the return of tarzan-第1章
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The Return Of Tarzan
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
1 The Affair on the Liner
2 Forging Bonds of Hate and ？
3 What Happened in the Rue Maule
4 The Countess Explains
5 The Plot That Failed
6 A Duel
7 The Dancing Girl of Sidi Aissa
8 The Fight in the Desert
9 Numa 〃El Adrea〃
10 Through the Valley of the Shadow
11 John Caldwell； London
12 Ships That Pass
13 The Wreck of the 〃Lady Alice〃
14 Back to the Primitive
15 From Ape to Savage
16 The Ivory Raiders
17 The White Chief of the Waziri
18 The Lottery of Death
19 The City of Gold
20 La
21 The Castaways
22 The Treasure Vaults of Opar
23 The Fifty Frightful Men
24 How Tarzan Came Again to Opar
25 Through the Forest Primeval
26 The Passing of the Ape…Man
Chapter I
The Affair on the Liner
〃Magnifique！〃 ejaculated the Countess de Coude； beneath
her breath。
〃Eh？〃 questioned the count； turning toward his young wife。
〃What is it that is magnificent？〃 and the count bent his eyes
in various directions in quest of the object of her admiration。
〃Oh； nothing at all； my dear；〃 replied the countess； a slight
flush momentarily coloring her already pink cheek。 〃I was but
recalling with admiration those stupendous skyscrapers； as
they call them； of New York；〃 and the fair countess settled
herself more comfortably in her steamer chair； and resumed
the magazine which 〃nothing at all〃 had caused her to let
fall upon her lap。
Her husband again buried himself in his book； but not
without a mild wonderment that three days out from New
York his countess should suddenly have realized an
admiration for the very buildings she had but recently
characterized as horrid。
Presently the count put down his book。 〃It is very tiresome；
Olga；〃 he said。 〃I think that I shall hunt up some
others who may be equally bored； and see if we cannot find
enough for a game of cards。〃
〃You are not very gallant； my husband；〃 replied the young
woman； smiling； 〃but as I am equally bored I can forgive you。
Go and play at your tiresome old cards； then； if you will。〃
When he had gone she let her eyes wander slyly to the figure
of a tall young man stretched lazily in a chair not far distant。
〃MAGNIFIQUE！〃 she breathed once more。
The Countess Olga de Coude was twenty。 Her husband forty。
She was a very faithful and loyal wife； but as she had had
nothing whatever to do with the selection of a husband；
it is not at all unlikely that she was not wildly and
passionately in love with the one that fate and her titled
Russian father had selected for her。 However； simply because
she was surprised into a tiny exclamation of approval at sight
of a splendid young stranger it must not be inferred therefrom
that her thoughts were in any way disloyal to her spouse。
She merely admired； as she might have admired a particularly
fine specimen of any species。 Furthermore； the young man
was unquestionably good to look at。
As her furtive glance rested upon his profile he rose to leave
the deck。 The Countess de Coude beckoned to a passing steward。
〃Who is that gentleman？〃 she asked。
〃He is booked； madam； as Monsieur Tarzan； of Africa；〃
replied the steward。
〃Rather a large estate；〃 thought the girl； but now her
interest was still further aroused。
As Tarzan walked slowly toward the smoking…room he
came unexpectedly upon two men whispering excitedly just
without。 He would have vouchsafed them not even a passing
thought but for the strangely guilty glance that one of them
shot in his direction。 They reminded Tarzan of melodramatic
villains he had seen at the theaters in Paris。 Both were very
dark； and this； in connection with the shrugs and stealthy
glances that accompanied their palpable intriguing； lent still
greater force to the similarity。
Tarzan entered the smoking…room； and sought a chair a
little apart from the others who were there。 He felt in no
mood for conversation； and as he sipped his absinth he let
his mind run rather sorrowfully over the past few weeks of
his life。 Time and again he had wondered if he had acted
wisely in renouncing his birthright to a man to whom he
owed nothing。 It is true that he liked Clayton； butah； but
that was not the question。 It was not for William Cecil Clayton；
Lord Greystoke； that he had denied his birth。 It was for
the woman whom both he and Clayton had loved； and whom a
strange freak of fate had given to Clayton instead of to him。
That she loved him made the thing doubly difficult to bear；
yet he knew that he could have done nothing less than he
did do that night within the little railway station in the far
Wisconsin woods。 To him her happiness was the first consideration
of all； and his brief experience with civilization and civilized
men had taught him that without money and position life to
most of them was unendurable。
Jane Porter had been born to both； and had Tarzan taken
them away from her future husband it would doubtless have
plunged her into a life of misery and torture。 That she would
have spurned Clayton once he had been stripped of both his
title and his estates never for once occurred to Tarzan； for
he credited to others the same honest loyalty that was so
inherent a quality in himself。 Nor； in this instance； had he erred。
