the return of tarzan-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


how　much　until　after　the　cruel　spear　and　the　poisoned　arrow

of　Mbonga's　black　warrior　had　stolen　her　away　from　me。　　I

was　still　a　child　when　that　occurred；　and　I　threw　myself

upon　her　dead　body　and　wept　out　my　anguish　as　a　child

might　for　his　own　mother。　　To　you；　my　friend；　she　would

have　appeared　a　hideous　and　ugly　creature；　but　to　me　she

was　beautifulso　gloriously　does　love　transfigure　its　object。

And　so　I　am　perfectly　content　to　remain　forever　the　son　of

Kala；　the　she…ape。〃



〃I　do　not　admire　you　the　less　for　your　loyalty；〃　said

D'Arnot；　〃but　the　time　will　come　when　you　will　be　glad

to　claim　your　own。　　Remember　what　I　say；　and　let　us　hope

that　it　will　be　as　easy　then　as　it　is　now。　　You　must　bear　in

mind　that　Professor　Porter　and　Mr。　Philander　are　the　only

people　in　the　world　who　can　swear　that　the　little　skeleton

found　in　the　cabin　with　those　of　your　father　and　mother　was

that　of　an　infant　anthropoid　ape；　and　not　the　offspring　of

Lord　and　Lady　Greystoke。　　That　evidence　is　most　important。

They　are　both　old　men。　　They　may　not　live　many　years　longer。

And　then；　did　it　not　occur　to　you　that　once　Miss　Porter

knew　the　truth　she　would　break　her　engagement　with　Clayton？

You　might　easily　have　your　title；　your　estates；　and　the

woman　you　love；　Tarzan。　　Had　you　not　thought　of　that？〃



Tarzan　shook　his　head。　　〃You　do　not　know　her；〃　he　said。

〃Nothing　could　bind　her　closer　to　her　bargain　than　some

misfortune　to　Clayton。　　She　is　from　an　old　southern　family　in

America；　and　southerners　pride　themselves　upon　their　loyalty。〃



Tarzan　spent　the　two　following　weeks　renewing　his　former

brief　acquaintance　with　Paris。　　In　the　daytime　he　haunted

the　libraries　and　picture　galleries。　　He　had　become　an

omnivorous　reader；　and　the　world　of　possibilities　that　were

opened　to　him　in　this　seat　of　culture　and　learning　fairly

appalled　him　when　he　contemplated　the　very　infinitesimal

crumb　of　the　sum　total　of　human　knowledge　that　a　single

individual　might　hope　to　acquire　even　after　a　lifetime　of

study　and　research；　but　he　learned　what　he　could　by　day；

and　threw　himself　into　a　search　for　relaxation　and　amusement

at　night。　　Nor　did　he　find　Paris　a　whit　less　fertile　field

for　his　nocturnal　avocation。



If　he　smoked　too　many　cigarettes　and　drank　too　much

absinth　it　was　because　he　took　civilization　as　he　found　it；

and　did　the　things　that　he　found　his　civilized　brothers

doing。　　The　life　was　a　new　and　alluring　one；　and　in　addition

he　had　a　sorrow　in　his　breast　and　a　great　longing　which　he

knew　could　never　be　fulfilled；　and　so　he　sought　in　study　and

in　dissipationthe　two　extremesto　forget　the　past　and

inhibit　contemplation　of　the　future。



He　was　sitting　in　a　music　hall　one　evening；　sipping　his

absinth　and　admiring　the　art　of　a　certain　famous　Russian

dancer；　when　he　caught　a　passing　glimpse　of　a　pair　of　evil

black　eyes　upon　him。　　The　man　turned　and　was　lost　in　the

crowd　at　the　exit　before　Tarzan　could　catch　a　good　look　at

him；　but　he　was　confident　that　he　had　seen　those　eyes　before

and　that　they　had　been　fastened　on　him　this　evening

through　no　passing　accident。　　He　had　had　the　uncanny　feeling

for　some　time　that　he　was　being　watched；　and　it　was　in

response　to　this　animal　instinct　that　was　strong　within　him

that　he　had　turned　suddenly　and　surprised　the　eyes　in　the

very　act　of　watching　him。



Before　he　left　the　music　hall　the　matter　had　been　forgotten；

nor　did　he　notice　the　swarthy　individual　who　stepped

deeper　into　the　shadows　of　an　opposite　doorway　as　Tarzan

emerged　from　the　brilliantly　lighted　amusement　hall。



