the beasts of tarzan-第31章

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Kai　Shang　was　peeved。　　He　had　no　love　for　authority；　and

certainly　not　the　slightest　intention　of　submitting　to　the

domination　of　an　ordinary　Swede　sailor。



The　seeds　of　discontent　were；　therefore；　already　planted　in　the　camp

of　the　mutineers　of　the　Cowrie　at　the　north　edge　of　Jungle　Island。

But　Kai　Shang　realized　that　he　must　act　with　circumspection；

for　Gust　alone　of　the　motley　horde　possessed　sufficient

knowledge　of　navigation　to　get　them　out　of　the　South　Atlantic

and　around　the　cape　into　more　congenial　waters　where　they　might

find　a　market　for　their　ill…gotten　wealth；　and　no　questions　asked。



The　day　before　they　sighted　Jungle　Island　and　discovered

the　little　land…locked　harbour　upon　the　bosom　of　which　the

Cowrie　now　rode　quietly　at　anchor；　the　watch　had　discovered

the　smoke　and　funnels　of　a　warship　upon　the　southern　horizon。



The　chance　of　being　spoken　and　investigated　by　a　man…of…war

appealed　not　at　all　to　any　of　them；　so　they　put　into　hiding

for　a　few　days　until　the　danger　should　have　passed。



And　now　Gust　did　not　wish　to　venture　out　to　sea　again。　　

There　was　no　telling；　he　insisted；　but　that　the　ship　they　had

seen　was　actually　searching　for　them。　　Kai　Shang　pointed　out

that　such　could　not　be　the　case　since　it　was　impossible　for

any　human　being　other　than　themselves　to　have　knowledge

of　what　had　transpired　aboard　the　Cowrie。



But　Gust　was　not　to　be　persuaded。　　In　his　wicked　heart　he

nursed　a　scheme　whereby　he　might　increase　his　share　of　the

booty　by　something　like　one　hundred　per　cent。　　He　alone

could　sail　the　Cowrie；　therefore　the　others　could　not　leave

Jungle　Island　without　him；　but　what　was　there　to　prevent

Gust；　with　just　sufficient　men　to　man　the　schooner；　slipping

away　from　Kai　Shang；　Momulla　the　Maori；　and　some　half

of　the　crew　when　opportunity　presented？



It　was　for　this　opportunity　that　Gust　waited。　　Some　day

there　would　come　a　moment　when　Kai　Shang；　Momulla；　and

three　or　four　of　the　others　would　be　absent　from　camp；

exploring　or　hunting。　　The　Swede　racked　his　brain　for　some　plan

whereby　he　might　successfully　lure　from　the　sight　of　the

anchored　ship　those　whom　he　had　determined　to　abandon。



To　this　end　he　organized　hunting　party　after　hunting　party；

but　always　the　devil　of　perversity　seemed　to　enter　the　soul　of

Kai　Shang；　so　that　wily　celestial　would　never　hunt　except

in　the　company　of　Gust　himself。



One　day　Kai　Shang　spoke　secretly　with　Momulla　the　Maori；

pouring　into　the　brown　ear　of　his　companion　the　suspicions

which　he　harboured　concerning　the　Swede。　　Momulla　was　for

going　immediately　and　running　a　long　knife　through

the　heart　of　the　traitor。



It　is　true　that　Kai　Shang　had　no　other　evidence　than　the

natural　cunning　of　his　own　knavish　soulbut　he　imagined

in　the　intentions　of　Gust　what　he　himself　would　have　been

glad　to　accomplish　had　the　means　lain　at　hand。



But　he　dared　not　let　Momulla　slay　the　Swede；　upon　whom

they　depended　to　guide　them　to　their　destination。　　

They　decided；　however；　that　it　would　do　no　harm　to　attempt　to

frighten　Gust　into　acceding　to　their　demands；　and　with　this

purpose　in　mind　the　Maori　sought　out　the　self…constituted

commander　of　the　party。



When　he　broached　the　subject　of　immediate　departure

Gust　again　raised　his　former　objectionthat　the　warship

might　very　probably　be　patrolling　the　sea　directly　in　their

southern　path；　waiting　for　them　to　make　the　attempt　to　reach

other　waters。



Momulla　scoffed　at　the　fears　of　his　fellow；　pointing　out

that　as　no　one　aboard　any　warship　knew　of　their　mutiny　there

could　be　no　reason　why　they　should　be　suspected。



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Gust；　〃there　is　where　you　are　wrong。　　

There　is　where　you　are　lucky　that　you　have　an　educated　man

like　me　to　tell　you　what　to　do。　　You　are　an　ignorant　savage；

Momulla；　and　so　you　know　nothing　of　wireless。〃



The　Maori　leaped　to　his　feet　and　laid　his　hand　upon　the

hilt　of　his　knife。



〃I　am　no　savage；〃　he　shouted。



〃I　was　only　joking；〃　the　Swede　hastened　to　explain。　　〃We　are

old　friends；　Momulla；　we　cannot　afford　to　quarrel；　at　least

not　while　old　Kai　Shang　is　plotting　to　steal　all　the　pearls

from　us。　　If　he　could　find　a　man　to　navigate　the　Cowrie　he

would　leave　us　in　a　minute。　　All　his　talk　about　getting　away

from　here　is　just　because　he　has　some　scheme　in　his　head　to

get　rid　of　us。〃



〃But　the　wireless；〃　asked　Momulla。　　〃What　has　the　wireless

to　do　with　our　remaining　here？〃



〃Oh　yes；〃　replied　Gust；　scratching　his　head。　　He　was　wondering

if　the　Maori　were　really　so　ignorant　as　to　believe　the

preposterous　lie　he　was　about　to　unload　upon　him。　　〃Oh　yes！　

You　see　every　warship　is　equipped　with　what　they　call　a

wireless　apparatus。　　It　lets　them　talk　to　other　ships　hundreds

of　miles　away；　and　it　lets　them　listen　to　all　that　is　said　on

these　other　ships。　　Now；　you　see；　when　you　fellows　were

shooting　up　the　Cowrie　you　did　a　whole　lot　of　loud　talking；　and

there　isn't　any　doubt　but　that　that　warship　was　a…lyin'　off　south

of　us　listenin'　to　it　all。　　Of　course　they　might　not　have　learned

the　name　of　the　ship；　but　they　heard　enough　to　know　that　the

crew　of　some　ship　was　mutinying　and　killin'　her　officers。　　So　you

see　they'll　be　waiting　to　search　every　ship　they　sight　for　a

long　time　to　come；　and　they　may　not　be　far　away　now。〃



When　he　had　ceased　speaking　the　Swede　strove　to　assume

an　air　of　composure　that　his　listener　might　not　have　his

suspicions　aroused　as　to　the　truth　of　the　statements　that

had　just　been　made。



Momulla　sat　for　some　time　in　silence；　eyeing　Gust。　　At　last

he　rose。



〃You　are　a　great　liar；〃　he　said。　　〃If　you　don't　get　us　on

our　way　by　tomorrow　you'll　never　have　another　chance　to　lie；

for　I　heard　two　of　the　men　saying　that　they'd　like　to　run

a　knife　into　you　and　that　if　you　kept　them　in　this　hole　any

longer　they'd　do　it。〃



〃Go　and　ask　Kai　Shang　if　there　is　not　a　wireless；〃　replied　Gust。　　

〃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　an