tarzan the terrible-第16章

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The　creature　made　a　sudden　side　snap　in　his　direction；　a　snap　that　did　not　reach　him；　and　then　turned　sullenly　away；　precisely　as　it　had　when　the　Tor…o…don　commanded　it。　Walking　around　to　its　rear　as　he　had　seen　the　shaggy　first…man　do；　Tarzan　ran　up　the　broad　tail　and　seated　himself　upon　the　creature's　back；　and　then　again　imitating　the　acts　of　the　Tor…o…don　he　prodded　it　with　the　sharpened　point　of　his　staff；　and　thus　goading　it　forward　and　guiding　it　with　blows；　first　upon　one　side　and　then　upon　the　other；　he　started　it　down　the　gorge　in　the　direction　of　the　valley。

At　first　it　had　been　in　his　mind　only　to　determine　if　he　could　successfully　assert　any　authority　over　the　great　monsters；　realizing　that　in　this　possibility　lay　his　only　hope　of　immediate　escape　from　his　jailers。　But　once　seated　upon　the　back　of　his　titanic　mount　the　ape…man　experienced　the　sensation　of　a　new　thrill　that　recalled　to　him　the　day　in　his　boyhood　that　he　had　first　clambered　to　the　broad　head　of　Tantor；　the　elephant；　and　this；　together　with　the　sense　of　mastery　that　was　always　meat　and　drink　to　the　lord　of　the　jungle；　decided　him　to　put　his　newly　acquired　power　to　some　utilitarian　purpose。

Pan…at…lee　he　judged　must　either　have　already　reached　safety　or　met　with　death。　At　least；　no　longer　could　he　be　of　service　to　her；　while　below　Kor…ul…gryf；　in　the　soft　green　valley；　lay　A…lur；　the　City　of　Light；　which；　since　he　had　gazed　upon　it　from　the　shoulder　of　Pastar…ul…ved；　had　been　his　ambition　and　his　goal。

Whether　or　not　its　gleaming　walls　held　the　secret　of　his　lost　mate　he　could　not　even　guess　but　if　she　lived　at　all　within　the　precincts　of　Pal…ul…don　it　must　be　among　the　Ho…don；　since　the　hairy　black　men　of　this　forgotten　world　took　no　prisoners。　And　so　to　A…lur　he　would　go；　and　how　more　effectively　than　upon　the　back　of　this　grim　and　terrible　creature　that　the　races　of　Pal…ul…don　held　in　such　awe？

A　little　mountain　stream　tumbles　down　from　Kor…ul…gryf　to　be　joined　in　the　foothills　with　that　which　empties　the　waters　of　Kor…ul…lul　into　the　valley；　forming　a　small　river　which　runs　southwest；　eventually　entering　the　valley's　largest　lake　at　the　City　of　A…lur；　through　the　center　of　which　the　stream　passes。　An　ancient　trail；　well　marked　by　countless　generations　of　naked　feet　of　man　and　beast；　leads　down　toward　A…lur　beside　the　river；　and　along　this　Tarzan　guided　the　gryf。　Once　clear　of　the　forest　which　ran　below　the　mouth　of　the　gorge；　Tarzan　caught　occasional　glimpses　of　the　city　gleaming　in　the　distance　far　below　him。

The　country　through　which　he　passed　was　resplendent　with　the　riotous　beauties　of　tropical　verdure。　Thick；　lush　grasses　grew　waist　high　upon　either　side　of　the　trail　and　the　way　was　broken　now　and　again　by　patches　of　open　park…like　forest；　or　perhaps　a　little　patch　of　dense　jungle　where　the　trees　overarched　the　way　and　trailing　creepers　depended　in　graceful　loops　from　branch　to　branch。

At　times　the　ape…man　had　difficulty　in　commanding　obedience　upon　the　part　of　his　unruly　beast；　but　always　in　the　end　its　fear　of　the　relatively　puny　goad　urged　it　on　to　obedience。　Late　in　the　afternoon　as　they　approached　the　confluence　of　the　stream　they　were　skirting　and　another　which　appeared　to　come　from　the　direction　of　Kor…ul…ja　the　ape…man；　emerging　from　one　of　the　jungle　patches；　discovered　a　considerable　party　of　Ho…don　upon　the　opposite　bank。　Simultaneously　they　saw　him　and　the　mighty　creature　he　bestrode。　For　a　moment　they　stood　in　wide…eyed　amazement　and　then；　in　answer　to　the　command　of　their　leader；　they　turned　and　bolted　for　the　shelter　of　the　nearby　wood。

