the beasts of tarzan-第33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！





Thus　it　was　that；　though　he　had　put　out　upon　the　river　but

a　short　time　subsequent　to　the　girl；　yet　she　had　reached　the

bay　fully　two　hours　ahead　of　him。　　When　she　had　first　seen

the　anchored　ship　upon　the　quiet　water；　Jane　Clayton's　heart

had　beat　fast　with　hope　and　thanksgiving；　but　as　she　drew

closer　to　the　craft　and　saw　that　it　was　the　Kincaid；

her　pleasure　gave　place　to　the　gravest　misgivings。



It　was　too　late；　however；　to　turn　back；　for　the　current　that

carried　her　toward　the　ship　was　much　too　strong　for　her　muscles。　　

She　could　not　have　forced　the　heavy　dugout　upstream　against　it；

and　all　that　was　left　her　was　to　attempt　either　to　make　the

shore　without　being　seen　by　those　upon　the　deck　of　the　Kincaid；

or　to　throw　herself　upon　their　mercyotherwise　she　must　be

swept　out　to　sea。



She　knew　that　the　shore　held　little　hope　of　life　for　her；　as

she　had　no　knowledge　of　the　location　of　the　friendly　Mosula

village　to　which　Anderssen　had　taken　her　through　the　darkness

of　the　night　of　their　escape　from　the　Kincaid。



With　Rokoff　away　from　the　steamer　it　might　be　possible

that　by　offering　those　in　charge　a　large　reward　they　could　be

induced　to　carry　her　to　the　nearest　civilized　port。　　It　was

worth　riskingif　she　could　make　the　steamer　at　all。



The　current　was　bearing　her　swiftly　down　the　river；　and

she　found　that　only　by　dint　of　the　utmost　exertion　could　she

direct　the　awkward　craft　toward　the　vicinity　of　the　Kincaid。　　

Having　reached　the　decision　to　board　the　steamer；　she　now

looked　to　it　for　aid；　but　to　her　surprise　the　decks　appeared　to

be　empty　and　she　saw　no　sign　of　life　aboard　the　ship。



The　dugout　was　drawing　closer　and　closer　to　the　bow　of

the　vessel；　and　yet　no　hail　came　over　the　side　from　any

lookout　aboard。　　In　a　moment　more；　Jane　realized；　she　would　be

swept　beyond　the　steamer；　and　then；　unless　they　lowered　a

boat　to　rescue　her；　she　would　be　carried　far　out　to　sea　by　the

current　and　the　swift　ebb　tide　that　was　running。



The　young　woman　called　loudly　for　assistance；　but　there

was　no　reply　other　than　the　shrill　scream　of　some　savage

beast　upon　the　jungle…shrouded　shore。　　Frantically　Jane

wielded　the　paddle　in　an　effort　to　carry　her　craft　close

alongside　the　steamer。



For　a　moment　it　seemed　that　she　should　miss　her　goal　by

but　a　few　feet；　but　at　the　last　moment　the　canoe　swung　close

beneath　the　steamer's　bow　and　Jane　barely　managed　to　grasp

the　anchor　chain。



Heroically　she　clung　to　the　heavy　iron　links；　almost　dragged

from　the　canoe　by　the　strain　of　the　current　upon　her　craft。　　

Beyond　her　she　saw　a　monkey…ladder　dangling　over　the

steamer's　side。　　To　release　her　hold　upon　the　chain　and　chance

clambering　to　the　ladder　as　her　canoe　was　swept　beneath　it

seemed　beyond　the　pale　of　possibility；　yet　to　remain　clinging

to　the　anchor　chain　appeared　equally　as　futile。



Finally　her　glance　chanced　to　fall　upon　the　rope　in　the　bow

of　the　dugout；　and；　making　one　end　of　this　fast　to　the　chain；

she　succeeded　in　drifting　the　canoe　slowly　down　until　it　lay

directly　beneath　the　ladder。　　A　moment　later；　her　rifle　slung

about　her　shoulders；　she　had　clambered　safely　to　the　deserted　deck。



Her　first　task　was　to　explore　the　ship；　and　this　she　did；　her

rifle　ready　for　instant　use　should　she　meet　with　any　human

menace　aboard　the　Kincaid。　　She　was　not　long　in　discovering

the　cause　of　the　apparently　deserted　condition　of　the　steamer；

for　in　the　forecastle　she　found　the　sailors；　who　had　evidently

been　left　to　guard　the　ship；　deep　in　drunken　slumber。



With　a　shudder　of　disgust　she　clambered　above；　and　to　the

best　of　her　ability　closed　and　made　fast　the　hatch　above　the

heads　of　the　sleeping　guard。　　Next　she　sought　the　galley　and

food；　and；　having　appeased　her　hunger；　she　took　her　place

on　deck；　determined　that　none　should　board　the　Kincaid

without　first　having　agreed　to　her　demands。



For　an　hour　or　so　nothing　appeared　upon　the　surface　of

