the beasts of tarzan-第37节

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far　too　civilized　for　my　beastsit　is　you　whom　they　are　fleeing。　　

Doubtless　they　feel　that　they　cannot　trust　themselves　in　the

close　vicinity　of　so　much　perfectly　good　food　without　the

danger　that　they　may　help　themselves　to　a　mouthful　some

time　by　mistake。〃



Jane　laughed。　　〃I　think　they　are　just　trying　to　escape　you；〃

she　retorted。　　〃You　are　always　making　them　stop　something

which　they　see　no　reason　why　they　should　not　do。　　Like　little

children　they　are　doubtless　delighted　at　this　opportunity　to

flee　from　the　zone　of　parental　discipline。　　If　they　come　back；

though；　I　hope　they　won't　come　by　night。〃



〃Or　come　hungry；　eh？〃　laughed　Tarzan。



For　two　hours　after　landing　the　little　party　stood　watching　the

burning　ship　which　they　had　abandoned。　　Then　there　came　faintly

to　them　from　across　the　water　the　sound　of　a　second　explosion。　　

The　Kincaid　settled　rapidly　almost　immediatel　thereafter；

and　sank　within　a　few　minutes。



The　cause　of　the　second　explosion　was　less　a　mystery　than

that　of　the　first；　the　mate　attributing　it　to　the　bursting　of　the

boilers　when　the　flames　had　finally　reached　them；　but　what

had　caused　the　first　explosion　was　a　subject　of　considerable

speculation　among　the　stranded　company。









Chapter　20





Jungle　Island　Again





The　first　consideration　of　the　party　was　to　locate　fresh

water　and　make　camp；　for　all　knew　that　their　term　of

existence　upon　Jungle　Island　might　be　drawn　out　to　months；

or　even　years。



Tarzan　knew　the　nearest　water；　and　to　this　he　immediately

led　the　party。　　Here　the　men　fell　to　work　to　construct　shelters

and　rude　furniture　while　Tarzan　went　into　the　jungle　after

meat；　leaving　the　faithful　Mugambi　and　the　Mosula　woman

to　guard　Jane；　whose　safety　he　would　never　trust　to　any

member　of　the　Kincaid's　cut…throat　crew。



Lady　Greystoke　suffered　far　greater　anguish　than　any　other

of　the　castaways；　for　the　blow　to　her　hopes　and　her　already

cruelly　lacerated　mother…heart　lay　not　in　her　own　privations

but　in　the　knowledge　that　she　might　now　never　be　able　to

learn　the　fate　of　her　first…born　or　do　aught　to　discover　his

whereabouts；　or　ameliorate　his　conditiona　condition　which

imagination　naturally　pictured　in　the　most　frightful　forms。



For　two　weeks　the　party　divided　the　time　amongst　the

various　duties　which　had　been　allotted　to　each。　　A　daylight

watch　was　maintained　from　sunrise　to　sunset　upon　a　bluff

near　the　campa　jutting　shoulder　of　rock　which　overlooked

the　sea。　　Here；　ready　for　instant　lighting；　was　gathered　a　huge

pile　of　dry　branches；　while　from　a　lofty　pole　which　they　had

set　in　the　ground　there　floated　an　improvised　distress　signal

fashioned　from　a　red　undershirt　which　belonged　to　the　mate

of　the　Kincaid。



But　never　a　speck　upon　the　horizon　that　might　be　sail　or

smoke　rewarded　the　tired　eyes　that　in　their　endless；　hopeless

vigil　strained　daily　out　across　the　vast　expanse　of　ocean。



It　was　Tarzan　who　suggested；　finally；　that　they　attempt　to

construct　a　vessel　that　would　bear　them　back　to　the　mainland。　　

He　alone　could　show　them　how　to　fashion　rude　tools；　and

when　the　idea　had　taken　root　in　the　minds　of　the　men　they

were　eager　to　commence　their　labours。



But　as　time　went　on　and　the　Herculean　nature　of　their　task

became　more　and　more　apparent　they　fell　to　grumbling；　and

to　quarrelling　among　themselves；　so　that　to　the　other　dangers

were　now　added　dissension　and　suspicion。



More　than　before　did　Tarzan　now　fear　to　leave　Jane　among

the　half　brutes　of　the　Kincaid's　crew；　but　hunting　he　must

do；　for　none　other　could　so　surely　go　forth　and　return　with

meat　as　he。　　Sometimes　Mugambi　spelled　him　at　the　hunting；

but　the　black's　spear　and　arrows　were　never　so　sure　of　results

as　the　rope　and　knife　of　the　ape…man。



Finally　the　men　shirked　their　work；　going　off　into　the

jungle　by　twos　to　explore　and　to　hunt。　　All　this　time　the　camp

had　had　no　sight　of　Sheeta；　or　Akut　and　the　other　great　apes；

though　Tarzan　had　sometimes　met　them　in　the　jungle　as　he　hunted。



And　as　matters　tended　from　bad　to　worse　in　the　camp　of

the　castaways　upon　the　east　coast　of　Jungle　Island；　another

camp　came　into　being　upon　the　north　coast。



Here；　in　a　little　cove；　lay　a　small　schooner；　the　Cowrie；

whose　decks　had　but　a　few　days　since　run　red　with　the　blood

of　her　officers　and　the　loyal　members　of　her　crew；　for　the

Cowrie　had　fallen　upon　bad　days　when　it　had　shipped　such