The　ape…man　had　but　a　brief　glimpse　of　them　but　it　was　sufficient　indication　that　there　were　Waz…don　with　them；　doubtless　prisoners　taken　in　one　of　the　raids　upon　the　Waz…don　villages　of　which　Ta…den　and　Om…at　had　told　him。

At　the　sound　of　their　voices　the　gryf　had　bellowed　terrifically　and　started　in　pursuit　even　though　a　river　intervened；　but　by　dint　of　much　prodding　and　beating；　Tarzan　had　succeeded　in　heading　the　animal　back　into　the　path　though　thereafter　for　a　long　time　it　was　sullen　and　more　intractable　than　ever。

As　the　sun　dropped　nearer　the　summit　of　the　western　hills　Tarzan　became　aware　that　his　plan　to　enter　A…lur　upon　the　back　of　a　gryf　was　likely　doomed　to　failure；　since　the　stubbornness　of　the　great　beast　was　increasing　momentarily；　doubtless　due　to　the　fact　that　its　huge　belly　was　crying　out　for　food。　The　ape…man　wondered　if　the　Tor…o…dons　had　any　means　of　picketing　their　beasts　for　the　night；　but　as　he　did　not　know　and　as　no　plan　suggested　itself；　he　determined　that　he　should　have　to　trust　to　the　chance　of　finding　it　again　in　the　morning。

There　now　arose　in　his　mind　a　question　as　to　what　would　be　their　relationship　when　Tarzan　had　dismounted。　Would　it　again　revert　to　that　of　hunter　and　quarry　or　would　fear　of　the　goad　continue　to　hold　its　supremacy　over　the　natural　instinct　of　the　hunting　flesh…eater？　Tarzan　wondered　but　as　he　could　not　remain　upon　the　gryf　forever；　and　as　he　preferred　dismounting　and　putting　the　matter　to　a　final　test　while　it　was　still　light；　he　decided　to　act　at　once。

How　to　stop　the　creature　he　did　not　know；　as　up　to　this　time　his　sole　desire　had　been　to　urge　it　forward。　By　experimenting　with　his　staff；　however；　he　found　that　he　could　bring　it　to　a　halt　by　reaching　forward　and　striking　the　thing　upon　its　beaklike　snout。　Close　by　grew　a　number　of　leafy　trees；　in　any　one　of　which　the　ape…man　could　have　found　sanctuary；　but　it　had　occurred　to　him　that　should　he　immediately　take　to　the　trees　it　might　suggest　to　the　mind　of　the　gryf　that　the　creature　that　had　been　commanding　him　all　day　feared　him；　with　the　result　that　Tarzan　would　once　again　be　held　a　prisoner　by　the　triceratops。

And　so；　when　the　gryf　halted；　Tarzan　slid　to　the　ground；　struck　the　creature　a　careless　blow　across　the　flank　as　though　in　dismissal　and　walked　indifferently　away。　From　the　throat　of　the　beast　came　a　low　rumbling　sound　and　without　even　a　glance　at　Tarzan　it　turned　and　entered　the　river　where　it　stood　drinking　for　a　long　time。

Convinced　that　the　gryf　no　longer　constituted　a　menace　to　him　the　ape…man；　spurred　on　himself　by　the　gnawing　of　hunger；　unslung　his　bow　and　selecting　a　handful　of　arrows　set　forth　cautiously　in　search　of　food；　evidence　of　the　near　presence　of　which　was　being　borne　up　to　him　by　a　breeze　from　down　river。

Ten　minutes　later　he　had　made　his　kill；　again　one　of　the　Pal…ul…don　specimens　of　antelope；　all　species　of　which　Tarzan　had　known　since　childhood　as　Bara；　the　deer；　since　in　the　little　primer　that　had　been　the　basis　of　his　education　the　picture　of　a　deer　had　been　the　nearest　approach　to　the　likeness　of　the　antelope；　from　the　giant　eland　to　the　smaller　bushbuck　of　the　hunting　grounds　of　his　youth。

Cutting　off　a　haunch　he　cached　it　in　a　nearby　tree；　and　throwing　the　balance　of　the　carcass　across　his　shoulder　trotted　back　toward　the　spot　at　which　he　had　left　the　gryf。　The　great　beast　was　just　emerging　from　the　river　when　Tarzan；　seeing　it；　issued　the　weird　cry　of　the　Tor…o…don。　The　creature　looked　in　the　direction　of　the　sound　voicing　at　the　same　time　the　low　rumble　with　which　it　answered　the　call　of　its　master。　Twice　Tarzan　repeated　his　cry　before　the　beast　moved　slowly　toward　him；　and　when　it　had　come　within　a　few　paces　he　tossed　the　carcass　of　the　deer　to　it；　upon　which　it　fell　with　greedy　jaws。

