tarzan and the jewels of opar-第21节

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〃Protect　her　so　that　when　Tarzan　comes　again　he　will

find　La　there　to　greet　him。〃



〃La　will　be　there　to　greet　thee；〃　exclaimed　the　High

Priestess；　〃and　La　will　wait；　longing；　always　longing；

until　you　come　again。　　Oh；　tell　me　that　you　will　come！〃



〃Who　knows？〃　asked　the　ape…man　as　he　swung　quickly　into

the　trees　and　raced　off　toward　the　east。



For　a　moment　La　stood　looking　after　him；　then　her　head

drooped；　a　sigh　escaped　her　lips　and　like　an　old　woman

she　took　up　the　march　toward　distant　Opar。



Through　the　trees　raced　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　until　the

darkness　of　night　had　settled　upon　the　jungle；　then　he

lay　down　and　slept；　with　no　thought　beyond　the　morrow

and　with　even　La　but　the　shadow　of　a　memory　within　his

consciousness。



But　a　few　marches　to　the　north　Lady　Greystoke　looked

forward　to　the　day　when　her　mighty　lord　and　master

should　discover　the　crime　of　Achmet　Zek；　and　be

speeding　to　rescue　and　avenge；　and　even　as　she　pictured

the　coming　of　John　Clayton；　the　object　of　her　thoughts

squatted　almost　naked；　beside　a　fallen　log；　beneath

which　he　was　searching　with　grimy　fingers　for　a　chance

beetle　or　a　luscious　grub。



Two　days　elapsed　following　the　theft　of　the　jewels

before　Tarzan　gave　them　a　thought。　　Then；　as　they

chanced　to　enter　his　mind；　he　conceived　a　desire　to

play　with　them　again；　and；　having　nothing　better　to　do

than　satisfy　the　first　whim　which　possessed　him；　he

rose　and　started　across　the　plain　from　the　forest　in

which　he　had　spent　the　preceding　day。



Though　no　mark　showed　where　the　gems　had　been　buried；

and　though　the　spot　resembled　the　balance　of　an

unbroken　stretch　several　miles　in　length；　where　the

reeds　terminated　at　the　edge　of　the　meadowland；　yet　the

ape…man　moved　with　unerring　precision　directly　to　the

place　where　he　had　hid　his　treasure。



With　his　hunting　knife　he　upturned　the　loose　earth；

beneath　which　the　pouch　should　be；　but；　though　he

excavated　to　a　greater　distance　than　the　depth　of　the

original　hole　there　was　no　sign　of　pouch　or　jewels。

Tarzan's　brow　clouded　as　he　discovered　that　he　had　been

despoiled。　　Little　or　no　reasoning　was　required　to

convince　him　of　the　identity　of　the　guilty　party；　and

with　the　same　celerity　that　had　marked　his　decision　to

unearth　the　jewels；　he　set　out　upon　the　trail　of　the

thief。



Though　the　spoor　was　two　days　old；　and　practically

obliterated　in　many　places；　Tarzan　followed　it　with

comparative　ease。　　A　white　man　could　not　have　followed

it　twenty　paces　twelve　hours　after　it　had　been　made；　a

black　man　would　have　lost　it　within　the　first　mile；　but

Tarzan　of　the　Apes　had　been　forced　in　childhood　to

develop　senses　that　an　ordinary　mortal　scarce　ever　uses。



We　may　note　the　garlic　and　whisky　on　the　breath　of　a

fellow　strap　hanger；　or　the　cheap　perfume　emanating

from　the　person　of　the　wondrous　lady　sitting　in　front

of　us；　and　deplore　the　fact　of　our　sensitive　noses；

but；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　we　cannot　smell　at　all；　our

