tarzan and the jewels of opar()-第41章
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The others slept or tried to sleepall but the ape…man。 Silently and
powerfully he strained at the bonds which fettered his wrists。
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The muscles knotted beneath the smooth； brown skin of his arms and
shoulders； the veins stood out upon his temples from the force of his
exertionsa strand parted； another and another； and one hand was free。
Then from the jungle came a low guttural； and the ape…man became
suddenly a silent； rigid statue； with ears and nostrils straining to span the
black void where his eyesight could not reach。
Again came the uncanny sound from the thick verdure beyond the
camp。 A sentry halted abruptly； straining his eyes into the gloom。 The
kinky wool upon his head stiffened and raised。 He called to his comrade
in a hoarse whisper。
〃Did you hear it？〃 he asked。
The other came closer； trembling。
〃Hear what？〃
Again was the weird sound repeated； followed almost immediately by
a similar and answering sound from the camp。 The sentries drew close
together； watching the black spot from which the voice seemed to come。
Trees overhung the boma at this point which was upon the opposite
side of the camp from them。 They dared not approach。 Their terror
even prevented them from arousing their fellowsthey could only stand in
frozen fear and watch for the fearsome apparition they momentarily
expected to see leap from the jungle。
Nor had they long to wait。 A dim； bulky form dropped lightly from
the branches of a tree into the camp。 At sight of it one of the sentries
recovered command of his muscles and his voice。 Screaming loudly to
awaken the sleeping camp； he leaped toward the flickering watch fire and
threw a mass of brush upon it。
The white officer and the black soldiers sprang from their blankets。
The flames leaped high upon the rejuvenated fire； lighting the entire camp；
and the awakened men shrank back in superstitious terror from the sight
that met their frightened and astonished vision。
A dozen huge and hairy forms loomed large beneath the trees at the far
side of the enclosure。 The white giant； one hand freed； had struggled to
his knees and was calling to the frightful； nocturnal visitors in a hideous
medley of bestial gutturals； barkings and growlings。
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Werper had managed to sit up。 He； too； saw the savage faces of the
approaching anthropoids and scarcely knew whether to be relieved or
terror…stricken。
Growling； the great apes leaped forward toward Tarzan and Werper。
Chulk led them。 The Belgian officer called to his men to fire upon the
intruders； but the Negroes held back； filled as they were with superstitious
terror of the hairy treemen； and with the conviction that the white giant
who could thus summon the beasts of the jungle to his aid was more than
human。
Drawing his own weapon； the officer fired； and Tarzan fearing the
effect of the noise upon his really timid friends called to them to hasten
and fulfill his commands。
A couple of the apes turned and fled at the sound of the firearm； but
Chulk and a half dozen others waddled rapidly forward； and； following the
ape…man's directions； seized both him and Werper and bore them off
toward the jungle。
By dint of threats； reproaches and profanity the Belgian officer
succeeded in persuading his trembling command to fire a volley after the
retreating apes。 A ragged； straggling volley it was； but at least one of its
bullets found a mark； for as the jungle closed about the hairy rescuers；
Chulk； who bore Werper across one broad shoulder； staggered and fell。
In an instant he was up again； but the Belgian guessed from his
unsteady gait that he was hard hit。 He lagged far behind the others； and it
was several minutes after they had halted at Tarzan's command before he
came slowly up to them； reeling from side to side； and at last falling again
beneath the weight of his burden and the shock of his wound。
As Chulk went down he dropped Werper； so that the latter fell face
downward with the body of the ape lying half across him。 In this
position the Belgian felt something resting against his hands； which were
still bound at his backsomething that was not a part of the hairy body of
the ape。
Mechanically the man's fingers felt of the object resting almost in their
graspit was a soft pouch； filled with small； hard particles。 Werper
gasped in wonderment as recognition filtered through the incredulity of his
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mind。 It was impossible； and yet it was true！
Feverishly he strove to remove the pouch from the ape and transfer it
to his own possession； but the restricted radius to which his bonds held his
hands prevented this； though he did succeed in tucking the pouch with its
precious contents inside the waist band of his trousers。
Tarzan； sitting at a short distance； was busy with the remaining knots
of the cords which bound him。 Presently he flung aside the last of them
and rose to his feet。 Approaching Werper he knelt beside him。 For a
moment he examined the ape。
〃Quite dead；〃 he announced。 〃It is too badhe was a splendid
creature；〃 and then he turned to the work of liberating the Belgian。
He freed his hands first； and then commenced upon the knots at his
ankles。
〃I can do the rest；〃 said the Belgian。 〃I have a small pocketknife
which they overlooked when they searched me；〃 and in this way he
succeeded in ridding himself of the ape…man's attentions that he might find
and open his little knife and cut the thong which fastened the pouch about
Chulk's shoulder； and transfer it from his waist band to the breast of his
shirt。 Then he rose and approached Tarzan。
Once again had avarice claimed him。 Forgotten were the good
intentions which the confidence of Jane Clayton in his honor had
awakened。 What she had done； the little pouch had undone。 How it had
come upon the person of the great ape； Werper could not imagine； unless it
had been that the anthropoid had witnessed his fight with Achmet Zek；
seen the Arab with the pouch and taken it away from him； but that this
pouch contained the jewels of Opar； Werper was positive； and that was all
that interested him greatly。
〃Now；〃 said the ape…man； 〃keep your promise to me。 Lead me to the
spot where you last saw my wife。〃
It was slow work pushing through the jungle in the dead of night
behind the slow…moving Belgian。 The ape…man chafed at the delay； but
the European could not swing through the trees as could his more agile
and muscular companions； and so the speed of all was limited to that of
the slowest。
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The apes trailed out behind the two white men for a matter of a few
miles； but presently their interest lagged； the foremost of them halted in a
little glade and the others stopped at his side。 There they sat peering
from beneath their shaggy brows at the figures of the two men forging
steadily ahead； until the latter disappeared in the leafy trail beyond the
clearing。 Then an ape sought a comfortable couch beneath a tree； and one
by one the others followed his example； so that Werper and Tarzan
continued their journey alone； nor was the latter either surprised or
concerned。
The two had gone but a short distance beyond the glade where the apes
had deserted them； when the roaring of distant lions fell upon their ears。
The ape…man paid no attention to the familiar sounds until the crack of a
rifle came faintly from the same direction； and when this was followed by
the shrill neighing of horses； and an almost continuous fusillade of shots
intermingled with increased and savage roaring of a large troop of lions；
he became immediately concerned。
〃Someone is having trouble over there；〃 he said； turning toward
Werper。 〃I'll have to go to themthey may be friends。〃
〃Your wife might be among them；〃 suggested the Belgian； for since he
had again come into possession of the pouch he had become fearful and
suspicious of the ape…man； and in his mind had constantly revolved many
plans for eluding this giant Englishman； who was at once his savior and
his captor。
At the suggestion Tarzan started as though struck with a whip。
〃God！〃 he cried； 〃she might be； and the lions are attacking themthey
are in the camp。 I can tell from the screams of the horsesand there！
that was the cry of a man in his death agonies。 Stay here manI will
come back for you。 I must go first to them；〃 and swinging into a tree the
lithe figure swung rapidly off into the night with the speed and silence of a
disembodied spirit。
For a moment Werper stood where the ape…man had left him。 Then a
cunning smile crossed his lips。 〃Stay here？〃 he asked himself。 〃Stay
here and wait until you return to find and take these jewels from me？
Not I； my friend； not I；〃 and turning abruptly eastward Albert Werper
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passed through the foliage of a hanging vine and out of the sight of his
fellow…manforever。
