the beasts of tarzan-第5节

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slight　diminution　of　the　mighty　powers　that　had　made　him

the　invincible　lord　of　the　jungle。　　His　great　estates　in　Uziri

had　claimed　much　of　his　time　and　attention；　and　there　he

had　found　ample　field　for　the　practical　use　and　retention　of

his　almost　superhuman　powers；　but　naked　and　unarmed　to　do

battle　with　the　shaggy；　bull…necked　beast　that　now　confronted

him　was　a　test　that　the　ape…man　would　scarce　have　welcomed

at　any　period　of　his　wild　existence。



But　there　was　no　alternative　other　than　to　meet　the　rage…

maddened　creature　with　the　weapons　with　which　nature　had

endowed　him。



Over　the　bull's　shoulder　Tarzan　could　see　now　the　heads

and　shoulders　of　perhaps　a　dozen　more　of　these　mighty　fore…

runners　of　primitive　man。



He　knew；　however；　that　there　was　little　chance　that　they

would　attack　him；　since　it　is　not　within　the　reasoning　powers

of　the　anthropoid　to　be　able　to　weigh　or　appreciate　the　value

of　concentrated　action　against　an　enemyotherwise　they

would　long　since　have　become　the　dominant　creatures　of

their　haunts；　so　tremendous　a　power　of　destruction　lies　in

their　mighty　thews　and　savage　fangs。



With　a　low　snarl　the　beast　now　hurled　himself　at　Tarzan；

but　the　ape…man　had　found；　among　other　things　in　the　haunts

of　civilized　man；　certain　methods　of　scientific　warfare　that

are　unknown　to　the　jungle　folk。



Whereas；　a　few　years　since；　he　would　have　met　the　brute

rush　with　brute　force；　he　now　sidestepped　his　antagonist's

headlong　charge；　and　as　the　brute　hurtled　past　him　swung　a

mighty　right　to　the　pit　of　the　ape's　stomach。



With　a　howl　of　mingled　rage　and　anguish　the　great　anthropoid

bent　double　and　sank　to　the　ground；　though　almost

instantly　he　was　again　struggling　to　his　feet。



Before　he　could　regain　them；　however；　his　white…skinned

foe　had　wheeled　and　pounced　upon　him；　and　in　the　act　there

dropped　from　the　shoulders　of　the　English　lord　the　last　shred

of　his　superficial　mantle　of　civilization。



Once　again　he　was　the　jungle　beast　revelling　in　bloody

conflict　with　his　kind。　　Once　again　he　was　Tarzan；

son　of　Kala　the　she…ape。



His　strong；　white　teeth　sank　into　the　hairy　throat　of　his

enemy　as　he　sought　the　pulsing　jugular。



Powerful　fingers　held　the　mighty　fangs　from　his　own　flesh；

or　clenched　and　beat　with　the　power　of　a　steam…hammer

upon　the　snarling；　foam…flecked　face　of　his　adversary。



In　a　circle　about　them　the　balance　of　the　tribe　of　apes　stood

watching　and　enjoying　the　struggle。　　They　muttered　low　gutturals

of　approval　as　bits　of　white　hide　or　hairy　bloodstained

skin　were　torn　from　one　contestant　or　the　other。　　But　they

were　silent　in　amazement　and　expectation　when　they　saw　the

mighty　white　ape　wriggle　upon　the　back　of　their　king；　and；

with　steel　muscles　tensed　beneath　the　armpits　of　his　antagonist；

bear　down　mightily　with　his　open　palms　upon　the　back　of　the

thick　bullneck；　so　that　the　king　ape　could　but　shriek　in　agony

and　flounder　helplessly　about　upon　the　thick　mat　of　jungle　grass。



As　Tarzan　had　overcome　the　huge　Terkoz　that　time　years

before　when　he　had　been　about　to　set　out　upon　his　quest　for

human　beings　of　his　own　kind　and　colour；　so　now　he　overcame

this　other　great　ape　with　the　same　wrestling　hold　upon

which　he　had　stumbled　by　accident　during　that　other　combat。　　

The　little　audience　of　fierce　anthropoids　heard　the　creaking

of　their　king's　neck　mingling　with　his　agonized　shrieks

and　hideous　roaring。



Then　there　came　a　sudden　crack；　like　the　breaking　of　a

stout　limb　before　the　fury　of　the　wind。　　The　bullet…head

crumpled　forward　upon　its　flaccid　neck　against　the　great

hairy　chestthe　roaring　and　the　shrieking　ceased。



The　little　pig…eyes　of　the　onlookers　wandered　from　the　still

form　of　their　leader　to　that　of　the　white　ape　that　was　rising

to　its　feet　beside　the　vanquished；　then　back　to　their　king　as

though　in　wonder　that　he　did　not　arise　and　slay　this

presumptuous　stranger。



They　saw　the　new…comer　place　a　foot　upon　the　neck　of　the　quiet

figure　at　his　feet　and；　throwing　back　his　head；　give　vent　to

the　wild；　uncanny　challenge　of　the　bull…ape　that　has　made　a　kill。

Then　they　knew　that　their　king　was　dead。



Across　the　jungle　rolled　the　horrid　notes　of　the　victory　cry。　　

The　little　monkeys　in　the　tree…tops　ceased　their　chattering。　　

The　harsh…voiced；　brilliant…plumed　birds　were　still。　　From　afar

came　the　answering　wail　of　a　leopard　and　the　deep　roar　of　a　lion。



