第 1 节
作者:
西门在线 更新:2021-02-18 21:55 字数:9321
The Beasts of Tarzan
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
To Joan Burroughs
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1 Kidnapped 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1
2 Marooned 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 9
3 Beasts at Bay 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 18
4 Sheeta 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 28
5 Mugambi 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 37
6 A Hideous Crew 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 46
7 Betrayed 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 55
8 The Dance of Death 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 64
9 Chivalry or Villainy 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 73
10 The Swede 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 82
11 Tambudza 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 90
12 A Black Scoundrel 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 98
13 Escape 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 107
14 Alone in the Jungle 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 115
15 Down the Ugambi 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 123
16 In the Darkness of the Night 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 132
17 On the Deck of the 〃Kincaid〃 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 140
18 Paulvitch Plots Revenge 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 147
19 The Last of the 〃Kincaid〃 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 158
20 Jungle Island Again 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 162
21 The Law of the Jungle 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 172
Chapter 1
Kidnapped
〃The entire affair is shrouded in mystery;〃 said D'Arnot。
〃I have it on the best of authority that neither the police
nor the special agents of the general staff have the faintest
conception of how it was accomplished。 All they know;
all that anyone knows; is that Nikolas Rokoff has escaped。〃
John Clayton; Lord Greystokehe who had been 〃Tarzan of the Apes〃
sat in silence in the apartments of his friend; Lieutenant Paul D'Arnot;
in Paris; gazing meditatively at the toe of his immaculate boot。
His mind revolved many memories; recalled by the escape of
his arch…enemy from the French military prison to which he
had been sentenced for life upon the testimony of the ape…man。
He thought of the lengths to which Rokoff had once gone
to compass his death; and he realized that what the man had
already done would doubtless be as nothing by comparison with
what he would wish and plot to do now that he was again free。
Tarzan had recently brought his wife and infant son to London
to escape the discomforts and dangers of the rainy season upon
their vast estate in Uzirithe land of the savage Waziri warriors
whose broad African domains the ape…man had once ruled。
He had run across the Channel for a brief visit with his old friend;
but the news of the Russian's escape had already cast a shadow
upon his outing; so that though he had but just arrived he was
already contemplating an immediate return to London。
〃It is not that I fear for myself; Paul;〃 he said at last。
〃Many times in the past have I thwarted Rokoff's designs
upon my life; but now there are others to consider。
Unless I misjudge the man; he would more quickly strike
at me through my wife or son than directly at me; for he
doubtless realizes that in no other way could he inflict
greater anguish upon me。 I must go back to them at once;
and remain with them until Rokoff is recapturedor dead。〃
As these two talked in Paris; two other men were talking
together in a little cottage upon the outskirts of London。
Both were dark; sinister…looking men。
One was bearded; but the other; whose face wore the pallor
of long confinement within doors; had but a few days' growth
of black beard upon his face。 It was he who was speaking。
〃You must needs shave off that beard of yours; Alexis;〃
he said to his companion。 〃With it he would recognize you
on the instant。 We must separate here in the hour; and when
we meet again upon the deck of the Kincaid; let us hope that
we shall have with us two honoured guests who little anticipate
the pleasant voyage we have planned for them。
〃In two hours I should be upon my way to Dover with one of them;
and by tomorrow night; if you follow my instructions carefully;
you should arrive with the other; provided; of course;
that he returns to London as quickly as I presume he will。
〃There should be both profit and pleasure as well as other
good things to reward our efforts; my dear Alexis。 Thanks to
the stupidity of the French; they have gone to such lengths
to conceal the fact of my escape for these many days that I
have had ample opportunity to work out every detail of our
little adventure so carefully that there is little chance
of the slightest hitch occurring to mar our prospects。
And now good…bye; and good luck!〃
Three hours later a messenger mounted the steps to the
apartment of Lieutenant D'Arnot。
〃A telegram for Lord Greystoke;〃 he said to the servant
who answered his summons。 〃Is he here?〃
The man answered in the affirmative; and; signing for
the message; carried it within to Tarzan; who was already
preparing to depart for London。
Tarzan tore open the envelope; and as he read his face went white。
〃Read it; Paul;〃 he said; handing the slip of paper to D'Arnot。
〃It has come already。〃
The Frenchman took the telegram and read:
〃Jack stolen from the garden through complicity of new servant。
Come at once。JANE。〃
As Tarzan leaped from the roadster that had met him at the
station and ran up the steps to his London town house he
was met at the door by a dry…eyed but almost frantic woman。
Quickly Jane Porter Clayton narrated all that she had been
able to learn of the theft of the boy。
The baby's nurse had been wheeling him in the sunshine
on the walk before the house when a closed taxicab drew up
at the corner of the street。 The woman had paid but passing
attention to the vehicle; merely noting that it discharged no
passenger; but stood at the kerb with the motor running as though
waiting for a fare from the residence before which it had stopped。
Almost immediately the new houseman; Carl; had come
running from the Greystoke house; saying that the girl's
mistress wished to speak with her for a moment; and that she
was to leave little Jack in his care until she returned。
The woman said that she entertained not the slightest suspicion
of the man's motives until she had reached the doorway of the house;
when it occurred to her to warn him not to turn the carriage so as
to permit the sun to shine in the baby's eyes。
As she turned about to call this to him she was somewhat
surprised to see that he was wheeling the carriage rapidly
toward the corner; and at the same time she saw the door of
the taxicab open and a swarthy face framed for a moment in
the aperture。
Intuitively; the danger to the child flashed upon her; and
with a shriek she dashed down the steps and up the walk
toward the taxicab; into which Carl was now handing the
baby to the swarthy one within。
Just before she reached the vehicle; Carl leaped in beside
his confederate; slamming the door behind him。 At the same
time the chauffeur attempted to start his machine; but it was
evident that something had gone wrong; as though the gears
refused to mesh; and the delay caused by this; while he
pushed the lever into reverse and backed the car a few inches
before again attempting to go ahead; gave the nurse time to
reach the side of the taxicab。
Leaping to the running…board; she had attempted to snatch
the baby from the arms of the stranger; and here; screaming
and fighting; she had clung to her position even after the
taxicab had got under way; nor was it until the machine had
passed the Greystoke residence at good speed that Carl; with
a heavy blow to her face; had succeeded in knocking her to
the pavement。
Her screams had attracted servants and members of the
families from residences near by; as well as from the
Greystoke home。 Lady Greystoke had witnessed the girl's brave
battle; and had herself tried to reach the rapidly passing
vehicle; but had been too late。
That was all that anyone knew; nor did Lady Greystoke
dream of the possible identity of the man at the bottom of
the plot until her husband told her of the escape of Nikolas
Rokoff from the French prison where they had hoped he was
permanently confined。
As Tarzan and his wife stood planning the wisest course to pursue;
the telephone bell rang in the library at their right。 Tarzan quickly
answered the call in person。
〃Lord Greystoke?〃 asked a man's voice at the other end of the line。
〃Yes。〃
〃Your son has been stolen;〃 continued the voice; 〃and I alone
may help you to recover him。 I am conversant with the plot
of those who took him。 In fact; I was a party to it; and was
to share in the reward; but now they are trying to ditch me;
and to be quits with them I will aid you