the beasts of tarzan-第34章

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Jane　Clayton　seized　her　husband's　hands　and　tried　to　drag　them

from　the　throat　of　the　dying　man；　but　Tarzan　only　shook　his　head。



〃Not　again；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃Before　have　I　permitted

scoundrels　to　live；　only　to　suffer　and　to　have　you　suffer　for

my　mercy。　　This　time　we　shall　make　sure　of　one　scoundrel

sure　that　he　will　never　again　harm　us　or　another；〃　and　with

a　sudden　wrench　he　twisted　the　neck　of　the　perfidious　mate

until　there　was　a　sharp　crack；　and　the　man's　body　lay　limp

and　motionless　in　the　ape…man's　grasp。　　With　a　gesture　of

disgust　Tarzan　tossed　the　corpse　aside。　　Then　he　returned　to

the　deck；　followed　by　Jane　and　the　Mosula　woman。



The　battle　there　was　over。　　Schmidt　and　Momulla　and　two

others　alone　remained　alive　of　all　the　company　of　the　Cowrie；

for　they　had　found　sanctuary　in　the　forecastle。　　The　others

had　died；　horribly；　and　as　they　deserved；　beneath　the　fangs

and　talons　of　the　beasts　of　Tarzan；　and　in　the　morning　the

sun　rose　on　a　grisly　sight　upon　the　deck　of　the　unhappy

Cowrie；　but　this　time　the　blood　which　stained　her　white

planking　was　the　blood　of　the　guilty　and　not　of　the　innocent。



Tarzan　brought　forth　the　men　who　had　hidden　in　the　forecastle；

and　without　promises　of　immunity　from　punishment　forced　them

to　help　work　the　vesselthe　only　alternative　was　immediate　death。



A　stiff　breeze　had　risen　with　the　sun；　and　with　canvas

spread　the　Cowrie　set　in　toward　Jungle　Island；　where　a　few

hours　later；　Tarzan　picked　up　Gust　and　bid　farewell　to　Sheeta

and　the　apes　of　Akut；　for　here　he　set　the　beasts　ashore　to

pursue　the　wild　and　natural　life　they　loved　so　well；　nor　did

they　lose　a　moment's　time　in　disappearing　into　the　cool　depths

of　their　beloved　jungle。



That　they　knew　that　Tarzan　was　to　leave　them　may　be　doubted

except　possibly　in　the　case　of　the　more　intelligent　Akut；

who　alone　of　all　the　others　remained　upon　the　beach　as　the

small　boat　drew　away　toward　the　schooner；　carrying　his　savage

lord　and　master　from　him。



And　as　long　as　their　eyes　could　span　the　distance；　Jane　and

Tarzan；　standing　upon　the　deck；　saw　the　lonely　figure　of

the　shaggy　anthropoid　motionless　upon　the　surf…beaten　sands

of　Jungle　Island。





It　was　three　days　later　that　the　Cowrie　fell　in　with　H。M。

sloop…of…war　Shorewater；　through　whose　wireless　Lord　Greystoke

soon　got　in　communication　with　London。　　Thus　he　learned　that

which　filled　his　and　his　wife's　heart　with　joy　and　thanksgiving

little　Jack　was　safe　at　Lord　Greystoke's　town　house。



It　was　not　until　they　reached　London　that　they　learned　the

details　of　the　remarkable　chain　of　circumstances　that　had

preserved　the　infant　unharmed。



It　developed　that　Rokoff；　fearing　to　take　the　child　aboard　the

Kincaid　by　day；　had　hidden　it　in　a　low　den　where　nameless　infants

were　harboured；　intending　to　carry　it　to　the　steamer　after　dark。



His　confederate　and　chief　lieutenant；　Paulvitch；　true　to　the

long　years　of　teaching　of　his　wily　master；　had　at　last

succumbed　to　the　treachery　and　greed　that　had　always　marked

his　superior；　and；　lured　by　the　thoughts　of　the　immense　ransom

that　he　might　win　by　returning　the　child　unharmed；　had

divulged　the　secret　of　its　parentage　to　the　woman　who

maintained　the　foundling　asylum。　　Through　her　he　had　arranged

for　the　substitution　of　another　infant；　knowing　full　well　that

never　until　it　was　too　late　would　Rokoff　suspect　the　trick　that

had　been　played　upon　him。



The　woman　had　promised　to　keep　the　child　until　Paulvitch

returned　to　England；　but　she；　in　turn；　had　been　tempted　to

betray　her　trust　by　the　lure　of　gold；　and　so　had　opened

negotiations　with　Lord　Greystoke's　solicitors　for　the　return

of　the　child。



Esmeralda；　the　old　Negro　nurse　whose　absence　on　a　vacation

in　America　at　the　time　of　the　abduction　of　little　Jack

had　been　attributed　by　her　as　the　cause　of　the　calamity；

had　returned　and　positively　identified　the　infant。



The　ransom　had　been　paid；　and　within　ten　days　of　the　date

of　his　kidnapping　the　future　Lord　Greystoke；　none　the　worse

for　his　experience；　had　been　returned　to　his　father's　home。



And　so　that　last　and　greatest　of　Nikolas　Rokoff's　many

rascalities　had　not　only　miserably　miscarried　through　the

treachery　he　had　taught　his　only　friend；　but　it　had　resulted

in　the　arch…villain's　death；　and　given　to　Lord　and　Lady　Greystoke

a　peace　of　mind　that　neither　could　ever　have　felt　so　long　as

the　vital　spark　remained　in　the　body　of　the　Russian　and　his

malign　mind　was　free　to　formulate　new　atrocities　against　them。



Rokoff　was　dead；　and　while　the　fate　of　Paulvitch　was　unknown；

they　had　every　reason　to　believe　that　he　had　succumbed　to　the

dangers　of　the　jungle　where　last　they　had　seen　himthe

malicious　tool　of　his　master。



And　thus；　in　so　far　as　they　might　know；　they　were　to　be

freed　for　ever　from　the　menace　of　these　two　menthe　only

enemies　which　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　ever　had　had　occasion　to

fear；　because　they　struck　at　him　cowardly　blows；　through

those　he　loved。





It　was　a　happy　family　party　that　were　reunited　in　Greystoke

House　the　day　that　Lord　Greystoke　and　his　lady　landed　upon

English　soil　from　the　deck　of　the　Shorewater。



Accompanying　them　were　Mugambi　and　the　Mosula

woman　whom　he　had　found　in　the　bottom　of　the　canoe　that

night　upon　the　bank　of　the　little　tributary　of　the　Ugambi。



The　woman　had　preferred　to　cling　to　her　new　lord　and　master　

rather　than　return　to　the　marriage　she　had　tried　to　escape。



Tarzan　had　proposed　to　them　that　they　might　find　a　home

upon　his　vast　African　estates　in　the　land　of　the　Waziri；　where

they　were　to　be　sent　as　soon　as　opportunity　presented　itself。



Possibly　we　shall　see　them　all　there　amid　the　savage　romance

of　the　grim　jungle　and　the　great　plains　where　Tarzan

of　the　Apes　loves　best　to　be。



Who　knows？








End