the beasts of tarzan-第20章

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her　miserable　apprehensions　throughout　the　long　voyage　of

the　Kincaid。



She　saw　no　more　of　Rokoff　that　day；　nor　of　any　other　until

Sven　came　with　her　evening　meal。　　She　tried　to　draw　him　into

conversation　relative　to　his　plans　to　aid　her；　but　all　that　she

could　get　from　him　was　his　stereotyped　prophecy　as　to　the

future　state　of　the　wind。　　He　seemed　suddenly　to　have

relapsed　into　his　wonted　state　of　dense　stupidity。



However；　when　he　was　leaving　her　cabin　a　little　later　with

the　empty　dishes　he　whispered　very　low；　〃Leave　on　your

clothes　an'　roll　up　your　blankets。　　Ay　come　back　after　you

purty　soon。〃



He　would　have　slipped　from　the　room　at　once；　but　Jane

laid　her　hand　upon　his　sleeve。



〃My　baby？〃　she　asked。　　〃I　cannot　go　without　him。〃



〃You　do　wot　Ay　tal　you；〃　said　Anderssen；　scowling。　　

〃Ay　ban　halpin'　you；　so　don't　you　gat　too　fonny。〃



When　he　had　gone　Jane　Clayton　sank　down　upon　her　berth

in　utter　bewilderment。　　What　was　she　to　do？　　Suspicions　as　to

the　intentions　of　the　Swede　swarmed　her　brain。　　Might　she

not　be　infinitely　worse　off　if　she　gave　herself　into　his　power

than　she　already　was？



No；　she　could　be　no　worse　off　in　company　with　the　devil

himself　than　with　Nikolas　Rokoff；　for　the　devil　at　least　bore

the　reputation　of　being　a　gentleman。



She　swore　a　dozen　times　that　she　would　not　leave　the　Kincaid

without　her　baby；　and　yet　she　remained　clothed　long

past　her　usual　hour　for　retiring；　and　her　blankets　were　neatly

rolled　and　bound　with　stout　cord；　when　about　midnight　there

came　a　stealthy　scratching　upon　the　panels　of　her　door。



Swiftly　she　crossed　the　room　and　drew　the　bolt。　　Softly　the

door　swung　open　to　admit　the　muffled　figure　of　the　Swede。　　

On　one　arm　he　carried　a　bundle；　evidently　his　blankets。　　

His　other　hand　was　raised　in　a　gesture　commanding　silence；

a　grimy　forefinger　upon　his　lips。



He　came　quite　close　to　her。



〃Carry　this；〃　he　said。　　〃Do　not　make　some　noise　when

you　see　it。　　It　ban　you　kid。〃



Quick　hands　snatched　the　bundle　from　the　cook；　and　hungry

mother　arms　folded　the　sleeping　infant　to　her　breast；

while　hot　tears　of　joy　ran　down　her　cheeks　and　her　whole

frame　shook　with　the　emotion　of　the　moment。



〃Come！〃　said　Anderssen。　　〃We　got　no　time　to　vaste。〃



He　snatched　up　her　bundle　of　blankets；　and　outside　the

cabin　door　his　own　as　well。　　Then　he　led　her　to　the　ship's　side；

steadied　her　descent　of　the　monkey…ladder；　holding　the　child

for　her　as　she　climbed　to　the　waiting　boat　below。　　A　moment

later　he　had　cut　the　rope　that　held　the　small　boat　to　the

steamer's　side；　and；　bending　silently　to　the　muffled　oars；

was　pulling　toward　the　black　shadows　up　the　Ugambi　River。



Anderssen　rowed　on　as　though　quite　sure　of　his　ground；

and　when　after　half　an　hour　the　moon　broke　through　the

clouds　there　was　revealed　upon　their　left　the　mouth　of　a

tributary　running　into　the　Ugambi。　　Up　this　narrow　channel

the　Swede　turned　the　prow　of　the　small　boat。



Jane　Clayton　wondered　if　the　man　knew　where　he　was　bound。　　

She　did　not　know　that　in　his　capacity　as　cook　he　had

that　day　been　rowed　up　this　very　stream　to　a　little　village

where　he　had　bartered　with　the　natives　for　such　provisions

as　they　had　for　sale；　and　that　he　had　there　arranged　the　details

of　his　plan　for　the　adventure　upon　which　they　were　now

setting　forth。



Even　though　the　moon　was　full；　the　surface　of　the　small

river　was　quite　dark。　　The　giant　trees　overhung　its　narrow

banks；　meeting　in　a　great　arch　above　the　centre　of　the　river。　　

Spanish　moss　dropped　from　the　gracefully　bending　limbs；

and　enormous　creepers　clambered　in　riotous　profusion　from

the　ground　to　the　loftiest　branch；　falling　in　curving　loops

almost　to　the　water's　placid　breast。



Now　and　then　the　river's　surface　would　be　suddenly　broken

ahead　of　them　by　a　huge　crocodile；　startled　by　the　splashing

of　the　oars；　or；　snorting　and　blowing；　a　family　of　hippos　would