Had　Tarzan　but　known　it；　he　had　been　followed　many　times

from　this　and　other　places　of　amusement；　but　seldom　if

ever　had　he　been　alone。　　Tonight　D'Arnot　had　had　another

engagement；　and　Tarzan　had　come　by　himself。



As　he　turned　in　the　direction　he　was　accustomed　to　taking

from　this　part　of　Paris　to　his　apartments；　the　watcher　across

the　street　ran　from　his　hiding…place　and　hurried　on　ahead

at　a　rapid　pace。



Tarzan　had　been　wont　to　traverse　the　Rue　Maule　on　his

way　home　at　night。　　Because　it　was　very　quiet　and　very

dark　it　reminded　him　more　of　his　beloved　African　jungle

than　did　the　noisy　and　garish　streets　surrounding　it。

If　you　are　familiar　with　your　Paris　you　will　recall　the

narrow；　forbidding　precincts　of　the　Rue　Maule。　　If　you　are

not；　you　need　but　ask　the　police　about　it　to　learn　that　in

all　Paris　there　is　no　street　to　which　you　should　give　a

wider　berth　after　dark。



On　this　night　Tarzan　had　proceeded　some　two　squares　through

the　dense　shadows　of　the　squalid　old　tenements　which　line

this　dismal　way　when　he　was　attracted　by　screams　and　cries

for　help　from　the　third　floor　of　an　opposite　building。

The　voice　was　a　woman's。　　Before　the　echoes　of　her　first

cries　had　died　Tarzan　was　bounding　up　the　stairs　and

through　the　dark　corridors　to　her　rescue。



At　the　end　of　the　corridor　on　the　third　landing　a　door

stood　slightly　ajar；　and　from　within　Tarzan　heard　again　the

same　appeal　that　had　lured　him　from　the　street。

Another　instant　found　him　in　the　center　of　a　dimly…lighted　room。

An　oil　lamp　burned　upon　a　high；　old…fashioned　mantel；　casting

its　dim　rays　over　a　dozen　repulsive　figures。　　All　but　one

were　men。　　The　other　was　a　woman　of　about　thirty。　　Her　face；

marked　by　low　passions　and　dissipation；　might　once　have

been　lovely。　　She　stood　with　one　hand　at　her　throat；　crouching

against　the　farther　wall。



〃Help；　monsieur；〃　she　cried　in　a　low　voice　as　Tarzan

entered　the　room；　〃they　were　killing　me。〃



As　Tarzan　turned　toward　the　men　about　him　he　saw　the

crafty；　evil　faces　of　habitual　criminals。　　He　wondered　that

they　had　made　no　effort　to　escape。　　A　movement　behind　him

caused　him　to　turn。　　Two　things　his　eyes　saw；　and　one　of

them　caused　him　considerable　wonderment。　　A　man　was

sneaking　stealthily　from　the　room；　and　in　the　brief　glance

that　Tarzan　had　of　him　he　saw　that　it　was　Rokoff。

But　the　other　thing　that　he　saw　was　of　more　immediate　interest。

It　was　a　great　brute　of　a　fellow　tiptoeing　upon　him　from

behind　with　a　huge　bludgeon　in　his　hand；　and　then；　as

the　man　and　his　confederates　saw　that　he　was　discovered；

there　was　a　concerted　rush　upon　Tarzan　from　all　sides。

Some　of　the　men　drew　knives。　　Others　picked　up　chairs；　while　the

fellow　with　the　bludgeon　raised　it　high　above　his　head　in　a

mighty　swing　that　would　have　crushed　Tarzan's　head　had　it

ever　descended　upon　it。



But　the　brain；　and　the　agility；　and　the　muscles　that　had　coped

with　the　mighty　strength　and　cruel　craftiness　of　Terkoz　and

Numa　in　the　fastness　of　their　savage　jungle　were　not　to　be　so

easily　subdued　as　these　apaches　of　Paris　had　believed。



Selecting　his　most　formidable　antagonist；　the　fellow　with

the　bludgeon；　Tarzan　charged　full　upon　him；　dodging　the

falling　weapon；　and　catching　the　man　a　terrific　blow　on　the

point　of　the　chin　that　felled　him　in　his　tracks。



Then　he　turned　upon　the　others。　　This　was　sport。　　He　was

reveling　in　the　joy　of　battle　and　the　lust　of　blood。　　As　though

it　had　been　but　a　brittle　shell；　to　break　at　the　least　rough

usage；　the　thin　veneer　of　his　civilization　fell　from　him；　and

the　ten　burly　villains　found　themselves　penned　in　a　small

