the beasts of tarzan-第31章

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she　saw　the　bow　rise　gently　from　the　mud　of　the　bank　and

the　stern　drift　slowly　with　the　current　until　it　again　lodged　a

few　feet　farther　down…stream。



Jane　found　that　by　running　back　and　forth　between　the

bow　and　stern　she　could　alternately　raise　and　lower　each　end

of　the　boat　as　she　shifted　her　weight　from　one　end　to　the

other；　with　the　result　that　each　time　she　leaped　to　the　stern

the　canoe　moved　a　few　inches　farther　into　the　river。



As　the　success　of　her　plan　approached　more　closely　to

fruition　she　became　so　wrapped　in　her　efforts　that　she　failed

to　note　the　figure　of　a　man　standing　beneath　a　huge　tree　at

the　edge　of　the　jungle　from　which　he　had　just　emerged。



He　watched　her　and　her　labours　with　a　cruel　and　malicious

grin　upon　his　swarthy　countenance。



The　boat　at　last　became　so　nearly　free　of　the　retarding

mud　and　of　the　bank　that　Jane　felt　positive　that　she　could

pole　it　off　into　deeper　water　with　one　of　the　paddles　which

lay　in　the　bottom　of　the　rude　craft。　　With　this　end　in　view　she

seized　upon　one　of　these　implements　and　had　just　plunged　it

into　the　river　bottom　close　to　the　shore　when　her　eyes

happened　to　rise　to　the　edge　of　the　jungle。



As　her　gaze　fell　upon　the　figure　of　the　man　a　little　cry　of

terror　rose　to　her　lips。　　It　was　Rokoff。



He　was　running　toward　her　now　and　shouting　to　her　to

wait　or　he　would　shootthough　he　was　entirely　unarmed　it

was　difficult　to　discover　just　how　he　intended　making　good

his　threat。



Jane　Clayton　knew　nothing　of　the　various　misfortunes　that

had　befallen　the　Russian　since　she　had　escaped　from　his　tent；

so　she　believed　that　his　followers　must　be　close　at　hand。



However；　she　had　no　intention　of　falling　again　into　the

man's　clutches。　　She　would　rather　die　at　once　than　that　that

should　happen　to　her。　　Another　minute　and　the　boat　would　be　free。



Once　in　the　current　of　the　river　she　would　be　beyond　Rokoff's

power　to　stop　her；　for　there　was　no　other　boat　upon

the　shore；　and　no　man；　and　certainly　not　the　cowardly　Rokoff；

would　dare　to　attempt　to　swim　the　crocodile…infested

water　in　an　effort　to　overtake　her。



Rokoff；　on　his　part；　was　bent　more　upon　escape　than　aught　else。　　

He　would　gladly　have　forgone　any　designs　he　might　have

had　upon　Jane　Clayton　would　she　but　permit　him　to　share

this　means　of　escape　that　she　had　discovered。　　He　would

promise　anything　if　she　would　let　him　come　aboard　the　dugout；

but　he　did　not　think　that　it　was　necessary　to　do　so。



He　saw　that　he　could　easily　reach　the　bow　of　the　boat

before　it　cleared　the　shore；　and　then　it　would　not　be

necessary　to　make　promises　of　any　sort。　　Not　that　Rokoff　would

have　felt　the　slightest　compunction　in　ignoring　any　promises

he　might　have　made　the　girl；　but　he　disliked　the　idea　of　having

to　sue　for　favour　with　one　who　had　so　recently　assaulted

and　escaped　him。



Already　he　was　gloating　over　the　days　and　nights　of　revenge

that　would　be　his　while　the　heavy　dugout　drifted　its

slow　way　to　the　ocean。



Jane　Clayton；　working　furiously　to　shove　the　boat　beyond

his　reach；　suddenly　realized　that　she　was　to　be　successful；

for　with　a　little　lurch　the　dugout　swung　quickly　into　the

current；　just　as　the　Russian　reached　out　to　place　his　hand

upon　its　bow。



His　fingers　did　not　miss　their　goal　by　a　half…dozen　inches。　　

The　girl　almost　collapsed　with　the　reaction　from　the　terrific

mental；　physical；　and　nervous　strain　under　which　she　had

been　labouring　for　the　past　few　minutes。　　But；　thank　Heaven；

at　last　she　was　safe！



Even　as　she　breathed　a　silent　prayer　of　thanksgiving；　she

saw　a　sudden　expression　of　triumph　lighten　the　features　of

the　cursing　Russian；　and　at　the　same　instant　he　dropped

suddenly　to　the　ground；　grasping　firmly　upon　something　which

wriggled　through　the　mud　toward　the　water。



Jane　Clayton　crouched；　wide…eyed　and　horror…stricken；　in

the　bottom　of　the　boat　as　she　realized　that　at　the　last　instant

