the beasts of tarzan-第4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！
〃It is not I that am cruel； but you；〃 he returned；
〃for you permit a paltry sum of money to stand between
your baby and immunity from suffering。〃
The end of it was that Jane Clayton wrote out a cheque
of large denomination and handed it to Nikolas Rokoff；
who left her cabin with a grin of satisfaction upon his lips。
The following day the hatch was removed from Tarzan's cell；
and as he looked up he saw Paulvitch's head framed in
the square of light above him。
〃Come up；〃 commanded the Russian。 〃But bear in mind
that you will be shot if you make a single move to attack me
or any other aboard the ship。〃
The ape…man swung himself lightly to the deck。 About him；
but at a respectful distance； stood a half…dozen sailors
armed with rifles and revolvers。 Facing him was Paulvitch。
Tarzan looked about for Rokoff； who he felt sure must be
aboard； but there was no sign of him。
〃Lord Greystoke；〃 commenced the Russian； 〃by your continued
and wanton interference with M。 Rokoff and his plans
you have at last brought yourself and your family to this
unfortunate extremity。 You have only yourself to thank。
As you may imagine； it has cost M。 Rokoff a large amount
of money to finance this expedition； and； as you are the sole
cause of it； he naturally looks to you for reimbursement。
〃Further； I may say that only by meeting M。 Rokoff's just
demands may you avert the most unpleasant consequences to
your wife and child； and at the same time retain your own
life and regain your liberty。〃
〃What is the amount？〃 asked Tarzan。 〃And what assurance
have I that you will live up to your end of the agreement？
I have little reason to trust two such scoundrels as you
and Rokoff； you know。〃
The Russian flushed。
〃You are in no position to deliver insults；〃 he said。
〃You have no assurance that we will live up to our agreement
other than my word； but you have before you the assurance that
we can make short work of you if you do not write out the
cheque we demand。
〃Unless you are a greater fool than I imagine； you should
know that there is nothing that would give us greater pleasure
than to order these men to fire。 That we do not is because
we have other plans for punishing you that would be entirely
upset by your death。〃
〃Answer one question；〃 said Tarzan。 〃Is my son on board this ship？〃
〃No；〃 replied Alexis Paulvitch； 〃your son is quite safe elsewhere；
nor will he be killed until you refuse to accede to our fair demands。
If it becomes necessary to kill you； there will be no reason for
not killing the child； since with you gone the one whom we wish
to punish through the boy will be gone； and he will then be to us
only a constant source of danger and embarrassment。 You see；
therefore； that you may only save the life of your son by
saving your own； and you can only save your own by giving
us the cheque we ask。〃
〃Very well；〃 replied Tarzan； for he knew that he could trust
them to carry out any sinister threat that Paulvitch had made；
and there was a bare chance that by conceding their demands
he might save the boy。
That they would permit him to live after he had appended
his name to the cheque never occurred to him as being within
the realms of probability。 But he was determined to give them
such a battle as they would never forget； and possibly to take
Paulvitch with him into eternity。 He was only sorry that it
was not Rokoff。
He took his pocket cheque…book and fountain…pen from his pocket。
〃What is the amount？〃 he asked。
Paulvitch named an enormous sum。 Tarzan could scarce restrain a smile。
Their very cupidity was to prove the means of their undoing；
in the matter of the ransom at least。 Purposely he hesitated
and haggled over the amount； but Paulvitch was obdurate。
Finally the ape…man wrote out his cheque for a larger sum
than stood to his credit at the bank。
As he turned to hand the worthless slip of paper to the
Russian his glance chanced to pass across the starboard bow
of the Kincaid。 To his surprise he saw that the ship lay within
a few hundred yards of land。 Almost down to the water's
edge ran a dense tropical jungle； and behind was higher land
clothed in forest。
Paulvitch noted the direction of his gaze。
〃You are to be set at liberty here；〃 he said。
Tarzan's plan for immediate physical revenge upon the