the　river　to　cause　her　alarm；　but　then；　about　a　bend　upstream；

she　saw　a　canoe　appear　in　which　sat　a　single　figure。　　It　had

not　proceeded　far　in　her　direction　before　she　recognized　the

occupant　as　Rokoff；　and　when　the　fellow　attempted　to　board

he　found　a　rifle　staring　him　in　the　face。



When　the　Russian　discovered　who　it　was　that　repelled　his

advance　he　became　furious；　cursing　and　threatening　in　a　most

horrible　manner；　but；　finding　that　these　tactics　failed　to

frighten　or　move　the　girl；　he　at　last　fell　to　pleading　and　promising。



Jane　had　but　a　single　reply　for　his　every　proposition；　and

that　was　that　nothing　would　ever　persuade　her　to　permit　Rokoff

upon　the　same　vessel　with　her。　　That　she　would　put　her

threats　into　action　and　shoot　him　should　he　persist　in　his

endeavour　to　board　the　ship　he　was　convinced。



So；　as　there　was　no　other　alternative；　the　great　coward

dropped　back　into　his　dugout　and；　at　imminent　risk　of　being

swept　to　sea；　finally　succeeded　in　making　the　shore　far　down

the　bay　and　upon　the　opposite　side　from　that　on　which　the

horde　of　beasts　stood　snarling　and　roaring。



Jane　Clayton　knew　that　the　fellow　could　not　alone　and

unaided　bring　his　heavy　craft　back　up…stream　to　the

Kincaid；　and　so　she　had　no　further　fear　of　an　attack　by　him。　　

The　hideous　crew　upon　the　shore　she　thought　she　recognized　as

the　same　that　had　passed　her　in　the　jungle　far　up　the　Ugambi

several　days　before；　for　it　seemed　quite　beyond　reason　that

there　should　be　more　than　one　such　a　strangely　assorted　pack；

but　what　had　brought　them　down…stream　to　the　mouth　of　the

river　she　could　not　imagine。



Toward　the　day's　close　the　girl　was　suddenly　alarmed　by

the　shouting　of　the　Russian　from　the　opposite　bank　of　the

stream；　and　a　moment　later；　following　the　direction　of　his

gaze；　she　was　terrified　to　see　a　ship's　boat　approaching　from

up…stream；　in　which；　she　felt　assured；　there　could　be　only

members　of　the　Kincaid's　missing　crewonly　heartless

ruffians　and　enemies。









Chapter　16





In　the　Darkness　of　the　Night





When　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　realized　that　he　was　in　the

grip　of　the　great　jaws　of　a　crocodile　he　did　not；　as　an

ordinary　man　might　have　done；　give　up　all　hope　and　resign

himself　to　his　fate。



Instead；　he　filled　his　lungs　with　air　before　the　huge　reptile

dragged　him　beneath　the　surface；　and　then；　with　all　the　might

of　his　great　muscles；　fought　bitterly　for　freedom。　　But　out　of

his　native　element　the　ape…man　was　too　greatly　handicapped

to　do　more　than　excite　the　monster　to　greater　speed　as　it

dragged　its　prey　swiftly　through　the　water。



Tarzan's　lungs　were　bursting　for　a　breath　of　pure　fresh　air。　　

He　knew　that　he　could　survive　but　a　moment　more；　and　in

the　last　paroxysm　of　his　suffering　he　did　what　he　could　to

avenge　his　own　death。



His　body　trailed　out　beside　the　slimy　carcass　of　his　captor；

and　into　the　tough　armour　the　ape…man　attempted　to　plunge

his　stone　knife　as　he　was　borne　to　the　creature's　horrid　den。



His　efforts　but　served　to　accelerate　the　speed　of　the　crocodile；

and　just　as　the　ape…man　realized　that　he　had　reached　the　limit

of　his　endurance　he　felt　his　body　dragged　to　a　muddy　bed　and

his　nostrils　rise　above　the　water's　surface。　　All　about　him

was　the　blackness　of　the　pitthe　silence　of　the　grave。



For　a　moment　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　lay　gasping　for　breath

upon　the　slimy；　evil…smelling　bed　to　which　the　animal　had

borne　him。　　Close　at　his　side　he　could　feel　the　cold；　hard

plates　of　the　creatures　coat　rising　and　falling　as　though　with

spasmodic　efforts　to　breathe。



For　several　minutes　the　two　lay　thus；　and　then　a　sudden

convulsion　of　the　giant　carcass　at　the　man's　side；　a　tremor；

and　a　stiffening　brought　Tarzan　to　his　knees　beside　the　crocodile。　　

To　his　utter　amazement　he　found　that　the　beast　was　dead。　　

The　slim　knife　had　found　a　vulnerable　spot　in　the　scaly　armour。



Staggering　to　his　feet；　the　ape…man　groped　about　the　reeking；

oozy　den。　　He　fou