dive　from　a　sandy　bar　to　the　cool；　safe　depths　of　the　bottom。



From　the　dense　jungles　upon　either　side　came　the　weird

night　cries　of　the　carnivorathe　maniacal　voice　of　the　hyena；

the　coughing　grunt　of　the　panther；　the　deep　and　awful　roar

of　the　lion。　　And　with　them　strange；　uncanny　notes　that　the

girl　could　not　ascribe　to　any　particular　night　prowlermore

terrible　because　of　their　mystery。



Huddled　in　the　stern　of　the　boat　she　sat　with　her　baby

strained　close　to　her　bosom；　and　because　of　that　little　tender；

helpless　thing　she　was　happier　tonight　than　she　had　been　for

many　a　sorrow…ridden　day。



Even　though　she　knew　not　to　what　fate　she　was　going；　or

how　soon　that　fate　might　overtake　her；　still　was　she　happy

and　thankful　for　the　moment；　however　brief；　that　she　might

press　her　baby　tightly　in　her　arms。　　She　could　scarce　wait

for　the　coming　of　the　day　that　she　might　look　again　upon　the

bright　face　of　her　little；　black…eyed　Jack。



Again　and　again　she　tried　to　strain　her　eyes　through　the

blackness　of　the　jungle　night　to　have　but　a　tiny　peep　at　those

beloved　features；　but　only　the　dim　outline　of　the　baby　face

rewarded　her　efforts。　　Then　once　more　she　would　cuddle　the

warm；　little　bundle　close　to　her　throbbing　heart。



It　must　have　been　close　to　three　o'clock　in　the　morning

that　Anderssen　brought　the　boat's　nose　to　the　shore　before　a

clearing　where　could　be　dimly　seen　in　the　waning　moonlight

a　cluster　of　native　huts　encircled　by　a　thorn　boma。



At　the　village　gate　they　were　admitted　by　a　native　woman；

the　wife　of　the　chief　whom　Anderssen　had　paid　to　assist　him。　　

She　took　them　to　the　chief's　hut；　but　Anderssen　said　that　they

would　sleep　without　upon　the　ground；　and　so；　her　duty　having

been　completed；　she　left　them　to　their　own　devices。



The　Swede；　after　explaining　in　his　gruff　way　that　the　huts

were　doubtless　filthy　and　vermin…ridden；　spread　Jane's

blankets　on　the　ground　for　her；　and　at　a　little　distance

unrolled　his　own　and　lay　down　to　sleep。



It　was　some　time　before　the　girl　could　find　a　comfortable

position　upon　the　hard　ground；　but　at　last；　the　baby　in　the

hollow　of　her　arm；　she　dropped　asleep　from　utter　exhaustion。　　

When　she　awoke　it　was　broad　daylight。



About　her　were　clustered　a　score　of　curious　natives

mostly　men；　for　among　the　aborigines　it　is　the　male　who

owns　this　characteristic　in　its　most　exaggerated　form。　　

Instinctively　Jane　Clayton　drew　the　baby　more　closely　to　her；

though　she　soon　saw　that　the　blacks　were　far　from　intending

her　or　the　child　any　harm。



In　fact；　one　of　them　offered　her　a　gourd　of　milka　filthy；

smoke…begrimed　gourd；　with　the　ancient　rind　of　long…curdled

milk　caked　in　layers　within　its　neck；　but　the　spirit　of　the　giver

touched　her　deeply；　and　her　face　lightened　for　a　moment　with

one　of　those　almost　forgotten　smiles　of　radiance　that　had

helped　to　make　her　beauty　famous　both　in　Baltimore　and　London。



She　took　the　gourd　in　one　hand；　and　rather　than　cause　the

giver　pain　raised　it　to　her　lips；　though　for　the　life　of　her　she

could　scarce　restrain　the　qualm　of　nausea　that　surged　through

her　as　the　malodorous　thing　approached　her　nostrils。



It　was　Anderssen　who　came　to　her　rescue；　and　taking　the

gourd　from　her；　drank　a　portion　himself；　and　then　returned

it　to　the　native　with　a　gift　of　blue　beads。



The　sun　was　shining　brightly　now；　and　though　the　baby

still　slept；　Jane　could　scarce　restrain　her　impatient　desire　to

have　at　least　a　brief　glance　at　the　beloved　face。　　The　natives

had　withdrawn　at　a　command　from　their　chief；　who　now

stood　talking　with　Anderssen；　a　little　apart　from　her。



As　she　debated　the　wisdom　of　risking　disturbing　the　child's

slumber　by　lifting　the　blanket　that　now　protected　its　face

from　the　sun；　she　noted　that　the　cook　conversed　with　the

chief　in　the　language　of　the　Negro。



What　a　remarkable　man　the　fellow　was；　indeed！　　She　had

thought　him　ignorant　and　stupid　but　a　short　day　before；　and

now；　within　the　past　twenty…four　hours；