It　was　the　old　Tarzan　who　turned　questioning　eyes　upon

the　little　knot　of　apes　before　him。　　It　was　the　old　Tarzan　who

shook　his　head　as　though　to　toss　back　a　heavy　mane　that　had

fallen　before　his　facean　old　habit　dating　from　the　days　that

his　great　shock　of　thick；　black　hair　had　fallen　about　his

shoulders；　and　often　tumbled　before　his　eyes　when　it　had　meant

life　or　death　to　him　to　have　his　vision　unobstructed。



The　ape…man　knew　that　he　might　expect　an　immediate

attack　on　the　part　of　that　particular　surviving　bull…ape　who

felt　himself　best　fitted　to　contend　for　the　kingship　of　the　tribe。　　

Among　his　own　apes　he　knew　that　it　was　not　unusual　for　an

entire　stranger　to　enter　a　community　and；　after　having

dispatched　the　king；　assume　the　leadership　of　the　tribe　himself；

together　with　the　fallen　monarch's　mates。



On　the　other　hand；　if　he　made　no　attempt　to　follow　them；

they　might　move　slowly　away　from　him；　later　to　fight　among

themselves　for　the　supremacy。　　That　he　could　be　king　of　them；

if　he　so　chose；　he　was　confident；　but　he　was　not　sure　he　cared

to　assume　the　sometimes　irksome　duties　of　that　position；

for　he　could　see　no　particular　advantage　to　be　gained　thereby。



One　of　the　younger　apes；　a　huge；　splendidly　muscled　brute；

was　edging　threateningly　closer　to　the　ape…man。　　Through　his

bared　fighting　fangs　there　issued　a　low；　sullen　growl。



Tarzan　watched　his　every　move；　standing　rigid　as　a　statue。　　

To　have　fallen　back　a　step　would　have　been　to　precipitate　an

immediate　charge；　to　have　rushed　forward　to　meet　the　other

might　have　had　the　same　result；　or　it　might　have　put　the

bellicose　one　to　flightit　all　depended　upon　the　young　bull's

stock　of　courage。



To　stand　perfectly　still；　waiting；　was　the　middle　course。　　

In　this　event　the　bull　would；　according　to　custom；　approach

quite　close　to　the　object　of　his　attention；　growling　hideously

and　baring　slavering　fangs。　　Slowly　he　would　circle　about　the　other；

as　though　with　a　chip　upon　his　shoulder；　and　this　he　did；

even　as　Tarzan　had　foreseen。



It　might　be　a　bluff　royal；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　so　unstable　is

the　mind　of　an　ape；　a　passing　impulse　might　hurl　the　hairy　mass；

tearing　and　rending；　upon　the　man　without　an　instant's　warning。



As　the　brute　circled　him　Tarzan　turned　slowly；　keeping

his　eyes　ever　upon　the　eyes　of　his　antagonist。　　He　had

appraised　the　young　bull　as　one　who　had　never　quite　felt　equal

to　the　task　of　overthrowing　his　former　king；　but　who　one　day

would　have　done　so。　　Tarzan　saw　that　the　beast　was　of　wondrous

proportions；　standing　over　seven　feet　upon　his　short；　bowed　legs。



His　great；　hairy　arms　reached　almost　to　the　ground　even

when　he　stood　erect；　and　his　fighting　fangs；　now　quite　close

to　Tarzan's　face；　were　exceptionally　long　and　sharp。　　Like　the

others　of　his　tribe；　he　differed　in　several　minor　essentials

from　the　apes　of　Tarzan's　boyhood。



At　first　the　ape…man　had　experienced　a　thrill　of　hope　at

sight　of　the　shaggy　bodies　of　the　anthropoidsa　hope　that

by　some　strange　freak　of　fate　he　had　been　again　returned　to

his　own　tribe；　but　a　closer　inspection　had　convinced　him　that

these　were　another　species。



As　the　threatening　bull　continued　his　stiff　and　jerky

circling　of　the　ape…man；　much　after　the　manner　that　you　have

noted　among　dogs　when　a　strange　canine　comes　among　them；

it　occurred　to　Tarzan　to　discover　if　the　language　of　his　own

tribe　was　identical　with　that　of　this　other　family；　and　so　he

addressed　the　brute　in　the　language　of　the　tribe　of　Kerchak。



〃Who　are　you；〃　he　asked；　〃who　threatens　Tarzan　of　the　Apes？〃



The　hairy　brute　looked　his　surprise。



〃I　am　Akut；〃　replied　the　other　in　the　same　simple；　primal

tongue　which　is　so　low　in　the　scale　of　spoken　languages　that；

as　Tarzan　had　surmised；　it　was　identical　with　that　of　the　tribe

in　which　the　first　twenty　years　of　his　life　had　been　spent。



〃I　am　Akut；〃　said　the　ape。　　〃Molak　is　dead。　　I　am　king。

Go　away　or　I　shall　kill　you！〃



〃You　saw　how　easily　I　killed　Molak；〃　replied　Tarzan。　　〃So　I

could　kill　you　if　I　cared　to　be　king。　　But　Tarzan　of　the

Apes　would　not　be　king　of　the　tribe　of　Akut。　　All　he　wishes

is　to　live　in　peace　in　this　country。　　Let　us　be　friends。　　

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　can　help　you；　and　you　can　help　Tarzan

of　the　Apes。〃



〃You　cannot　kill　Akut；〃　replied　the　other。　　〃None　is　so

great　as　Akut。　　Had　you　not　killed　Molak；　Akut　would　have

done　so；　for　Akut　was　ready　to　be　king。〃



For　answer　the　ape…man　hurled　hims