第 29 节
作者:击水三千      更新:2021-02-18 22:45      字数:9319
  unsophisticated savage that his apparel proclaimed him。                  He had mingled
  with   the   cosmopolitan   hordes   of   the   greatest   city   in   the   world;   he   had
  visited   museums   and   inspected   shop   windows;   and;   besides;   he   was   a
  shrewd and intelligent man。
  The   instant   that   the   jewels   of   Opar   rolled;   scintillating;   before   his
  100
  … Page 101…
  Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
  astonished eyes; he recognized them for what they were; but he recognized
  something else; too; that interested him far more deeply than the value of
  the    stones。   A   thousand     times   he   had   seen   the   leathern    pouch    which
  dangled at his master's side; when Tarzan of the Apes had; in a spirit of
  play   and   adventure;   elected   to   return   for   a   few   hours   to   the   primitive
  manners      and    customs     of  his  boyhood;      and   surrounded      by   his  naked
  warriors hunt the lion and the leopard; the buffalo and the elephant after
  the manner he loved best。
  Werper      saw    that  Mugambi        had   seen    the  pouch     and   the   stones。
  Hastily   he    gathered     up  the   precious    gems    and   returned    them   to   their
  container; while Mugambi; assuming an air of indifference; strolled down
  to the river for his bath。
  The following morning Abdul Mourak was enraged and chagrined to
  discover that this huge; black prisoner had escaped during the night; while
  Werper      was   terrified   for  the   same    reason;    until  his  trembling     fingers
  discovered the pouch still in its place beneath his shirt; and within it the
  hard outlines of its contents。
  101
  … Page 102…
  Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
  16
  Tarzan Again Leads the Mangani
  Achmet Zek with two of his followers had circled far to the south to
  intercept the flight of his deserting lieutenant; Werper。              Others had spread
  out   in   various directions;  so   that   a  vast   circle had   been   formed   by  them
  during the night; and now they were beating in toward the center。
  Achmet and the two with him halted for a short rest just before noon。
  They   squatted   beneath   the   trees   upon   the   southern   edge   of   a   clearing。
  The chief of the raiders was in ill humor。              To have been outwitted by an
  unbeliever was bad enough; but to have; at the same time; lost the jewels
  upon which he had set his avaricious heart was altogether too muchAllah
  must; indeed be angry with his servant。
  Well;   he   still   had   the   woman。   She   would   bring   a   fair   price   in   the
  north;   and    there   was;   too;   the  buried   treasure    beside   the   ruins   of  the
  Englishman's house。
  A   slight   noise   in   the   jungle   upon   the   opposite   side   of   the   clearing
  brought Achmet   Zek   to   immediate   and   alert   attention。         He   gathered   his
  rifle in readiness for instant use; at the same time motioning his followers
  to   silence    and   concealment。       Crouching       behind    the   bushes    the   three
  waited; their eyes fastened upon the far side of the open space。
  Presently   the   foliage   parted   and   a   woman's   face   appeared;   glancing
  fearfully   from   side   to   side。   A   moment   later;   evidently   satisfied   that   no
  immediate danger lurked before her; she stepped out into the clearing in
  full view of the Arab。
  Achmet       Zek    caught    his   breath    with   a   muttered     exclamation      of
  incredulity     and   an   imprecation。     The    woman      was   the   prisoner    he  had
  thought safely guarded at his camp!
  Apparently she was alone; but Achmet Zek waited that he might make
  sure   of   it   before   seizing   her。  Slowly   Jane   Clayton   started   across   the
  clearing。     Twice already since she had quitted the village of the   raiders
  had she   barely  escaped  the   fangs of carnivora;  and once   she had   almost
  stumbled into the path of one of the searchers。                 Though she was almost
  despairing   of   ever   reaching   safety   she   still   was   determined   to   fight   on;
  102
  … Page 103…
  Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
  until death or success terminated her endeavors。
  As   the Arabs   watched her   from  the   safety  of   their   concealment;   and
  Achmet Zek noted with satisfaction that she was walking directly into his
  clutches; another pair of eyes looked down upon the entire scene from the
  foliage of an adjacent tree。
  Puzzled; troubled eyes they were; for all their gray and savage glint;
  for    their  owner     was   struggling     with   an   intangible    suggestion      of  the
  familiarity of the face and figure of the woman below him。
  A sudden crashing of the bushes at the point from which Jane Clayton
  had emerged into the clearing brought her to a sudden stop and attracted
  the attention of the Arabs and the watcher in the tree to the same point。
  The woman wheeled about to see what new danger menaced her from
  behind;   and   as   she   did   so   a   great;   anthropoid   ape   waddled   into   view。
  Behind him came another and another; but Lady Greystoke did not wait to
  learn   how   many   more   of   the   hideous   creatures   were   so   close   upon   her
  trail。
  With a smothered scream she rushed toward the opposite jungle; and
  as she reached the bushes there; Achmet Zek and his two henchmen rose
  up   and   seized   her。   At   the   same   instant   a   naked;   brown   giant   dropped
  from the branches of a tree at the right of the clearing。
  Turning toward the astonished apes he gave voice to a short volley of
  low   gutturals;   and   without   waiting   to   note   the   effect   of   his   words   upon
  them; wheeled and charged for the Arabs。
  Achmet   Zek   was   dragging   Jane   Clayton   toward   his   tethered   horse。
  His   two   men   were   hastily   unfastening   all   three   mounts。        The   woman;
  struggling to escape the Arab; turned and saw the ape…man running toward
  her。 A glad light of hope illuminated her face。
  〃John!〃 she cried。       〃Thank God that you have come in time。〃
  Behind   Tarzan   came   the   great   apes;   wondering;   but   obedient   to   his
  summons。        The Arabs saw that they would not have time to mount and
  make      their  escape    before    the   beasts    and   the   man    were    upon    them。
  Achmet Zek recognized the latter as the redoubtable enemy of such as he;
  and he saw; too; in the circumstance an opportunity to rid himself forever
  of the menace of the ape…man's presence。
  103
  … Page 104…
  Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
  Calling to his men to follow his example he raised his rifle and leveled
  it   upon   the   charging   giant。   His   followers;   acting   with   no   less   alacrity
  than himself; fired almost simultaneously; and with the reports of the rifles;
  Tarzan of the Apes and two of his hairy henchmen pitched forward among
  the jungle grasses。
  The   noise    of   the  rifle   shots  brought    the   balance   of   the  apes   to  a
  wondering   pause;   and;   taking   advantage   of   their   momentary   distraction;
  Achmet   Zek   and   his   fellows   leaped   to   their   horses'   backs   and   galloped
  away with the now hopeless and grief…stricken woman。
  Back to the village they rode; and once again Lady Greystoke found
  herself incarcerated in the filthy; little hut from which she had thought to
  have   escaped   for   good。     But   this   time   she   was   not   only   guarded   by   an
  additional sentry; but bound as well。
  Singly and in twos the searchers who had ridden out with Achmet Zek
  upon the trail of the Belgian; returned empty handed。                  With the report of
  each     the  raider's   rage   and   chagrin    increased;    until   he  was    in  such   a
  transport of ferocious anger that none dared approach him。                     Threatening
  and cursing; Achmet Zek paced up and down the floor of his silken tent;
  but   his   temper   served   him   naughtWerper   was   gone   and   with   him   the
  fortune in scintillating gems which had aroused the cupidity of his chief
  and placed the sentence of death upon the head of the lieutenant。
  With the escape of the Arabs the great apes had turned their attention
  to their fallen comrades。