the beasts of tarzan-第43章

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〃He　will　tell　you　that　there　is　such　a　thing　and　that　vessels

can　talk　to　one　another　across　hundreds　of　miles　of　water。　　

Then　say　to　the　two　men　who　wish　to　kill　me　that　if　they

do　so　they　will　never　live　to　spend　their　share　of　the

swag；　for　only　I　can　get　you　safely　to　any　port。〃



So　Momulla　went　to　Kai　Shang　and　asked　him　if　there　was

such　an　apparatus　as　a　wireless　by　means　of　which　ships

could　talk　with　each　other　at　great　distances；　and　Kai　Shang

told　him　that　there　was。



Momulla　was　puzzled；　but　still　he　wished　to　leave　the

island；　and　was　willing　to　take　his　chances　on　the　open　sea

rather　than　to　remain　longer　in　the　monotony　of　the　camp。



〃If　we　only　had　someone　else　who　could　navigate　a　ship！〃

wailed　Kai　Shang。



That　afternoon　Momulla　went　hunting　with　two　other　Maoris。　　

They　hunted　toward　the　south；　and　had　not　gone　far

from　camp　when　they　were　surprised　by　the　sound　of　voices

ahead　of　them　in　the　jungle。



They　knew　that　none　of　their　own　men　had　preceded　them；

and　as　all　were　convinced　that　the　island　was　uninhabited；

they　were　inclined　to　flee　in　terror　on　the　hypothesis　that　the

place　was　hauntedpossibly　by　the　ghosts　of　the　murdered

officers　and　men　of　the　Cowrie。



But　Momulla　was　even　more　curious　than　he　was　superstitious；

and　so　he　quelled　his　natural　desire　to　flee　from　the　supernatural。　　

Motioning　his　companions　to　follow　his　example；　he　dropped

to　his　hands　and　knees；　crawling　forward　stealthily　and

with　quakings　of　heart　through　the　jungle　in　the　direction

from　which　came　the　voices　of　the　unseen　speakers。



Presently；　at　the　edge　of　a　little　clearing；　he　halted；　and

there　he　breathed　a　deep　sigh　of　relief；　for　plainly　before　him

he　saw　two　flesh…and…blood　men　sitting　upon　a　fallen　log　and

talking　earnestly　together。



One　was　Schneider；　mate　of　the　Kincaid；　and　the　other

was　a　seaman　named　Schmidt。



〃I　think　we　can　do　it；　Schmidt；〃　Schneider　was　saying。　　

〃A　good　canoe　wouldn't　be　hard　to　build；　and　three　of　us

could　paddle　it　to　the　mainland　in　a　day　if　the　wind　was　right

and　the　sea　reasonably　calm。　　There　ain't　no　use　waiting　for

the　men　to　build　a　big　enough　boat　to　take　the　whole　party；

for　they're　sore　now　and　sick　of　working　like　slaves　all　day　long。　　

It　ain't　none　of　our　business　anyway　to　save　the　Englishman。　　

Let　him　look　out　for　himself；　says　I。〃　　He　paused　for　a　moment；

and　then　eyeing　the　other　to　note　the　effect　of　his　next　words；

he　continued；　〃But　we　might　take　the　woman。　　It　would　be　a　shame

to　leave　a　nice…lookin'　piece　like　she　is　in　such　a

Gott…forsaken　hole　as　this　here　island。〃



Schmidt　looked　up　and　grinned。



〃So　that's　how　she's　blowin'；　is　it？〃　he　asked。　　〃Why　didn't

you　say　so　in　the　first　place？　　Wot's　in　it　for　me　if　I　help　you？〃



〃She　ought　to　pay　us　well　to　get　her　back　to　civilization；〃

explained　Schneider；　〃an'　I　tell　you　what　I'll　do。　　I'll　just

whack　up　with　the　two　men　that　helps　me。　　　I'll　take　half　an'

