tarzan the terrible-第38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！


ywhere　a　slightest　suggestion　of　the　savage　men　and　beasts　that　claimed　this　lovely　landscape　as　their　own。　What　a　paradise！　And　some　day　civilized　man　would　come　andspoil　it！　Ruthless　axes　would　raze　that　age…old　wood；　black；　sticky　smoke　would　rise　from　ugly　chimneys　against　that　azure　sky；　grimy　little　boats　with　wheels　behind　or　upon　either　side　would　churn　the　mud　from　the　bottom　of　Jad…in…lul；　turning　its　blue　waters　to　a　dirty　brown；　hideous　piers　would　project　into　the　lake　from　squalid　buildings　of　corrugated　iron；　doubtless；　for　of　such　are　the　pioneer　cities　of　the　world。

But　would　civilized　man　come？　Tarzan　hoped　not。　For　countless　generations　civilization　had　ramped　about　the　globe；　it　had　dispatched　its　emissaries　to　the　North　Pole　and　the　South；　it　had　circled　Pal…ul…don　once；　perhaps　many　times；　but　it　had　never　touched　her。　God　grant　that　it　never　would。　Perhaps　He　was　saving　this　little　spot　to　be　always　just　as　He　had　made　it；　for　the　scratching　of　the　Ho…don　and　the　Waz…don　upon　His　rocks　had　not　altered　the　fair　face　of　Nature。

Through　the　windows　came　sufficient　light　to　reveal　the　whole　interior　to　Tarzan。　The　room　was　fairly　large　and　there　was　a　door　at　each　enda　large　door　for　men　and　a　smaller　one　for　lions。　Both　were　closed　with　heavy　masses　of　stone　that　had　been　lowered　in　grooves　running　to　the　floor。　The　two　windows　were　small　and　closely　barred　with　the　first　iron　that　Tarzan　had　seen　in　Pal…ul…don。　The　bars　were　let　into　holes　in　the　casing；　and　the　whole　so　strongly　and　neatly　contrived　that　escape　seemed　impossible。　Yet　within　a　few　minutes　of　his　incarceration　Tarzan　had　commenced　to　undertake　his　escape。　The　old　knife　in　his　pouch　was　brought　into　requisition　and　slowly　the　ape…man　began　to　scrape　and　chip　away　the　stone　from　about　the　bars　of　one　of　the　windows。　It　was　slow　work　but　Tarzan　had　the　patience　of　absolute　health。

Each　day　food　and　water　were　brought　him　and　slipped　quickly　beneath　the　smaller　door　which　was　raised　just　sufficiently　to　allow　the　stone　receptacles　to　pass　in。　The　prisoner　began　to　believe　that　he　was　being　preserved　for　something　beside　lions。　However　that　was　immaterial。　If　they　would　but　hold　off　for　a　few　more　days　they　might　select　what　fate　they　wouldhe　would　not　be　there　when　they　arrived　to　announce　it。

And　then　one　day　came　Pan…sat；　Lu…don's　chief　tool；　to　the　city　of　Tu…lur。　He　came　ostensibly　with　a　fair　message　for　Mo…sar　from　the　high　priest　at　A…lur。　Lu…don　had　decided　that　Mo…sar　should　be　king　and　he　invited　Mo…sar　to　come　at　once　to　A…lur　and　then　Pan…sat；　having　delivered　the　message；　asked　that　he　might　go　to　the　temple　of　Tu…lur　and　pray；　and　there　he　sought　the　high　priest　of　Tu…lur　to　whom　was　the　true　message　that　Lu…don　had　sent。　The　two　were　closeted　alone　in　a　little　chamber　and　Pan…sat　whispered　into　the　ear　of　the　high　priest。

〃Mo…sar　wishes　to　be　king；〃　he　said；　〃and　Lu…don　wishes　to　be　king。　Mo…sar　wishes　to　retain　the　stranger　who　claims　to　be　the　Dor…ul…Otho　and　Lu…don　wishes　to　kill　him；　and　now；〃　he　leaned　even　closer　to　the　ear　of　the　high　priest　of　Tu…lur；　〃if　you　would　be　high　priest　at　A…lur　it　is　within　your　power。〃

Pan…sat　ceased　speaking　and　waited　for　the　other's　reply。　The　high　priest　was　visibly　affected。　To　be　high　priest　at　A…lur！　That　was　almost　as　good　as　being　king　of　all　Pal…ul…don；　for　great　were　the　powers　of　him　who　conducted　the　sacrifices　upon　the　altars　of　A…lur。

