the beasts of tarzan-第27章
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behind them were otherwise engagedfor up the monkey…
ladder in their rear was thronging a hideous horde。
First came five snarling apes； huge； manlike beasts；
with bared fangs and slavering jaws； and after them a
giant black warrior； his long spear gleaming in the moonlight。
Behind him again scrambled another creature； and of all the
horrid horde it was this they most fearedSheeta； the panther；
with gleaming jaws agape and fiery eyes blazing at them
in the mightiness of his hate and of his blood lust。
The shots that had been fired at Tarzan missed him； and he
would have been upon Rokoff in another instant had not the
great coward dodged backward between his two henchmen； and；
screaming in hysterical terror； bolted forward toward
the forecastle。
For the moment Tarzan's attention was distracted by the
two men before him； so that he could not at the time pursue
the Russian。 About him the apes and Mugambi were battling
with the balance of the Russian's party。
Beneath the terrible ferocity of the beasts the men were soon
scampering in all directionsthose who still lived to scamper；
for the great fangs of the apes of Akut and the tearing talons
of Sheeta already had found more than a single victim。
Four； however； escaped and disappeared into the forecastle；
where they hoped to barricade themselves against further assault。
Here they found Rokoff； and； enraged at his desertion of them
in their moment of peril； no less than at the uniformly
brutal treatment it had been his wont to accord them；
they gloated upon the opportunity now offered them to
revenge themselves in part upon their hated employer。
Despite his prayers and grovelling pleas； therefore； they
hurled him bodily out upon the deck； delivering him to the
mercy of the fearful things from which they had themselves
just escaped。
Tarzan saw the man emerge from the forecastlesaw and
recognized his enemy； but another saw him even as soon。
It was Sheeta； and with grinning jaws the mighty beast
slunk silently toward the terror…stricken man。
When Rokoff saw what it was that stalked him his shrieks for
help filled the air； as with trembling knees he stood； as one
paralyzed； before the hideous death that was creeping upon him。
Tarzan took a step toward the Russian； his brain burning
with a raging fire of vengeance。 At last he had the murderer
of his son at his mercy。 His was the right to avenge。
Once Jane had stayed his hand that time that he sought to take
the law into his own power and mete to Rokoff the death that
he had so long merited； but this time none should stay him。
His fingers clenched and unclenched spasmodically as he approached
the trembling Russ； beastlike and ominous as a brute of prey。
Presently he saw that Sheeta was about to forestall him；
robbing him of the fruits of his great hate。
He called sharply to the panther； and the words； as if
they had broken a hideous spell that had held the Russian；
galvanized him into sudden action。 With a scream he turned
and fled toward the bridge。
After him pounced Sheeta the panther； unmindful of his
master's warning voice。
Tarzan was about to leap after the two when he felt a light
touch upon his arm。 Turning； he found Jane at his elbow。
〃Do not leave me；〃 she whispered。 〃I am afraid。〃
Tarzan glanced behind her。
All about were the hideous apes of Akut。 Some； even；
were approaching the young woman with bared fangs and
menacing guttural warnings。
The ape…man warned them back。 He had forgotten for the
moment that these were but beasts； unable to differentiate
his friends and his foes。 Their savage natures were roused by
their recent battle with the sailors； and now all flesh outside
the pack was meat to them。
Tarzan turned again toward the Russian； chagrined that
he should have to forgo the pleasure of personal revenge
unless the man should escape Sheeta。 But as he looked he saw
that there could be no hope of that。 The fellow had retreated
to the end of the bridge； where he now stood trembling and
wide…eyed； facing the beast that moved slowly toward him。
The panther crawled with belly to the planking； uttering
uncanny mouthings。 Rokoff stood as though petrified；
his eyes protruding from their sockets； his mouth agape；
and the cold sweat of terror clammy upon his brow。
Below him； upon the deck； he had seen the great anthropoids；
and so had not dared to seek escape in that direction。
In fact； even now one of the brutes was leaping to seize the
bridge…rail and draw himself up to the Russian's side。
Before him was the panther； silent and crouched。
Rokoff could not move。 His knees trembled。 His voice
broke in inarticulate shrieks。 With a last piercing wail he
sank to his kneesand then Sheeta sprang。
Full upon the man's breast the tawny body hurtled；
tumbling the Russian to his back。
As the great fangs tore at the throat and chest； Jane Clayton
turned away in horror； but not so Tarzan of the Apes。 A cold
smile of satisfaction touched his lips。 The scar upon his
forehead that had burned scarlet faded to the normal hue of his
tanned skin and disappeared。
Rokoff fought furiously but futilely against the growling；
rending fate that had overtaken him。 For all his countless
crimes he was punished in the brief moment of the hideous
death that claimed him at the last。
