第 52 节
作者:击水三千      更新:2021-02-18 22:46      字数:6875
  the Waziriand we have love and loyalty and friendship。                    And what are
  gold and jewels to these?〃
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  Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
  〃If   only   poor   Mugambi   lived;〃   she   replied;   〃and   those   other   brave
  fellows who sacrificed their lives in vain endeavor to protect me!〃
  In the silence of mingled joy and sorrow they passed along through the
  familiar jungle; and as the afternoon was waning there came faintly to the
  ears of the ape…man the murmuring cadence of distant voices。
  〃We are nearing the Waziri; Jane;〃 he said。            〃I can hear them ahead of
  us。    They are going into camp for the night; I imagine。〃
  A half hour later the two came upon a horde of ebon warriors which
  Basuli   had   collected   for   his   war   of   vengeance   upon   the   raiders。   With
  them were the captured women of the tribe whom they had found in the
  village of Achmet Zek; and tall; even among the giant Waziri; loomed a
  familiar black form at the side of Basuli。             It was Mugambi; whom Jane
  had thought dead amidst the charred ruins of the bungalow。
  Ah; such a reunion!        Long into the night the dancing and the singing
  and the laughter awoke the echoes of the somber wood。                   Again and again
  were the stories of their various adventures retold。             Again and once again
  they fought their battles with savage beast and savage man; and dawn was
  already breaking when Basuli; for the fortieth time; narrated how he and a
  handful of his warriors had watched the battle for the golden ingots which
  the Abyssinians of Abdul Mourak had waged against the Arab raiders of
  Achmet Zek; and how; when the victors had ridden away they had sneaked
  out   of   the   river   reeds   and   stolen   away   with   the   precious   ingots   to   hide
  them where no robber eye ever could discover them。
  Pieced   out   from   the   fragments   of   their   various   experiences   with   the
  Belgian     the   truth   concerning     the   malign    activities   of  Albert    Werper
  became      apparent。    Only    Lady    Greystoke     found    aught   to  praise   in  the
  conduct of the man; and it was difficult even for her to reconcile his many
  heinous acts with this one evidence of chivalry and honor。
  〃Deep in the soul of every man;〃 said Tarzan; 〃must lurk the germ of
  righteousness。       It  was    your   own    virtue;   Jane;   rather   even   than   your
  helplessness   which   awakened   for   an   instant   the   latent   decency   of   this
  degraded man。        In that one act he retrieved himself; and when he is called
  to   face   his   Maker   may   it   outweigh   in   the   balance;   all   the   sins   he   has
  committed。〃
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  Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
  And Jane Clayton breathed a fervent; 〃Amen!〃
  Months had passed。         The labor of the Waziri and the gold of Opar
  had    rebuilt   and   refurnished    the   wasted    homestead      of  the  Greystokes。
  Once   more   the   simple   life   of   the   great African   farm   went   on   as   it   had
  before    the   coming    of   the  Belgian    and   the  Arab。    Forgotten      were   the
  sorrows and dangers of yesterday。
  For the first time in months Lord Greystoke felt that he might indulge
  in a holiday; and so a great hunt was organized that the faithful laborers
  might feast in celebration of the completion of their work。
  In itself the hunt was a success; and ten days after its inauguration; a
  well…laden safari took up its return march toward the Waziri plain。                   Lord
  and Lady Greystoke with Basuli and Mugambi rode together at the head of
  the column;  laughing   and   talking   together in that   easy  familiarity  which
  common interests and mutual respect breed between honest and intelligent
  men of any races。
  Jane   Clayton's   horse   shied   suddenly   at   an   object   half   hidden   in   the
  long grasses of an open space in the jungle。               Tarzan's keen eyes sought
  quickly for an explanation of the animal's action。
  〃What     have    we   here?〃   he   cried;  swinging     from   his   saddle;   and   a
  moment later the four were grouped about a human skull and a little litter
  of whitened human bones。
  Tarzan stooped and lifted a leathern pouch from the grisly relics of a
  man。      The    hard   outlines    of  the   contents    brought    an   exclamation     of
  surprise to his lips。
  〃The     jewels   of   Opar!〃    he   cried;  holding    the   pouch    aloft;  〃and;〃
  pointing to the bones at his feet; 〃all that remains of Werper; the Belgian。〃
  Mugambi   laughed。        〃Look   within;   Bwana;〃   he   cried;   〃and   you   will
  see what are the jewels of Oparyou will see what the Belgian gave his
  life for;〃 and the black laughed aloud。
  〃Why do you laugh?〃 asked Tarzan。
  〃Because;〃 replied Mugambi; 〃I filled the Belgian's pouch with river
  gravel before I escaped the camp of the Abyssinians whose prisoners we
  were。     I left the Belgian only worthless stones; while I brought away with
  me the jewels he had stolen from you。               That they were afterward stolen
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  Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
  from me while I slept in the jungle is my shame and my disgrace; but at
  least the Belgian lost themopen his pouch and you will see。〃
  Tarzan   untied   the   thong   which   held   the   mouth   of   the   leathern   bag
  closed;   and   permitted   the   contents   to   trickle   slowly   forth   into   his   open
  palm。     Mugambi's   eyes   went   wide   at   the   sight;   and   the   others   uttered
  exclamations        of   surprise     and    incredulity;    for    from    the    rusty   and
  weatherworn pouch ran a stream of brilliant; scintillating gems。
  〃The jewels of Opar!〃 cried Tarzan。               〃But how did Werper come by
  them again?〃
  None   could   answer;   for   both   Chulk   and   Werper   were   dead;   and   no
  other knew。
  〃Poor   devil!〃   said   the   ape…man;   as   he   swung   back   into   his   saddle。
  〃Even in death he has made restitution let his sins lie with his bones。〃
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