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第41节

tarzan and the jewels of opar-第41节

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

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realized that resistance was futile; and came slowly

down to stand upon the ground before this new captor

and plead her cause in the name of justice and humanity。



Angered by recent defeat; and by the loss of the gold;

the jewels; and his prisoners; Abdul Mourak was in no

mood to be influenced by any appeal to those softer

sentiments to which; as a matter of fact; he was almost

a stranger even under the most favourable conditions。



He looked for degradation and possible death in

punishment for his failures and his misfortunes when he

should have returned to his native land and made his

report to Menelek; but an acceptable gift might temper

the wrath of the emperor; and surely this fair flower

of another race should be gratefully received by the

black ruler!



When Jane Clayton had concluded her appeal; Abdul

Mourak replied briefly that he would promise her

protection; but that he must take her to his emperor。

The girl did not need ask him why; and once again hope

died within her breast。  Resignedly she permitted

herself to be lifted to a seat behind one of the

troopers; and again; under new masters; her journey was

resumed toward what she now began to believe was her

inevitable fate。



Abdul Mourak; bereft of his guides by the battle he had

waged against the raiders; and himself unfamiliar with

the country; had wandered far from the trail he should

have followed; and as a result had made but little

progress toward the north since the beginning of his

flight。  Today he was beating toward the west in the

hope of coming upon a village where he might obtain

guides; but night found him still as far from a

realization of his hopes as had the rising sun。



It was a dispirited company which went into camp;

waterless and hungry; in the dense jungle。  Attracted

by the horses; lions roared about the boma; and to

their hideous din was added the shrill neighs of the

terror…stricken beasts they hunted。  There was little

sleep for man or beast; and the sentries were doubled

that there might be enough on duty both to guard

against the sudden charge of an overbold; or overhungry

lion; and to keep the fire blazing which was an even

more effectual barrier against them than the thorny boma。



It was well past midnight; and as yet Jane Clayton;

notwithstanding that she had passed a sleepless night

the night before; had scarcely more than dozed。  A

sense of impending danger seemed to hang like a black

pall over the camp。  The veteran troopers of the black

emperor were nervous and ill at ease。  Abdul Mourak

left his blankets a dozen times to pace restlessly back

and forth between the tethered horses and the crackling

fire。  The girl could see his great frame silhouetted

against the lurid glare of the flames; and she guessed

from the quick; nervous movements of the man that he

was afraid。



The roaring of the lions rose in sudden fury until the

earth trembled to the hideous chorus。  The horses

shrilled their neighs of terror as they lay back upon

their halter ropes in their mad endeavors to break

loose。  A trooper; braver than his fellows; leaped

among the kicking; plunging; fear…maddened beasts in a

futile attempt to quiet them。  A lion; large; and

fierce; and courageous; leaped almost to the boma; full

in the bright light from the fire。  A sentry raised his

piece and fired; and the little leaden pellet

unstoppered the vials of hell upon the terror…stricken

camp。



The shot ploughed a deep and painful furrow in the

lion's side; arousing all the bestial fury of the

little brain; but abating not a whit the power and

vigor of the great body。



Unwounded; the boma and the flames might have turned

him back; but now the pain and the rage wiped caution

from his mind; and with a loud; and angry roar he

topped the barrier with an easy leap and was among the

horses。



What had been pandemonium before became now an

indescribable tumult of hideous sound。  The stricken

horse upon which the lion leaped shrieked out its

terror and its agony。  Several about it broke their

tethers and plunged madly about the camp。  Men leaped

from their blankets and with guns ready ran toward the

picket line; and then from the jungle beyond the boma a

dozen lions; emboldened by the example of their fellow

charged fearlessly upon the camp。



Singly and in twos and threes they leaped the boma;

until the little enclosure was filled with cursing men

and screaming horses battling for their lives with the

green…eyed devils of the jungle。



With the charge of the first lion; Jane Clayton had

scrambled to her feet; and now she stood horror…struck

at the scene of savage slaughter that swirled and

eddied about her。  Once a bolting horse knocked her

down; and a moment later a lion; leaping in pursuit of

another terror…stricken animal; brushed her so closely

that she was again thrown from her feet。



Amidst the cracking of the rifles and the growls of the

carnivora rose the death screams of stricken men and

horses as they were dragged down by the blood…mad cats。

The leaping carnivora and the plunging horses;

prevented any concerted action by the Abyssiniansit

was every man for himselfand in the melee; the

defenseless woman was either forgotten or ignored by

her black captors。  A score of times was her life

menaced by charging lions; by plunging horses; or by

the wildly fired bullets of the frightened troopers;

yet there was no chance of escape; for now with the

fiendish cunning of their kind; the tawny hunters

commenced to circle about their prey; hemming them

within a ring of mighty; yellow fangs; and sharp; long

talons。  Again and again an individual lion would dash

suddenly among the frightened men and horses; and

occasionally a horse; goaded to frenzy by pain or

terror; succeeded in racing safely through the circling

lions; leaping the boma; and escaping into the jungle;

but for the men and the woman no such escape was

possible。



A horse; struck by a stray bullet; fell beside Jane

Clayton; a lion leaped across the expiring beast full

upon the breast of a black trooper just beyond。  The

man clubbed his rifle and struck futilely at the broad

head; and then he was down and the carnivore was

standing above him。



Shrieking out his terror; the soldier clawed with puny

fingers at the shaggy breast in vain endeavor to push

away the grinning jaws。  The lion lowered his head; the

gaping fangs closed with a single sickening crunch upon

the fear…distorted face; and turning strode back across

the body of the dead horse dragging his limp and bloody

burden with him。



Wide…eyed the girl stood watching。  She saw the

carnivore step upon the corpse; stumblingly; as the

grisly thing swung between its forepaws; and her eyes

remained fixed in fascination while the beast passed

within a few paces of her。



The interference of the body seemed to enrage the lion。

He shook the inanimate clay venomously。  He growled and

roared hideously at the dead; insensate thing; and then

he dropped it and raised his head to look about in

search of some living victim upon which to wreak his

ill temper。  His yellow eyes fastened themselves

balefully upon the figure of the girl; the bristling

lips raised; disclosing the grinning fangs。  A terrific

roar broke from the savage throat; and the great beast

crouched to spring upon this new and helpless victim。



Quiet had fallen early upon the camp where Tarzan and

Werper lay securely bound。  Two nervous sentries paced

their beats; their eyes rolling often toward the

impenetrable shadows of the gloomy jungle。  The others

slept or tried to sleepall but the ape…man。  Silently

and powerfully he strained at the bonds which fettered

his wrists。



The muscles knotted beneath the smooth; brown skin of

his arms and shoulders; the veins stood out upon his

temples from the force of his exertionsa strand

parted; another and another; and one hand was free。

Then from the jungle came a low guttural; and the

ape…man became suddenly a silent; rigid statue; with ears

and nostrils straining to span the black void where his

eyesight could not reach。



Again came the uncanny sound from the thick verdure

beyond the camp。  A sentry halted abruptly; straining

his eyes into the gloom。  The kinky wool upon his head

stiffened and raised。  He called to his comrade in a

hoarse whisper。



〃Did you hear it?〃 he asked。



The other came closer; trembling。



〃Hear what?〃



Again was the weird sound repeated; followed almost

immediately by a similar and answering sound from the

camp。  The sentries drew close together; watching the

black spot from which the voice seemed to come。



Trees overhung the boma at this point which was upon

the opposite side of the camp from them。  They dared

not approach。  Their terror even prevented them from

arousing their fellowsthey 

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