the return of tarzan-第44章

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at　all　what　he　meant。　　He　had　been　much　with　this　fair

daughter　of　Maryland　since　the　wreck　of　the　LADY　ALICE；

and　it　had　recently　come　to　him　that　he　had　grown　much　more

fond　of　her　than　would　prove　good　for　the　peace　of　his　mind；

for　he　recalled　almost　constantly　now　the　confidence　which

Monsieur　Thuran　had　imparted　to　him　that　he　and　Miss　Strong

were　engaged。　　He　wondered　if；　after　all；　Thuran　had　been

quite　accurate　in　his　statement。　　He　had　never　seen　the　slightest

indication　on　the　girl's　part　of　more　than　ordinary　friendship。



〃And　then　in　Monsieur　Thuran's　loss；　if　they　are　lost；　you

would　suffer　a　severe　bereavement；〃　he　ventured。



She　looked　up　at　him　quickly。　　〃Monsieur　Thuran　had　become

a　very　dear　friend；〃　she　said。　　〃I　liked　him　very　much；

though　I　have　known　him　but　a　short　time。〃



〃Then　you　were　not　engaged　to　marry　him？〃　he　blurted　out。

〃Heavens；　nol！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　did　not　care　for　him　at　all

in　that　way。〃



There　was　something　that　Lord　Tennington　wanted　to　say

to　Hazel　Stronghe　wanted　very　badly　to　say　it；　and　to

say　it　at　once；　but　somehow　the　words　stuck　in　his　throat。

He　started　lamely　a　couple　of　times；　cleared　his　throat；

became　red　in　the　face；　and　finally　ended　by　remarking

that　he　hoped　the　cabins　would　be　finished　before　the

rainy　season　commenced。



But；　though　he　did　not　know　it；　he　had　conveyed　to　the

girl　the　very　message　he　intended；　and　it　left　her　happy

happier　than　she　had　ever　before　been　in　all　her　life。



Just　then　further　conversation　was　interrupted　by　the　sight

of　a　strange　and　terrible…looking　figure　which　emerged　from

the　jungle　just　south　of　the　camp。　　Tennington　and　the　girl

saw　it　at　the　same　time。　　The　Englishman　reached　for　his

revolver；　but　when　the　half…naked；　bearded　creature　called

his　name　aloud　and　came　running　toward　them　he　dropped

his　hand　and　advanced　to　meet　it。



None　would　have　recognized　in　the　filthy；　emaciated　creature；

covered　by　a　single　garment　of　small　skins；　the　immaculate

Monsieur　Thuran　the　party　had　last　seen　upon　the　deck

of　the　LADY　ALICE。



Before　the　other　members　of　the　little　community　were　apprised

of　his　presence　Tennington　and　Miss　Strong　questioned　him

regarding　the　other　occupants　of　the　missing　boat。



〃They　are　all　dead；〃　replied　Thuran。　　〃The　three　sailors

died　before　we　made　land。　　Miss　Porter　was　carried　off　into

the　jungle　by　some　wild　animal　while　I　was　lying　delirious

with　fever。　　Clayton　died　of　the　same　fever　but　a　few　days　since。

And　to　think　that　all　this　time　we　have　been　separated　by

but　a　few　milesscarcely　a　day's　march。　　It　is　terrible！〃





How　long　Jane　Porter　lay　in　the　darkness　of　the　vault　beneath

the　temple　in　the　ancient　city　of　Opar　she　did　not　know。

For　a　time　she　was　delirious　with　fever；　but　after　this

passed　she　commenced　slowly　to　regain　her　strength。

Every　day　the　woman　who　brought　her　food　beckoned　to　her

to　arise；　but　for　many　days　the　girl　could　only　shake　her

head　to　indicate　that　she　was　too　weak。



But　eventually　she　was　able　to　gain　her　feet；　and　then　to

stagger　a　few　steps　by　supporting　herself　with　one　hand

upon　the　wall。　　Her　captors　now　watched　her　with

increasing　interest。　　The　day　was　approaching；　and　the

victim　was　gaining　in　strength。



Presently　the　day　came；　and　a　young　woman　whom　Jane　Porter

had　not　seen　before　came　with　several　others　to　her　dungeon。

Here　some　sort　of　ceremony　was　performedthat　it　was　of

a　religious　nature　the　girl　was　sure；　and　so　she　took

new　heart；　and　rejoiced　that　she　had　fallen　among　people

upon　whom　the　refining　and　softening　influences　of　religion

evidently　had　fallen。　　They　would　treat　her　humanelyof

that　she　was　now　quite　sure。



And　so　when　they　led　her　from　her　dungeon；　through　long；

dark　corridors；　and　up　a　flight　of　concrete　steps　to　a　brilliant

courtyard；　she　went　willingly；　even　gladlyfor　was　she　not

among　the　servants　of　God？　　It　might　be；　of　course；　that　their

interpretation　of　the　supreme　being　differed　from　her　own；

but　that　they　owned　a　god　was　sufficient　evidence　to　her　that

they　were　kind　and　good。



But　when　she　saw　a　stone　altar　in　the　center　of　the　courtyard；

and　dark…brown　stains　upon　it　and　the　nearby　concrete　of

the　floor；　she　began　to　wonder　and　to　doubt。　　And　as　they

stooped　and　bound　her　ankles；　and　secured　her　wrists

behind　her；　her　doubts　were　turned　to　fear。　　A　moment　later；

as　she　was　lifted　and　placed　supine　across　the　altar's　top；

hope　left　her　entirely；　and　she　trembled　in　an　agony　of　fright。



During　the　grotesque　dance　of　the　votaries　which　followed；

she　lay　frozen　in　horror；　nor　did　she　require　the　sight

of　the　thin　blade　in　the　hands　of　the　high　priestess　as　it

rose　slowly　above　her　to　enlighten　her　further　as　to　her　doom。



As　the　hand　began　its　descent；　Jane　Porter　closed　her　eyes

and　sent　up　a　silent　prayer　to　the　Maker　she　was　so　soon　to

facethen　she　succumbed　to　the　strain　upon　her　tired

nerves；　and　swooned。





Day　and　night　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　raced　through　the　primeval

forest　toward　the　ruined　city　in　which　he　was　positive

the　woman　he　loved　lay　either　a　prisoner　or　dead。



In　a　day　and　a　night　he　covered　the　same　distance　that

the　fifty　frightful　men　had　taken　the　better　part　of　a　week　to

traverse；　for　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　traveled　along　the　middle