〃How？〃　whispered　the　high　priest。　〃How　may　I　become　high　priest　at　A…lur？〃

Again　Pan…sat　leaned　close：　〃By　killing　the　one　and　bringing　the　other　to　A…lur；〃　replied　he。　Then　he　rose　and　departed　knowing　chat　the　other　had　swallowed　the　bait　and　could　be　depended　upon　to　do　whatever　was　required　to　win　him　the　great　prize。

Nor　was　Pan…sat　mistaken　other　than　in　one　trivial　consideration。　This　high　priest　would　indeed　commit　murder　and　treason　to　attain　the　high　office　at　A…lur；　but　he　had　misunderstood　which　of　his　victims　was　to　be　killed　and　which　to　be　delivered　to　Lu…don。　Pan…sat；　knowing　himself　all　the　details　of　the　plannings　of　Lu…don；　had　made　the　quite　natural　error　of　assuming　that　the　ocher　was　perfectly　aware　that　only　by　publicly　sacrificing　the　false　Dor…ul…Otho　could　the　high　priest　at　A…lur　bolster　his　waning　power　and　that　the　assassination　of　Mo…sar；　the　pretender；　would　remove　from　Lu…don's　camp　the　only　obstacle　to　his　combining　the　offices　of　high　priest　and　king。　The　high　priest　at　Tu…lur　thought　that　he　had　been　commissioned　to　kill　Tarzan　and　bring　Mo…sar　to　A…lur。　He　also　thought　that　when　he　had　done　these　things　he　would　be　made　high　priest　at　A…lur；　but　he　did　not　know　that　already　the　priest　had　been　selected　who　was　to　murder　him　within　the　hour　that　he　arrived　at　A…lur；　nor　did　he　know　that　a　secret　grave　had　been　prepared　for　him　in　the　floor　of　a　subterranean　chamber　in　the　very　temple　he　dreamed　of　controlling。

And　so　when　he　should　have　been　arranging　the　assassination　of　his　chief　he　was　leading　a　dozen　heavily　bribed　warriors　through　the　dark　corridors　beneath　the　temple　to　slay　Tarzan　in　the　lion　pit。　Night　had　fallen。　A　single　torch　guided　the　footsteps　of　the　murderers　as　they　crept　stealthily　upon　their　evil　way；　for　they　knew　that　they　were　doing　the　thing　that　their　chief　did　not　want　done　and　their　guilty　consciences　warned　them　to　stealth。

In　the　dark　of　his　cell　the　ape…man　worked　at　his　seemingly　endless　chipping　and　scraping。　His　keen　ears　detected　the　coming　of　footsteps　along　the　corridor　withoutfootsteps　that　approached　the　larger　door。　Always　before　had　they　come　to　the　smaller　doorthe　footsteps　of　a　single　slave　who　brought　his　food。　This　time　there　were　many　more　than　one　and　their　coming　at　this　time　of　night　carried　a　sinister　suggestion。　Tarzan　continued　to　work　at　his　scraping　and　chipping。　He　heard　them　stop　beyond　the　door。　All　was　silence　broken　only　by　the　scrape；　scrape；　scrape　of　the　ape…man's　tireless　blade。

Those　without　heard　it　and　listening　sought　to　explain　it。　They　whispered　in　low　tones　making　their　plans。　Two　would　raise　the　door　quickly　and　the　others　would　rush　in　and　hurl　their　clubs　at　the　prisoner。　They　would　take　no　chances；　for　the　stories　that　had　circulated　in　A…lur　had　been　brought　to　Tu…lurstories　of　the　great　strength　and　wonderful　prowess　of　Tarzan…jad…guru　that　caused　the　sweat　to　stand　upon　the　brows　of　the　warriors；　though　it　was　cool　in　the　damp　corridor　and　they　were　twelve　to　one。

And　then　the　high　priest　gave　the　signalthe　door　shot　upward　and　ten　warriors　leaped　into　the　chamber　with　poised　clubs。　Three　of　the　heavy　weapons　flew　across　the　room　toward　a　darker　shadow　that　lay　in　the　shadow　of　the　opposite　wall；　then　the　flare　of　the　torch　in　the　priest's　hand　lighted　the　interior　and　they　saw　that　the　thing　at　which　they　had　flung　their　clubs　was　a　pile　of　skins　torn　from　the　windows　and　that　except　for　themselves　the　chamber　was　vacant。

One　of　them　hastened　to　a　window。　All　but　a　single　bar　was　gone　and　to　this　was　tied　one　end　of　a　braided　rope　fashioned　from　strips　cut　from　the　leather　window　hangings。

