the beasts of tarzan-第31节

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the　encircling　jungle　that　Tarzan；　even　with　eyes　accustomed

to　much　use　after　dark；　could　make　out　nothing　a　few　yards

from　him。　　His　idea　was　to　search　the　shore　that　night　for

signs　of　the　Russian　and　the　woman　who　he　was　certain　must

have　preceded　Rokoff　down　the　Ugambi。　　That　the　Kincaid

or　other　ship　lay　at　anchor　but　a　hundred　yards　from　him　he

did　not　dream；　for　no　light　showed　on　board　the　steamer。



Even　as　he　commenced　his　search　his　attention　was　suddenly

attracted　by　a　noise　that　he　had　not　at　first　perceived

the　stealthy　dip　of　paddles　in　the　water　some　distance　from

the　shore；　and　about　opposite　the　point　at　which　he　stood。　　

Motionless　as　a　statue　he　stood　listening　to　the　faint　sound。



Presently　it　ceased；　to　be　followed　by　a　shuffling　noise　that

the　ape…man's　trained　ears　could　interpret　as　resulting　from

but　a　single　causethe　scraping　of　leather…shod　feet　upon　the

rounds　of　a　ship's　monkey…ladder。　　And　yet；　as　far　as　he　could

see；　there　was　no　ship　therenor　might　there　be　one　within

a　thousand　miles。



As　he　stood　thus；　peering　out　into　the　darkness　of　the

cloud…enshrouded　night；　there　came　to　him　from　across　the

water；　like　a　slap　in　the　face；　so　sudden　and　unexpected　was

it；　the　sharp　staccato　of　an　exchange　of　shots　and　then　the

scream　of　a　woman。



Wounded　though　he　was；　and　with　the　memory　of　his　recent

horrible　experience　still　strong　upon　him；　Tarzan　of　the　Apes

did　not　hesitate　as　the　notes　of　that　frightened　cry　rose　shrill

and　piercing　upon　the　still　night　air。　　With　a　bound　he　cleared

the　intervening　bushthere　was　a　splash　as　the　water　closed

about　himand　then；　with　powerful　strokes；　he　swam　out

into　the　impenetrable　night　with　no　guide　save　the　memory

of　an　illusive　cry；　and　for　company　the　hideous　denizens

of　an　equatorial　river。





The　boat　that　had　attracted　Jane's　attention　as　she　stood

guard　upon　the　deck　of　the　Kincaid　had　been　perceived　by

Rokoff　upon　one　bank　and　Mugambi　and　the　horde　upon　the　other。　　

The　cries　of　the　Russian　had　brought　the　dugout　first　to　him；

and　then；　after　a　conference；　it　had　been　turned　toward　the

Kincaid；　but　before　ever　it　covered　half　the　distance　between

the　shore　and　the　steamer　a　rifle　had　spoken　from　the　latter's

deck　and　one　of　the　sailors　in　the　bow　of　the　canoe　had　crumpled

and　fallen　into　the　water。



After　that　they　went　more　slowly；　and　presently；　when　Jane's　rifle

had　found　another　member　of　the　party；　the　canoe　withdrew　to　the　shore；

where　it　lay　as　long　as　daylight　lasted。



The　savage；　snarling　pack　upon　the　opposite　shore　had　been

directed　in　their　pursuit　by　the　black　warrior；　Mugambi；

chief　of　the　Wagambi。　　Only　he　knew　which　might　be　foe　and

which　friend　of　their　lost　master。



Could　they　have　reached　either　the　canoe　or　the　Kincaid

they　would　have　made　short　work　of　any　whom　they　found

there；　but　the　gulf　of　black　water　intervening　shut　them　off

from　farther　advance　as　effectually　as　though　it　had　been　the

broad　ocean　that　separated　them　from　their　prey。



Mugambi　knew　something　of　the　occurrences　which　had　led　up　to

the　landing　of　Tarzan　upon　Jungle　Island　and　the　pursuit　of

the　whites　up　the　Ugambi。　　He　knew　that　his　savage　master

sought　his　wife　and　child　who　had　been　stolen　by　the　wicked

white　man　whom　they　had　followed　far　into　the　interior　and

now　back　to　the　sea。



He　believed　also　that　this　same　man　had　killed　the　great

white　giant　whom　he　had　come　to　respect　and　love　as　he　had

never　loved　the　greatest　chiefs　of　his　own　people。　　And　so　in

the　wild　breast　of　Mugambi　burned　an　iron　resolve　to　win　to

the　side　of　the　wicked　one　and　wreak　vengeance　upon　him

for　the　murder　of　the　ape…man。



But　when　he　saw　the　canoe　come　down　the　river　and　take　in　Rokoff；

when　he　saw　it　make　for　the　Kincaid；　he　realized　that　only　by

possessing　himself　of　a　canoe　could　he　hope　to　transport　the　beasts

of　the　pack　within　striking　distance　of　the　enemy。



So　it　happened　that　even　before　Jane　Clayton　fired　the　first　shot　into

Rokoff's　canoe　the　beasts　of　Tarzan　had　disappeared　into　the　jungle。



After　the　Russian　and　his　party；　which　consisted　of　Paulvitch

and　the　several　men　he　had　left　upon　the　Kincaid　to　attend

to　the　matter　of　coaling；　had　retreated　before　her　fire；

Jane　realized　that　it　would　be　but　a　temporary　respite　from

their　attentions　which　she　had　gained；　and　with　the　conviction

