tarzan the terrible-第18部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　fashioned　a　pole　about　ten　feet　in　length。　This　he　sharpened　at　the　smaller　end。　The　staff　finished　to　his　satisfaction　he　looked　down　upon　the　triceratops。

〃Whee…oo！〃　he　cried。

Instantly　the　beasts　raised　their　heads　and　looked　at　him。　From　the　throat　of　one　of　them　came　faintly　a　low　rumbling　sound。

〃Whee…oo！〃　repeated　Tarzan　and　hurled　the　balance　of　the　carcass　of　the　deer　to　them。

Instantly　the　gryfs　fell　upon　it　with　much　bellowing；　one　of　them　attempting　to　seize　it　and　keep　it　from　the　other：　but　finally　the　second　obtained　a　hold　and　an　instant　later　it　had　been　torn　asunder　and　greedily　devoured。　Once　again　they　looked　up　at　the　ape…man　and　this　time　they　saw　him　descending　to　the　ground。

One　of　them　started　toward　him。　Again　Tarzan　repeated　the　weird　cry　of　the　Tor…o…don。　The　gryf　halted　in　his　track；　apparently　puzzled；　while　Tarzan　slipped　lightly　to　the　earth　and　advanced　toward　the　nearer　beast；　his　staff　raised　menacingly　and　the　call　of　the　first…man　upon　his　lips。

Would　the　cry　be　answered　by　the　low　rumbling　of　the　beast　of　burden　or　the　horrid　bellow　of　the　man…eater？　Upon　the　answer　to　this　question　hung　the　fate　of　the　ape…man。

Pan…at…lee　was　listening　intently　to　the　sounds　of　the　departing　gryfs　as　Tarzan　led　them　cunningly　from　her；　and　when　she　was　sure　that　they　were　far　enough　away　to　insure　her　safe　retreat　she　dropped　swiftly　from　the　branches　to　the　ground　and　sped　like　a　frightened　deer　across　the　open　space　to　the　foot　of　the　cliff；　stepped　over　the　body　of　the　Tor…o…don　who　had　attacked　her　the　night　before　and　was　soon　climbing　rapidly　up　the　ancient　stone　pegs　of　the　deserted　cliff　village。　In　the　mouth　of　the　cave　near　that　which　she　had　occupied　she　kindled　a　fire　and　cooked　the　haunch　of　venison　that　Tarzan　had　left　her；　and　from　one　of　the　trickling　streams　that　ran　down　the　face　of　the　escarpment　she　obtained　water　to　satisfy　her　thirst。

All　day　she　waited；　hearing　in　the　distance；　and　sometimes　close　at　hand；　the　bellowing　of　the　gryfs　which　pursued　the　strange　creature　that　had　dropped　so　miraculously　into　her　life。　For　him　she　felt　the　same　keen；　almost　fanatical　loyalty　that　many　another　had　experienced　for　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。　Beast　and　human；　he　had　held　them　to　him　with　bonds　that　were　stronger　than　steelthose　of　them　that　were　clean　and　courageous；　and　the　weak　and　the　helpless；　but　never　could　Tarzan　claim　among　his　admirers　the　coward；　the　ingrate　or　the　scoundrel；　from　such；　both　man　and　beast；　he　had　won　fear　and　hatred。

To　Pan…at…lee　he　was　all　that　was　brave　and　noble　and　heroic　and；　too；　he　was　Om…at's　friendthe　friend　of　the　man　she　loved。　For　any　one　of　these　reasons　Pan…at…lee　would　have　died　for　Tarzan；　for　such　is　the　loyalty　of　the　simple…minded　children　of　nature。　It　has　remained　for　civilization　to　teach　us　to　weigh　the　relative　rewards　of　loyalty　and　its　antithesis。　The　loyalty　of　the　primitive　is　spontaneous；　unreasoning；　unselfish　and　such　was　the　loyalty　of　Pan…at…lee　for　the　Tarmangani。