To　the　ordinary　dangers　of　Jane　Clayton's　existence　was　now　added　the　menace　of　Obergatz'　knowledge　of　her　whereabouts。　The　lion　and　the　panther　had　given　her　less　cause　for　anxiety　than　did　the　return　of　the　unscrupulous　Hun；　whom　she　had　always　distrusted　and　feared；　and　whose　repulsiveness　was　now　immeasurably　augmented　by　his　unkempt　and　filthy　appearance；　his　strange　and　mirthless　laughter；　and　his　unnatural　demeanor。　She　feared　him　now　with　a　new　fear　as　though　he　had　suddenly　become　the　personification　of　some　nameless　horror。　The　wholesome；　outdoor　life　that　she　had　been　leading　had　strengthened　and　rebuilt　her　nervous　system　yet　it　seemed　to　her　as　she　thought　of　him　that　if　this　man　should　ever　touch　her　she　should　scream；　and；　possibly；　even　faint。　Again　and　again　during　the　day　following　their　unexpected　meeting　the　woman　reproached　herself　for　not　having　killed　him　as　she　would　ja　or　jato　or　any　other　predatory　beast　that　menaced　her　existence　or　her　safety。　There　was　no　attempt　at　self…justification　for　these　sinister　reflectionsthey　needed　no　justification。　The　standards　by　which　the　acts　of　such　as　you　or　I　may　be　judged　could　not　apply　to　hers。　We　have　recourse　to　the　protection　of　friends　and　relatives　and　the　civil　soldiery　that　upholds　the　majesty　of　the　law　and　which　may　be　invoked　to　protect　the　righteous　weak　against　the　unrighteous　strong；　but　Jane　Clayton　comprised　within　herself　not　only　the　righteous　weak　but　all　the　various　agencies　for　the　protection　of　the　weak。　To　her；　then；　Lieutenant　Erich　Obergatz　presented　no　different　problem　than　did　ja；　the　lion；　other　than　that　she　considered　the　former　the　more　dangerous　animal。　And　so　she　determined　that　should　he　ignore　her　warning　there　would　be　no　temporizing　upon　the　occasion　of　their　next　meetingthe　same　swift　spear　that　would　meet　ja's　advances　would　meet　his。

That　night　her　snug　little　nest　perched　high　in　the　great　tree　seemed　less　the　sanctuary　that　it　had　before。　What　might　resist　the　sanguinary　intentions　of　a　prowling　panther　would　prove　no　great　barrier　to　man；　and　influenced　by　this　thought　she　slept　less　well　than　before。　The　slightest　noise　that　broke　the　monotonous　hum　of　the　nocturnal　jungle　startled　her　into　alert　wakefulness　to　lie　with　straining　ears　in　an　attempt　to　classify　the　origin　of　the　disturbance；　and　once　she　was　awakened　thus　by　a　sound　that　seemed　to　come　from　something　moving　in　her　own　tree。　She　listened　intentlyscarce　breathing。　Yes；　there　it　was　again。　A　scuffing　of　something　soft　against　the　hard　bark　of　the　tree。　The　woman　reached　out　in　the　darkness　and　grasped　her　spear。　Now　she　felt　a　slight　sagging　of　one　of　the　limbs　that　supported　her　shelter　as　though　the　thing；　whatever　it　was；　was　slowly　raising　its　weight　to　the　branch。　It　came　nearer。　Now　she　thought　that　she　could　detect　its　breathing。　It　was　at　the　door。　She　could　hear　it　fumbling　with　the　frail　barrier。　What　could　it　be？　It　made　no　sound　by　which　she　might　identify　it。　She　raised　herself　upon　her　hands　and　knees　and　crept　stealthily　the　little　distance　to　the　doorway；　her　spear　clutched　tightly　in　her　hand。　Whatever　the　thing　was；　it　was　evidently　attempting　to　gain　entrance　without　awakening　her。　It　was　just　beyond　the　pitiful　little　contraption　of　slender　boughs　that　she　had　bound　together　with　grasses　and　called　a　dooronly　a　few　inches　lay　between　the　thing　and　her。　Rising　to　her　knees　she　reached　out　with　her　left　hand　and　felt　until　she　found　a　place　where　a　crooked　branch　had　left　an　opening　a　couple　of　inches　wide　near　the　center　of　the　barrier。　Into　this　she　inserted　the　point　of　her　spear。　The　thing　must　have　heard　her　move　within　for　suddenly　it　abandoned　its　efforts　for　stealth　and　tore　angrily　at　the　obstacle。　At　the　same　moment　Jane　thrust　her　spear　forward　with　all　her　strength。　She　felt　it　enter　flesh。　There　was　a　scream　and　a　curse　from　without；　followed　by　the　crashing　of　a　body　through　limbs　and　foliage。　Her　spear　was　almost　dragged　from　her　grasp；　but　she　held　to　it　until　it　broke　free　from　the　thing　it　had　pierced。

It　was　Obergatz；　the　curse　had　told　her　that。　From　below　came　no　further　sound。　Had　she；　then；　killed　him？　She　praye