the beasts of tarzan-第32节

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Chapter　17





On　the　Deck　of　the　〃Kincaid〃





When　Mugambi　had　turned　back　into　the　jungle　with　the　pack

he　had　a　definite　purpose　in　view。　　It　was　to　obtain　a

dugout　wherewith　to　transport　the　beasts　of　Tarzan　to　the

side　of　the　Kincaid。　　Nor　was　he　long　in　coming　upon　the

object　which　he　sought。



Just　at　dusk　he　found　a　canoe　moored　to　the　bank　of　a

small　tributary　of　the　Ugambi　at　a　point　where　he　had

felt　certain　that　he　should　find　one。



Without　loss　of　time　he　piled　his　hideous　fellows　into　the

craft　and　shoved　out　into　the　stream。　　So　quickly　had　they

taken　possession　of　the　canoe　that　the　warrior　had　not　noticed

that　it　was　already　occupied。　　The　huddled　figure　sleeping　in

the　bottom　had　entirely　escaped　his　observation　in　the　darkness

of　the　night　that　had　now　fallen。



But　no　sooner　were　they　afloat　than　a　savage　growling

from　one　of　the　apes　directly　ahead　of　him　in　the　dugout

attracted　his　attention　to　a　shivering　and　cowering　figure

that　trembled　between　him　and　the　great　anthropoid。　　To　Mugambi's

astonishment　he　saw　that　it　was　a　native　woman。　　With　difficulty

he　kept　the　ape　from　her　throat；　and　after　a　time　succeeded

in　quelling　her　fears。



It　seemed　that　she　had　been　fleeing　from　marriage　with　an

old　man　she　loathed　and　had　taken　refuge　for　the　night　in　the

canoe　she　had　found　upon　the　river's　edge。



Mugambi　did　not　wish　her　presence；　but　there　she　was；

and　rather　than　lose　time　by　returning　her　to　the　shore

the　black　permitted　her　to　remain　on　board　the　canoe。



As　quickly　as　his　awkward　companions　could　paddle　the

dugout　down…stream　toward　the　Ugambi　and　the　Kincaid　they

moved　through　the　darkness。　　It　was　with　difficulty　that

Mugambi　could　make　out　the　shadowy　form　of　the　steamer；　but

as　he　had　it　between　himself　and　the　ocean　it　was　much　more

apparent　than　to　one　upon　either　shore　of　the　river。



As　he　approached　it　he　was　amazed　to　note　that　it　seemed

to　be　receding　from　him；　and　finally　he　was　convinced　that

the　vessel　was　moving　down…stream。　　Just　as　he　was　about　to

urge　his　creatures　to　renewed　efforts　to　overtake　the　steamer

the　outline　of　another　canoe　burst　suddenly　into　view　not

three　yards　from　the　bow　of　his　own　craft。



At　the　same　instant　the　occupants　of　the　stranger　discovered

the　proximity　of　Mugambi's　horde；　but　they　did　not　at　first

recognize　the　nature　of　the　fearful　crew。　　A　man　in　the

bow　of　the　oncoming　boat　challenged　them　just　as　the　two

dugouts　were　about　to　touch。



For　answer　came　the　menacing　growl　of　a　panther；　and　the

fellow　found　himself　gazing　into　the　flaming　eyes　of　Sheeta；

who　had　raised　himself　with　his　forepaws　upon　the　bow　of　the

boat；　ready　to　leap　in　upon　the　occupants　of　the　other　craft。



Instantly　Rokoff　realized　the　peril　that　confronted　him　and

his　fellows。　　He　gave　a　quick　command　to　fire　upon　the　occupants

of　the　other　canoe；　and　it　was　this　volley　and　the　scream　of　the

terrified　native　woman　in　the　canoe　with　Mugambi　that　both

Tarzan　and　Jane　had　heard。



Before　the　slower　and　less　skilled　paddlers　in　Mugambi's

canoe　could　press　their　advantage　and　effect　a　boarding　of

the　enemy　the　latter　had　turned　swiftly　down…stream　and　were

paddling　for　their　lives　in　the　direction　of　the　Kincaid；

which　was　now　visible　to　them。



The　vessel　after　striking　upon　the　bar　had　swung　loose　again

into　a　slow…moving　eddy；　which　returns　up…stream　close　to　the

southern　shore　of　the　Ugambi　only　to　circle　out　once　more　and

join　the　downward　flow　a　hundred　yards　or　so　farther　up。

Thus　the　Kincaid　was　returning　Jane　Clayton　directly　into

the　hands　of　her　enemies。



It　so　happened　that　as　Tarzan　sprang　into　the　river　the

vessel　was　not　visible　to　him；　and　as　he　swam　out　into　the

night　he　had　no　idea　that　a　ship　drifted　so　close　at　hand。　　

He　was　guided　by　the　sounds　which　he　could　hear　coming　from

the　two　canoes。



As　he　swam　he　had　vivid　recollections　of　the　last　occasion

upon　which　he　had　swum　in　the　waters　of　the　Ugambi；　and

with　them　a　sudden　shudder　shook　the　frame　of　the　giant。



But；　though　he　twice　felt　something　brush　his　legs　from

the　slimy　depths　below　him；　nothing　seized　him；　and　of　a

sudden　he　quite　forgot　about　crocodiles　in　the　astonishment

of　seeing　a　dark　mass　loom　suddenly　before　him　where　he

had　still　expected　to　find　the　open　river。



So　close　was　it　that　a　few　strokes　brought　him　up　to　the

