the return of tarzan-第30章

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the　still　heart。



It　does　not　take　a　great　deal　of　this　manner　of　warfare　to

get　upon　the　nerves　of　white　men；　and　so　it　is　little　to　be

wondered　at　that　the　Manyuema　were　soon　panic…stricken。

Did　one　forge　ahead　an　arrow　found　his　heart；　did　one　lag

behind　he　never　again　was　seen　alive；　did　one　stumble　to

one　side；　even　for　a　bare　moment　from　the　sight　of　his　fellows；

he　did　not　returnand　always　when　they　came　upon

the　bodies　of　their　dead　they　found　those　terrible　arrows

driven　with　the　accuracy　of　superhuman　power　straight

through　the　victim's　heart。　　But　worse　than　all　else　was　the

hideous　fact　that　not　once　during　the　morning　had　they　seen

or　heard　the　slightest　sign　of　an　enemy　other　than　the

pitiless　arrows。



When　finally　they　returned　to　the　village　it　was　no　better。

Every　now　and　then；　at　varying　intervals　that　were　maddening

in　the　terrible　suspense　they　caused；　a　man　would　plunge

forward　dead。　　The　blacks　besought　their　masters　to　leave

this　terrible　place；　but　the　Arabs　feared　to　take　up　the　march

through　the　grim　and　hostile　forest　beset　by　this　new　and

terrible　enemy　while　laden　with　the　great　store　of　ivory　they

had　found　within　the　village；　but；　worse　yet；　they　hated　to

leave　the　ivory　behind。



Finally　the　entire　expedition　took　refuge　within　the　thatched

hutshere；　at　least；　they　would　be　free　from　the　arrows。

Tarzan；　from　the　tree　above　the　village；　had　marked　the　hut

into　which　the　chief　Arabs　had　gone；　and；　balancing　himself

upon　an　overhanging　limb；　he　drove　his　heavy　spear　with

all　the　force　of　his　giant　muscles　through　the　thatched　roof。

A　howl　of　pain　told　him　that　it　had　found　a　mark。

With　this　parting　salute　to　convince　them　that　there　was　no

safety　for　them　anywhere　within　the　country；　Tarzan　returned

to　the　forest；　collected　his　warriors；　and　withdrew　a　mile

to　the　south　to　rest　and　eat。　　He　kept　sentries　in　several

trees　that　commanded　a　view　of　the　trail　toward　the

village；　but　there　was　no　pursuit。



An　inspection　of　his　force　showed　not　a　single　casualtynot

even　a　minor　wound；　while　rough　estimates　of　the　enemies'

