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小说: tarzan and the jewels of opar 字数: 每页4000字

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all three mounts。  The woman; struggling to escape the

Arab; turned and saw the ape…man running toward her。

A glad light of hope illuminated her face。



〃John!〃 she cried。  〃Thank God that you have come in time。〃



Behind Tarzan came the great apes; wondering; but

obedient to his summons。  The Arabs saw that they would

not have time to mount and make their escape before the

beasts and the man were upon them。  Achmet Zek

recognized the latter as the redoubtable enemy of such

as he; and he saw; too; in the circumstance an

opportunity to rid himself forever of the menace of the

ape…man's presence。



Calling to his men to follow his example he raised his

rifle and leveled it upon the charging giant。  His

followers; acting with no less alacrity than himself;

fired almost simultaneously; and with the reports of

the rifles; Tarzan of the Apes and two of his hairy

henchmen pitched forward among the jungle grasses。



The noise of the rifle shots brought the balance of the

apes to a wondering pause; and; taking advantage of

their momentary distraction; Achmet Zek and his fellows

leaped to their horses' backs and galloped away with

the now hopeless and grief…stricken woman。



Back to the village they rode; and once again Lady

Greystoke found herself incarcerated in the filthy;

little hut from which she had thought to have escaped

for good。  But this time she was not only guarded by an

additional sentry; but bound as well。



Singly and in twos the searchers who had ridden out

with Achmet Zek upon the trail of the Belgian; returned

empty handed。  With the report of each the raider's

rage and chagrin increased; until he was in such a

transport of ferocious anger that none dared approach

him。  Threatening and cursing; Achmet Zek paced up and

down the floor of his silken tent; but his temper

served him naughtWerper was gone and with him the

fortune in scintillating gems which had aroused the

cupidity of his chief and placed the sentence of death

upon the head of the lieutenant。



With the escape of the Arabs the great apes had turned

their attention to their fallen comrades。  One was

dead; but another and the great white ape still

breathed。  The hairy monsters gathered about these two;

grumbling and muttering after the fashion of their kind。



Tarzan was the first to regain consciousness。  Sitting

up; he looked about him。  Blood was flowing from a

wound in his shoulder。  The shock had thrown him down

and dazed him; but he was far from dead。  Rising slowly

to his feet he let his eyes wander toward the spot

where last he had seen the she; who had aroused within

his savage breast such strange emotions。



〃Where is she?〃 he asked。



〃The Tarmangani took her away;〃 replied one of the apes。

〃Who are you who speak the language of the Mangani?〃



〃I am Tarzan;〃 replied the ape…man; 〃mighty hunter;

greatest of fighters。  When I roar; the jungle is

silent and trembles with terror。  I am Tarzan of the

Apes。  I have been away; but now I have come back to my

people。〃



〃Yes;〃 spoke up an old ape; 〃he is Tarzan。  I know him。

It is well that he has come back。  Now we shall have

good hunting。〃



The other apes came closer and sniffed at the ape…man。

Tarzan stood very still; his fangs half bared; and his

muscles tense and ready for action; but there was none

there to question his right to be with them; and

presently; the inspection satisfactorily concluded; the

apes again returned their attention to the other survivor。



He too was but slightly wounded; a bullet; grazing his

skull; having stunned him; so that when he regained

consciousness he was apparently as fit as ever。



The apes told Tarzan that they had been traveling

toward the east when the scent spoor of the she had

attracted them and they had stalked her。  Now they

wished to continue upon their interrupted march; but

Tarzan preferred to follow the Arabs and take the woman

from them。  After a considerable argument it was

decided that they should first hunt toward the east for

a few days and then return and search for the Arabs;

and as time is of little moment to the ape folk; Tarzan

acceded to their demands; he; himself; having reverted

to a mental state but little superior to their own。



Another circumstance which decided him to postpone

pursuit of the Arabs was the painfulness of his wound。

It would be better to wait until that had healed before

he pitted himself again against the guns of the

Tarmangani。



And so; as Jane Clayton was pushed into her prison hut

and her hands and feet securely bound; her natural

protector roamed off toward the east in company with a

score of hairy monsters; with whom he rubbed shoulders

as familiarly as a few months before he had mingled

with his immaculate fellow…members of one of London's

most select and exclusive clubs。



But all the time there lurked in the back of his

injured brain a troublesome conviction that he had no

business where he wasthat he should be; for some

unaccountable reason; elsewhere and among another sort

of creature。  Also; there was the compelling urge to be

upon the scent of the Arabs; undertaking the rescue of

the woman who had appealed so strongly to his savage

sentiments; though the thought…word which naturally

occurred to him in the contemplation of the venture;

was 〃capture;〃 rather than 〃rescue。〃



To him she was as any other jungle she; and he had set

his heart upon her as his mate。  For an instant; as he

had approached closer to her in the clearing where the

Arabs had seized her; the subtle aroma which had first

aroused his desires in the hut that had imprisoned her

had fallen upon his nostrils; and told him that he had

found the creature for whom he had developed so sudden

and inexplicable a passion。



The matter of the pouch of jewels also occupied his

thoughts to some extent; so that he found a double urge

for his return to the camp of the raiders。  He would

obtain possession of both his pretty pebbles and the

she。  Then he would return to the great apes with his

new mate and his baubles; and leading his hairy

companions into a far wilderness beyond the ken of man;

live out his life; hunting and battling among the lower

orders after the only manner which he now recollected。



He spoke to his fellow…apes upon the matter; in an

attempt to persuade them to accompany him; but all

except Taglat and Chulk refused。  The latter was young

and strong; endowed with a greater intelligence than

his fellows; and therefore the possessor of better

developed powers of imagination。  To him the expedition

savored of adventure; and so appealed; strongly。  With

Taglat there was another incentivea secret and

sinister incentive; which; had Tarzan of the Apes had

knowledge of it; would have sent him at the other's

throat in jealous rage。



Taglat was no longer young; but he was still a

formidable beast; mightily muscled; cruel; and;

because of his greater experience; crafty and cunning。

Too; he was of giant proportions; the very weight of his

huge bulk serving ofttimes to discount in his favor the

superior agility of a younger antagonist。



He was of a morose and sullen disposition that marked

him even among his frowning fellows; where such

characteristics are the rule rather than the exception;

and; though Tarzan did not guess it; he hated the ape…man

with a ferocity that he was able to hide only

because the dominant spirit of the nobler creature had

inspired within him a species of dread which was as

powerful as it was inexplicable to him。



These two; then; were to be Tarzan's companions upon

his return to the village of Achmet Zek。  As they set

off; the balance of the tribe vouchsafed them but a

parting stare; and then resumed the serious business of

feeding。



Tarzan found difficulty in keeping the minds of his

fellows set upon the purpose of their adventure; for

the mind of an ape lacks the power of long…sustained

concentration。  To set out upon a long journey; with a

definite destination in view; is one thing; to remember

that purpose and keep it uppermost in one's mind

continually is quite another。  There are so many things

to distract one's attention along the way。



Chulk was; at first; for rushing rapidly ahead as

though the village of the raiders lay but an hour's

march before them instead of several days; but within a

few minutes a fallen tree attracted his attention with

its suggestion of rich and succulent forage beneath;

and when Tarzan; missing him; returned in search; he

found Chulk squatting beside the rotting bole; from

beneath which he was assiduously engaged in digging out

the grubs and beetles; whose kind form a considerable

proportion of the diet of the apes。



Unless Tarzan desired to fight there was nothing to

do but wait until Chulk had exhausted the storehouse;

and this he did; onl

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