tarzan the terrible-第15部分

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d　not　know　that　it　was　the　pool　of　deep　water　below　that　saved　me？〃

〃I　would　have　known　that；　too；　had　not　the　Kor…ul…lul　come　then　and　prevented　me　continuing　upon　your　trail。　But　now　I　would　ask　you　a　questionby　what　name　do　you　call　the　thing　with　which　I　just　fought？〃

〃It　was　a　Tor…o…don；〃　she　replied。　〃I　have　seen　but　one　before。　They　are　terrible　creatures　with　the　cunning　of　man　and　the　ferocity　of　a　beast。　Great　indeed　must　be　the　warrior　who　slays　one　single…handed。〃　She　gazed　at　him　in　open　admiration。

〃And　now；〃　said　Tarzan；　〃you　must　sleep；　for　tomorrow　we　shall　return　to　Kor…ul…ja　and　Om…at；　and　I　doubt　that　you　have　had　much　rest　these　two　nights。〃

Pan…at…lee；　lulled　by　a　feeling　of　security；　slept　peacefully　into　the　morning　while　Tarzan　stretched　himself　upon　the　hard　floor　of　the　recess　just　outside　her　cave。

The　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens　when　he　awoke；　for　two　hours　it　had　looked　down　upon　another　heroic　figure　miles　awaythe　figure　of　a　godlike　man　fighting　his　way　through　the　hideous　morass　that　lies　like　a　filthy　moat　defending　Pal…ul…don　from　the　creatures　of　the　outer　world。　Now　waist　deep　in　the　sucking　ooze；　now　menaced　by　loathsome　reptiles；　the　man　advanced　only　by　virtue　of　Herculean　efforts　gaining　laboriously　by　inches　along　the　devious　way　that　he　was　forced　to　choose　in　selecting　the　least　precarious　footing。　Near　the　center　of　the　morass　was　open　waterslimy；　green…hued　water。　He　reached　it　at　last　after　more　than　two　hours　of　such　effort　as　would　have　left　an　ordinary　man　spent　and　dying　in　the　sticky　mud；　yet　he　was　less　than　halfway　across　the　marsh。　Greasy　with　slime　and　mud　was　his　smooth；　brown　hide；　and　greasy　with　slime　and　mud　was　his　beloved　Enfield　that　had　shone　so　brightly　in　the　first　rays　of　the　rising　sun。

He　paused　a　moment　upon　the　edge　of　the　open　water　and　then　throwing　himself　forward　struck　out　to　swim　across。　He　swam　with　long；　easy；　powerful　strokes　calculated　less　for　speed　than　for　endurance；　for　his　was；　primarily；　a　test　of　the　latter；　since　beyond　the　open　water　was　another　two　hours　or　more　of　gruelling　effort　between　it　and　solid　ground。　He　was；　perhaps；　halfway　across　and　congratulating　himself　upon　the　ease　of　the　achievement　of　this　portion　of　his　task　when　there　arose　from　the　depths　directly　in　his　path　a　hideous　reptile；　which；　with　wide…distended　jaws；　bore　down　upon　him；　hissing　shrilly。

Tarzan　arose　and　stretched；　expanded　his　great　chest　and　drank　in　deep　draughts　of　the　fresh　morning　air。　His　clear　eyes　scanned　the　wondrous　beauties　of　the　landscape　spread　out　before　them。　Directly　below　lay　Kor…ul…gryf；　a　dense；　somber　green　of　gently　moving　tree　tops。　To　Tarzan　it　was　neither　grim；　nor　forbiddingit　was　jungle；　beloved　jungle。　To　his　right　there　spread　a　panorama　of　the　lower　reaches　of　the　Valley　of　Jad…ben…Otho；　with　its　winding　streams　and　its　blue　lakes。　Gleaming　whitely　in　the　sunlight　were　scattered　groups　of　dwellingsthe　feudal　strongholds　of　the　lesser　chiefs　of　the　Ho…don。　A…lur；　the　City　of　Light；　he　could　not　see　as　it　was　hidden　by　the　shoulder　of　the　cliff　in　which　the　deserted　village　lay。