〃If　anything　will　keep　it　within　call；〃　mused　the　ape…man　as　he　returned　to　the　tree　in　which　he　had　cached　his　own　portion　of　his　kill；　〃it　is　the　knowledge　that　I　will　feed　it。〃　But　as　he　finished　his　repast　and　settled　himself　comfortably　for　the　night　high　among　the　swaying　branches　of　his　eyrie　he　had　little　confidence　that　he　would　ride　into　A…lur　the　following　day　upon　his　prehistoric　steed。

When　Tarzan　awoke　early　the　following　morning　he　dropped　lightly　to　the　ground　and　made　his　way　to　the　stream。　Removing　his　weapons　and　loin　cloth　he　entered　the　cold　waters　of　the　little　pool；　and　after　his　refreshing　bath　returned　to　the　tree　to　breakfast　upon　another　portion　of　Bara；　the　deer；　adding　to　his　repast　some　fruits　and　berries　which　grew　in　abundance　nearby。

His　meal　over　he　sought　the　ground　again　and　raising　his　voice　in　the　weird　cry　that　he　had　learned；　he　called　aloud　on　the　chance　of　attracting　the　gryf；　but　though　he　waited　for　some　time　and　continued　calling　there　was　no　response；　and　he　was　finally　forced　to　the　conclusion　that　he　had　seen　the　last　of　his　great　mount　of　the　preceding　day。

And　so　he　set　his　face　toward　A…lur；　pinning　his　faith　upon　his　knowledge　of　the　Ho…don　tongue；　his　great　strength　and　his　native　wit。

Refreshed　by　food　and　rest；　the　journey　toward　A…lur；　made　in　the　cool　of　the　morning　along　the　bank　of　the　joyous　river；　he　found　delightful　in　the　extreme。　Differentiating　him　from　his　fellows　of　the　savage　jungle　were　many　characteristics　other　than　those　physical　and　mental。　Not　the　least　of　these　were　in　a　measure　spiritual；　and　one　that　had　doubtless　been　as　strong　as　another　in　influencing　Tarzan's　love　of　the　jungle　had　been　his　appreciation　of　the　beauties　of　nature。　The　apes　cared　more　for　a　grubworm　in　a　rotten　log　than　for　all　the　majestic　grandeur　of　the　forest　giants　waving　above　them。　The　only　beauties　that　Numa　acknowledged　were　those　of　his　own　person　as　he　paraded　them　before　the　admiring　eyes　of　his　mate；　but　in　all　the　manifestations　of　the　creative　power　of　nature　of　which　Tarzan　was　cognizant　he　appreciated　the　beauties。

As　Tarzan　neared　the　city　his　interest　became　centered　upon　the　architecture　of　the　outlying　buildings　which　were　hewn　from　the　chalklike　limestone　of　what　had　once　been　a　group　of　low　hills；　similar　to　the　many　grass…covered　hillocks　that　dotted　the　valley　in　every　direction。　Ta…den's　explanation　of　the　Ho…don　methods　of　house　construction　accounted　for　the　ofttimes　remarkable　shapes　and　proportions　of　the　buildings　which；　during　the　ages　that　must　have　been　required　for　their　construction；　had　been　hewn　from　the　limestone　hills；　the　exteriors　chiseled　to　such　architectural　forms　as　appealed　to　the　eyes　of　the　builders　while　at　the　same　time　following　roughly　the　original　outlines　of　the　hills　in　an　evident　desire　to　economize　both　labor　and　space。　The　excavation　of　the　apartments　within　had　been　similarly　governed　by　necessity。

As　he　came　nearer　Tarzan　saw　that　the　waste　material　from　these　building　operations　had　been　utilized　in　the　construction　of　outer　walls　about　each　building　or　group　of　buildings　resulting　from　a　single　hillock；　and　later　he　was　to　learn　that　it　had　also　been　used　for　the　filling　of　inequalities　between　the　hills　and　the　forming　of　paved　streets　throughout　the　city；　the　result；　possibly；　more　of　the　adoption　of　an　easy　method　of　disposing　of　the　quantities　of　broken　limestone　than　by　any　real　necessity　for　pavements。

There　were　people　moving　about　within　the　city　and　upon　the　narrow　ledges　and　terraces　that　broke　the　lines　of　the　buildings　and　which　seemed　to　be　a　peculiarity　of　Ho…don　architecture；　a　concession；　no　doubt；　to　some　inherent　instinct　that　might　be　traced　back　to　their　early　cliff…dwelling　progenitors。

Tarzan　was　not　surprised　that　at　a　short　distance　he　aroused　no　suspicion　or　curiosity　in　the　minds　of　those　who