the beasts of tarzan-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



a　revolting　fact；　but　had　we　learned　in　childhood　to

eat　these　things；　and　had　we　seen　all　those　about　us　eat　them；

they　would　seem　no　more　sickening　to　us　now　than　do　many

of　our　greatest　dainties；　at　which　a　savage　African　cannibal

would　look　with　repugnance　and　turn　up　his　nose。



For　instance；　there　is　a　tribe　in　the　vicinity　of　Lake　Rudolph

that　will　eat　no　sheep　or　cattle；　though　its　next　neighbors

do　so。　　Near　by　is　another　tribe　that　eats　donkey…meata

custom　most　revolting　to　the　surrounding　tribes　that　do　not

eat　donkey。　　So　who　may　say　that　it　is　nice　to　eat　snails　and

frogs'　legs　and　oysters；　but　disgusting　to　feed　upon　grubs

and　beetles；　or　that　a　raw　oyster；　hoof；　horns；　and　tail；　is　less

revolting　than　the　sweet；　clean　meat　of　a　fresh…killed　buck？



The　next　few　days　Tarzan　devoted　to　the　weaving　of　a　barkcloth

sail　with　which　to　equip　the　canoe；　for　he　despaired　of　being　able

to　teach　the　apes　to　wield　the　paddles；　though　he　did　manage　to　get

several　of　them　to　embark　in　the　frail　craft　which　he　and　Mugambi

paddled　about　inside　the　reef　where　the　water　was　quite　smooth。



During　these　trips　he　had　placed　paddles　in　their　hands；

when　they　attempted　to　imitate　the　movements　of　him　and

Mugambi；　but　so　difficult　is　it　for　them　long　to　concentrate

upon　a　thing　that　he　soon　saw　that　it　would　require　weeks　of

patient　training　before　they　would　be　able　to　make　any

effective　use　of　these　new　implements；　if；　in　fact；

they　should　ever　do　so。



There　was　one　exception；　however；　and　he　was　Akut。　　Almost　from

the　first　he　showed　an　interest　in　this　new　sport　that

revealed　a　much　higher　plane　of　intelligence　than　that

attained　by　any　of　his　tribe。　　He　seemed　to　grasp　the　purpose

of　the　paddles；　and　when　Tarzan　saw　that　this　was　so　he　took

much　pains　to　explain　in　the　meagre　language　of　the　anthropoid

how　they　might　be　used　to　the　best　advantage。



From　Mugambi　Tarzan　learned　that　the　mainland　lay　but

a　short　distance　from　the　island。　　It　seemed　that　the　Wagambi

warriors　had　ventured　too　far　out　in　their　frail　craft；

and　when　caught　by　a　heavy　tide　and　a　high　wind　from　offshore

they　had　been　driven　out　of　sight　of　land。　　After　paddling

for　a　whole　night；　thinking　that　they　were　headed　for　home；

they　had　seen　this　land　at　sunrise；　and；　still　taking　it　for

the　mainland；　had　hailed　it　with　joy；　nor　had　Mugambi　been

aware　that　it　was　an　island　until　Tarzan　had　told　him　that

this　was　the　fact。



The　Wagambi　chief　was　quite　dubious　as　to　the　sail；　for

he　had　never　seen　such　a　contrivance　used。　　His　country　lay

far　up　the　broad　Ugambi　River；　and　this　was　the　first　occasion

that　any　of　his　people　had　found　their　way　to　the　ocean。



Tarzan；　however；　was　confident　that　with　a　good　west　wind　he

could　navigate　the　little　craft　to　the　mainland。　　At　any　rate；

he　decided；　it　would　be　preferable　to　perish　on　the　way　than　to

remain　indefinitely　upon　this　evidently　uncharted　island　to

which　no　ships　might　ever　be　expected　to　come。



And　so　it　was　that　when　the　first　fair　wind　rose　he　embarked

upon　his　cruise；　and　with　him　he　took　as　strange　and

fearsome　a　crew　as　ever　sailed　under　a　savage　master。



Mugambi　and　Akut　went　with　him；　and　Sheeta；　the　panther；

and　a　dozen　great　males　of　the　tribe　of　Akut。









Chapter　6





A　Hideous　Crew





The　war…canoe　with　its　savage　load　moved　slowly　toward　the

break　in　the　reef　through　which　it　must　pass　to　gain　the

open　sea。　　Tarzan；　Mugambi；　and　Akut　wielded　the　paddles；

for　the　shore　kept　the　west　wind　from　the　little　sail。



Sheeta　crouched　in　the　bow　at　the　ape…man's　feet；　for　it

had　seemed　best　to　Tarzan　always　to　keep　the　wicked　beast

as　far　from　the　other　members　of　the　party　as　possible；

since　it　would　require　little　or　no　provocation　to　send　him

at　the　throat　of　any　than　the　white　man；　whom　he　evidently

now　looked　upon　as　his　master。



In　the　stern　was　Mugambi；　and　just　in　front　of　him　squatted

