第 37 节
作者:西门在线      更新:2021-02-18 21:55      字数:9322
  far too civilized for my beastsit is you whom they are fleeing。
  Doubtless they feel that they cannot trust themselves in the
  close vicinity of so much perfectly good food without the
  danger that they may help themselves to a mouthful some
  time by mistake。〃
  Jane laughed。  〃I think they are just trying to escape you;〃
  she retorted。  〃You are always making them stop something
  which they see no reason why they should not do。  Like little
  children they are doubtless delighted at this opportunity to
  flee from the zone of parental discipline。  If they come back;
  though; I hope they won't come by night。〃
  〃Or come hungry; eh?〃 laughed Tarzan。
  For two hours after landing the little party stood watching the
  burning ship which they had abandoned。  Then there came faintly
  to them from across the water the sound of a second explosion。
  The Kincaid settled rapidly almost immediatel thereafter;
  and sank within a few minutes。
  The cause of the second explosion was less a mystery than
  that of the first; the mate attributing it to the bursting of the
  boilers when the flames had finally reached them; but what
  had caused the first explosion was a subject of considerable
  speculation among the stranded company。
  Chapter 20
  Jungle Island Again
  The first consideration of the party was to locate fresh
  water and make camp; for all knew that their term of
  existence upon Jungle Island might be drawn out to months;
  or even years。
  Tarzan knew the nearest water; and to this he immediately
  led the party。  Here the men fell to work to construct shelters
  and rude furniture while Tarzan went into the jungle after
  meat; leaving the faithful Mugambi and the Mosula woman
  to guard Jane; whose safety he would never trust to any
  member of the Kincaid's cut…throat crew。
  Lady Greystoke suffered far greater anguish than any other
  of the castaways; for the blow to her hopes and her already
  cruelly lacerated mother…heart lay not in her own privations
  but in the knowledge that she might now never be able to
  learn the fate of her first…born or do aught to discover his
  whereabouts; or ameliorate his conditiona condition which
  imagination naturally pictured in the most frightful forms。
  For two weeks the party divided the time amongst the
  various duties which had been allotted to each。  A daylight
  watch was maintained from sunrise to sunset upon a bluff
  near the campa jutting shoulder of rock which overlooked
  the sea。  Here; ready for instant lighting; was gathered a huge
  pile of dry branches; while from a lofty pole which they had
  set in the ground there floated an improvised distress signal
  fashioned from a red undershirt which belonged to the mate
  of the Kincaid。
  But never a speck upon the horizon that might be sail or
  smoke rewarded the tired eyes that in their endless; hopeless
  vigil strained daily out across the vast expanse of ocean。
  It was Tarzan who suggested; finally; that they attempt to
  construct a vessel that would bear them back to the mainland。
  He alone could show them how to fashion rude tools; and
  when the idea had taken root in the minds of the men they
  were eager to commence their labours。
  But as time went on and the Herculean nature of their task
  became more and more apparent they fell to grumbling; and
  to quarrelling among themselves; so that to the other dangers
  were now added dissension and suspicion。
  More than before did Tarzan now fear to leave Jane among
  the half brutes of the Kincaid's crew; but hunting he must
  do; for none other could so surely go forth and return with
  meat as he。  Sometimes Mugambi spelled him at the hunting;
  but the black's spear and arrows were never so sure of results
  as the rope and knife of the ape…man。
  Finally the men shirked their work; going off into the
  jungle by twos to explore and to hunt。  All this time the camp
  had had no sight of Sheeta; or Akut and the other great apes;
  though Tarzan had sometimes met them in the jungle as he hunted。
  And as matters tended from bad to worse in the camp of
  the castaways upon the east coast of Jungle Island; another
  camp came into being upon the north coast。
  Here; in a little cove; lay a small schooner; the Cowrie;
  whose decks had but a few days since run red with the blood
  of her officers and the loyal members of her crew; for the
  Cowrie had fallen upon bad days when it had shipped such