And　so　it　was　that　she　waited　that　day　and　night；　hoping　that　he　would　return　that　she　might　accompany　him　back　to　Om…at；　for　her　experience　had　taught　her　that　in　the　face　of　danger　two　have　a　better　chance　than　one。　But　Tarzan…jad…guru　had　not　come；　and　so　upon　the　following　morning　Pan…at…lee　set　out　upon　her　return　to　Kor…ul…ja。

She　knew　the　dangers　and　yet　she　faced　them　with　the　stolid　indifference　of　her　race。　When　they　directly　confronted　and　menaced　her　would　be　time　enough　to　experience　fear　or　excitement　or　confidence。　In　the　meantime　it　was　unnecessary　to　waste　nerve　energy　by　anticipating　them。　She　moved　therefore　through　her　savage　land　with　no　greater　show　of　concern　than　might　mark　your　sauntering　to　a　corner　drug…store　for　a　sundae。　But　this　is　your　life　and　that　is　Pan…at…lee's　and　even　now　as　you　read　this　Pan…at…lee　may　be　sitting　upon　the　edge　of　the　recess　of　Om…at's　cave　while　the　ja　and　jato　roar　from　the　gorge　below　and　from　the　ridge　above；　and　the　Kor…ul…lul　threaten　upon　the　south　and　the　Ho…don　from　the　Valley　of　Jad…ben…Otho　far　below；　for　Pan…at…lee　still　lives　and　preens　her　silky　coat　of　jet　beneath　the　tropical　moonlight　of　Pal…ul…don。

But　she　was　not　to　reach　Kor…ul…ja　this　day；　nor　the　next；　nor　for　many　days　after　though　the　danger　that　threatened　her　was　neither　Waz…don　enemy　nor　savage　beast。

She　came　without　misadventure　to　the　Kor…ul…lul　and　after　descending　its　rocky　southern　wall　without　catching　the　slightest　glimpse　of　the　hereditary　enemies　of　her　people；　she　experienced　a　renewal　of　confidence　that　was　little　short　of　practical　assurance　that　she　would　successfully　terminate　her　venture　and　be　restored　once　more　to　her　own　people　and　the　lover　she　had　not　seen　for　so　many　long　and　weary　moons。

She　was　almost　across　the　gorge　now　and　moving　with　an　extreme　caution　abated　no　wit　by　her　confidence；　for　wariness　is　an　instinctive　trait　of　the　primitive；　something　which　cannot　be　laid　aside　even　momentarily　if　one　would　survive。　And　so　she　came　to　the　trail　that　follows　the　windings　of　Kor…ul…lul　from　its　uppermost　reaches　down　into　the　broad　and　fertile　Valley　of　Jad…ben…Otho。

And　as　she　stepped　into　the　trail　there　arose　on　either　side　of　her　from　out　of　the　bushes　that　border　the　path；　as　though　materialized　from　thin　air；　a　score　of　tall；　white　warriors　of　the　Ho…don。　Like　a　frightened　deer　Pan…at…lee　cast　a　single　startled　look　at　these　menacers　of　her　freedom　and　leaped　quickly　toward　the　bushes　in　an　effort　to　escape；　but　the　warriors　were　too　close　at　hand。　They　closed　upon　her　from　every　side　and　then；　drawing　her　knife　she　turned　at　bay；　metamorphosed　by　the　fires　of　fear　and　hate　from　a　startled　deer　to　a　raging　tiger…cat。　They　did　not　try　to　kill　her；　but　only　to　subdue　and　capture　her；　and　so　it　was　that　more　than　a　single　Ho…don　warrior　felt　the　keen　edge　of　her　blade　in　his　flesh　before　they　had　succeeded　in　overpowering　her　by　numbers。　And　still　she　fought　and　scratched　and　bit　after　they　had　taken　the　knife　from　her　until　it　was　necessary　to　tie　her　hands　and　fasten　a　piece　of　wood　between　her　teeth　by　means　of　thongs　passed　behind　her　head。