Could any one thing have further bound Jane Porter to her
promise to Clayton it would have been in the nature
of some such misfortune as this overtaking him。
Tarzan's thoughts drifted from the past to the future。
He tried to look forward with pleasurable sensations to his
return to the jungle of his birth and boyhood； the cruel； fierce
jungle in which he had spent twenty of his twenty…two years。
But who or what of all the myriad jungle life would there
be to welcome his return？ Not one。 Only Tantor； the elephant；
could he call friend。 The others would hunt him or
flee from him as had been their way in the past。
Not even the apes of his own tribe would extend the hand
of fellowship to him。
If civilization had done nothing else for Tarzan of the
Apes； it had to some extent taught him to crave the society
of his own kind； and to feel with genuine pleasure the
congenial warmth of companionship。 And in the same ratio
had it made any other life distasteful to him。 It was difficult
to imagine a world without a friendwithout a living thing
who spoke the new tongues which Tarzan had learned to
love so well。 And so it was that Tarzan looked with little
relish upon the future he had mapped out for himself。
As he sat musing over his cigarette his eyes fell upon a
mirror before him； and in it he saw reflected a table at which
four men sat at cards。 Presently one of them rose to leave；
and then another approached； and Tarzan could see that he
courteously offered to fill the vacant chair； that the game
might not be interrupted。 He was the smaller of the two whom
Tarzan had seen whispering just outside the smoking…room。
It was this fact that aroused a faint spark of interest in
Tarzan； and so as he speculated upon the future he watched
in the mirror the reflection of the players at the table
behind him。 Aside from the man who had but just entered the
game Tarzan knew the name of but one of the other players。
It was he who sat opposite the new player； Count Raoul
de Coude； whom at over…attentive steward had pointed out as
one of the celebrities of the passage； describing him as a
man high in the official family of the French minister of war。
Suddenly Tarzan's attention was riveted upon the picture
in the glass。 The other swarthy plotter had entered； and was
standing behind the count's chair。 Tarzan saw him turn and
glance furtively about the room； but his eyes did not rest for
a sufficient time upon the mirror to note the reflection of
Tarzan's watchful eyes。 Stealthily the man withdrew something
from his pocket。 Tarzan could not discern what the object was；
for the man's hand covered it。
Slowly the hand approached the count； and then； very deftly；
the thing that was in it was transferred to the count's pocket。
The man remained standing where he could watch the
Frenchman's cards。 Tarzan was puzzled； but he was all
attention now； nor did he permit another detail of the
incident to escape him。
The play went on for some ten minutes after this； until
the count won a considerable wager from him who had
last joined the game； and then Tarzan saw the fellow back
of the count's chair nod his head to his confederate。
Instantly the player arose and pointed a finger at the count。
〃Had I known that monsieur was a professional card sharp
I had not been so ready to be drawn into the game；〃 he said。
Instantly the count and the two other players were upon
their feet。
De Coude's face went white。
〃What do you mean； sir？〃 he cried。 〃Do you know to whom
you speak？〃
〃I know that I speak； for the last time； to one who cheats
at cards；〃 replied the fellow。
The count leaned across the table； and struck the man full
in the mouth with his open palm； and then the others closed
in between them。
〃There is some mistake； sir；〃 cried one of the other players。
〃Why； this is Count de Coude； of France。〃
〃If I am mistaken；〃 said the accuser； 〃I shall gladly apologize；
but before I do so first let monsieur le count explain
the extra cards which I saw him drop into his side pocket。〃
And then the man whom Tarzan had seen drop them there
turned to sneak from the room； but to his annoyance he
found the exit barred by a tall； gray…eyed stranger。
〃Pardon；〃 said the man brusquely； attempting to pass to one side。
〃Wait；〃 said Tarzan。
〃But why； monsieur？〃 exclaimed the other petulantly。
〃Permit me to pass； monsieur。〃
〃Wait；〃 said Tarzan。 〃I think that there is a matter in here
that you may doubtless be able to explain。〃
The fellow had lost his temper by this time； and with a low
oath seized Tarzan to push him to one side。 The ape…man
but smiled as he twisted the big fellow about and； grasping
him by the collar of his coat； escorted him back to the table；
struggling； cursing； and striking in futile remonstrance。
It was Nikolas Rokoff's first experience with the muscles that
had brought their savage owner victorious through encounters
with Numa； the lion； and Terkoz； the great bull ape。
The man who had accused De Coude； and the two others who
had been playing； stood looking expectantly at the count。
Several other passengers had drawn toward the scene of the
altercation； and all awaited the denouement。
〃The fellow is crazy；〃 said the count。 〃Gentlemen； I implore
that one of you search me。〃
〃The accusation is ridiculous。〃 This from one of the players。
