tarzan and the jewels of opar-第38节

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the　narrow　opening　which　separated　the　prisoner's　tent

from　that　of　the　dead　man。　　Behind　the　silken　wall　he

halted　and　lowered　his　burden　to　the　ground；　and　there

he　remained　motionless　for　several　minutes；　listening。



Satisfied；　at　last；　that　no　one　had　seen　him；　he

stooped　and　raised　the　bottom　of　the　tent　wall；　backed

in　and　dragged　the　thing　that　had　been　Mohammed　Beyd

after　him。　　To　the　sleeping　rugs　of　the　dead　raider　he

drew　the　corpse；　then　he　fumbled　about　in　the　darkness

until　he　had　found　Mohammed　Beyd's　revolver。　　With　the

weapon　in　his　hand　he　returned　to　the　side　of　the　dead

man；　kneeled　beside　the　bedding；　and　inserted　his　right

hand　with　the　weapon　beneath　the　rugs；　piled　a　number

of　thicknesses　of　the　closely　woven　fabric　over　and

about　the　revolver　with　his　left　hand。　　Then　he　pulled

the　trigger；　and　at　the　same　time　he　coughed。



The　muffled　report　could　not　have　been　heard　above　the

sound　of　his　cough　by　one　directly　outside　the　tent。

Werper　was　satisfied。　　A　grim　smile　touched　his　lips　as

he　withdrew　the　weapon　from　the　rugs　and　placed　it

carefully　in　the　right　hand　of　the　dead　man；　fixing

three　of　the　fingers　around　the　grip　and　the　index

finger　inside　the　trigger　guard。



A　moment　longer　he　tarried　to　rearrange　the　disordered

rugs；　and　then　he　left　as　he　had　entered；　fastening

down　the　rear　wall　of　the　tent　as　it　had　been　before　he

had　raised　it。



Going　to　the　tent　of　the　prisoner　he　removed　there　also

the　evidence　that　someone　might　have　come　or　gone

beneath　the　rear　wall。　　Then　he　returned　to　his　own

tent；　entered；　fastened　down　the　canvas；　and　crawled

into　his　blankets。



The　following　morning　he　was　awakened　by　the　excited

voice　of　Mohammed　Beyd's　slave　calling　to　him　at　the

entrance　of　his　tent。



〃Quick！　　Quick！〃　cried　the　black　in　a　frightened　tone。

〃Come！　　Mohammed　Beyd　is　dead　in　his　tentdead　by　his

own　hand。〃



Werper　sat　up　quickly　in　his　blankets　at　the　first

alarm；　a　startled　expression　upon　his　countenance；　but

at　the　last　words　of　the　black　a　sigh　of　relief　escaped

his　lips　and　a　slight　smile　replaced　the　tense　lines

upon　his　face。



〃I　come；〃　he　called　to　the　slave；　and　drawing　on　his

boots；　rose　and　went　out　of　his　tent。



Excited　Arabs　and　blacks　were　running　from　all　parts　of

the　camp　toward　the　silken　tent　of　Mohammed　Beyd；　and

when　Werper　entered　he　found　a　number　of　the　raiders

crowded　about　the　corpse；　now　cold　and　stiff。



Shouldering　his　way　among　them；　the　Belgian　halted

beside　the　dead　body　of　the　raider。　　He　looked　down　in

silence　for　a　moment　upon　the　still　face；　then　he

wheeled　upon　the　Arabs。



〃Who　has　done　this　thing？〃　he　cried。　　His　tone　was　both

menacing　and　accusing。　　〃Who　has　murdered　Mohammed　Beyd？〃



A　sudden　chorus　of　voices　arose　in　tumultuous　protest。



〃Mohammed　Beyd　was　not　murdered；〃　they　cried。　　〃He　died

by　his　own　hand。　　This；　and　Allah；　are　our　witnesses；〃

and　they　pointed　to　a　revolver　in　the　dead　man's　hand。



For　a　time　Werper　pretended　to　be　skeptical；　but　at

last　permitted　himself　to　be　convinced　that　Mohammed

Beyd　had　indeed　killed　himself　in　remorse　for　the　death

of　the　white　woman　he　had；　all　unknown　to　his

followers；　loved　so　devotedly。



Werper　himself　wrapped　the　blankets　of　the　dead　man

about　the　corpse；　taking　care　to　fold　inward　the

scorched　and　bullet…torn　fabric　that　had　muffled　the

report　of　the　weapon　he　had　fired　the　night　before。

Then　six　husky　blacks　carried　the　body　out　into　the

clearing　where　the　camp　stood；　and　deposited　it　in　a

shallow　grave。　　As　the　loose　earth　fell　upon　the　silent

form　beneath　the　tell…tale　blankets；　Albert　Werper

heaved　another　sigh　of　reliefhis　plan　had　worked　out

even　better　than　he　had　dared　hope。



With　Achmet　Zek　and　Mohammed　Beyd　both　dead；　the

raiders　were　without　a　leader；　and　after　a　brief

conference　they　decided　to　return　into　the　north　on

visits　to　the　various　tribes　to　which　they　belonged；

Werper；　after　learning　the　direction　they　intended

taking；　announced　that　for　his　part；　he　was　going　east

to　the　coast；　and　as　they　knew　of　nothing　he　possessed

which　any　of　them　coveted；　they　signified　their

willingness　that　he　should　go　his　way。



As　they　rode　off；　he　sat　his　horse　in　the　center　of　the

clearing　watching　them　disappear　one　by　one　into　the

jungle；　and　thanked　his　God　that　he　had　at　last　escaped

