；　the　little　face　painted　hideously。　　

Tarzan　groaned。　　Could　he　but　feel　the　throat　of　the　Russ　fiend

beneath　his　steel　fingers！



And　Jane！



What　tortures　of　doubt　and　fear　and　uncertainty　she　must

be　suffering。　　He　felt　that　his　position　was　infinitely　less

terrible　than　hers；　for　he　at　least　knew　that　one　of　his

loved　ones　was　safe　at　home；　while　she　had　no　idea　of　the

whereabouts　of　either　her　husband　or　her　son。



It　is　well　for　Tarzan　that　he　did　not　guess　the　truth；　for　the

knowledge　would　have　but　added　a　hundredfold　to　his　suffering。



As　he　moved　slowly　through　the　jungle　his　mind　absorbed

by　his　gloomy　thoughts；　there　presently　came　to　his　ears　a

strange　scratching　sound　which　he　could　not　translate。



Cautiously　he　moved　in　the　direction　from　which　it　emanated；

presently　coming　upon　a　huge　panther　pinned　beneath　a　fallen　tree。



As　Tarzan　approached；　the　beast　turned；　snarling；　toward　him；

struggling　to　extricate　itself；　but　one　great　limb　across

its　back　and　the　smaller　entangling　branches　pinioning　its

legs　prevented　it　from　moving　but　a　few　inches　in　any　direction。



The　ape…man　stood　before　the　helpless　cat　fitting　an　arrow

to　his　bow　that　he　might　dispatch　the　beast　that　otherwise

must　die　of　starvation；　but　even　as　he　drew　back　the　shaft　a

sudden　whim　stayed　his　hand。



Why　rob　the　poor　creature　of　life　and　liberty；　when　it　would

be　so　easy　a　thing　to　restore　both　to　it！　　He　was　sure　from

the　fact　that　the　panther　moved　all　its　limbs　in　its　futile

struggle　for　freedom　that　its　spine　was　uninjured；　and　for

the　same　reason　he　knew　that　none　of　its　limbs　were　broken。



Relaxing　his　bowstring；　he　returned　the　arrow　to　the　quiver　and；

throwing　the　bow　about　his　shoulder；　stepped　closer　to

the　pinioned　beast。



On　his　lips　was　the　soothing；　purring　sound　that　the　great

cats　themselves　made　when　contented　and　happy。　　It　was　the

nearest　approach　to　a　friendly　advance　that　Tarzan　could

make　in　the　language　of　Sheeta。



The　panther　ceased　his　snarling　and　eyed　the　ape…man　closely。　　

To　lift　the　tree's　great　weight　from　the　animal　it　was

necessary　to　come　within　reach　of　those　long；　strong　talons；

and　when　the　tree　had　been　removed　the　man　would　be　totally

at　the　mercy　of　the　savage　beast；　but　to　Tarzan　of　the　Apes

fear　was　a　thing　unknown。



Having　decided；　he　acted　promptly。



Unhesitatingly；　he　stepped　into　the　tangle　of　branches　close　to　the

panther's　side；　still　voicing　his　friendly　and　conciliatory　purr。

The　cat　turned　his　head　toward　the　man；　eyeing　him　steadilyquestioningly。

The　long　fangs　were　bared；　but　more　in　preparedness　than　threat。



Tarzan　put　a　broad　shoulder　beneath　the　bole　of　the　tree；

and　as　he　did　so　his　bare　leg　pressed　against　the　cat's　silken　side；

so　close　was　the　man　to　the　great　beast。



Slowly　Tarzan　extended　his　giant　thews。



The　great　tree　with　its　entangling　branches　rose　gradually

from　the　panther；　who；　feeling　the　encumbering　weight　diminish；

quickly　crawled　from　beneath。　　Tarzan　let　the　tree　fall　back　to　earth；

and　the　two　beasts　turned　to　look　upon　one　another。



A　grim　smile　lay　upon　the　ape…man's　lips；　for　he　knew　that　he　had

taken　his　life　in　his　hands　to　free　this　savage　jungle　fellow；

nor　would　it　have　surprised　him　had　the　cat　sprung　upon　him

the　instant　that　it　had　been　released。



But　it　did　not　do　so。　　Instead；　it　stood　a　few　paces　from　the　tree

watching　the　ape…man　clamber　out　of　the　maze　of　fallen　branches。



Once　outside；　Tarzan　was　not　three　paces　from　the　panther。　　

He　might　have　taken　to　the　higher　branches　of　the　trees

upon　the　opposite　side；　for　Sheeta　cannot　climb　to　the　heights

to　which　the　ape…man　can　go；　but　something；　a　spirit　of　bravado

perhaps；　prompted　him　to　approach　the　panther　as　though　to

discover　if　any　feeling　of　gratitude　would　prompt　the　beast

to　friendliness。



As　he　approached　the　mighty　cat　the　creature　stepped

warily　to