room　with　a　wild　and　savage　beast；　against　whose　steel

muscles　their　puny　strength　was　less　than　futile。



At　the　end　of　the　corridor　without　stood　Rokoff；　waiting

the　outcome　of　the　affair。　　He　wished　to　be　sure　that　Tarzan

was　dead　before　he　left；　but　it　was　not　a　part　of　his　plan　to

be　one　of　those　within　the　room　when　the　murder　occurred。



The　woman　still　stood　where　she　had　when　Tarzan　entered；

but　her　face　had　undergone　a　number　of　changes　with

the　few　minutes　which　had　elapsed。　　From　the　semblance　of

distress　which　it　had　worn　when　Tarzan　first　saw　it；　it　had

changed　to　one　of　craftiness　as　he　had　wheeled　to　meet　the

attack　from　behind；　but　the　change　Tarzan　had　not　seen。



Later　an　expression　of　surprise　and　then　one　of　horror

superseded　the　others。　　And　who　may　wonder。　　For　the

immaculate　gentleman　her　cries　had　lured　to　what　was　to　have

been　his　death　had　been　suddenly　metamorphosed　into　a

demon　of　revenge。　　Instead　of　soft　muscles　and　a　weak

resistance；　she　was　looking　upon　a　veritable　Hercules　gone　mad。



〃MON　DIEU！〃　she　cried；　〃he　is　a　beast！〃　　For　the　strong；

white　teeth　of　the　ape…man　had　found　the　throat　of　one　of

his　assailants；　and　Tarzan　fought　as　he　had　learned　to　fight

with　the　great　bull　apes　of　the　tribe　of　Kerchak。



He　was　in　a　dozen　places　at　once；　leaping　hither　and

thither　about　the　room　in　sinuous　bounds　that　reminded

the　woman　of　a　panther　she　had　seen　at　the　zoo。　　Now　a　wrist…

bone　snapped　in　his　iron　grip；　now　a　shoulder　was　wrenched

from　its　socket　as　he　forced　a　victim's　arm　backward　and　upward。



With　shrieks　of　pain　the　men　escaped　into　the　hallway　as

quickly　as　they　could；　but　even　before　the　first　one　staggered；

bleeding　and　broken；　from　the　room；　Rokoff　had　seen　enough

to　convince　him　that　Tarzan　would　not　be　the　one　to　lie

dead　in　that　house　this　night；　and　so　the　Russian　had

hastened　to　a　nearby　den　and　telephoned　the　police　that　a

man　was　committing　murder　on　the　third　floor　of　Rue　Maule；　27。

When　the　officers　arrived　they　found　three　men　groaning

on　the　floor；　a　frightened　woman　lying　upon　a　filthy　bed；　her

face　buried　in　her　arms；　and　what　appeared　to　be　a　well…

dressed　young　gentleman　standing　in　the　center　of　the　room

awaiting　the　reenforcements　which　he　had　thought　the　footsteps

of　the　officers　hurrying　up　the　stairway　had　announced

but　they　were　mistaken　in　the　last；　it　was　a　wild　beast

that　looked　upon　them　through　those　narrowed　lids　and　steel…

gray　eyes。　　With　the　smell　of　blood　the　last　vestige　of

civilization　had　deserted　Tarzan；　and　now　he　stood　at　bay；　like　a

lion　surrounded　by　hunters；　awaiting　the　next　overt　act；　and

crouching　to　charge　its　author。



〃What　has　happened　here？〃　asked　one　of　the　policemen。



Tarzan　explained　briefly；　but　when　he　turned　to　the　woman

for　confirmation　of　his　statement　he　was　appalled　by　her　reply。



〃He　lies！〃　she　screamed　shrilly；　addressing　the　policeman。

〃He　came　to　my　room　while　I　was　alone；　and　for　no　good

purpose。　　When　I　repulsed　him　he　would　have　killed　me　had

not　my　screams　attracted　these　gentlemen；　who　were　passing

the　house　at　the　time。　　He　is　a　devil；　monsieurs；　alone　he　has

all　but　killed　ten　men　with　his　bare　hands　and　his　teeth。〃



So　shocked　was　Tarzan　by　her　ingratitude　that　for　a　moment

he　was　struck　dumb。　　The　police　were　inclined　to　be　a　little

skeptical；　for　they　had　had　other　dealings　with　this

same　lady　and　her　lovely　coterie　of　gentlemen　friends。

However；　they　were　policemen；　not　judges；　so　they　decided　to

place　all　the　inmates　of　the　room　under　arrest；　and　let　another；

whose　business　it　was；　separate　the　innocent　from　the　guilty。



But　they　found　that