the beasts of tarzan-第7章

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Upon　the　shore　he　found　an　out…cropping　of　brittle；　igneous　rock。　　

By　dint　of　much　labour　he　managed　to　chip　off　a　narrow　sliver　some

twelve　inches　long　by　a　quarter　of　an　inch　thick。　　One　edge　was　quite

thin　for　a　few　inches　near　the　tip。　　It　was　the　rudiment　of　a　knife。



With　it　he　went　into　the　jungle；　searching　until　he　found　a

fallen　tree　of　a　certain　species　of　hardwood　with　which　he

was　familiar。　　From　this　he　cut　a　small　straight　branch；

which　he　pointed　at　one　end。



Then　he　scooped　a　small；　round　hole　in　the　surface　of　the

prostrate　trunk。　　Into　this　he　crumbled　a　few　bits　of　dry　bark；

minutely　shredded；　after　which　he　inserted　the　tip　of　his

pointed　stick；　and；　sitting　astride　the　bole　of　the　tree；　spun

the　slender　rod　rapidly　between　his　palms。



After　a　time　a　thin　smoke　rose　from　the　little　mass　of

tinder；　and　a　moment　later　the　whole　broke　into　flame。　　

Heaping　some　larger　twigs　and　sticks　upon　the　tiny　fire；

Tarzan　soon　had　quite　a　respectable　blaze　roaring　in　the

enlarging　cavity　of　the　dead　tree。



Into　this　he　thrust　the　blade　of　his　stone　knife；　and　as　it

became　superheated　he　would　withdraw　it；　touching　a　spot

near　the　thin　edge　with　a　drop　of　moisture。　　Beneath　the

wetted　area　a　little　flake　of　the　glassy　material　would

crack　and　scale　away。



Thus；　very　slowly；　the　ape…man　commenced　the　tedious

operation　of　putting　a　thin　edge　upon　his　primitive　hunting…knife。



He　did　not　attempt　to　accomplish　the　feat　all　in　one　sitting。　　

At　first　he　was　content　to　achieve　a　cutting　edge　of　a　couple

of　inches；　with　which　he　cut　a　long；　pliable　bow；　a　handle

for　his　knife；　a　stout　cudgel；　and　a　goodly　supply　of　arrows。



These　he　cached　in　a　tall　tree　beside　a　little　stream；

and　here　also　he　constructed　a　platform　with　a　roof　of

palm…leaves　above　it。



When　all　these　things　had　been　finished　it　was　growing　dusk；

and　Tarzan　felt　a　strong　desire　to　eat。



He　had　noted　during　the　brief　incursion　he　had　made　into

the　forest　that　a　short　distance　up…stream　from　his　tree　there

was　a　much…used　watering　place；　where；　from　the　trampled

mud　of　either　bank；　it　was　evident　beasts　of　all　sorts　and　in

great　numbers　came　to　drink。　　To　this　spot　the　hungry　ape…man

made　his　silent　way。



Through　the　upper　terrace　of　the　tree…tops　he　swung　with

the　grace　and　ease　of　a　monkey。　　But　for　the　heavy　burden

upon　his　heart　he　would　have　been　happy　in　this　return　to　the

old　free　life　of　his　boyhood。



Yet　even　with　that　burden　he　fell　into　the　little　habits　and

manners　of　his　early　life　that　were　in　reality　more　a　part　of

him　than　the　thin　veneer　of　civilization　that　the　past　three

years　of　his　association　with　the　white　men　of　the　outer　world

had　spread　lightly　over　hima　veneer　that　only　hid　the

crudities　of　the　beast　that　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　had　been。



Could　his　fellow…peers　of　the　House　of　Lords　have　seen　him

then　they　would　have　held　up　their　noble　hands　in　holy　horror。



Silently　he　crouched　in　the　lower　branches　of　a　great　forest

giant　that　overhung　the　trail；　his　keen　eyes　and　sensitive　ears

strained　into　the　distant　jungle；　from　which　he　knew　his　dinner

would　presently　emerge。



Nor　had　he　long　to　wait。



Scarce　had　he　settled　himself　to　a　comfortable　position；

his　lithe；　muscular　legs　drawn　well　up　beneath　him　as　the

panther　draws　his　hindquarters　in　preparation　for　the　spring；

than　Bara；　the　deer；　came　daintily　down　to　drink。



But　more　than　Bara　was　coming。　　Behind　the　graceful　buck

came　another　which　the　deer　could　neither　see　nor　scent；　but

whose　movements　were　apparent　to　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　because

