tarzan the terrible-第46部分

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eard　whisperings　among　even　his　own　people　that　suggested　that　there　were　those　who　were　more　than　a　trifle　inclined　to　belief　in　the　divinity　of　the　stranger　and　that　he　might　indeed　be　the　Dor…ul…Otho。　Lu…don　wanted　Tarzan　himself。　He　wanted　to　sacrifice　him　upon　the　eastern　altar　with　his　own　hands　before　a　multitude　of　people；　since　he　was　not　without　evidence　that　his　own　standing　and　authority　had　been　lessened　by　the　claims　of　the　bold　and　heroic　figure　of　the　stranger。

The　method　that　the　high　priest　of　Tu…lur　had　employed　to　trap　Tarzan　had　left　the　ape…man　in　possession　of　his　weapons　though　there　seemed　little　likelihood　of　their　being　of　any　service　to　him。　He　also　had　his　pouch；　in　which　were　the　various　odds　and　ends　which　are　the　natural　accumulation　of　all　receptacles　from　a　gold　meshbag　to　an　attic。　There　were　bits　of　obsidian　and　choice　feathers　for　arrows；　some　pieces　of　flint　and　a　couple　of　steel；　an　old　knife；　a　heavy　bone　needle；　and　strips　of　dried　gut。　Nothing　very　useful　to　you　or　me；　perhaps；　but　nothing　useless　to　the　savage　life　of　the　ape…man。

When　Tarzan　realized　the　trick　that　had　been　so　neatly　played　upon　him　he　had　awaited　expectantly　the　coming　of　the　lion；　for　though　the　scent　of　ja　was　old　he　was　sure　that　sooner　or　later　they　would　let　one　of　the　beasts　in　upon　him。　His　first　consideration　was　a　thorough　exploration　of　his　prison。　He　had　noticed　the　hide…covered　windows　and　these　he　immediately　uncovered；　letting　in　the　light；　and　revealing　the　fact　that　though　the　chamber　was　far　below　the　level　of　the　temple　courts　it　was　yet　many　feet　above　the　base　of　the　hill　from　which　the　temple　was　hewn。　The　windows　were　so　closely　barred　that　he　could　not　see　over　the　edge　of　the　thick　wall　in　which　they　were　cut　to　determine　what　lay　close　in　below　him。　At　a　little　distance　were　the　blue　waters　of　Jad…in…lul　and　beyond；　the　verdure…clad　farther　shore；　and　beyond　that　the　mountains。　It　was　a　beautiful　picture　upon　which　he　lookeda　picture　of　peace　and　harmony　and　quiet。　Nor　anywhere　a　slightest　suggestion　of　the　savage　men　and　beasts　that　claimed　this　lovely　landscape　as　their　own。　What　a　paradise！　And　some　day　civilized　man　would　come　andspoil　it！　Ruthless　axes　would　raze　that　age…old　wood；　black；　sticky　smoke　would　rise　from　ugly　chimneys　against　that　azure　sky；　grimy　little　boats　with　wheels　behind　or　upon　either　side　would　churn　the　mud　from　the　bottom　of　Jad…in…lul；　turning　its　blue　waters　to　a　dirty　brown；　hideous　piers　would　project　into　the　lake　from　squalid　buildings　of　corrugated　iron；　doubtless；　for　of　such　are　the　pioneer　cities　of　the　world。

But　would　civilized　man　come？　Tarzan　hoped　not。　For　countless　generations　civilization　had　ramped　about　the　globe；　it　had　dispatched　its　emissaries　to　the　North　Pole　and　the　South；　it　had　circled　Pal…ul…don　once；　perhaps　many　times；　but　it　had　never　touched　her。　God　grant　that　it　never　would。　Perhaps　He　was　saving　this　little　spot　to　be　always　just　as　He　had　made　it；　for　the　scratching　of　the　Ho…don　and　the　Waz…don　upon　His　rocks　had　not　altered　the　fair　face　of　Nature。