loss　convinced　the　blacks　that　no　fewer　than　twenty

had　fallen　before　their　arrows。　　They　were　wild　with　elation；

and　were　for　finishing　the　day　in　one　glorious　rush　upon　the

village；　during　which　they　would　slaughter　the　last　of

their　foemen。　　They　were　even　picturing　the　various　tortures

they　would　inflict；　and　gloating　over　the　suffering　of　the

Manyuema；　for　whom　they　entertained　a　peculiar　hatred；

when　Tarzan　put　his　foot　down　flatly　upon　the　plan。



〃You　are　crazy！〃　he　cried。　　〃I　have　shown　you　the　only

way　to　fight　these　people。　　Already　you　have　killed　twenty

of　them　without　the　loss　of　a　single　warrior；　whereas；

yesterday；　following　your　own　tactics；　which　you　would　now

renew；　you　lost　at　least　a　dozen；　and　killed　not　a　single

Arab　or　Manyuema。　　You　will　fight　just　as　I　tell　you　to　fight；

or　I　shall　leave　you　and　go　back　to　my　own　country。〃



They　were　frightened　when　he　threatened　this；　and

promised　to　obey　him　scrupulously　if　he　would　but　promise

not　to　desert　them。



〃Very　well；〃　he　said。　　〃We　shall　return　to　the　elephant

BOMA　for　the　night。　　I　have　a　plan　to　give　the　Arabs　a　little

taste　of　what　they　may　expect　if　they　remain　in　our　country；

but　I　shall　need　no　help。　　Come！　　If　they　suffer　no　more　for

the　balance　of　the　day　they　will　feel　reassured；　and　the

relapse　into　fear　will　be　even　more　nerve…racking　than　as

though　we　continued　to　frighten　them　all　afternoon。〃



So　they　marched　back　to　their　camp　of　the　previous　night；　and；

lighting　great　fires；　ate　and　recounted　the　adventures　of　the

day　until　long　after　dark。　　Tarzan　slept　until　midnight；　then

he　arose　and　crept　into　the　Cimmerian　blackness　of　the　forest。

An　hour　later　he　came　to　the　edge　of　the　clearing　before

the　village。　　There　was　a　camp…fire　burning　within　the　palisade。

The　ape…man　crept　across　the　clearing　until　he　stood　before

the　barred　gates。　　Through　the　interstices　he　saw　a　lone　sentry

sitting　before　the　fire。



Quietly　Tarzan　went　to　the　tree　at　the　end　of　the　village　street。

He　climbed　softly　to　his　place；　and　fitted　an　arrow　to　his　bow。

For　several　minutes　he　tried　to　sight　fairly　upon　the　sentry；

but　the　waving　branches　and　flickering　firelight　convinced

him　that　the　danger　of　a　miss　was　too　greathe　must　touch

the　heart　full　in　the　center　to　bring　the　quiet　and　sudden

death　his　plan　required。



He　had　brought；　besides；　his　bow；　arrows；　and　rope；　the

gun　he　had　taken　the　previous　day　from　the　other　sentry　he

had　killed。　　Caching　all　these　in　a　convenient　crotch　of　the

tree；　he　dropped　lightly　to　the　ground　within　the　palisade；

armed　only　with　his　long　knife。　　The　sentry's　back　was　toward　him。

Like　a　cat　Tarzan　crept　upon　the　dozing　man。　　He　was　within

two　paces　of　him　nowanother　instant　and　the　knife　would

slide　silently　into　the　fellow's　heart。



Tarzan　crouched　for　a　spring；　for　that　is　ever　the　quickest

and　surest　attack　of　the　jungle　beastwhen　the　man；

warned；　by　some　subtle　sense；　sprang　to　his　feet　and　faced

the　ape…man。







Chapter　17





The　White　Chief　of　the　Waziri





When　the　eyes　of　the　black　Manyuema　savage　fell

upon　the　strange　apparition　that　confronted　him　with

menacing　knife　they　went　wide　in　horror。　　He　forgot

the　gun　within　his　hands；　he　even　forgot　to　cry　outhis

one　thought　was　to　escape　this　fearsome…looking　white　savage；

this　giant　of　a　man　upon　whose　massive　rolling　muscles　and

mighty　chest　the　flickering　firelight　played。



But　before　he　could　turn　Tarzan　was　upon　him；　and　then

the　sentry　thought　to　scream　for　aid；　but　it　was　too　late。

A　great　hand　was　upon　his　windpipe；　and　he　was　being　borne

to　the　earth。　　He　battled　furiously　but　futilelywith　the

grim　tenacity　of　a　bulldog　those　awful　fingers　were　clinging

to　his　throat。　　Swiftly　and　surely　life　was　being　choked　from　him。

His　eyes　bulged；　his　tongue　protruded；　his　face　turned

to　a　ghastly　purplish　huethere　was　a　convulsive　tremor　of

the　stiffening　muscles；　and　the　Manyuema　sentry　lay　quite　still。



The　ape…man　threw　the　body　across　one　of　his　broad

shoulders　and；　gathering　up　the　fellow's　gun；　trotted　silently

up　the　sleeping　village　street　toward　the　tree　that　gave　him

such　easy　ingress　to　the　palisaded　village。　　He　bore　the　dead

sentry　into　the　midst　of　the　leafy　maze　above。



First　he　stripped　the　body　of　cartridge　belt　and　such

ornaments　as　he　craved；　wedging　it　into　a　convenient　crotch