of　the　elevated　position　of　the　ape…man's　ambush。



He　knew　not　yet　exactly　the　nature　of　the　thing　that　moved

so　stealthily　through　the　jungle　a　few　hundred　yards　behind

the　deer；　but　he　was　convinced　that　it　was　some　great　beast

of　prey　stalking　Bara　for　the　selfsame　purpose　as　that　which

prompted　him　to　await　the　fleet　animal。　　Numa；　perhaps；　or

Sheeta；　the　panther。



In　any　event；　Tarzan　could　see　his　repast　slipping　from　his

grasp　unless　Bara　moved　more　rapidly　toward　the　ford　than

at　present。



Even　as　these　thoughts　passed　through　his　mind　some　noise

of　the　stalker　in　his　rear　must　have　come　to　the　buck；　for

with　a　sudden　start　he　paused　for　an　instant；　trembling；　in

his　tracks；　and　then　with　a　swift　bound　dashed　straight　for

the　river　and　Tarzan。　　It　was　his　intention　to　flee　through　the

shallow　ford　and　escape　upon　the　opposite　side　of　the　river。



Not　a　hundred　yards　behind　him　came　Numa。



Tarzan　could　see　him　quite　plainly　now。　　Below　the　ape…man

Bara　was　about　to　pass。　　Could　he　do　it？　　But　even　as　he

asked　himself　the　question　the　hungry　man　launched　himself

from　his　perch　full　upon　the　back　of　the　startled　buck。



In　another　instant　Numa　would　be　upon　them　both；　so　if

the　ape…man　were　to　dine　that　night；　or　ever　again；

he　must　act　quickly。



Scarcely　had　he　touched　the　sleek　hide　of　the　deer　with　a

momentum　that　sent　the　animal　to　its　knees　than　he　had

grasped　a　horn　in　either　hand；　and　with　a　single　quick　wrench

twisted　the　animal's　neck　completely　round；　until　he　felt　the

vertebrae　snap　beneath　his　grip。



The　lion　was　roaring　in　rage　close　behind　him　as　he　swung

the　deer　across　his　shoulder；　and；　grasping　a　foreleg　between

his　strong　teeth；　leaped　for　the　nearest　of　the　lower　branches

that　swung　above　his　head。



With　both　hands　he　grasped　the　limb；　and；　at　the　instant

that　Numa　sprang；　drew　himself　and　his　prey　out　of　reach　of

the　animal's　cruel　talons。



There　was　a　thud　below　him　as　the　baffled　cat　fell　back　to

earth；　and　then　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；　drawing　his　dinner

farther　up　to　the　safety　of　a　higher　limb；　looked　down　with

grinning　face　into　the　gleaming　yellow　eyes　of　the　other　wild

beast　that　glared　up　at　him　from　beneath；　and　with　taunting

insults　flaunted　the　tender　carcass　of　his　kill　in　the　face　of

him　whom　he　had　cheated　of　it。



With　his　crude　stone　knife　he　cut　a　juicy　steak　from　the

hindquarters；　and　while　the　great　lion　paced；　growling；　back

and　forth　below　him；　Lord　Greystoke　filled　his　savage　belly；

nor　ever　in　the　choicest　of　his　exclusive　London　clubs　had　a

meal　tasted　more　palatable。



The　warm　blood　of　his　kill　smeared　his　hands　and　face

and　filled　his　nostrils　with　the　scent　that　the　savage

carnivora　love　best。



And　when　he　had　finished　he　left　the　balance　of　the　carcass

in　a　high　fork　of　the　tree　where　he　had　dined；　and　with　Numa

trailing　below　him；　still　keen　for　revenge；　he　made　his　way

back　to　his　tree…top　shelter；　where　he　slept　until　the　sun　was

high　the　following　morning。









Chapter　4





Sheeta





The　next　few　days　were　occupied　by　Tarzan　in　completing

his　weapons　and　exploring　the　jungle。　　He　strung　his

bow　with　tendons　from　the　buck　upon　which　he　had　dined

his　first　evening　upon　the　new　shore；　and　though　he　would

have　preferred　the　gut　of　Sheeta　for　the　purpose；　he　was

content　to　wait　until　opportunity　permitted　him　to　kill

one　of　the　great　cats。



He　also　braided　a　long　grass　ropesuch　a　rope　as　he　had

used　so　many　years　before　to　tantalize　the　ill…natured　Tublat；

and　which　later　had　developed　into　a　wondrous　effective

weapon　in　the　practised　hands　of　the　little　ape…boy。



A　sheath　and　handle　for　his　hunting…knife　he　fashioned；

and　a　quiver　for　arrows；　and　from　the　hide　of　Bara　a　belt

and　loin…cloth。　　Then　he　set　out　to　learn　something　of　the

strange　land　in　which　he　found　himself。　　That　it　was　not　his

old　familiar　west　coast　of　the　African　continent　he　knew　from

the　fact　that　it　faced　eastthe　rising　sun　came　up　out　of　the

sea　before　the　threshold　of　the　jungle。



But　that　it　was　not　the　east　coast　of　Africa　he　was　equally

positive；　for　he　felt　satisfied　that　the　Kincaid　had　not

passed　through　the　Mediterranean；　the　Suez　Canal；　and　the　Red　Sea；

nor　had　she　had　time　to　round　the　Cape　of