Through　the　windows　came　sufficient　light　to　reveal　the　whole　interior　to　Tarzan。　The　room　was　fairly　large　and　there　was　a　door　at　each　enda　large　door　for　men　and　a　smaller　one　for　lions。　Both　were　closed　with　heavy　masses　of　stone　that　had　been　lowered　in　grooves　running　to　the　floor。　The　two　windows　were　small　and　closely　barred　with　the　first　iron　that　Tarzan　had　seen　in　Pal…ul…don。　The　bars　were　let　into　holes　in　the　casing；　and　the　whole　so　strongly　and　neatly　contrived　that　escape　seemed　impossible。　Yet　within　a　few　minutes　of　his　incarceration　Tarzan　had　commenced　to　undertake　his　escape。　The　old　knife　in　his　pouch　was　brought　into　requisition　and　slowly　the　ape…man　began　to　scrape　and　chip　away　the　stone　from　about　the　bars　of　one　of　the　windows。　It　was　slow　work　but　Tarzan　had　the　patience　of　absolute　health。

Each　day　food　and　water　were　brought　him　and　slipped　quickly　beneath　the　smaller　door　which　was　raised　just　sufficiently　to　allow　the　stone　receptacles　to　pass　in。　The　prisoner　began　to　believe　that　he　was　being　preserved　for　something　beside　lions。　However　that　was　immaterial。　If　they　would　but　hold　off　for　a　few　more　days　they　might　select　what　fate　they　wouldhe　would　not　be　there　when　they　arrived　to　announce　it。

And　then　one　day　came　Pan…sat；　Lu…don's　chief　tool；　to　the　city　of　Tu…lur。　He　came　ostensibly　with　a　fair　message　for　Mo…sar　from　the　high　priest　at　A…lur。　Lu…don　had　decided　that　Mo…sar　should　be　king　and　he　invited　Mo…sar　to　come　at　once　to　A…lur　and　then　Pan…sat；　having　delivered　the　message；　asked　that　he　might　go　to　the　temple　of　Tu…lur　and　pray；　and　there　he　sought　the　high　priest　of　Tu…lur　to　whom　was　the　true　message　that　Lu…don　had　sent。　The　two　were　closeted　alone　in　a　little　chamber　and　Pan…sat　whispered　into　the　ear　of　the　high　priest。

〃Mo…sar　wishes　to　be　king；〃　he　said；　〃and　Lu…don　wishes　to　be　king。　Mo…sar　wishes　to　retain　the　stranger　who　claims　to　be　the　Dor…ul…Otho　and　Lu…don　wishes　to　kill　him；　and　now；〃　he　leaned　even　closer　to　the　ear　of　the　high　priest　of　Tu…lur；　〃if　you　would　be　high　priest　at　A…lur　it　is　within　your　power。〃

Pan…sat　ceased　speaking　and　waited　for　the　other's　reply。　The　high　priest　was　visibly　affected。　To　be　high　priest　at　A…lur！　That　was　almost　as　good　as　being　king　of　all　Pal…ul…don；　for　great　were　the　powers　of　him　who　conducted　the　sacrifices　upon　the　altars　of　A…lur。

〃How？〃　whispered　the　high　priest。　〃How　may　I　become　high　priest　at　A…lur？〃

Again　Pan…sat　leaned　close：　〃By　killing　the　one　and　bringing　the　other　to　A…lur；〃　replied　he。　Then　he　rose　and　departed　knowing　chat　the　other　had　swallowed　the　bait　and　could　be　depended　upon　to　do　whatever　was　required　to　win　him　the　great　prize。