For　a　moment　Tarzan　gave　himself　over　to　that　spiritual　enjoyment　of　beauty　that　only　the　man…mind　may　attain　and　then　Nature　asserted　herself　and　the　belly　of　the　beast　called　aloud　that　it　was　hungry。　Again　Tarzan　looked　down　at　Kor…ul…gryf。　There　was　the　jungle！　Grew　there　a　jungle　that　would　not　feed　Tarzan？　The　ape…man　smiled　and　commenced　the　descent　to　the　gorge。　Was　there　danger　there？　Of　course。　Who　knew　it　better　than　Tarzan？　In　all　jungles　lies　death；　for　life　and　death　go　hand　in　hand　and　where　life　teems　death　reaps　his　fullest　harvest。　Never　had　Tarzan　met　a　creature　of　the　jungle　with　which　he　could　not　copesometimes　by　virtue　of　brute　strength　alone；　again　by　a　combination　of　brute　strength　and　the　cunning　of　the　man…mind；　but　Tarzan　had　never　met　a　gryf。

He　had　heard　the　bellowings　in　the　gorge　the　night　before　after　he　had　lain　down　to　sleep　and　he　had　meant　to　ask　Pan…at…lee　this　morning　what　manner　of　beast　so　disturbed　the　slumbers　of　its　betters。　He　reached　the　foot　of　the　cliff　and　strode　into　the　jungle　and　here　he　halted；　his　keen　eyes　and　ears　watchful　and　alert；　his　sensitive　nostrils　searching　each　shifting　air　current　for　the　scent　spoor　of　game。　Again　he　advanced　deeper　into　the　wood；　his　light　step　giving　forth　no　sound；　his　bow　and　arrows　in　readiness。　A　light　morning　breeze　was　blowing　from　up　the　gorge　and　in　this　direction　he　bent　his　steps。　Many　odors　impinged　upon　his　organs　of　scent。　Some　of　these　he　classified　without　effort；　but　others　were　strangethe　odors　of　beasts　and　of　birds；　of　trees　and　shrubs　and　flowers　with　which　he　was　unfamiliar。　He　sensed　faintly　the　reptilian　odor　that　he　had　learned　to　connect　with　the　strange；　nocturnal　forms　that　had　loomed　dim　and　bulky　on　several　occasions　since　his　introduction　to　Pal…ul…don。

And　then；　suddenly　he　caught　plainly　the　strong；　sweet　odor　of　Bara；　the　deer。　Were　the　belly　vocal；　Tarzan's　would　have　given　a　little　cry　of　joy；　for　it　loved　the　flesh　of　Bara。　The　ape…man　moved　rapidly；　but　cautiously　forward。　The　prey　was　not　far　distant　and　as　the　hunter　approached　it；　he　took　silently　to　the　trees　and　still　in　his　nostrils　was　the　faint　reptilian　odor　that　spoke　of　a　great　creature　which　he　had　never　yet　seen　except　as　a　denser　shadow　among　the　dense　shadows　of　the　night；　but　the　odor　was　of　such　a　faintness　as　suggests　to　the　jungle　bred　the　distance　of　absolute　safety。

And　now；　moving　noiselessly；　Tarzan　came　within　sight　of　Bara　drinking　at　a　pool　where　the　stream　that　waters　Kor…ul…gryf　crosses　an　open　place　in　the　jungle。　The　deer　was　too　far　from　the　nearest　tree　to　risk　a　charge；　so　the　ape…man　must　depend　upon　the　accuracy　and　force　of　his　first　arrow；　which　must　drop　the　deer　in　its　tracks　or　forfeit　both　deer　and　shaft。　Far　back　came　the　right　hand　and　the　bow；　that　you　or　I　might　not　move；　bent　easily　beneath　the　muscles　of　the　forest　god。　There　was　a　singing　twang　and　Bara；　leaping　high　in　air；　collapsed　upon　the　ground；　an　arrow　through　his　heart。　Tarzan　dropped　to　earth　and　ran　to　his　kill；　lest　the　animal　might　even　yet　rise　and　escape；　but　Bara　was　safely　dead。　As　Tarzan　stooped　to　lift　it　to　his　shoulder　there　fell　upon　his　ears　a　thunderous　bellow　that　seemed　almost　at　his　right　elbow；　and　as　his　eyes　shot　in　the　direction　of　the　sound；　there　broke　upon　his　vision　such　a　creature　as　paleontologists　have　dreamed　as　having　possibly　existed　in　the　dimmest　vistas　of　Earth's　infancya　gigantic　creature；　vibrant　with　mad　rage；　that　charged；　bellowing；　upon　him。

