tarzan and the jewels of opar-第5节

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you　not　kill　me？〃　he　asked。



〃Why　should　I　kill　you？〃　inquired　Tarzan。

〃You　have　not　harmed　me；　and　anyway　you　are　already　dying。

Numa；　the　lion；　has　killed　you。〃



〃You　would　not　kill　me？〃　Surprise　and　incredulity　were

in　the　tones　of　the　quavering　old　voice。



〃I　would　save　you　if　I　could；〃　replied　Tarzan；　〃but

that　cannot　be　done。　　Why　did　you　think　I　would　kill

you？〃



For　a　moment　the　old　man　was　silent。　　When　he　spoke　it

was　evidently　after　some　little　effort　to　muster　his

courage。　　〃I　knew　you　of　old；〃　he　said；　〃when　you

ranged　the　jungle　in　the　country　of　Mbonga；　the　chief。

I　was　already　a　witch…doctor　when　you　slew　Kulonga　and

the　others；　and　when　you　robbed　our　huts　and　our　poison

pot。　　At　first　I　did　not　remember　you；　but　at　last　I

didthe　white…skinned　ape　that　lived　with　the　hairy

apes　and　made　life　miserable　in　the　village　of　Mbonga；

the　chiefthe　forest　godthe　Munango…Keewati　for　whom

we　set　food　outside　our　gates　and　who　came　and　ate　it。

Tell　me　before　I　dieare　you　man　or　devil？〃



Tarzan　laughed。　　〃I　am　a　man；〃　he　said。



The　old　fellow　sighed　and　shook　his　head。　　〃You　have

tried　to　save　me　from　Simba；〃　he　said。　　〃For　that　I

shall　reward　you。　　I　am　a　great　witch…doctor。　　Listen

to　me；　white　man！　　I　see　bad　days　ahead　of　you。　　It　is

writ　in　my　own　blood　which　I　have　smeared　upon　my　palm。

A　god　greater　even　than　you　will　rise　up　and　strike　you

down。　　Turn　back；　Munango…Keewati！　　Turn　back　before　it

is　too　late。　　Danger　lies　ahead　of　you　and　danger　lurks

behind；　but　greater　is　the　danger　before。　　I　see〃

He　paused　and　drew　a　long；　gasping　breath。　　Then　he

crumpled　into　a　little；　wrinkled　heap　and　died。

Tarzan　wondered　what　else　he　had　seen。



It　was　very　late　when　the　ape…man　re…entered　the　boma

and　lay　down　among　his　black　warriors。　　None　had　seen

him　go　and　none　saw　him　return。　　He　thought　about　the

warning　of　the　old　witch…doctor　before　he　fell　asleep

and　he　thought　of　it　again　after　he　awoke；　but　he　did

not　turn　back　for　he　was　unafraid；　though　had　he　known

what　lay　in　store　for　one　he　loved　most　in　all　the

world　he　would　have　flown　through　the　trees　to　her　side

and　allowed　the　gold　of　Opar　to　remain　forever　hidden

in　its　forgotten　storehouse。



Behind　him　that　morning　another　white　man　pondered

something　he　had　heard　during　the　night　and　very　nearly

did　he　give　up　his　project　and　turn　back　upon　his

trail。　　It　was　Werper；　the　murderer；　who　in　the　still

of　the　night　had　heard　far　away　upon　the　trail　ahead　of

him　a　sound　that　had　filled　his　cowardly　soul　with

terrora　sound　such　as　he　never　before　had　heard　in

all　his　life；　nor　dreamed　that　such　a　frightful　thing

could　emanate　from　the　lungs　of　a　God…created　creature。

He　had　heard　the　victory　cry　of　the　bull　ape　as　Tarzan

had　screamed　it　forth　into　the　face　of　Goro；　the　moon；

and　he　had　trembled　then　and　hidden　his　face；　and　now

in　the　broad　light　of　a　new　day　he　trembled　again　as　he

recalled　it；　and　would　have　turned　back　from　the

nameless　danger　the　echo　of　that　frightful　sound　seemed

to　portend；　had　he　not　stood　in　even　greater　fear　of

Achmet　Zek；　his　master。



And　so　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　forged　steadily　ahead　toward