terrace　high　above　the　tangled　obstacles　that　impede

progress　upon　the　ground。



The　story　the　young　bull　ape　had　told　made　it　clear　to　him

that　the　girl　captive　had　been　Jane　Porter；　for　there　was　not

another　small　white　〃she〃　in　all　the　jungle。　　The　〃bulls〃　he

had　recognized　from　the　ape's　crude　description　as　the

grotesque　parodies　upon　humanity　who　inhabit　the　ruins　of　Opar。

And　the　girl's　fate　he　could　picture　as　plainly　as　though

he　were　an　eyewitness　to　it。　　When　they　would　lay　her　across

that　trim　altar　he　could　not　guess；　but　that　her　dear；　frail

body　would　eventually　find　its　way　there　he　was　confident。



But；　finally；　after　what　seemed　long　ages　to　the　impatient

ape…man；　he　topped　the　barrier　cliffs　that　hemmed　the　desolate

valley；　and　below　him　lay　the　grim　and　awful　ruins　of

the　now　hideous　city　of　Opar。　　At　a　rapid　trot　he　started

across　the　dry　and　dusty；　bowlder…strewn　ground　toward　the

goal　of　his　desires。



Would　he　be　in　time　to　rescue？　　He　hoped　against　hope。

At　least　he　could　be　revenged；　and　in　his　wrath　it　seemed

to　him　that　he　was　equal　to　the　task　of　wiping　out　the　entire

population　of　that　terrible　city。　　It　was　nearly　noon　when　he

reached　the　great　bowlder　at　the　top　of　which　terminated　the

secret　passage　to　the　pits　beneath　the　city。　　Like　a　cat　he　scaled

the　precipitous　sides　of　the　frowning　granite　KOPJE。

A　moment　later　he　was　running　through　the　darkness　of　the

long；　straight　tunnel　that　led　to　the　treasure　vault。

Through　this　he　passed；　then　on　and　on　until　at　last　he

came　to　the　well…like　shaft　upon　the　opposite　side　of　which

lay　the　dungeon　with　the　false　wall。



As　he　paused　a　moment　upon　the　brink　of　the　well　a　faint

sound　came　to　him　through　the　opening　above。　　His　quick

ears　caught　and　translated　itit　was　the　dance　of　death　that

preceded　a　sacrifice；　and　the　singsong　ritual　of　the

high　priestess。　　He　could　even　recognize　the　woman's　voice。

Could　it　be　that　the　ceremony　marked　the　very　thing　he

had　so　hastened　to　prevent？　　A　wave　of　horror　swept　over　him。

Was　he；　after　all；　to　be　just　a　moment　too　late？　　Like　a

frightened　deer　he　leaped　across　the　narrow　chasm　to　the

continuation　of　the　passage　beyond。　　At　the　false　wall　he

tore　like　one　possessed　to　demolish　the　barrier　that

confronted　himwith　giant　muscles　he　forced　the　opening；

thrusting　his　head　and　shoulders　through　the　first　small

hole　he　made；　and　carrying　the　balance　of　the　wall　with　him；

to　clatter　resoundingly　upon　the　cement　floor　of　the　dungeon。



With　a　single　leap　he　cleared　the　length　of　the　chamber　and

threw　himself　against　the　ancient　door。　　But　here　he　stopped。

The　mighty　bars　upon　the　other　side　were　proof　even　against

such　muscles　as　his。　　It　needed　but　a　moment's　effort　to