Nor　was　Pan…sat　mistaken　other　than　in　one　trivial　consideration。　This　high　priest　would　indeed　commit　murder　and　treason　to　attain　the　high　office　at　A…lur；　but　he　had　misunderstood　which　of　his　victims　was　to　be　killed　and　which　to　be　delivered　to　Lu…don。　Pan…sat；　knowing　himself　all　the　details　of　the　plannings　of　Lu…don；　had　made　the　quite　natural　error　of　assuming　that　the　ocher　was　perfectly　aware　that　only　by　publicly　sacrificing　the　false　Dor…ul…Otho　could　the　high　priest　at　A…lur　bolster　his　waning　power　and　that　the　assassination　of　Mo…sar；　the　pretender；　would　remove　from　Lu…don's　camp　the　only　obstacle　to　his　combining　the　offices　of　high　priest　and　king。　The　high　priest　at　Tu…lur　thought　that　he　had　been　commissioned　to　kill　Tarzan　and　bring　Mo…sar　to　A…lur。　He　also　thought　that　when　he　had　done　these　things　he　would　be　made　high　priest　at　A…lur；　but　he　did　not　know　that　already　the　priest　had　been　selected　who　was　to　murder　him　within　the　hour　that　he　arrived　at　A…lur；　nor　did　he　know　that　a　secret　grave　had　been　prepared　for　him　in　the　floor　of　a　subterranean　chamber　in　the　very　temple　he　dreamed　of　controlling。

And　so　when　he　should　have　been　arranging　the　assassination　of　his　chief　he　was　leading　a　dozen　heavily　bribed　warriors　through　the　dark　corridors　beneath　the　temple　to　slay　Tarzan　in　the　lion　pit。　Night　had　fallen。　A　single　torch　guided　the　footsteps　of　the　murderers　as　they　crept　stealthily　upon　their　evil　way；　for　they　knew　that　they　were　doing　the　thing　that　their　chief　did　not　want　done　and　their　guilty　consciences　warned　them　to　stealth。

In　the　dark　of　his　cell　the　ape…man　worked　at　his　seemingly　endless　chipping　and　scraping。　His　keen　ears　detected　the　coming　of　footsteps　along　the　corridor　withoutfootsteps　that　approached　the　larger　door。　Always　before　had　they　come　to　the　smaller　doorthe　footsteps　of　a　single　slave　who　brought　his　food。　This　time　there　were　many　more　than　one　and　their　coming　at　this　time　of　night　carried　a　sinister　suggestion。　Tarzan　continued　to　work　at　his　scraping　and　chipping。　He　heard　them　stop　beyond　the　door。　All　was　silence　broken　only　by　the　scrape；　scrape；　scrape　of　the　ape…man's　tireless　blade。

Those　without　heard　it　and　listening　sought　to　explain　it。　They　whispered　in　low　tones　making　their　plans。　Two　would　raise　the　door　quickly　and　the　others　would　rush　in　and　hurl　their　clubs　at　the　prisoner。　They　would　take　no　chances；　for　the　stories　that　had　circulated　in　A…lur　had　been　brought　to　Tu…lurstories　of　the　great　strength　and　wonderful　prowess　of　Tarzan…jad…guru　that　caused　the　sweat　to　stand　upon　the　brows　of　the　warriors；　though　it　was　cool　in　the　damp　corridor　and　they　were　twelve　to　one。

And　then　the　high　priest　gave　the　signalthe　door　shot　upward　and　ten　warriors　leaped　into　the　chamber　with　poised　clubs。　Three　of　the　heavy　weapons　flew　across　the　room　toward　a　darker　shadow　that　lay　in　the　shadow　of　the　opposite　wall；　then　the　flare　of　the　torch　in　the　priest's　hand　lighted　the　interior　and　they　saw　that　the　thing　at　which　they　had　flung　their　clubs　was　a　pile　of　skins　torn　from　the　windows　and　that　except　for　themselves　the　chamber　was　vacant。

One　of　them　hastened　to　a　window。　All　but　a　single　bar　was　gone　and　to　this　was　tied　one　end　of　a　braided　rope　fashioned　from　strips　cut　from　the　leather　window　hangings。

To　the　ordinary　dangers　of　Jane　Clayton's　existence　was　now　added　the　menace　of　Obergatz'　knowledge　of　her　where