Russian vanished。 He thought the land before him the
mainland of Africa； and he knew that should they liberate him
here he could doubtless find his way to civilization with
comparative ease。
Paulvitch took the cheque。
〃Remove your clothing；〃 he said to the ape…man。
〃Here you will not need it。〃
Tarzan demurred。
Paulvitch pointed to the armed sailors。 Then the Englishman
slowly divested himself of his clothing。
A boat was lowered； and； still heavily guarded； the ape…man
was rowed ashore。 Half an hour later the sailors had returned
to the Kincaid； and the steamer was slowly getting under way。
As Tarzan stood upon the narrow strip of beach watching the
departure of the vessel he saw a figure appear at the rail
and call aloud to attract his attention。
The ape…man had been about to read a note that one of
the sailors had handed him as the small boat that bore him
to the shore was on the point of returning to the steamer；
but at the hail from the vessel's deck he looked up。
He saw a black…bearded man who laughed at him in derision
as he held high above his head the figure of a little child。
Tarzan half started as though to rush through the surf and
strike out for the already moving steamer； but realizing the
futility of so rash an act he halted at the water's edge。
Thus he stood； his gaze riveted upon the Kincaid until it
disappeared beyond a projecting promontory of the coast。
From the jungle at his back fierce bloodshot eyes glared
from beneath shaggy overhanging brows upon him。
Little monkeys in the tree…tops chattered and scolded； and from
the distance of the inland forest came the scream of a leopard。
But still John Clayton； Lord Greystoke； stood deaf and
unseeing； suffering the pangs of keen regret for the
opportunity that he had wasted because he had been so
gullible as to place credence in a single statement of
the first lieutenant of his arch…enemy。
〃I have at least；〃 he thought； 〃one consolationthe
knowledge that Jane is safe in London。 Thank Heaven she；
too； did not fall into the clutches of those villains。〃
Behind him the hairy thing whose evil eyes had been
watching his as a cat watches a mouse was creeping
stealthily toward him。
Where were the trained senses of the savage ape…man？
Where the acute hearing？
Where the uncanny sense of scent？
Chapter 3
Beasts at Bay
Slowly Tarzan unfolded the note the sailor had thrust into
his hand； and read it。 At first it made little impression on
his sorrow…numbed senses； but finally the full purport of the
hideous plot of revenge unfolded itself before his imagination。
〃This will explain to you〃 ＇the note read＇ 〃the exact nature
of my intentions relative to your offspring and to you。
〃You were born an ape。 You lived naked in the jungles
to your own we have returned you； but your son shall rise a
step above his sire。 It is the immutable law of evolution。
〃The father was a beast； but the son shall be a manhe
shall take the next ascending step in the scale of progress。
He shall be no naked beast of the jungle； but shall wear a
loincloth and copper anklets； and； perchance； a ring in his
nose； for he is to be reared by mena tribe of savage cannibals。
〃I might have killed you； but that would have curtailed the
full measure of the punishment you have earned at my hands。
〃Dead； you could not have suffered in the knowledge of
your son's plight； but living and in a place from which you
may not escape to seek or succour your child； you shall suffer
worse than death for all the years of your life in contemplation
of the horrors of your son's existence。
〃This； then； is to be a part of your punishment for having
dared to pit yourself against
N。 R。
〃P。S。The balance of your punishment has to do with
what shall presently befall your wifethat I shall
leave to your imagination。〃
As he finished reading； a slight sound behind him brought
him back with a start to the world of present realities。
Instantly his senses awoke； and he was again Tarzan of the Apes。
As he wheeled about； it was a beast at bay； vibrant with
the instinct of self…preservation； that faced a huge bull…ape
that was already charging down upon him。
The two years that had elapsed since Tarzan had come out
of the savage forest with his rescued mate had witnessed
slight diminution of the mighty powers that had made him
the invi