Akut；　while　between　Akut　and　Tarzan　the　twelve　hairy　apes

sat　upon　their　haunches；　blinking　dubiously　this　way　and　that；

and　now　and　then　turning　their　eyes　longingly　back　toward　shore。



All　went　well　until　the　canoe　had　passed　beyond　the　reef。　　

Here　the　breeze　struck　the　sail；　sending　the　rude　craft

lunging　among　the　waves　that　ran　higher　and　higher　as

they　drew　away　from　the　shore。



With　the　tossing　of　the　boat　the　apes　became　panic…stricken。　　

They　first　moved　uneasily　about；　and　then　commenced　grumbling

and　whining。　　With　difficulty　Akut　kept　them　in　hand　for　a　time；

but　when　a　particularly　large　wave　struck　the　dugout

simultaneously　with　a　little　squall　of　wind　their　terror

broke　all　bounds；　and；　leaping　to　their　feet；　they

all　but　overturned　the　boat　before　Akut　and　Tarzan　together

could　quiet　them。　　At　last　calm　was　restored；　and　eventually

the　apes　became　accustomed　to　the　strange　antics　of　their　craft；

after　which　no　more　trouble　was　experienced　with　them。



The　trip　was　uneventful；　the　wind　held；　and　after　ten　hours'

steady　sailing　the　black　shadows　of　the　coast　loomed　close

before　the　straining　eyes　of　the　ape…man　in　the　bow。　　It　was

far　too　dark　to　distinguish　whether　they　had　approached　close

to　the　mouth　of　the　Ugambi　or　not；　so　Tarzan　ran　in　through

the　surf　at　the　closest　point　to　await　the　dawn。



The　dugout　turned　broadside　the　instant　that　its　nose

touched　the　sand；　and　immediately　it　rolled　over；　with　all　its

crew　scrambling　madly　for　the　shore。　　The　next　breaker　rolled

them　over　and　over；　but　eventually　they　all　succeeded　in

crawling　to　safety；　and　in　a　moment　more　their　ungainly　craft

had　been　washed　up　beside　them。



The　balance　of　the　night　the　apes　sat　huddled　close　to　one

another　for　warmth；　while　Mugambi　built　a　fire　close　to　them

over　which　he　crouched。　　Tarzan　and　Sheeta；　however；　were

of　a　different　mind；　for　neither　of　them　feared　the　jungle

night；　and　the　insistent　craving　of　their　hunger　sent　them　off

into　the　Stygian　blackness　of　the　forest　in　search　of　prey。



Side　by　side　they　walked　when　there　was　room　for　two　abreast。　　

At　other　times　in　single　file；　first　one　and　then　the

other　in　advance。　　It　was　Tarzan　who　first　caught　the　scent　of

meata　bull　buffaloand　presently　the　two　came　stealthily

upon　the　sleeping　beast　in　the　midst　of　a　dense　jungle　of

reeds　close　to　a　river。



Closer　and　closer　they　crept　toward　the　unsuspecting　beast；

Sheeta　upon　his　right　side　and　Tarzan　upon　his　left　nearest

the　great　heart。　　They　had　hunted　together　now　for　some　time；

so　that　they　worked　in　unison；　with　only　low；　purring　sounds

as　signals。



For　a　moment　they　lay　quite　silent　near　their　prey；　and

then　at　a　sign　from　the　ape…man　Sheeta　sprang　upon　the

great　back；　burying　his　strong　teeth　in　the　bull's　neck。　　

Instantly　the　brute　sprang　to　his　feet　with　a　bellow　of

pain　and　rage；　and　at　the　same　instant　Tarzan　rushed　in

upon　his　left　side　with　the　stone　knife；　striking　repeatedly

behind　the　shoulder。



One　of　the　ape…man's　hands　clutched　the　thick　mane；　and

as　the　bull　raced　madly　through　the　reeds　the　thing　striking

at　his　life　was　dragged　beside　him。　　Sheeta　but　clung

tenaciously　to　his　hold　upon　the　neck　and　back；　biting　deep　in

an　effort　to　reach　the　spine。



For　several　hundred　yards　the　bellowing　bull　carried　his　two

savage　antagonists；　until　at　last　the　blade　found　his　heart；

when　with　a　final　bellow　that　was　half…scream　he　plunged　headlong

to　the　earth。　　Then　Tarzan　and　Sheeta　feasted　to　repletion。



After　the　meal　the　two　curled　up　together　in　a　thicket；　the

man's　black　head　pillowed　upon　the　tawny　side　of　the　panther。　　

Shortly　after　dawn　they　awoke　and　ate　again；　and　then

returned　to　the　beach　that　Tarzan　might　lead　the　balance　of

the　pack　to　the　kill。



When　the　meal　was　done　the　brutes　were　for　curling　up　to　sleep；

so　Tarzan　and　Mugambi　set　off　in　search　of　the　Ugambi　River。　　

They　had　proceeded　scarce　a　hundred