they　can　divide　the　other　halfyou　an'　whoever　the　other

bloke　is。　　I'm　sick　of　this　place；　an'　the　sooner　I　get

out　of　it　the　better　I'll　like　it。　　What　do　you　say？〃



〃Suits　me；〃　replied　Schmidt。　　〃I　wouldn't　know　how　to

reach　the　mainland　myself；　an'　know　that　none　o'　the　other

fellows　would；　so's　you're　the　only　one　that　knows　anything

of　navigation　you're　the　fellow　I'll　tie　to。〃



Momulla　the　Maori　pricked　up　his　ears。　　He　had　a　smattering

of　every　tongue　that　is　spoken　upon　the　seas；　and　more

than　a　few　times　had　he　sailed　on　English　ships；　so　that　he

understood　fairly　well　all　that　had　passed　between　Schneider

and　Schmidt　since　he　had　stumbled　upon　them。



He　rose　to　his　feet　and　stepped　into　the　clearing。　　Schneider　and

his　companion　started　as　nervously　as　though　a　ghost　had　risen

before　them。　　Schneider　reached　for　his　revolver。　　Momulla　raised

his　right　hand；　palm　forward；　as　a　sign　of　his　pacific　intentions。



〃I　am　a　friend；〃　he　said。　　〃I　heard　you；　but　do　not　fear

that　I　will　reveal　what　you　have　said。　　I　can　help　you；　and　you

can　help　me。〃　　He　was　addressing　Schneider。　　〃You　can　navigate

a　ship；　but　you　have　no　ship。　　We　have　a　ship；　but　no　one　to

navigate　it。　　If　you　will　come　with　us　and　ask　no　questions

we　will　let　you　take　the　ship　where　you　will　after　you

have　landed　us　at　a　certain　port；　the　name　of　which　we　will

give　you　later。　　You　can　take　the　woman　of　whom　you　speak；

and　we　will　ask　no　questions　either。　　Is　it　a　bargain？〃



Schneider　desired　more　information；　and　got　as　much　as

Momulla　thought　best　to　give　him。　　Then　the　Maori　suggested

that　they　speak　with　Kai　Shang。　　The　two　members　of　the

Kincaid's　company　followed　Momulla　and　his　fellows　to　a

point　in　the　jungle　close　by　the　camp　of　the　mutineers。　　

Here　Momulla　hid　them　while　he　went　in　search　of　Kai　Shang；

first　admonishing　his　Maori　companions　to　stand　guard　over

the　two　sailors　lest　they　change　their　minds　and　attempt

to　escape。　　Schneider　and　Schmidt　were　virtually　prisoners；

though　they　did　not　know　it。



Presently　Momulla　returned　with　Kai　Shang；　to　whom　he

had　briefly　narrated　the　details　of　the　stroke　of　good　fortune

that　had　come　to　them。　　The　Chinaman　spoke　at　length　with

Schneider；　until；　notwithstanding　his　natural　suspicion　of

the　sincerity　of　all　men；　he　became　quite　convinced　that

Schneider　was　quite　as　much　a　rogue　as　himself　and　that　the

fellow　was　anxious　to　leave　the　island。



These　two　premises　accepted　there　could　be　little　doubt

that　Schneider　would　prove　trustworthy　in　so　far　as　accepting

the　command　of　the　Cowrie　was　concerned；　after　that　Kai

Shang　knew　that　he　could　find　means　to　coerce　the　man　into

submission　to　his　further　wishes。



When　Schneider　and　Schmidt　left　them　and　set　out　in　the

direction　of　their　own　camp；　it　was　with　feelings　of　far

greater　relief　than　they　had　experienced　in　many　a　day。　　

Now　at　last　they　saw　a　feasible　plan　for　leaving　the　island

upon　a　seaworthy　craft。　　There　would　be　no　more　hard　labour

at　ship…building；　and　no　risking　their　lives　upon　a　crudely

built　makeshift　that　would　be　quite　as　likely　to　go　to　the

bottom　as　it　would　to　reach　the　mainland。



Also；　they　were　to　have　assistance　in　capturing　the　woman；

or　rather　women；　for　when　Momulla　had　learned　that　there

was　a　black　woman　in　the　other　camp　he　had　insisted　that

she　be　brought　along　as　well　as　the　white　woman。



As　Kai　Shang　and　Momulla　entered　their　camp；　it　was

with　a　realization　that　they　no　longer　needed　Gust。　　

They　marched　straight　to　the　tent　in　which　they　might　expect　to

find　him　at　that　hour　of　the　day；　for　though　it　would　have

been　more　comfortable　for　the　entire　party　to　remain　aboard

the　ship；　they　had　mutually　decided　that　it　would　be　safer　for

all　concerned　were　they　to　pitch　their　camp　ashore。



Each　knew　that　in　the　heart　of　the　others　was　sufficient

treachery　to　make　it　unsafe　for　any　member　of　the　party　to

go　ashore　leaving　the　others　in　possession　of　the　Cowrie；　so

not　more　than　two　or　three　men　at　a　time　were　ever　permitted

aboard　the　vessel　unless　all　the　balance　of　the　company

was　there　too。



As　the　two　crossed　toward　Gust's　tent　the　Maori　felt　the

edge　of　his　long　knife　with　one　grimy；　calloused　thumb。　　

The　Swede　would　have　felt　far　from　comfortable　could　he　have

seen　this　significant　action；　or　read　what　was　passing　amid

the　convolutions　of　the　brown　man's　cruel　brain。



Now　it　happened　that　Gust　was　at　that　moment　in　the　tent

occupied　by　the　cook；　and　this　tent　stood　but　a　few　feet

from　his　own。　　So　that　he　heard　the　approach　of　Kai　Shang

and　Momulla；　though　he　did　not；　of　course；　dream　that　it

had　any　special　significance　for　him。



Chance　had　it；　though；　that　he　glanced　out　of　the　doorway

of　the　cook's　tent　at　the　very　moment　that　Kai　Shang　and

Momulla　approached　the　entrance　to　his；　and　he　thought　that

he　noted　a　stealthiness　in　their　movements　that　comported

poorly　with　amicable