thing；　when　to　his　amazement　his　outstretched　hand　came　in

contact　with　a　ship's　side。



As　the　agile　ape…man　clambered　over　the　vessel's　rail　there

came　to　his　sensitive　ears　the　sound　of　a　struggle　at　the

opposite　side　of　the　deck。



Noiselessly　he　sped　across　the　intervening　space。



The　moon　had　risen　now；　and；　though　the　sky　was　still

banked　with　clouds；　a　lesser　darkness　enveloped　the　scene

than　that　which　had　blotted　out　all　sight　earlier　in

the　night。　　His　keen　eyes；　therefore；　saw　the　figures

of　two　men　grappling　with　a　woman。



That　it　was　the　woman　who　had　accompanied　Anderssen

toward　the　interior　he　did　not　know；　though　he　suspected　as

much；　as　he　was　now　quite　certain　that　this　was　the　deck　of

the　Kincaid　upon　which　chance　had　led　him。



But　he　wasted　little　time　in　idle　speculation。　　There　was　a

woman　in　danger　of　harm　from　two　ruffians；　which　was　enough

excuse　for　the　ape…man　to　project　his　giant　thews　into　the

conflict　without　further　investigation。



The　first　that　either　of　the　sailors　knew　that　there　was　a

new　force　at　work　upon　the　ship　was　the　falling　of　a　mighty

hand　upon　a　shoulder　of　each。　　As　if　they　had　been　in　the　grip

of　a　fly…wheel；　they　were　jerked　suddenly　from　their　prey。



〃What　means　this？〃　asked　a　low　voice　in　their　ears。



They　were　given　no　time　to　reply；　however；　for　at　the　sound

of　that　voice　the　young　woman　had　sprung　to　her　feet　and

with　a　little　cry　of　joy　leaped　toward　their　assailant。



〃Tarzan！〃　she　cried。



The　ape…man　hurled　the　two　sailors　across　the　deck；　where

they　rolled；　stunned　and　terrified；　into　the　scuppers　upon　the

opposite　side；　and　with　an　exclamation　of　incredulity　gathered

the　girl　into　his　arms。



Brief；　however；　were　the　moments　for　their　greeting。



Scarcely　had　they　recognized　one　another　than　the　clouds

above　them　parted　to　show　the　figures　of　a　half…dozen　men

clambering　over　the　side　of　the　Kincaid　to　the　steamer's　deck。



Foremost　among　them　was　the　Russian。　　As　the　brilliant

rays　of　the　equatorial　moon　lighted　the　deck；　and　he　realized

that　the　man　before　him　was　Lord　Greystoke；　he　screamed

hysterical　commands　to　his　followers　to　fire　upon　the　two。



Tarzan　pushed　Jane　behind　the　cabin　near　which　they　had

been　standing；　and　with　a　quick　bound　started　for　Rokoff。　　

The　men　behind　the　Russian；　at　least　two　of　them；　raised

their　rifles　and　fired　at　the　charging　ape…man；　but　those

behind　them　were　otherwise　engagedfor　up　the　monkey…

ladder　in　their　rear　was　thronging　a　hideous　horde。



First　came　five　snarling　apes；　huge；　manlike　beasts；

with　bared　fangs　and　slavering　jaws；　and　after　them　a

giant　black　warrior；　his　long　spear　gleaming　in　the　moonlight。



Behind　him　again　scrambled　another　creature；　and　of　all　the

horrid　horde　it　was　this　they　most　fearedSheeta；　the　panther；

with　gleaming　jaws　agape　and　fiery　eyes　blazing　at　them

in　the　mightiness　of　his　hate　and　of　his　blood　lust。



The　shots　that　had　been　fired　at　Tarzan　missed　him；　and　he

would　have　been　upon　Rokoff　in　another　instant　had　not　the

great　coward　dodged　backward　between　his　two　henchmen；　and；

screaming　in　hysterical　terror；　bolted　forward　toward

the　forecastle。



For　the　moment　Tarzan's　attention　was　distracted　by　the

two　men　before　him；　so　that　he　could　not　at　the　time　pursue

the　Russian。　　About　him　the　apes　and　Mugambi　were　battling

with　the　balance　of　the　Russian's　party。



Beneath　the　terrible　ferocity　of　the　beasts　the　men　were　soon

scampering　in　all　directionsthose　who　still　lived　to　scamper；

for　the　great　fangs　of　the　apes　of　Akut　and　the　tearing　talons

of　Sheeta　already　had　found　more　than　a　single　victim。



Four；　however；　escaped　and　disappeared　into　the　forecastle；

where　they　hoped　to　barricade　themselves　against　further　assault。　　

Here　they　found　Rokoff；　and；　enraged　at　his　desertion　of　them

in　their　moment　of　peril；　no　less　than　at　the　uniformly

brutal　treatment　it　had　been　his　wont　to　accord　them；

they　gloated　upon　the　opportunity　now　offered　them　to

revenge　themselves　in　part　upon　their　hated　employer。



Despite　his　prayers　and　grovelling　pleas；　therefore；　they

hurled　him　bodily　out　upon　the　deck；　delivering　him　to　the

mercy　of　the　fearful　things　from　which　they　had　themselves

just　escaped。



Tarzan　saw　the　man　emerge　from　the　forecastlesaw　and

recognized　his　enemy；　but　another　saw　him　even　as　soon。



It　was　Sheeta；　and　with　grinning　jaws　the　mighty　beast

slunk　silently　t