convince　him　of　the　futility　of　endeavoring　to　force　that

impregnable　barrier。　　There　was　but　one　other　way；　and　that

led　back　through　the　long　tunnels　to　the　bowlder　a　mile

beyond　the　city's　walls；　and　then　back　across　the　open　as

he　had　come　to　the　city　first　with　his　Waziri。



He　realized　that　to　retrace　his　steps　and　enter　the　city

from　above　ground　would　mean　that　he　would　be　too　late　to

save　the　girl；　if　it　were　indeed　she　who　lay　upon　the　sacrificial

altar　above　him。　　But　there　seemed　no　other　way；　and　so　he

turned　and　ran　swiftly　back　into　the　passageway　beyond　the

broken　wall。　　At　the　well　he　heard　again　the　monotonous

voice　of　the　high　priestess；　and；　as　he　glanced　aloft；　the

opening；　twenty　feet　above；　seemed　so　near　that　he　was

tempted　to　leap　for　it　in　a　mad　endeavor　to　reach　the　inner

courtyard　that　lay　so　near。



If　he　could　but　get　one　end　of　his　grass　rope　caught　upon

some　projection　at　the　top　of　that　tantalizing　aperture！

In　the　instant's　pause　and　thought　an　idea　occurred　to　him。

He　would　attempt　it。　　Turning　back　to　the　tumbled　wall；

he　seized　one　of　the　large；　flat　slabs　that　had　composed　it。

Hastily　making　one　end　of　his　rope　fast　to　the　piece　of　granite；

he　returned　to　the　shaft；　and；　coiling　the　balance　of　the　rope　on

the　floor　beside　him；　the　ape…man　took　the　heavy　slab　in　both

hands；　and；　swinging　it　several　times　to　get　the　distance　and

the　direction　fixed；　he　let　the　weight　fly　up　at　a　slight　angle；

so　that；　instead　of　falling　straight　back　into　the　shaft　again；

it　grazed　the　far　edge；　tumbling　over　into　the　court　beyond。



Tarzan　dragged　for　a　moment　upon　the　slack　end　of　the

rope　until　he　felt　that　the　stone　was　lodged　with　fair

security　at　the　shaft's　top；　then　he　swung　out　over　the　black

depths　beneath。　　The　moment　his　full　weight　came　upon　the

rope　he　felt　it　slip　from　above。　　He　waited　there　in　awful

suspense　as　it　dropped　in　little　jerks；　inch　by　inch。

The　stone　was　being　dragged　up　the　outside　of　the　masonry

surrounding　the　top　of　the　shaftwould　it　catch　at　the　very　edge；

or　would　his　weight　drag　it　over　to　fall　upon　him　as　he　hurtled

into　the　unknown　depths　below？







Chapter　25





Through　the　Forest　Primeval



For　a　brief；　sickening　moment　Tarzan　felt　the　slipping　of

the　rope　to　which　he　clung；　and　heard　the　scraping　of

the　block　of　stone　against　the　masonry　above。



Then　of　a　sudden　the　rope　was　stillthe　stone　had　caught　at

the　very　edge。　　Gingerly　the　ape…man　clambered　up　the　frail　rope。

In　a　moment　his　head　was　above　the　edge　of　the　shaft。

The　court　was　empty。　　The　inhabitants　of　Opar　were　viewing

the　sacrifice。　　Tarzan　could　hear　the　voice　of　La　from　the

nearby　sacrificial　court。　　The　dance　had　ceased。　　It　must　be

almost　time　for　the　knife　to　fall；