while　his　nimble　fingers　ran　over　it　in　search　of　the　loot

he　could　not　plainly　see　in　the　dark。　　When　he　had　finished　he

took　the　gun　that　had　belonged　to　the　man；　and　walked

far　out　upon　a　limb；　from　the　end　of　which　he　could　obtain

a　better　view　of　the　huts。　　Drawing　a　careful　bead　on　the

beehive　structure　in　which　he　knew　the　chief　Arabs　to　be；

he　pulled　the　trigger。　　Almost　instantly　there　was　an

answering　groan。　　Tarzan　smiled。　　He　had　made　another　lucky　hit。



Following　the　shot　there　was　a　moment's　silence　in　the

camp；　and　then　Manyuema　and　Arab　came　pouring　from

the　huts　like　a　swarm　of　angry　hornets；　but　if　the　truth　were

known　they　were　even　more　frightened　than　they　were　angry。

The　strain　of　the　preceding　day　had　wrought　upon　the

fears　of　both　black　and　white；　and　now　this　single　shot　in

the　night　conjured　all　manner　of　terrible　conjectures　in

their　terrified　minds。



When　they　discovered　that　their　sentry　had　disappeared；

their　fears　were　in　no　way　allayed；　and　as　though　to　bolster

their　courage　by　warlike　actions；　they　began　to　fire

rapidly　at　the　barred　gates　of　the　village；　although　no　enemy

was　in　sight。　　Tarzan　took　advantage　of　the　deafening　roar　of

this　fusillade　to　fire　into　the　mob　beneath　him。



No　one　heard　his　shot　above　the　din　of　rattling　musketry

in　the　street；　but　some　who　were　standing　close　saw　one

of　their　number　crumple　suddenly　to　the　earth。　　When　they

leaned　over　him　he　was　dead。　　They　were　panic…stricken；　and

it　took　all　the　brutal　authority　of　the　Arabs　to　keep　the

Manyuema　from　rushing　helter…skelter　into　the　jungleanywhere

to　escape　from　this　terrible　village。



After　a　time　they　commenced　to　quiet　down；　and　as　no

further　mysterious　deaths　occurred　among　them　they　took

heart　again。　　But　it　was　a　short…lived　respite；　for　just　as

they　had　concluded　that　they　would　not　be　disturbed　again

Tarzan　gave　voice　to　a　weird　moan；　and　as　the　raiders　looked

up　in　the　direction　from　which　the　sound　seemed　to　come；

the　ape…man；　who　stood　swinging　the　dead　body　of　the　sentry

gently　to　and　fro；　suddenly　shot　the　corpse　far　out　above

their　heads。



With　howls　of　alarm　the　throng　broke　in　all　directions

to　escape　this　new　and　terrible　creature　who　seemed　to　be

springing　upon　them。　　To　their　fear…distorted　imaginations　the

body　of　the　sentry；　falling　with　wide…sprawled　arms　and

legs；　assumed　the　likeness　of　a　great　beast　of　prey。　　In　their

anxiety　to　escape；　many　of　the　blacks　scaled　the　palisade；

while　others　tore　down　the　bars　from　the　gates　and　rushed

madly　across　the　clearing　toward　the　jungle。



For　a　time　no　one　turned　back　toward　the　thing　that　had

frightened　them；　but　Tarzan　knew　that　they　would　in　a　moment；

and　when　they　discovered　that　it　was　but　the　dead

body　of　their　sentry；　while　they　would　doubtless　be　still

further　terrified；　he　had　a　rather　definite　idea　as　to　what

they　would　do；　and　so　he　faded　silently　away　toward　the

south；　taking　the　moonlit　upper　terrace　back　toward　the

camp　of　the　Waziri。



Presently　one　of　the　Arabs　turned　and　saw　that　the　thing

that　had　leaped　from　the　tree　upon　them　lay　still　and　quiet

where　it　had　fallen　in　the　center　of　the　village　street。

Cautiously　he　crept　back　toward　it　until　he　saw　that　it　was

but　a　man。　　A　moment　later　he　was　beside　the　figure；　and　in

another　had　recognized　it　as　the　corpse　of　the　Manyuema

who　had　stood　on　guard　at　the　village　gate。



His　companions　rapidly　gathered　around　at　his　call；　and

after　a　moment's　excited　conversation　they　did　precisely

what　Tarzan　had　reasoned　they　would。　　Raising　their　guns　to

their　shoulders；　they　poured　volley　after　volley　into　the　tree

from　which　the　corpse　had　been　thrownhad　Tarzan　remained

there　he　would　have　been　riddled　by　a　hundred　bullets。



When　the　Arabs　and　Manyuema　discovered　that　the　only

marks　of　violence　upon　the　body　of　their　dead　comrade

were　giant　finger　prints　upon　his　swollen　throat　they　were

again　thrown　into　deeper　apprehension　and　despair。

That　they　were　not　even　safe　within　a　palisaded　village

at　night　came　as　a　distinct　shock　to　them。　　That　an　enemy

could　enter　into　the　midst　of　their　camp　and　kill　their

sentry　with　bare　hands　seemed　outside　the　bounds　of　reason；

and　so　the　superstitious　Manyuema　commenced　to　attribute

their　ill　luck　to　supernatural　causes；　nor　were　the　Arabs

able　to　offe