success　had　been　turned　to　failure；　and　that　she　was　indeed

again　in　the　power　of　the　malignant　Rokoff。



For　the　thing　that　the　man　had　seen　and　grasped　was　the

end　of　the　trailing　rope　with　which　the　dugout　had　been

moored　to　the　tree。









Chapter　15





Down　the　Ugambi





Halfway　between　the　Ugambi　and　the　village　of　the　Waganwazam；

Tarzan　came　upon　the　pack　moving　slowly　along　his　old　spoor。　　

Mugambi　could　scarce　believe　that　the　trail　of　the　Russian

and　the　mate　of　his　savage　master　had　passed　so　close　to

that　of　the　pack。



It　seemed　incredible　that　two　human　beings　should　have

come　so　close　to　them　without　having　been　detected　by　some

of　the　marvellously　keen　and　alert　beasts；　but　Tarzan　pointed

out　the　spoor　of　the　two　he　trailed；　and　at　certain　points　the

black　could　see　that　the　man　and　the　woman　must　have　been

in　hiding　as　the　pack　passed　them；　watching　every　move　of

the　ferocious　creatures。



It　had　been　apparent　to　Tarzan　from　the　first　that　Jane　and

Rokoff　were　not　travelling　together。　　The　spoor　showed

distinctly　that　the　young　woman　had　been　a　considerable　distance

ahead　of　the　Russian　at　first；　though　the　farther　the　ape…man

continued　along　the　trail　the　more　obvious　it　became　that　the

man　was　rapidly　overhauling　his　quarry。



At　first　there　had　been　the　spoor　of　wild　beasts　over　the

footprints　of　Jane　Clayton；　while　upon　the　top　of　all　Rokoff's

spoor　showed　that　he　had　passed　over　the　trail　after　the　animals

had　left　their　records　upon　the　ground。　　But　later　there

were　fewer　and　fewer　animal　imprints　occurring　between

those　of　Jane's　and　the　Russian's　feet；　until　as　he　approached

the　river　the　ape…man　became　aware　that　Rokoff　could　not

have　been　more　than　a　few　hundred　yards　behind　the　girl。



He　felt　they　must　be　close　ahead　of　him　now；　and；　with　a

little　thrill　of　expectation；　he　leaped　rapidly　forward　ahead

of　the　pack。　　Swinging　swiftly　through　the　trees；　he　came　out

upon　the　river…bank　at　the　very　point　at　which　Rokoff　had

overhauled　Jane　as　she　endeavoured　to　launch　the　cumbersome　dugout。



In　the　mud　along　the　bank　the　ape…man　saw　the　footprints

of　the　two　he　sought；　but　there　was　neither　boat　nor　people

there　when　he　arrived；　nor；　at　first　glance；　any　sign　of

their　whereabouts。



It　was　plain　that　they　had　shoved　off　a　native　canoe　and

embarked　upon　the　bosom　of　the　stream；　and　as　the　ape…man's

eye　ran　swiftly　down　the　course　of　the　river　beneath　the

shadows　of　the　overarching　trees　he　saw　in　the　distance；

just　as　it　rounded　a　bend　that　shut　it　off　from　his　view；

a　drifting　dugout　in　the　stern　of　which　was　the　figure　of　a　man。



Just　as　the　pack　came　in　sight　of　the　river　they　saw　their

agile　leader　racing　down　the　river's　bank；　leaping　from　hummock

to　hummock　of　the　swampy　ground　that　spread　between　them　and

a　little　promontory　which　rose　just　where　the　river　curved

inward　from　their　sight。



To　follow　him　it　was　necessary　for　the　heavy；　cumbersome

apes　to　make　a　wide　detour；　and　Sheeta；　too；　who　hated　water。　　

Mugambi　followed　after　them　as　rapidly　as　he　could

in　the　wake　of　the　great　white　master。



A　half…hour　of　rapid　travelling　across　the　swampy　neck　of

land　and　over　the　rising　promontory　brought　Tarzan；　by　a

short　cut；　to　the　inward　bend　of　the　winding　river；　and　there

before　him　upon　the　bosom　of　the　stream　he　saw　the　dugout；

and　in　its　stern　Nikolas　Rokoff。



Jane　was　not　with　the　Russian。



At　sight　of　his　enemy　the　broad　scar　upon　the　ape…man's

brow　burned　scarlet；　and　there　rose　to　his　lips　the　hideous；

bestial　challenge　of　the　bull…ape。



Rokoff　shuddered　as　the　weird　and　terrible　alarm　fell　upon

his　ears。　　Cowering　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　his　teeth

chattering　in　terror；　he　watched　the　man　he　feared　above　all

other　creatures　upon　the　face　of　the　earth　as　he　ran　quickly

to　the　edge　of　the　water。



Even　though　the　Russian　knew　that　he　was　safe　from　his　enemy；

the　very　sight　of　him　threw　him　into　a　frenzy