  men as Gust and Momulla the Maori and that arch…fiend
  Kai Shang of Fachan。
  There were others; too; ten of them all told; the scum of
  the South Sea ports; but Gust and Momulla and Kai Shang
  were the brains and cunning of the company。  It was they who
  had instigated the mutiny that they might seize and divide
  the catch of pearls which constituted the wealth of the
  Cowrie's cargo。
  It was Kai Shang who had murdered the captain as he lay
  asleep in his berth; and it had been Momulla the Maori who
  had led the attack upon the officer of the watch。
  Gust; after his own peculiar habit; had found means to
  delegate to the others the actual taking of life。  Not that
  Gust entertained any scruples on the subject; other than those
  which induced in him a rare regard for his own personal safety。
  There is always a certain element of risk to the assassin;
  for victims of deadly assault are seldom prone to die quietly
  and considerately。  There is always a certain element of risk
  to go so far as to dispute the issue with the murderer。
  It was this chance of dispute which Gust preferred to forgo。
  But now that the work was done the Swede aspired to the
  position of highest command among the mutineers。  He had
  even gone so far as to appropriate and wear certain articles
  belonging to the murdered captain of the Cowriearticles of
  apparel which bore upon them the badges and insignia of authority。
  Kai Shang was peeved。  He had no love for authority; and
  certainly not the slightest intention of submitting to the
  domination of an ordinary Swede sailor。
  The seeds of discontent were; therefore; already planted in the camp
  of the mutineers of the Cowrie at the north edge of Jungle Island。
  But Kai Shang realized that he must act with circumspection;
  for Gust alone of the motley horde possessed sufficient
  knowledge of navigation to get them out of the South Atlantic
  and around the cape into more congenial waters where they might
  find a market for their ill…gotten wealth; and no questions asked。
  The day before they sighted Jungle Island and discovered
  the little land…locked harbour upon the bosom of which the
  Cowrie now rode quietly at anchor; the watch had discovered
  the smoke and funnels of a warship upon the southern horizon。
  The chance of being spoken and investigated by a man…of…war
  appealed not at all to any of them; so they put into hiding
  for a few days until the danger should have passed。
  And now Gust did not wish to venture out to sea again。
  There was no telling; he insisted; but that the ship they had
  seen was actually searching for them。  Kai Shang pointed out
  that such could not be the case since it was impossible for
  any human being other than themselves to have knowledge
  of what had transpired aboard the Cowrie。
  But Gust was not to be persuaded。  In his wicked heart he
  nursed a scheme whereby he might increase his share of the
  booty by something like one hundred per cent。  He alone
  could sail the Cowrie; therefore the others could not leave
  Jungle Island without him; but what was there to prevent
  Gust; with just sufficient men to man the schooner; slipping
  away from Kai Shang; Momulla the Maori; and some half
  of the crew when opportunity presented?
  It was for this opportunity that Gust waited。  Some day
  there would come a moment when Kai Shang; Momulla; and
  three or four of the others would be absent from camp;
  exploring or hunting。  The Swede racked his brain for some plan
  whereby he might successfully lure from the sight of the
  anchored ship those whom he had determined to abandon。
  To this end he organized hunting party after hunting party;
  but always the devil of perversity seemed to enter the soul of
  Kai Shang; so that wily celestial would never hunt except
  in the company of Gust himself。
  One day Kai Shang spoke secretly with Momulla the Maori;
  pouring into the brown ear of his companion the suspicions
  which he harboured concerning the Swede。  Momulla was for
  going immediately and running a long knife through
  the heart of the traitor。
  It is true that Kai Shang had no other evidence than the
  natural cunning of his own knavish soulbut he imagined
  in the intentions of Gust what he himself would have been
  glad to accomplish had the means lain at hand。
  But he dared not let Momulla slay the Swede; upon whom
  they depended to guide them to their destination。
  They decided; however; that it would do no harm to attempt to
  frighten