tarzan and the jewels of opar-第27节

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to　hold　his　idea　uppermost　in　his　mind；　and　on　several

occasions　he　had　completely　forgotten　it；　until　Tarzan；

by　a　chance　word；　had　recalled　it　to　him；　but；　for　an

ape；　Taglat　had　done　well。



Now；　he　licked　his　chops；　and　he　made　a　sickening；

sucking　noise　with　his　flabby　lips　as　he　drew　in　his　breath。



Satisfied　that　the　she　was　where　he　had　hoped　to　find

her；　Tarzan　led　his　apes　toward　the　tent　of　Achmet　Zek。

A　passing　Arab　and　two　slaves　saw　them；　but　the　night

was　dark　and　the　white　burnooses　hid　the　hairy　limbs　of

the　apes　and　the　giant　figure　of　their　leader；　so　that

the　three；　by　squatting　down　as　though　in　conversation；

were　passed　by；　unsuspected。　　To　the　rear　of　the　tent

they　made　their　way。　　Within；　Achmet　Zek　conversed　with

several　of　his　lieutenants。　　Without；　Tarzan　listened。







17



The　Deadly　Peril　of　Jane　Clayton





Lieutenant　Albert　Werper；　terrified　by　contemplation　of

the　fate　which　might　await　him　at　Adis　Abeba；　cast

about　for　some　scheme　of　escape；　but　after　the　black

Mugambi　had　eluded　their　vigilance　the　Abyssinians

redoubled　their　precautions　to　prevent　Werper　following

the　lead　of　the　Negro。



For　some　time　Werper　entertained　the　idea　of　bribing

Abdul　Mourak　with　a　portion　of　the　contents　of　the

pouch；　but　fearing　that　the　man　would　demand　all　the

gems　as　the　price　of　liberty；　the　Belgian；　influenced

by　avarice；　sought　another　avenue　from　his　dilemma。



It　was　then　that　there　dawned　upon　him　the　possibility

of　the　success　of　a　different　course　which　would　still

leave　him　in　possession　of　the　jewels；　while　at　the

same　time　satisfying　the　greed　of　the　Abyssinian　with

the　conviction　that　he　had　obtained　all　that　Werper　had

to　offer。



And　so　it　was　that　a　day　or　so　after　Mugambi　had

disappeared；　Werper　asked　for　an　audience　with　Abdul

Mourak。　　As　the　Belgian　entered　the　presence　of　his

captor　the　scowl　upon　the　features　of　the　latter　boded

ill　for　any　hope　which　Werper　might　entertain；　still　he

fortified　himself　by　recalling　the　common　weakness　of

mankind；　which　permits　the　most　inflexible　of　natures

to　bend　to　the　consuming　desire　for　wealth。



Abdul　Mourak　eyed　him；　frowningly。　　〃What　do　you　want

now？〃　he　asked。



〃My　liberty；〃　replied　Werper。



The　Abyssinian　sneered。　　〃And　you　disturbed　me　thus　to

tell　me　what　any　fool　might　know；〃　he　said。



〃I　can　pay　for　it；〃　said　Werper。



Abdul　Mourak　laughed　loudly。　　〃Pay　for　it？〃　he　cried。

〃What　withthe　rags　that　you　have　upon　your　back？

Or；　perhaps　you　are　concealing　beneath　your　coat　a　thousand

pounds　of　ivory。　　Get　out！　　You　are　a　fool。　　Do　not

bother　me　again　or　I　shall　have　you　whipped。〃



But　Werper　persisted。　　His　liberty　and　perhaps　his　life

depended　upon　his　success。



〃Listen　to　me；〃　he　pleaded。　　〃If　I　can　give　you　as　much

gold　as　ten　men　may　carry　will　you　promise　that　I　shall

be　conducted　in　safety　to　the　nearest　English

commissioner？〃



〃As　much　gold　as　ten　men　may　carry！〃　repeated　Abdul

Mourak。　　〃You　are　crazy。　　Where　have　you　so　much　gold

as　that？〃



〃I　know　where　it　is　hid；〃　said　Werper。　　〃Promise；　and　I

will　lead　you　to　itif　ten　loads　is　enough？〃



Abdul　Mourak　had　ceased　to　laugh。　　He　was　eyeing　the

Belgian　intently。　　The　fellow　seemed　sane　enoughyet

ten　loads　of　gold！　　It　was　preposterous。　　The　Abyssinian

thought　in　silence　for　a　moment。



〃Well；　and　if　I　promise；〃　he　said。　　〃How　far　is　this　gold？〃



〃A　long　week's　march　to　the　south；〃　replied　Werper。



〃And　if　we　do　not　find　it　where　you　say　it　is；　do　you

realize　what　your　punishment　will　be？〃



〃If　it　is　not　there　I　will　forfeit　my　life；〃　replied

the　Belgian。　　〃I　know　it　is　there；　for　I　saw　it　buried

with　my　own　eyes。　　And　morethere　are　not　only　ten

loads；　but　as　many　as　fifty　men　may　carry。　　It　is　all

yours　if　you　will　promise　to　see　me　safely　delivered

into　the　protection　of　the　English。〃



〃You　will　stake　your　life　against　the　finding　of　the

gold？〃　asked　Abdul。



Werper　assented　with　a　nod。



〃Very　well；〃　said　the　Abyssinian；　〃I　promise；　and　even

if　there　be　but　five　loads　you　shall　have　your　freedom；

but　until　the　gold　is　in　my　possession　you　remain　a

prisoner。〃



〃I　am　satisfied；〃　said　Werper。　　〃Tomorrow　we　start？〃



Abdul　Mourak　nodded；　and　the　Belgian　returned　to　his

guards。　　The　following　day　the　Abyssinian　soldiers　were

surprised　to　receive　an　order　which　turned　their　faces

