the beasts of tarzan-第11节

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！



a　short　distance　from　the　island。　　It　seemed　that　the　Wagambi

warriors　had　ventured　too　far　out　in　their　frail　craft；

and　when　caught　by　a　heavy　tide　and　a　high　wind　from　offshore

they　had　been　driven　out　of　sight　of　land。　　After　paddling

for　a　whole　night；　thinking　that　they　were　headed　for　home；

they　had　seen　this　land　at　sunrise；　and；　still　taking　it　for

the　mainland；　had　hailed　it　with　joy；　nor　had　Mugambi　been

aware　that　it　was　an　island　until　Tarzan　had　told　him　that

this　was　the　fact。



The　Wagambi　chief　was　quite　dubious　as　to　the　sail；　for

he　had　never　seen　such　a　contrivance　used。　　His　country　lay

far　up　the　broad　Ugambi　River；　and　this　was　the　first　occasion

that　any　of　his　people　had　found　their　way　to　the　ocean。



Tarzan；　however；　was　confident　that　with　a　good　west　wind　he

could　navigate　the　little　craft　to　the　mainland。　　At　any　rate；

he　decided；　it　would　be　preferable　to　perish　on　the　way　than　to

remain　indefinitely　upon　this　evidently　uncharted　island　to

which　no　ships　might　ever　be　expected　to　come。



And　so　it　was　that　when　the　first　fair　wind　rose　he　embarked

upon　his　cruise；　and　with　him　he　took　as　strange　and

fearsome　a　crew　as　ever　sailed　under　a　savage　master。



Mugambi　and　Akut　went　with　him；　and　Sheeta；　the　panther；

and　a　dozen　great　males　of　the　tribe　of　Akut。









Chapter　6





A　Hideous　Crew





The　war…canoe　with　its　savage　load　moved　slowly　toward　the

break　in　the　reef　through　which　it　must　pass　to　gain　the

open　sea。　　Tarzan；　Mugambi；　and　Akut　wielded　the　paddles；

for　the　shore　kept　the　west　wind　from　the　little　sail。



Sheeta　crouched　in　the　bow　at　the　ape…man's　feet；　for　it

had　seemed　best　to　Tarzan　always　to　keep　the　wicked　beast

as　far　from　the　other　members　of　the　party　as　possible；

since　it　would　require　little　or　no　provocation　to　send　him

at　the　throat　of　any　than　the　white　man；　whom　he　evidently

now　looked　upon　as　his　master。



In　the　stern　was　Mugambi；　and　just　in　front　of　him　squatted

Akut；　while　between　Akut　and　Tarzan　the　twelve　hairy　apes

sat　upon　their　haunches；　blinking　dubiously　this　way　and　that；

and　now　and　then　turning　their　eyes　longingly　back　toward　shore。



All　went　well　until　the　canoe　had　passed　beyond　the　reef。　　

Here　the　breeze　struck　the　sail；　sending　the　rude　craft

lunging　among　the　waves　that　ran　higher　and　higher　as

they　drew　away　from　the　shore。



With　the　tossing　of　the　boat　the　apes　became　panic…stricken。　　

They　first　moved　uneasily　about；　and　then　commenced　grumbling

and　whining。　　With　difficulty　Akut　kept　them　in　hand　for　a　time；

but　when　a　particularly　large　wave　struck　the　dugout

simultaneously　with　a　little　squall　of　wind　their　terror

broke　all　bounds；　and；　leaping　to　their　feet；　they

all　but　overturned　the　boat　before　Akut　and　Tarzan　together

could　quiet　them。　　At　last　calm　was　restored；　and　eventually

the　apes　became　accustomed　to　the　strange　antics　of　their　craft；

after　which　no　more　trouble　was　experienced　with　them。



The　trip　was　uneventful；　the　wind　held；　and　after　ten　hours'