After his struggles ceased Tarzan approached； at Jane's
suggestion； to wrest the body from the panther and give what
remained of it decent human burial； but the great cat rose
snarling above its kill； threatening even the master it loved
in its savage way； so that rather than kill his friend of the
jungle； Tarzan was forced to relinquish his intentions。
All that night Sheeta； the panther； crouched upon the grisly
thing that had been Nikolas Rokoff。 The bridge of the
Kincaid was slippery with blood。 Beneath the brilliant
tropic moon the great beast feasted until； when the sun rose
the following morning； there remained of Tarzan's great enemy
only gnawed and broken bones。
Of the Russian's party； all were accounted for except Paulvitch。
Four were prisoners in the Kincaid's forecastle。 The rest were dead。
With these men Tarzan got up steam upon the vessel； and with
the knowledge of the mate； who happened to be one of those surviving；
he planned to set out in quest of Jungle Island； but as the morning
dawned there came with it a heavy gale from the west which raised
a sea into which the mate of the Kincaid dared not venture。
All that day the ship lay within the shelter of the mouth of the river；
for； though night witnessed a lessening of the wind； it was thought
safer to wait for daylight before attempting the navigation of
the winding channel to the sea。
Upon the deck of the steamer the pack wandered without
let or hindrance by day； for they had soon learned through
Tarzan and Mugambi that they must harm no one upon the
Kincaid； but at night they were confined below。
Tarzan's joy had been unbounded when he learned from
his wife that the little child who had died in the village of
M'ganwazam was not their son。 Who the baby could have
been； or what had become of their own； they could not imagine；
and as both Rokoff and Paulvitch were gone； there was
no way of discovering。
There was； however； a certain sense of relief in the knowledge
that they might yet hope。 Until positive proof of the baby's
death reached them there was always that to buoy them up。
It seemed quite evident that their little Jack had not been
brought aboard the Kincaid。 Anderssen would have known
of it had such been the case； but he had assured Jane time
and time again that the little one he had brought to her cabin
the night he aided her to escape was the only one that had
been aboard the Kincaid since she lay at Dover。
Chapter 18
Paulvitch Plots Revenge
As Jane and Tarzan stood upon the vessel's deck recounting
to one another the details of the various adventures
through which each had passed since they had parted in their
London home； there glared at them from beneath scowling
brows a hidden watcher upon the shore。
Through the man's brain passed plan after plan whereby
he might thwart the escape of the Englishman and his wife；
for so long as the vital spark remained within the vindictive
brain of Alexander Paulvitch none who had aroused the enmity
of the Russian might be entirely safe。
Plan after plan he formed only to discard each either as
impracticable； or unworthy the vengeance his wrongs demanded。
So warped by faulty reasoning was the criminal mind of
Rokoff's lieutenant that he could not grasp the real
truth of that which lay between himself and the ape…man and
see that always the fault had been； not with the English lord；
but with himself and his confederate。
And at the rejection of each new scheme Paulvitch arrived
always at the same conclusionthat he could accomplish
naught while half the breadth of the Ugambi separated him
from the object of his hatred。
But how was he to span the crocodile…infested waters？
There was no canoe nearer than the Mosula village； and
Paulvitch was none too sure that the Kincaid would still be
at anchor in the river when he returned should he take the
time to traverse the jungle to the distant village and return
with a canoe。 Yet there was no other way； and so； convinced
that thus alone might he hope to reach his prey； Paulvitch；
with a parting scowl at the two figures upon the Kincaid's
deck； turned away from the river。
Hastening through the dense jungle； his mind centred upon
his one fetichrevengethe Russian forgot even his terror
of the savage world through which he moved。
Baffled and beaten at every turn of Fortune's wheel；
reacted upon time after time by his own malign plotting；
the principal victim of his own criminality； Paulvitch
was yet so blind as to imagine that his greatest happiness
lay in a continuation of the plottings and schemings which
had ever brought him and Rokoff to disaster； and the latter
finally to a hideous death。
As the Russian stumbled on through the jungle toward the Mosula
village there presently crystallized within his brain a plan
which seemed more feasible than any that he had as yet considered。
He would come by night to the side of the Kincaid； and
once aboard； would search out the members of the ship's
original crew who had survived the terrors of this frightful
expedition； and enlist them in an attempt to wrest the vessel
from Tarzan and his beasts。
In the cabin were arms and ammunition； and hidden in a
secret receptacle in the cabin table was one of those infernal
machines； the construction of which had occupied much of
Paulvitch's spare time when he had