from　the　northeast　to　the　south。　　And　so　it　happened

that　upon　the　very　night　that　Tarzan　and　the　two　apes

entered　the　village　of　the　raiders；　the　Abyssinians

camped　but　a　few　miles　to　the　east　of　the　same　spot。



While　Werper　dreamed　of　freedom　and　the　unmolested

enjoyment　of　the　fortune　in　his　stolen　pouch；　and　Abdul

Mourak　lay　awake　in　greedy　contemplation　of　the　fifty

loads　of　gold　which　lay　but　a　few　days　farther　to　the

south　of　him；　Achmet　Zek　gave　orders　to　his　lieutenants

that　they　should　prepare　a　force　of　fighting　men　and

carriers　to　proceed　to　the　ruins　of　the　Englishman's

DOUAR　on　the　morrow　and　bring　back　the　fabulous

fortune　which　his　renegade　lieutenant　had　told　him　was

buried　there。



And　as　he　delivered　his　instructions　to　those　within；　a

silent　listener　crouched　without　his　tent；　waiting　for

the　time　when　he　might　enter　in　safety　and　prosecute

his　search　for　the　missing　pouch　and　the　pretty　pebbles

that　had　caught　his　fancy。



At　last　the　swarthy　companions　of　Achmet　Zek　quitted

his　tent；　and　the　leader　went　with　them　to　smoke　a　pipe

with　one　of　their　number；　leaving　his　own　silken

habitation　unguarded。　　Scarcely　had　they　left　the

interior　when　a　knife　blade　was　thrust　through　the

fabric　of　the　rear　wall；　some　six　feet　above　the

ground；　and　a　swift　downward　stroke　opened　an　entrance

to　those　who　waited　beyond。



Through　the　opening　stepped　the　ape…man；　and　close

behind　him　came　the　huge　Chulk；　but　Taglat　did　not

follow　them。　　Instead　he　turned　and　slunk　through　the

darkness　toward　the　hut　where　the　she　who　had　arrested

his　brutish　interest　lay　securely　bound。　　Before　the

doorway　the　sentries　sat　upon　their　haunches；

conversing　in　monotones。　　Within；　the　young　woman　lay

upon　a　filthy　sleeping　mat；　resigned；　through　utter

hopelessness　to　whatever　fate　lay　in　store　for　her

until　the　opportunity　arrived　which　would　permit　her　to

free　herself　by　the　only　means　which　now　seemed　even

remotely　possiblethe　hitherto　detested　act　of

self…destruction。



Creeping　silently　toward　the　sentries；　a　white…burnoosed

figure　approached　the　shadows　at　one　end　of　the　hut。

The　meager　intellect　of　the　creature　denied

it　the　advantage　it　might　have　taken　of　its　disguise。

Where　it　could　have　walked　boldly　to　the　very　sides　of

the　sentries；　it　chose　rather　to　sneak　upon　them；

unseen；　from　the　rear。



It　came　to　the　corner　of　the　hut　and　peered　around。

The　sentries　were　but　a　few　paces　away；　but　the　ape　did

not　dare　expose　himself；　even　for　an　instant；　to　those

feared　and　hated　thunder…sticks　which　the　Tarmangani

knew　so　well　how　to　use；　if　there　were　another　and

safer　method　of　attack。



Taglat　wished　that　there　was　a　tree　nearby　from　the

over…hanging　branches　of　which　he　might　spring　upon　his

unsuspecting　prey；　but；　though　there　was　no　tree；　the

idea　gave　birth　to　a　plan。　　The　eaves　of　the　hut　were

just　above　the　heads　of　the　sentriesfrom　them　he

could　leap　upon　the　Tarmangani；　unseen。　　A　quick　snap

of　those　mighty　jaws　would　dispose　of　one　of　them

before　the　other　realized　that　they　were　attacked；

and　the　second　would　fall　an　easy　prey　to　the　strength；

agility　and　ferocity　of　a　second　quick　charge。



Taglat　withdrew　a　few　paces　to　the　rear　of　the　hut；

gathered　himself　for　the　effort；　ran　quickly　forward

and　leaped　high　into　the　air。　　He　struck　the　roof

directly　above　the　rear　wall　of　the　hut；　and　the

structure；　reinforced　by　the　wall　beneath；　held　his

enormous　weight　for　an　instant；　then　he　moved　forward　a

step；　the　roof　sagged；　the　thatching　parted　and　the

great　anthropoid　shot　through　into　the　interior。



The　sentries；　hearing　the　crashing　of　the　roof　poles；

leaped　to　their　feet　and　rushed　into　the　hut。　　Jane

Clayton　tried　to　roll　aside　as　the　great　form　lit　upon

the　floor　so　close　to　her　that　one　foot　pinned　her

clothing　to　the　ground。



The　ape；　feeling　the　movement　beside　him；　reached　down

and　gathered　the　girl　in　the　hollow　of　one　mighty　arm。

The　burnoose　covered　the　hairy　body　so　that　Jane

Clayton　believed　that　a　human　arm　supported　her；　and

from　the　extremity　of　hopelessness　a　great　hope　sprang

into　her　breast　that　at　last　she　was　in　the　keeping　of

a　rescuer。



The　two　sentries　were　now　within　the　hut；　but

hesitating　because　of　doubt　as　to　the　nature　of　the

cause　of　the　disturbance。　　Their　eyes；　not　yet

accustomed　to　the　darkness　of　the　interior；　told　them

nothing；　nor　did　they　hear　any　sound；　for　the　ape　stood

s