When　Pan…at…lee　awoke　she　looked　out　upon　the　niche　in　search　of　Tarzan。　He　was　not　there。　She　sprang　to　her　feet　and　rushed　out；　looking　down　into　Kor…ul…gryf　guessing　that　he　had　gone　down　in　search　of　food　and　there　she　caught　a　glimpse　of　him　disappearing　into　the　forest。　For　an　instant　she　was　panic…stricken。　She　knew　that　he　was　a　stranger　in　Pal…ul…don　and　that；　so；　he　might　not　realize　the　dangers　that　lay　in　that　gorge　of　terror。　Why　did　she　not　call　to　him　to　return？　You　or　I　might　have　done　so；　but　no　Pal…ul…don；　for　they　know　the　ways　of　the　gryfthey　know　the　weak　eyes　and　the　keen　ears；　and　that　at　the　sound　of　a　human　voice　they　come。　To　have　called　to　Tarzan；　then；　would　but　have　been　to　invite　disaster　and　so　she　did　not　call。　Instead；　afraid　though　she　was；　she　descended　into　the　gorge　for　the　purpose　of　overhauling　Tarzan　and　warning　him　in　whispers　of　his　danger。　It　was　a　brave　act；　since　it　was　performed　in　the　face　of　countless　ages　of　inherited　fear　of　the　creatures　that　she　might　be　called　upon　to　face。　Men　have　been　decorated　for　less。

Pan…at…lee；　descended　from　a　long　line　of　hunters；　assumed　that　Tarzan　would　move　up　wind　and　in　this　direction　she　sought　his　tracks；　which　she　soon　found　well　marked；　since　he　had　made　no　effort　to　conceal　them。　She　moved　rapidly　until　she　reached　the　point　at　which　Tarzan　had　taken　to　the　trees。　Of　course　she　knew　what　had　happened；　since　her　own　people　were　semi…arboreal；　but　she　could　not　track　him　through　the　trees；　having　no　such　well…developed　sense　of　scent　as　he。

She　could　but　hope　that　he　had　continued　on　up　wind　and　in　this　direction　she　moved；　her　heart　pounding　in　terror　against　her　ribs；　her　eyes　glancing　first　in　one　direction　and　then　another。　She　had　reached　the　edge　of　a　clearing　when　two　things　happenedshe　caught　sight　of　Tarzan　bending　over　a　dead　deer　and　at　the　same　instant　a　deafening　roar　sounded　almost　beside　her。　It　terrified　her　beyond　description；　but　it　brought　no　paralysis　of　fear。　Instead　it　galvanized　her　into　instant　action　with　the　result　that　Pan…at…lee　swarmed　up　the　nearest　tree　to　the　very　loftiest　branch　that　would　sustain　her　weight。　Then　she　looked　down。

The　thing　that　Tarzan　saw　charging　him　when　the　warning　bellow　attracted　his　surprised　eyes　loomed　terrifically　monstrous　before　himmonstrous　and　awe…inspiring；　but　it　did　not　terrify　Tarzan；　it　only　angered　him；　for　he　saw　that　it　was　beyond　even　his　powers　to　combat　and　that　meant　that　it　might　cause　him　to　lose　his　kill；　and　Tarzan　was　hungry。　There　was　but　a　single　alternative　to　remaining　for　annihilation　and　that