the beasts of tarzan-第17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！



death　it　circled　the　village；　nose　to　ground；　halting　at　last

close　to　the　palisade；　where　it　almost　touched　the　backs

of　several　huts。　　Here　the　beast　sniffed　for　a　moment；　and　then；

turning　its　head　upon　one　side；　listened　with　up…pricked　ears。



What　it　heard　was　no　sound　by　the　standards　of　human　ears；

yet　to　the　highly　attuned　and　delicate　organs　of　the　beast

a　message　seemed　to　be　borne　to　the　savage　brain。　　A　wondrous

transformation　was　wrought　in　the　motionless　mass　of

statuesque　bone　and　muscle　that　had　an　instant　before　stood

as　though　carved　out　of　the　living　bronze。



As　if　it　had　been　poised　upon　steel　springs；　suddenly　released；

it　rose　quickly　and　silently　to　the　top　of　the　palisade；

disappearing；　stealthily　and　catlike；　into　the　dark　space

between　the　wall　and　the　back　of　an　adjacent　hut。



In　the　village　street　beyond　women　were　preparing　many　little

fires　and　fetching　cooking…pots　filled　with　water；　for　a　great

feast　was　to　be　celebrated　ere　the　night　was　many　hours　older。　　

About　a　stout　stake　near　the　centre　of　the　circling　fires

a　little　knot　of　black　warriors　stood　conversing；　their　bodies

smeared　with　white　and　blue　and　ochre　in　broad　and　grotesque　bands。　　

Great　circles　of　colour　were　drawn　about　their　eyes　and　lips；

their　breasts　and　abdomens；　and　from　their　clay…plastered

coiffures　rose　gay　feathers　and　bits　of　long；　straight　wire。



The　village　was　preparing　for　the　feast；　while　in　a　hut　at

one　side　of　the　scene　of　the　coming　orgy　the　bound　victim　of

their　bestial　appetites　lay　waiting　for　the　end。　　And　such　an　end！



Tarzan　of　the　Apes；　tensing　his　mighty　muscles；　strained

at　the　bonds　that　pinioned　him；　but　they　had　been　re…enforced

many　times　at　the　instigation　of　the　Russian；　so　that　not　even

the　ape…man's　giant　brawn　could　budge　them。



Death！



Tarzan　had　looked　the　Hideous　Hunter　in　the　face　many　a　time；

and　smiled。　　And　he　would　smile　again　tonight　when　he　knew

the　end　was　coming　quickly；　but　now　his　thoughts　were　not

of　himself；　but　of　those　othersthe　dear　ones　who　must

suffer　most　because　of　his　passing。



Jane　would　never　know　the　manner　of　it。　　For　that　he　thanked　Heaven；

and　he　was　thankful　also　that　she　at　least　was　safe　in　the　heart　of

the　world's　greatest　city。　　Safe　among　kind　and　loving　friends　who

would　do　their　best　to　lighten　her　misery。



But　the　boy！



Tarzan　writhed　at　the　thought　of　him。　　His　son！　　And　now

hethe　mighty　Lord　of　the　Junglehe；　Tarzan；　King　of　the

Apes；　the　only　one　in　all　the　world　fitted　to　find　and　save　the

child　from　the　horrors　that　Rokoff's　evil　mind　had　planned

had　been　trapped　like　a　silly；　dumb　creature。　　He　was　to　die

in　a　few　hours；　and　with　him　would　go　the　child's　last　chance

of　succour。



Rokoff　had　been　in　to　see　and　revile　and　abuse　him　several

times　during　the　afternoon；　but　he　had　been　able　to　wring　no

word　of　remonstrance　or　murmur　of　pain　from　the　lips　of　the

giant　captive。



So　at　last　he　had　given　up；　reserving　his　particular　bit　of

exquisite　mental　torture　for　the　last　moment；　when；　just

before　the　savage　spears　of　the　cannibals　should　for　ever　make

the　object　of　his　hatred　immune　to　further　suffering；　the

Russian　planned　to　reveal　to　his　enemy　the　true　whereabouts　of

his　wife　whom　he　thought　safe　in　England。



Dusk　had　fallen　upon　the　village；　and　the　ape…men　could　hear

the　preparations　going　forward　for　the　torture　and　the　feast。　　

The　dance　of　death　he　could　picture　in　his　mind's　eyefor

he　had　seen　the　thing　many　times　in　the　past。　　Now　he　was

to　be　the　central　figure；　bound　to　the　stake。



The　torture　of　the　slow　death　as　the　circling　warriors　cut

him　to　bits　with　the　fiendish　skill；　that　mutilated　without

bringing　unconsciousness；　had　no　terrors　for　him。　　He　was

inured　to　suffering　and　to　the　sight　of　blood　and　to　cruel

death；　but　the　desire　to　live　was　no　less　strong　within　him；