men　as　Gust　and　Momulla　the　Maori　and　that　arch…fiend

Kai　Shang　of　Fachan。



There　were　others；　too；　ten　of　them　all　told；　the　scum　of

the　South　Sea　ports；　but　Gust　and　Momulla　and　Kai　Shang

were　the　brains　and　cunning　of　the　company。　　It　was　they　who

had　instigated　the　mutiny　that　they　might　seize　and　divide

the　catch　of　pearls　which　constituted　the　wealth　of　the

Cowrie's　cargo。



It　was　Kai　Shang　who　had　murdered　the　captain　as　he　lay

asleep　in　his　berth；　and　it　had　been　Momulla　the　Maori　who

had　led　the　attack　upon　the　officer　of　the　watch。



Gust；　after　his　own　peculiar　habit；　had　found　means　to

delegate　to　the　others　the　actual　taking　of　life。　　Not　that

Gust　entertained　any　scruples　on　the　subject；　other　than　those

which　induced　in　him　a　rare　regard　for　his　own　personal　safety。　　

There　is　always　a　certain　element　of　risk　to　the　assassin；

for　victims　of　deadly　assault　are　seldom　prone　to　die　quietly

and　considerately。　　There　is　always　a　certain　element　of　risk

to　go　so　far　as　to　dispute　the　issue　with　the　murderer。

It　was　this　chance　of　dispute　which　Gust　preferred　to　forgo。



But　now　that　the　work　was　done　the　Swede　aspired　to　the

position　of　highest　command　among　the　mutineers。　　He　had

even　gone　so　far　as　to　appropriate　and　wear　certain　articles

belonging　to　the　murdered　captain　of　the　Cowriearticles　of

apparel　which　bore　upon　them　the　badges　and　insignia　of　authority。



Kai　Shang　was　peeved。　　He　had　no　love　for　authority；　and

certainly　not　the　slightest　intention　of　submitting　to　the

domination　of　an　ordinary　Swede　sailor。



The　seeds　of　discontent　were；　therefore；　already　planted　in　the　camp

of　the　mutineers　of　the　Cowrie　at　the　north　edge　of　Jungle　Island。

But　Kai　Shang　realized　that　he　must　act　with　circumspection；

for　Gust　alone　of　the　motley　horde　possessed　sufficient

knowledge　of　navigation　to　get　them　out　of　the　South　Atlantic

and　around　the　cape　into　more　congenial　waters　where　they　might

find　a　market　for　their　ill…gotten　wealth；　and　no　questions　asked。



The　day　before　they　sighted　Jungle　Island　and　discovered

the　little　land…locked　harbour　upon　the　bosom　of　which　the

Cowrie　now　rode　quietly　at　anchor；　the　watch　had　discovered

the　smoke　and　funnels　of　a　warship　upon　the　southern　horizon。



The　chance　of　being　spoken　and　investigated　by　a　man…of…war

appealed　not　at　all　to　any　of　them；　so　they　put　into　hiding

for　a　few　days　until　the　danger　should　have　passed。



And　now　Gust　did　not　wish　to　venture　out　to　sea　again。　　

There　was　no　telling；　he　insisted；　but　that　the　ship　they　had

seen　was　actually　searching　for　them。　　Kai　Shang　pointed　out

that　such　could　not　be　the　case　since　it　was　impossible　for

any　human　being　other　than　themselves　to　have　knowledge

of　what　had　transpired　aboard　the　Cowrie。



But　Gust　was　not　to　be　persuaded。　　In　his　wicked　heart　he

nursed　a　scheme　whereby　he　might　increase　his　share　of　the

booty　by　something　like　one　hundred　per　cent。　　He　alone

could　sail　the　Cowrie；　therefore　the　others　could　not　leave

Jungle　Island　without　him；　but　what　was　there　to　prevent

Gust；　with　just　sufficient　men　to　man　the　schooner；　slipping

away　from　Kai　Shang；　Momulla　the　Maori；　and　some　half

of　the　crew　when　opportunity　presented？



It　was　for　this　opportunity　that　Gust　waited。　　Some　day

there　would　come　a　moment　when　Kai　Shang；　Momulla；　and

three　or　four　of　the　others　would　be　absent　from　camp；

exploring　or　hunting。　　The　Swede　racked　his　brain　for　some　plan

whereby　he　might　successfully　lure　from　the　sight　of　the

anchored　ship　those　whom　he　had　determined　to　abandon。



To　this　end　he　organized　hunting　party　after　hunting　party；

but　always　the　devil　of　perversity　seemed　to　enter　the　soul　of

Kai　Shang；　so　that　wily　celestial　would　never　hunt　except

in　the　company　of　Gust　himself。



One　day　Kai　Shang　spoke　secretly　with　Momulla　the　Maori；

pouring　into　the　brown　ear　of　his　companion　the　suspicions

which　he　harboured　concerning　the　Swede。　　Momulla　was　for

going　immediately　and　running　a　long　knife　through

the　heart　of　the　traitor。



It　is　true　that　Kai　Shang　had　no　other　evidence　than　the

natural　cunning　of　his　own　knavish　soulbut　he　imagined

in　the　intentions　of　Gust　what　he　himself　would　have　been

glad　to　accomplish　had　the　means　lain　at　hand。



But　he　dared　not　let　Momulla　slay　the　Swede；　upon　whom

they　depended　to　guide　them　to　their　destination。　　

They　decided；　however；　that　it　would　do　no　harm　to　attempt　to

frighten