Opar's　ruined　ramparts　and　behind　him　slunk　Werper；

jackal…like；　and　only　God　knew　what　lay　in　store　for

each。



At　the　edge　of　the　desolate　valley；　overlooking　the

golden　domes　and　minarets　of　Opar；　Tarzan　halted。

By　night　he　would　go　alone　to　the　treasure　vault；

reconnoitering；　for　he　had　determined　that　caution

should　mark　his　every　move　upon　this　expedition。



With　the　coming　of　night　he　set　forth；　and　Werper；　who

had　scaled　the　cliffs　alone　behind　the　ape…man's　party；

and　hidden　through　the　day　among　the　rough　boulders　of

the　mountain　top；　slunk　stealthily　after　him。　　The

boulder…strewn　plain　between　the　valley's　edge　and　the

mighty　granite　kopje；　outside　the　city's　walls；　where

lay　the　entrance　to　the　passage…way　leading　to　the

treasure　vault；　gave　the　Belgian　ample　cover　as　he

followed　Tarzan　toward　Opar。



He　saw　the　giant　ape…man　swing　himself　nimbly　up　the

face　of　the　great　rock。　　Werper；　clawing　fearfully

during　the　perilous　ascent；　sweating　in　terror；　almost

palsied　by　fear；　but　spurred　on　by　avarice；　following

upward；　until　at　last　he　stood　upon　the　summit　of　the

rocky　hill。



Tarzan　was　nowhere　in　sight。　　For　a　time　Werper　hid

behind　one　of　the　lesser　boulders　that　were　scattered

over　the　top　of　the　hill；　but；　seeing　or　hearing

nothing　of　the　Englishman；　he　crept　from　his　place　of

concealment　to　undertake　a　systematic　search　of　his

surroundings；　in　the　hope　that　he　might　discover　the

location　of　the　treasure　in　ample　time　to　make　his

escape　before　Tarzan　returned；　for　it　was　the　Belgian's

desire　merely　to　locate　the　gold；　that；　after　Tarzan

had　departed；　he　might　come　in　safety　with　his

followers　and　carry　away　as　much　as　he　could　transport。



He　found　the　narrow　cleft　leading　downward　into　the

heart　of　the　kopje　along　well…worn；　granite　steps。　　He

advanced　quite　to　the　dark　mouth　of　the　tunnel　into

which　the　runway　disappeared；　but　here　he　halted；

fearing　to　enter；　lest　he　meet　Tarzan　returning。



The　ape…man；　far　ahead　of　him；　groped　his　way　along　the

rocky　passage；　until　he　came　to　the　ancient　wooden

door。　　A　moment　later　he　stood　within　the　treasure

chamber；　where；　ages　since；　long…dead　hands　had　ranged

the　lofty　rows　of　precious　ingots　for　the　rulers　of

that　great　continent　which　now　lies　submerged　beneath

the　waters　of　the　Atlantic。



No　sound　broke　the　stillness　of　the　subterranean　vault。

There　was　no　evidence　that　another　had　discovered　the

forgotten　wealth　since　last　the　ape…man　had　visited　its

hiding　place。



Satisfied；　Tarzan　turned　and　retraced　his　steps　toward

the　summit　of　the　kopje。　　Werper；　from　the　concealment

of　a　jutting；　granite　shoulder；　watched　him　pass　up

from　the　shadows　of　the　stairway　and　advance　toward　the

edge　of　the　hill　which　faced　the　rim　of　the　valley

where　the　Waziri　awaited　the　signal　of　their　master。

Then　Werper；　slipping　stealthily　from　his　hiding　place；

dropped　into　the　somber　darkness　of　the　entrance　and

disappeared。



Tarzan；　halting　upon　the　kopje's　edge；　raised　his　voice

in　the　thunderous　roar　of　a　lion。　　Twice；　at　regular

intervals；　he　repeated　the　call；　standing　in　attentive

silence　for　several　minutes　after　the　echoes　of　the

third　call　had　died　away。　　And　then；　from　far　across

the　valley；　faintly；　came　an　answering　roaronce；

twice；　thrice。　　Basuli；　the　Waziri　chieftain；　had　heard

and　replied。



Tarzan　again　made　his　way　toward　the　treasure　vault；

knowing　that　in　a　few　hours　his　blacks　would　be　with

him；　ready　to　bear　away　another　fortune　in　the

strangely　shaped；　golden　ingots　of　Opar。　　In　the

meantime　he　would　carry　as　much　of　the　precious　metal

to　the　summit　of　the　kopje　as　he　could。



Six　trips　he　made　in　the　five　hours　before　Basuli

reached　the　kopje；　and　at　the　end　of　that　time　he　had

transported　forty…eight　ingots　to　the　edge　of　the　great

boulder；　carrying　upon　each　trip　a　load　which　might

well　have　staggered　two　ordinary　men；　yet　his　giant

frame　showed　no　evidence　of　fatigue；　as　he　helped　to

raise　his　ebon　warriors　to　the　hill　top　with　the　rope

that　had　been　brought　for　the　purpose。



Six　times　he　had　returned　to　the　treasure　chamber；　and

six　times　Werper；　the　Belgian；　had　cowered　in　the　black

shadows　at　the　far　end　of　the　long　vault。　　Once　again

came　the　ape…man；　and　this　time　there　came　with　him

fifty　fighting　men；　turning　porters　for　love　of　the

only　creature　in　the　world　who　might　command　of　their

fierce　and　haughty　natures　such　menial　service。　　Fifty…two

more　ingots　passed　out　of　the　vaults；　making　the　total

of　one　hundred　which　Tarzan　intended　taking　away

with　him。



As　the　last　of　the　Waziri　filed　from　the　chamber；

Tarzan　turned　back　for　a　last　glimpse　of　the　fabulous

wealth　upon　which　his　two　inroads　had　made　no

appreciable　impression。　　Before　he　extinguished　the

single　candle　he　had　brought　with　him　for　the　purpose；

and　the　flickering　light　of　which　had　cast　the　first

alleviating　rays　into　the　impenetrable　darkness　of　the

buried　chamber；　that　it　had　known　for　the　countless

ages　since　it　had　lain　forgotten　of　man；　Tarzan's　mind

reverted　to　that　first　occasion　upon　which　he　had

entered　the　treasure　vault；　coming　upon　it　by　chance　as

he　fled　from　the　pits　beneath　the　temple；　where　he　had

been　hidden　by　La；　the　High　Priestess　of　the　Sun

Worshipers。



He　recalled　the　scene　within　the　temple　when　he　had

lain　stretched　upon　the　sacrificial　altar；　while　La；

with　high…raised　dagger；　stood　above　him；　and　the　rows

of　priests　and　priestesses　awaited；　in　the　ecstatic

hysteria　of　fanaticism；　the　first　gush　of　their

victim's　warm　blood；　that　they　might　fill　their　golden

goblets　and　drink　to　the　glory　of　their　Flaming　God。



The　brutal　and　blood