tarzan and the jewels of opar()-第42节
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are riding WEST。 Then； when the Abyssinians come they will be put
upon the wrong trail should they have it in their hearts to pursue us； and if
they do not they will at least ride north with less rapidity than as though
they thought that we were ahead of them。〃
〃The serpent is less wise than thou； Werper；〃 said Mohammed Beyd
with a smile。 〃It shall be done as you say。 Twenty men shall
accompany us； and we shall ride WESTwhen we leave the village。〃
〃Good；〃 cried the Belgian； and so it was arranged。
Early the next morning Jane Clayton； after an almost sleepless night；
was aroused by the sound of voices outside her prison； and a moment later；
M。 Frecoult； and two Arabs entered。 The latter unbound her ankles and
lifted her to her feet。 Then her wrists were loosed； she was given a
handful of dry bread； and led out into the faint light of dawn。
She looked questioningly at Frecoult； and at a moment that the Arab's
attention was attracted in another direction the man leaned toward her and
whispered that all was working out as he had planned。 Thus assured； the
young woman felt a renewal of the hope which the long and miserable
night of bondage had almost expunged。
Shortly after； she was lifted to the back of a horse； and surrounded by
Arabs； was escorted through the gateway of the village and off into the
jungle toward the west。 Half an hour later the party turned north； and
northerly was their direction for the balance of the march。
M。 Frecoult spoke with her but seldom； and she understood that in
carrying out his deception he must maintain the semblance of her captor；
rather than protector； and so she suspected nothing though she saw the
friendly relations which seemed to exist between the European and the
Arab leader of the band。
If Werper succeeded in keeping himself from conversation with the
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young woman； he failed signally to expel her from his thoughts。 A
hundred times a day he found his eyes wandering in her direction and
feasting themselves upon her charms of face and figure。 Each hour his
infatuation for her grew； until his desire to possess her gained almost the
proportions of madness。
If either the girl or Mohammed Beyd could have guessed what passed
in the mind of the man which each thought a friend and ally； the apparent
harmony of the little company would have been rudely disturbed。
Werper had not succeeded in arranging to tent with Mohammed Beyd；
and so he revolved many plans for the assassination of the Arab that would
have been greatly simplified had he been permitted to share the other's
nightly shelter。
Upon the second day out Mohammed Beyd reined his horse to the side
of the animal on which the captive was mounted。 It was； apparently； the
first notice which the Arab had taken of the girl； but many times during
these two days had his cunning eyes peered greedily from beneath the
hood of his burnoose to gloat upon the beauties of the prisoner。
Nor was this hidden infatuation of any recent origin。 He had conceived
it when first the wife of the Englishman had fallen into the hands of
Achmet Zek； but while that austere chieftain lived； Mohammed Beyd had
not even dared hope for a realization of his imaginings。
Now； though； it was differentonly a despised dog of a Christian stood
between himself and possession of the girl。 How easy it would be to slay
the unbeliever； and take unto himself both the woman and the jewels！
With the latter in his possession； the ransom which might be obtained for
the captive would form no great inducement to her relinquishment in the
face of the pleasures of sole ownership of her。 Yes； he would kill Werper；
retain all the jewels and keep the Englishwoman。
He turned his eyes upon her as she rode along at his side。 How
beautiful she was！ His fingers opened and closedskinny； brown talons
itching to feel the soft flesh of the victim in their remorseless clutch。
〃Do you know；〃 he asked leaning toward her； 〃where this man would
take you？〃
Jane Clayton nodded affirmatively。
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〃And you are willing to become the plaything of a black sultan？〃
The girl drew herself up to her full height； and turned her head away；
but she did not reply。 She feared lest her knowledge of the ruse that M。
Frecoult was playing upon the Arab might cause her to betray herself
through an insufficient display of terror and aversion。
〃You can escape this fate；〃 continued the Arab； 〃Mohammed Beyd will
save you；〃 and he reached out a brown hand and seized the fingers of her
right hand in a grasp so sudden and so fierce that this brutal passion was
revealed as clearly in the act as though his lips had confessed it in words。
Jane Clayton wrenched herself from his grasp。
〃You beast！〃 she cried。 〃Leave me or I shall call M。 Frecoult。〃
Mohammed Beyd drew back with a scowl。 His thin； upper lip curled
upward； revealing his smooth； white teeth。
〃M。 Frecoult？〃 he jeered。 〃There is no such person。 The man's name
is Werper。 He is a liar； a thief； and a murderer。 He killed his captain in
the Congo country and fled to the protection of Achmet Zek。 He led
Achmet Zek to the plunder of your home。 He followed your husband；
and planned to steal his gold from him。 He has told me that you think him
your protector； and he has played upon this to win your confidence that it
might be easier to carry you north and sell you into some black sultan's
harem。 Mohammed Beyd is your only hope；〃 and with this assertion to
provide the captive with food for thought； the Arab spurred forward
toward the head of the column。
Jane Clayton could not know how much of Mohammed Beyd's
indictment might be true； or how much false； but at least it had the effect
of dampening her hopes and causing her to review with suspicion every
past act of the man upon whom she had been looking as her sole protector
in the midst of a world of enemies and dangers。
On the march a separate tent had been provided for the captive； and at
night it was pitched between those of Mohammed Beyd and Werper。 A
sentry was posted at the front and another at the back； and with these
precautions it had not been thought necessary to confine the prisoner to
bonds。 The evening following her interview with Mohammed Beyd；
Jane Clayton sat for some time at the opening of her tent watching the
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rough activities of the camp。 She had eaten the meal that had been
brought her by Mohammed Beyd's Negro slavea meal of cassava cakes
and a nondescript stew in which a new…killed monkey； a couple of
squirrels and the remains of a zebra； slain the previous day； were
impartially and unsavorily combined； but the one…time Baltimore belle had
long since submerged in the stern battle for existence； an estheticism
which formerly revolted at much slighter provocation。
As the girl's eyes wandered across the trampled jungle clearing；
already squalid from the presence of man； she no longer apprehended
either the nearer objects of the foreground； the uncouth men laughing or
quarreling among themselves； or the jungle beyond； which circumscribed
the extreme range of her material vision。 Her gaze passed through all these；
unseeing； to center itself upon a distant bungalow and scenes of happy
security which brought to her eyes tears of mingled joy and sorrow。 She
saw a tall； broad…shouldered man riding in from distant fields； she sa