At　first　she　refused　to　walk　when　they　started　off　in　the　direction　of　the　valley　but　after　two　of　them　had　seized　her　by　the　hair　and　dragged　her　for　a　number　of　yards　she　thought　better　of　her　original　decision　and　came　along　with　them；　though　still　as　defiant　as　her　bound　wrists　and　gagged　mouth　would　permit。

Near　the　entrance　to　Kor…ul…lul　they　came　upon　another　body　of　their　warriors　with　which　were　several　Waz…don　prisoners　from　the　tribe　of　Kor…ul…lul。　It　was　a　raiding　party　come　up　from　a　Ho…don　city　of　the　valley　after　slaves。　This　Pan…at…lee　knew　for　the　occurrence　was　by　no　means　unusual。　During　her　lifetime　the　tribe　to　which　she　belonged　had　been　sufficiently　fortunate；　or　powerful；　to　withstand　successfully　the　majority　of　such　raids　made　upon　them；　but　yet　Pan…at…lee　had　known　of　friends　and　relatives　who　had　been　carried　into　slavery　by　the　Ho…don　and　she　knew；　too；　another　thing　which　gave　her　hope；　as　doubtless　it　did　to　each　of　the　other　captivesthat　occasionally　the　prisoners　escaped　from　the　cities　of　the　hairless　whites。

After　they　had　joined　the　other　party　the　entire　band　set　forth　into　the　valley　and　presently；　from　the　conversation　of　her　captors；　Pan…at…lee　knew　that　she　was　headed　for　A…lur；　the　City　of　Light；　while　in　the　cave　of　his　ancestors；　Om…at；　chief　of　the　Kor…ul…ja；　bemoaned　the　loss　of　both　his　friend　and　she　that　was　to　have　been　his　mate。



8

A…lur

AS　THE　hissing　reptile　bore　down　upon　the　stranger　swimming　in　the　open　water　near　the　center　of　the　morass　on　the　frontier　of　Pal…ul…don　it　seemed　to　the　man　that　this　indeed　must　be　the　futile　termination　of　an　arduous　and　danger…filled　journey。　It　seemed；　too；　equally　futile　to　pit　his　puny　knife　against　this　frightful　creature。　Had　he　been　attacked　on　land　it　is　possible　that　he　might　as　a　last　resort　have　used　his　Enfield；　though　he　had　come　thus　far　through　all　these　weary；　danger…ridden　miles　without　recourse　to　it；　though　again　and　again　had　his　life　hung　in　the　balance　in　the　face　of　the　savage　denizens　of　forest；　jungle；　and　steppe。　For　whatever　it　may　have　been　for　which　he　was　preserving　his　precious　ammunition　he　evidently　held　it　more　sacred　even　than　his　life；　for　as　yet　he　had　not　used　a　single　round　and　now　the　decision　was　not　required　of　him；　since　it　would　have　been　impossible　for　him　to　have　unslung　his　Enfield；　loaded　and　fired　with　the　necessary　celerity　while　swimming。

Though　his　chance　for　survival　seemed　slender；　and　hope　at　its　lowest　ebb；　he　was　not　minded　therefore　to　give　up　without　a　struggle。　Instead　he　drew　his　blade　and　awaited　the　oncoming　reptile。　The　creature　was　like　no　living　thing　he　ever　before　had　seen　although　possibly　it　resembled　a　crocodile　in　some　respects　more　than　it　did　anything　with　which　he　was　familiar。

As　this　frightful　survivor　of　some　extinct　progenitor　charged　upon　him　with　distended　jaws　there　came　to　the　man　quickly　a　full　consciousness　of　the　futility　of　endeavoring　to　stay　the　mad　rush　or　pierce　the　armor…coated　hide　with　his　little　knife。　The　thing　was　almost　upon　him　now　and　wh