came　a　determination　to　make　a　bold　and　final　stroke　for

freedom　from　the　menacing　threat　of　Rokoff's　evil　purpose。



With　this　idea　in　view　she　opened　negotiations　with　the　two

sailors　she　had　imprisoned　in　the　forecastle；　and　having

forced　their　consent　to　her　plans；　upon　pain　of　death　should

they　attempt　disloyalty；　she　released　them　just　as　darkness

closed　about　the　ship。



With　ready　revolver　to　compel　obedience；　she　let　them　up

one　by　one；　searching　them　carefully　for　concealed　weapons

as　they　stood　with　hands　elevated　above　their　heads。　　Once

satisfied　that　they　were　unarmed；　she　set　them　to　work　cutting

the　cable　which　held　the　Kincaid　to　her　anchorage；　for　her　bold

plan　was　nothing　less　than　to　set　the　steamer　adrift　and　float

with　her　out　into　the　open　sea；　there　to　trust　to　the　mercy

of　the　elements；　which　she　was　confident　would　be　no　more

merciless　than　Nikolas　Rokoff　should　he　again　capture　her。



There　was；　too；　the　chance　that　the　Kincaid　might　be　sighted

by　some　passing　ship；　and　as　she　was　well　stocked　with

provisions　and　waterthe　men　had　assured　her　of　this　fact

and　as　the　season　of　storm　was　well　over；　she　had　every

reason　to　hope　for　the　eventual　success　of　her　plan。



The　night　was　deeply　overcast；　heavy　clouds　riding

low　above　the　jungle　and　the　wateronly　to　the　west；

where　the　broad　ocean　spread　beyond　the　river's　mouth；

was　there　a　suggestion　of　lessening　gloom。



It　was　a　perfect　night　for　the　purposes　of　the　work　in　hand。



Her　enemies　could　not　see　the　activity　aboard　the　ship　nor

mark　her　course　as　the　swift　current　bore　her　outward　into

the　ocean。　　Before　daylight　broke　the　ebb…tide　would　have

carried　the　Kincaid　well　into　the　Benguela　current　which

flows　northward　along　the　coast　of　Africa；　and；　as　a　south

wind　was　prevailing；　Jane　hoped　to　be　out　of　sight　of　the

mouth　of　the　Ugambi　before　Rokoff　could　become　aware　of

the　departure　of　the　steamer。



Standing　over　the　labouring　seamen；　the　young　woman

breathed　a　sigh　of　relief　as　the　last　strand　of　the　cable　parted

and　she　knew　that　the　vessel　was　on　its　way　out　of　the　maw

of　the　savage　Ugambi。



With　her　two　prisoners　still　beneath　the　coercing　influence

of　her　rifle；　she　ordered　them　upon　deck　with　the　intention

of　again　imprisoning　them　in　the　forecastle；　but　at　length　she

permitted　herself　to　be　influenced　by　their　promises　of　loyalty

and　the　arguments　which　they　put　forth　that　they　could　be　of

service　to　her；　and　permitted　them　to　remain　above。



For　a　few　minutes　the　Kincaid　drifted　rapidly　with　the　current；

and　then；　with　a　grinding　jar；　she　stopped　in　midstream。　　

The　ship　had　run　upon　a　low…lying　bar　that　splits　the　channel

about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　sea。



For　a　moment　she　hung　there；　and　then；　swinging　round　until

her　bow　pointed　toward　the　shore；　she　broke　adrift　once　more。



At　the　same　instant；　just　as　Jane　Clayton　was　congratulating

herself　that　the　ship　was　once　more　free；　there　fell　upon

her　ears　from　a　point　up　the　river　about　where　the　Kincaid

had　been　anchored　the　rattle　of　musketry　and　a　woman's

screamshrill；　piercing；　fear…laden。



The　sailors　heard　the　shots　with　certain　conviction　that

they　announced　the　coming　of　their　employer；　and　as　they

had　no　relish　for　the　plan　that　would　consign　them　to　the

deck　of　a　drifting　derelict；　they　whispered　together　a　hurried

plan　to　overcome　the　young　woman　and　hail　Rokoff　and　their

companions　to　their　rescue。



It　seemed　that　fate　would　play　into　their　hands；　for　with

the　reports　of　the　guns　Jane　Clayton's　attention　had　been

distracted　from　her　unwilling　assistants；　and　instead　of

keeping　one　eye　upon　them　as　she　had　intended　doing；　she　ran

to　the　bow　of　the　Kincaid　to　peer　through　the　darkness　toward

the　source　of　the　disturbance　upon　the　river's　bosom。



Seeing　that　she　was　off　her　guard；　the　two　sailors　crept

stealthily　upon　her　from　behind。



The　scraping　upon　the　deck　of　the　shoes　of　one　of　them

startled　the　girl　to　a　sudden　appreciation　of　her　danger；

but　the　warning　had　come　too　late。



As　she　turned；　both　men　leaped　upon　her　and　bore　her

to　the　deck；　and　as　she　went　down　beneath　them　she　saw；

outlined　against　the　lesser　gloom　of　the　ocean；　the　figure　of

another　man　clamber　over　the　side　of　the　Kincaid。



After　all　her　pains　her　heroic　struggle　for　freedom　had　failed。　　

With　a　stifled　sob　she　gave　up　the　unequal　battle。









Chapter　17





On　the　Deck　of　the　〃Kincaid〃





When　Mugambi　had　tu