olfactory　organs　are　practically　atrophied；　by

comparison　with　the　development　of　the　sense　among　the

beasts　of　the　wild。



Where　a　foot　is　placed　an　effluvium　remains　for　a

considerable　time。　　It　is　beyond　the　range　of　our

sensibilities；　but　to　a　creature　of　the　lower　orders；

especially　to　the　hunters　and　the　hunted；　as

interesting　and　ofttimes　more　lucid　than　is　the　printed

page　to　us。



Nor　was　Tarzan　dependent　alone　upon　his　sense　of　smell。

Vision　and　hearing　had　been　brought　to　a　marvelous

state　of　development　by　the　necessities　of　his　early

life；　where　survival　itself　depended　almost　daily　upon

the　exercise　of　the　keenest　vigilance　and　the　constant

use　of　all　his　faculties。



And　so　he　followed　the　old　trail　of　the　Belgian　through

the　forest　and　toward　the　north；　but　because　of　the　age

of　the　trail　he　was　constrained　to　a　far　from　rapid

progress。　　The　man　he　followed　was　two　days　ahead　of

him　when　Tarzan　took　up　the　pursuit；　and　each　day　he

gained　upon　the　ape…man。　　The　latter；　however；　felt　not

the　slightest　doubt　as　to　the　outcome。　　Some　day　he

would　overhaul　his　quarryhe　could　bide　his　time　in

peace　until　that　day　dawned。　　Doggedly　he　followed　the

faint　spoor；　pausing　by　day　only　to　kill　and　eat；　and

at　night　only　to　sleep　and　refresh　himself。



Occasionally　he　passed　parties　of　savage　warriors；　but

these　he　gave　a　wide　berth；　for　he　was　hunting　with　a

purpose　that　was　not　to　be　distracted　by　the　minor

accidents　of　the　trail。



These　parties　were　of　the　collecting　hordes　of　the

Waziri　and　their　allies　which　Basuli　had　scattered　his

messengers　broadcast　to　summon。　　They　were　marching　to

a　common　rendezvous　in　preparation　for　an　assault　upon

the　stronghold　of　Achmet　Zek；　but　to　Tarzan　they　were

enemieshe　retained　no　conscious　memory　of　any

friendship　for　the　black　men。



It　was　night　when　he　halted　outside　the　palisaded

village　of　the　Arab　raider。　　Perched　in　the　branches　of

a　great　tree　he　gazed　down　upon　the　life　within　the

enclosure。　　To　this　place　had　the　spoor　led　him。　　His

quarry　must　be　within；　but　how　was　he　to　find　him　among

so　many　huts？　　Tarzan；　although　cognizant　of　his　mighty

powers；　realized　also　his　limitations。　　He　knew　that　he

could　not　successfully　cope　with　great　numbers　in　open

battle。　　He　must　resort　to　the　stealth　and　trickery　of

the　wild　beast；　if　he　were　to　succeed。



Sitting　in　the　safety　of　his　tree；　munching　upon　the

leg　bone　of　Horta；　the　boar；　Tarzan　waited　a　favorable

opportunity　to　enter　the　village。　　For　awhile　he　gnawed

at　the　bulging；　round　ends　of　the　large　bone；

splintering　off　small　pieces　between　his　strong　jaws；

and　sucking　at　the　delicious　marrow　within；　but　all　the

time　he　cast　repeated　glances　into　the　village。　　He　saw

white…robed　figures；　and　half…naked　blacks；　but　not

once　did　he　see　one　who　resembled　the　stealer　of　the　gems。



Patiently　he　waited　until　the　streets　were　deserted　by

all　save　the　sentries　at　the　gates；　then　he　dropped

lightly　to　the　ground；　circled　to　the　opposite　side　of

the　village　and　approached　the　palisade。



At　his　side　hung　a　long；　rawhide　ropea　natural　and

more　dependable　evolution　from　the　grass　rope　of　his

childhood。　Loosening　this；　he　spread　the　noose　upon　the

ground　behind　him；　and　with　a　quick　movement　of　his

wrist　tossed　the　coils　over　one　of　the　sharpened

projections　of　the　summit　of　the　palisade。



Drawing　the　noose　taut；　he　tested　the　solidity　of　its

hold。　Satisfied；　the　ape…man　ran　nimbly　up　the　vertical

wall；　aided　by　the　rope　which　he　clutched　in　both

hands。　　Once　at　the　top　it　required　but　a　moment　to

gather　the　dangling　rope　once　more　into　its　coils；　make

it　fast　again　at　his　waist；　take　a　quick　glance

downward　within　the　palisade；　and；　assured　that　no　one

lurked　directly　beneath　him；　drop　softly　to　the　ground。



Now　he　was　within　the　village。　　Before　him　stretched　a

series　of　tents　and　native　huts。　　The　business　of

exploring　each　of　them　would　be　fraught　with　danger；

but　danger　was　only　a　natural　factor　of　each　day's

lifeit　never　appalled　Tarzan。　　The　chances　appealed

to　himthe　chances　of　life　and　death；　with　his　prowess

and　his　faculties　pitted　against　those　of　a　worthy

antagonist。



It　was　not　necessary　that　he　enter　each　habitation

through　a　door；　a　window　or　an　open　chink；　his　nose

told　him　whether　or　not　his　prey　lay　within。　　For　some

time　he　found　one　disappointment　following　upon　the

heels　of　another　in　quick　succession。　　No　spoor　of　the

Belgian　was　discernible。　But　at　last　he　came　to　a　tent

where　the　smell　of　the　thief　was　strong。　　Tarzan

listened；　his　ear　close　to　the　canvas　at　the　rear；　but

no　sound　came　from　within。



At　last　he　cut　one　of　the　pin　ropes；　raised　the　bottom

of　the　canvas；　and　intruded　his　head　within　the

interior。　　All　was　quiet　and　dark。　　Tarzan　crawled

cautiously　withinthe　scent　of　the　Belgian　was　strong；

but　it　was　not　live　scent。　Even　before　he　had　examined

the　interior　minutely；　Tarzan　knew　that　no　one　was

within　it。



In　one　corner　he　found　a　pile　of　blankets　and　clothing

scattered　about；　but　no　pouch　of　pretty　pebbles。

A　careful　examination　of　the　balance　of　the　tent　revealed

nothing　more；　at　least　nothing　to　indicate　the　presence

of　the　jewels；　but　at　the　side　where　the　blankets　and

clothing　lay；　the　ape…man　discovered　that　the　tent　wall

had　been　loosened　at　the　bottom；　and　presently　he

sensed　that　the　Belgian　had　recently　passed　out　of　the

tent　by　this　avenue。



Tarzan　was　not　long　in　following　the　way　that　his　prey

had　fled。　　The　spoor　led　always　in　the　shadow　and　at

the　rear　of　the　huts　and　tents　of　the　villageit　was

quite　evident　to　Tarzan　that　the　Belgian　had　gone　alone

and　secretly　upon　his　mission。　　Evidently　he　feared　the

inhabitants　of　the　village；　or　at　least　his　work　had

been　of　such　a　nature　that　he　dared　not　risk　detection。



At　the　back　of　a　native　hut　the　spoor　led　through　a