and　until　the　last　spark　of　life　should　flicker　and　go　out；　his

whole　being　would　remain　quick　with　hope　and　determination。　　

Let　them　relax　their　watchfulness　but　for　an　instant；　he

knew　that　his　cunning　mind　and　giant　muscles　would　find　a

way　to　escapeescape　and　revenge。



As　he　lay；　thinking　furiously　on　every　possibility　of　self…

salvation；　there　came　to　his　sensitive　nostrils　a　faint　and　a

familiar　scent。　　Instantly　every　faculty　of　his　mind　was　upon

the　alert。　　Presently　his　trained　ears　caught　the　sound　of　the

soundless　presence　withoutbehind　the　hut　wherein　he　lay。　　

His　lips　moved；　and　though　no　sound　came　forth　that　might

have　been　appreciable　to　a　human　ear　beyond　the　walls　of

his　prison；　yet　he　realized　that　the　one　beyond　would　hear。　　

Already　he　knew　who　that　one　was；　for　his　nostrils　had　told

him　as　plainly　as　your　eyes　or　mine　tell　us　of　the　identity　of

an　old　friend　whom　we　come　upon　in　broad　daylight。



An　instant　later　he　heard　the　soft　sound　of　a　fur…clad

body　and　padded　feet　scaling　the　outer　wall　behind　the

hut　and　then　a　tearing　at　the　poles　which　formed　the　wall。　　

Presently　through　the　hole　thus　made　slunk　a　great　beast；

pressing　its　cold　muzzle　close　to　his　neck。



It　was　Sheeta；　the　panther。



The　beast　snuffed　round　the　prostrate　man；　whining　a　little。　　

There　was　a　limit　to　the　interchange　of　ideas　which　could

take　place　between　these　two；　and　so　Tarzan　could　not　be

sure　that　Sheeta　understood　all　that　he　attempted　to

communicate　to　him。　　That　the　man　was　tied　and　helpless　Sheeta

could；　of　course；　see；　but　that　to　the　mind　of　the　panther　this

would　carry　any　suggestion　of　harm　in　so　far　as　his　master

was　concerned；　Tarzan　could　not　guess。



What　had　brought　the　beast　to　him？　　The　fact　that　he　had

come　augured　well　for　what　he　might　accomplish；　but　when

Tarzan　tried　to　get　Sheeta　to　gnaw　his　bonds　asunder　the　great

animal　could　not　seem　to　understand　what　was　expected　of　him；

and；　instead；　but　licked　the　wrists　and　arms　of　the　prisoner。



Presently　there　came　an　interruption。　　Some　one　was

approaching　the　hut。　　Sheeta　gave　a　low　growl　and　slunk　into

the　blackness　of　a　far　corner。　　Evidently　the　visitor　did　not

hear　the　warning　sound；　for　almost　immediately　he　entered

the　huta　tall；　naked；　savage　warrior。



He　came　to　Tarzan's　side　and　pricked　him　with　a　spear。　　

From　the　lips　of　the　ape…man　came　a　weird；　uncanny　sound；

and　in　answer　to　it　there　leaped　from　the　blackness　of　the

hut's　farthermost　corner　a　bolt　of　fur…clad　death。　　Full　upon

the　breast　of　the　painted　savage　the　great　beast　struck；

burying　sharp　talons　in　the　black　flesh　and　sinking

great　yellow　fangs　in　the　ebon　throat。



There　was　a　fearful　scream　of　anguish　and　terror　from　the　black；

and　mingled　with　it　was　the　hideous　challenge　of　the　killing　panther。

Then　came　silencesilence　except　for　the　rending　of　bloody　flesh

and　the　crunching　of　human　bones　between　mighty　jaws。



The　noise　had　brought　sudden　quiet　to　the　village　without。　　

Then　there　came　the　sound　of　voices　in　consultation。



High…pitched；　fear…filled　voices；　and　deep；　low　tones　of

authority；　as　the　chief　spoke。　　Tarzan　and　the　panther　heard

the　approaching　footsteps　of　many　men；　and　then；　to　Tarzan's

surprise；　the　great　cat　rose　from　across　the　body　of　its　kill；

and　slunk　noiselessly　from　the　hut　through　the　aperture

through　which　it　had　entered。



The　man　heard　the　soft　scraping　of　the　body　as　it　passed

over　the　top　of　the　palisade；　and　then　silence。　　From　the

opposite　side　of　the　hut　he　heard　the　savages　approaching

to　investigate。



He　had　little　hope　that　Sheeta　would　return；　for　had　the　great

cat　intended　to　defend　him　against　all　comers　it　would　have

remained　by　his　side　as　it　heard　the　approaching　savages　without。



Tarzan　knew　how　strange　were　the　workings　of　the　brains

of　the　mighty　carnivora　of　the　junglehow　fiendishly　fearless

they　might　be　in　the　face　of　certain　death；　and　again　how　timid

upon　the　slightest　provocation。　　There　was　doubt　in　his　min