their　villainous　clutches。



When　he　could　no　longer　hear　any　sound　of　them；　he

turned　to　the　right　and　rode　into　the　forest　toward　the

tree　where　he　had　hidden　Lady　Greystoke；　and　drawing

rein　beneath　it；　called　up　in　a　gay　and　hopeful　voice　a

pleasant；　〃Good　morning！〃



There　was　no　reply；　and　though　his　eyes　searched　the

thick　foliage　above　him；　he　could　see　no　sign　of　the

girl。　　Dismounting；　he　quickly　climbed　into　the　tree；

where　he　could　obtain　a　view　of　all　its　branches。　　The

tree　was　emptyJane　Clayton　had　vanished　during　the

silent　watches　of　the　jungle　night。







22



Tarzan　Recovers　His　Reason





As　Tarzan　let　the　pebbles　from　the　recovered　pouch　run

through　his　fingers；　his　thoughts　returned　to　the　pile

of　yellow　ingots　about　which　the　Arabs　and　the

Abyssinians　had　waged　their　relentless　battle。



What　was　there　in　common　between　that　pile　of　dirty

metal　and　the　beautiful；　sparkling　pebbles　that　had

formerly　been　in　his　pouch？　　What　was　the　metal？

From　whence　had　it　come？　　What　was　that　tantalizing

half…conviction　which　seemed　to　demand　the　recognition　of

his　memory　that　the　yellow　pile　for　which　these　men　had

fought　and　died　had　been　intimately　connected　with　his

pastthat　it　had　been　his？



What　had　been　his　past？　　He　shook　his　head。　　Vaguely　the

memory　of　his　apish　childhood　passed　slowly　in　review

then　came　a　strangely　tangled　mass　of　faces；　figures

and　events　which　seemed　to　have　no　relation　to　Tarzan

of　the　Apes；　and　yet　which　were；　even　in　their

fragmentary　form；　familiar。



Slowly　and　painfully；　recollection　was　attempting　to

reassert　itself；　the　hurt　brain　was　mending；　as　the

cause　of　its　recent　failure　to　function　was　being

slowly　absorbed　or　removed　by　the　healing　processes　of

perfect　circulation。



The　people　who　now　passed　before　his　mind's　eye　for　the

first　time　in　weeks　wore　familiar　faces；　but　yet　he

could　neither　place　them　in　the　niches　they　had　once

filled　in　his　past　life；　nor　call　them　by　name。　　One

was　a　fair　she；　and　it　was　her　face　which　most　often

moved　through　the　tangled　recollections　of　his

convalescing　brain。　　Who　was　she？　　What　had　she　been　to

Tarzan　of　the　Apes？　　He　seemed　to　see　her　about　the　very

spot　upon　which　the　pile　of　gold　had　been　unearthed　by

the　Abyssinians；　but　the　surroundings　were　vastly

different　from　those　which　now　obtained。



There　was　a　buildingthere　were　many　buildingsand

there　were　hedges；　fences；　and　flowers。　　Tarzan

puckered　his　brow　in　puzzled　study　of　the　wonderful

problem。　　For　an　instant　he　seemed　to　grasp　the　whole

of　a　true　explanation；　and　then；　just　as　success　was

within　his　grasp；　the　picture　faded　into　a　jungle　scene

where　a　naked；　white　youth　danced　in　company　with　a

band　of　hairy；　primordial　ape…things。



Tarzan　shook　his　head　and　sighed。　　Why　was　it　that　he

could　not　recollect？　　At　least　he　was　sure　that　in　some

way　the　pile　of　gold；　the　place　where　it　lay；　the

subtle　aroma　of　the　elusive　she　he　had　been　pursuing；

the　memory　figure　of　the　white　woman；　and　he　himself；

were　inextricably　connected　by　the　ties　of　a　forgotten

past。



If　the　woman　belonged　there；　what　better　place　to

search　or　await　her　than　the　very　spot　which　his　broken

recollections　seemed　to　assign　to　her？　　It　was　worth

trying。　　Tarzan　slipped　the　thong　of　the　empty　pouch

over　his　shoulder　and　started　off　through　the　trees　in

the　direction　of　the　plain。



At　the　outskirts　of　the　forest　he　met　the　Arabs

returning　in　search　of　Achmet　Zek。　　Hiding；　he　let　them

pass；　and　then　resumed　his　way　toward　the　charred　ruins

of　the　home　he　had　been　almost　upon　the　point　of

recalling　to　his　memory。



His　journey　across　the　plain　was　interrupted　by　the

discovery　of　a　small　herd　of　antelope　in　a　little

swale；　where　the　cover　and　the　wind　were　well　combined

to　make　stalking　easy。　　A　fat　yearling　rewarded　a　half

hour　of　stealthy　creeping　and　a　sudden；　savage　rush；

and　it　was　late　in　the　afternoon　when　the　ape…man

settled　himself　upon　his　haunches　beside　his　kill　to

enjoy　the　fruits　of　his　skill；　his　cunning；　and　his

prowess。



His　hunger　satisfied；　thirst　next　claimed　his

attention。　　The　river　lured　him　by　the　shortest　path

toward　its　refreshing　waters；　and　when　he　had　drunk；

night　already　had　fallen　and　he　was　some　half　mile　or

more　down　stream　from　the　point　where　he　had　seen　the

pile　of　yellow　ingots；　and　where　he　hoped　to　meet　the

memory　woman；　or　find　some　clew　to　her　whereabouts　or

her　identity。