steady　sailing　the　black　shadows　of　the　coast　loomed　close

before　the　straining　eyes　of　the　ape…man　in　the　bow。　　It　was

far　too　dark　to　distinguish　whether　they　had　approached　close

to　the　mouth　of　the　Ugambi　or　not；　so　Tarzan　ran　in　through

the　surf　at　the　closest　point　to　await　the　dawn。



The　dugout　turned　broadside　the　instant　that　its　nose

touched　the　sand；　and　immediately　it　rolled　over；　with　all　its

crew　scrambling　madly　for　the　shore。　　The　next　breaker　rolled

them　over　and　over；　but　eventually　they　all　succeeded　in

crawling　to　safety；　and　in　a　moment　more　their　ungainly　craft

had　been　washed　up　beside　them。



The　balance　of　the　night　the　apes　sat　huddled　close　to　one

another　for　warmth；　while　Mugambi　built　a　fire　close　to　them

over　which　he　crouched。　　Tarzan　and　Sheeta；　however；　were

of　a　different　mind；　for　neither　of　them　feared　the　jungle

night；　and　the　insistent　craving　of　their　hunger　sent　them　off

into　the　Stygian　blackness　of　the　forest　in　search　of　prey。



Side　by　side　they　walked　when　there　was　room　for　two　abreast。　　

At　other　times　in　single　file；　first　one　and　then　the

other　in　advance。　　It　was　Tarzan　who　first　caught　the　scent　of

meata　bull　buffaloand　presently　the　two　came　stealthily

upon　the　sleeping　beast　in　the　midst　of　a　dense　jungle　of

reeds　close　to　a　river。



Closer　and　closer　they　crept　toward　the　unsuspecting　beast；

Sheeta　upon　his　right　side　and　Tarzan　upon　his　left　nearest

the　great　heart。　　They　had　hunted　together　now　for　some　time；

so　that　they　worked　in　unison；　with　only　low；　purring　sounds

as　signals。



For　a　moment　they　lay　quite　silent　near　their　prey；　and

then　at　a　sign　from　the　ape…man　Sheeta　sprang　upon　the

great　back；　burying　his　strong　teeth　in　the　bull's　neck。　　

Instantly　the　brute　sprang　to　his　feet　with　a　bellow　of

pain　and　rage；　and　at　the　same　instant　Tarzan　rushed　in

upon　his　left　side　with　the　stone　knife；　striking　repeatedly

behind　the　shoulder。



One　of　the　ape…man's　hands　clutched　the　thick　mane；　and

as　the　bull　raced　madly　through　the　reeds　the　thing　striking

at　his　life　was　dragged　beside　him。　　Sheeta　but　clung

tenaciously　to　his　hold　upon　the　neck　and　back；　biting　deep　in

an　effort　to　reach　the　spine。



For　several　hundred　yards　the　bellowing　bull　carried　his　two

savage　antagonists；　until　at　last　the　blade　found　his　heart；

when　with　a　final　bellow　that　was　half…scream　he　plunged　headlong

to　the　earth。　　Then　Tarzan　and　Sheeta　feasted　to　repletion。



After　the　meal　the　two　curled　up　together　in　a　thicket；　the

man's　black　head　pillowed　upon　the　tawny　side　of　the　panther。　　

Shortly　after　dawn　they　awoke　and　ate　again；　and　then

returned　to　the　beach　that　Tarzan　might　lead　the　balance　of

the　pack　to　the　kill。



When　the　meal　was　done　the　brutes　were　for　curling　up　to　sleep；

so　Tarzan　and　Mugambi　set　off　in　search　of　the　Ugambi　River。　　

They　had　proceeded　scarce　a　hundred　yards　when　they　came

suddenly　upon　a　broad　stream；　which　the　Negro　instantly

recognized　as　that　down　which　he　and　his　warriors

had　paddled　to　the　sea　upon　their　ill…starred　expedition。



The　two　now　followed　the　stream　down　to　the　ocean；　finding

that　it　emptied　into　a　bay　not　over　a　mile　from　the　point　upon

the　beach　at　which　the　canoe　had　been　thrown　the　night　before。



Tarzan　was　much　elated　by　the　discovery；　as　he　knew　that

in　the　vicinity　of　a　large　watercourse　he　should　find　natives；

and　from　some　of　these　he　had　little　doubt　but　that　he　should

obtain　news　of　Rokoff　and　the　child；　for　he　felt　reasonably

certain　that　the　Russian　would　rid　himself　of　the　baby　as

quickly　as　possible　after　having　disposed　of　Tarzan。



He　and　Mugambi　now　righted　and　launched　the　dugout；　though

it　was　a　most　difficult　feat　in　the　face　of　the　surf　which

rolled　continuously　in　upon　the　beach；　but　at　last　they　were

successful；　and　soon　after　were　paddling　up　the　coast　toward

the　mouth　of　the　Ugambi。　　Here　they　experienced　considerable

difficulty　in　making　an　entrance　against　the　combined

current　and　ebb　tide；　but　by　taking　advantage　of　eddies　close

in　to　shore　they　came　about　dusk　to　a　point　nearly　opposite

the　spot　where　they　had　left　the　pack　asleep。



Making　the　craft　fast　to　an　overhanging　bough；　the　two

made　their　way　into　the　jungle；　presently　coming　upon　some

of　the　apes　feeding　upon　fruit　a　little　beyond　the　reeds　where

the　buffalo　had　fallen。　　Sheeta　was　not　anywhere　to　be　seen；

nor　did　he　return　that　night；　so　that　Tarzan　came　to　believe

that　he　had　wandered　away　in　search　of　his　own　kind。



Early　the　next　morning　the　ape…man　led　his　band　down　to　the　river；

and　as　he　walked　he　gave　vent　to　a　series　of　shrill　cries。　　

Presently　from　a　great　distance　and　faintly　there　came

an　answering　scream；　and　a　half…hour　later　the　lithe　form　of

Sheeta　bounded　into　view　where　the　others　of　the　pack　were

clambering　gingerly　into　the　canoe。



The　great　beast；　with　arched　back　and　purring　like　a

contented　tabby；　rubbed　his　sides　against　the　ape…man；　and　then

at　a　word　from　the　latter　sprang　lightly　to　his　former　place　in

the　bow　of　the　dugout。



When　all　were　in　place　it　was　discovered　that　two　of　the

apes　of　Akut　were　missing；　and　though　both　the　king　ape

and　Tarzan　called　to　them　for　the　better　part　of　an　hour；　there

was　no　response；　and　finally　the　boat　put　off　without　them。　　

As　it　happened　that　the　two　missing　ones　were　the　very　same

who　had　evinced　the　least　desire　to　accompany　the　expedition

from　the　island；　and　had　suffered　the　most　from　fright　during

the　voyage；　Tarzan　was　quite　sure　that　they　had　absented

themselves　purposely　rather　than　again　enter　the　canoe。



As　the　party　were　putting　in　for　the　shore　shortly　after

noon　to　search　for　food　a　slender；　naked　savage　watched

them　for　a　moment　from　behind　the　dense　screen　of　verdure

which　lined　the　river's　bank；　then　he