第 20 节
作者:
西门在线 更新:2021-02-18 21:55 字数:9321
been carried away from the river by the two who now had
possession of it。
Nowhere along the way; however; could he gain definite information
that might assure him positively that the child was ahead of him。
Not a single native they questioned had seen or heard of this
other party; though nearly all had had direct experience with
the Russian or had talked with others who had。
It was with difficulty that Tarzan could find means to communicate
with the natives; as the moment their eyes fell upon his companions
they fled precipitately into the bush。 His only alternative was
to go ahead of his pack and waylay an occasional warrior whom
he found alone in the jungle。
One day as he was thus engaged; tracking an unsuspecting
savage; he came upon the fellow in the act of hurling a spear
at a wounded white man who crouched in a clump of bush at the
trail's side。 The white was one whom Tarzan had often seen;
and whom he recognized at once。
Deep in his memory was implanted those repulsive featuresthe
close…set eyes; the shifty expression; the drooping yellow moustache。
Instantly it occurred to the ape…man that this fellow had
not been among those who had accompanied Rokoff at the
village where Tarzan had been a prisoner。 He had seen them all;
and this fellow had not been there。 There could be but one
explanationhe it was who had fled ahead of the Russian with
the woman and the childand the woman had been Jane Clayton。
He was sure now of the meaning of Rokoff's words。
The ape…man's face went white as he looked upon the pasty;
vice…marked countenance of the Swede。 Across Tarzan's forehead
stood out the broad band of scarlet that marked the scar where;
years before; Terkoz had torn a great strip of the ape…man's
scalp from his skull in the fierce battle in which Tarzan had
sustained his fitness to the kingship of the apes of Kerchak。
The man was his preythe black should not have him;
and with the thought he leaped upon the warrior; striking
down the spear before it could reach its mark。 The black;
whipping out his knife; turned to do battle with this new
enemy; while the Swede; lying in the bush; witnessed a duel;
the like of which he had never dreamed to seea half…naked
white man battling with a half…naked black; hand to hand
with the crude weapons of primeval man at first; and then
with hands and teeth like the primordial brutes from whose
loins their forebears sprung。
For a time Anderssen did not recognize the white; and when
at last it dawned upon him that he had seen this giant before;
his eyes went wide in surprise that this growling; rending beast
could ever have been the well…groomed English gentleman who had
been a prisoner aboard the Kincaid。
An English nobleman! He had learned the identity of the
Kincaid's prisoners from Lady Greystoke during their flight
up the Ugambi。 Before; in common with the other members of
the crew of the steamer; he had not known who the two might be。
The fight was over。 Tarzan had been compelled to kill his antagonist;
as the fellow would not surrender。
The Swede saw the white man leap to his feet beside the corpse
of his foe; and placing one foot upon the broken neck lift
his voice in the hideous challenge of the victorious bull…ape。
Anderssen shuddered。 Then Tarzan turned toward him。
His face was cold and cruel; and in the grey eyes the
Swede read murder。
〃Where is my wife?〃 growled the ape…man。 〃Where is the child?〃
Anderssen tried to reply; but a sudden fit of coughing choked him。
There was an arrow entirely through his chest; and as he coughed the
blood from his wounded lung poured suddenly from his mouth and nostrils。
Tarzan stood waiting for the paroxysm to pass。 Like a
bronze imagecold; hard; and relentlesshe stood over the
helpless man; waiting to wring such information from him
as he needed; and then to kill。
Presently the coughing and haemorrhage ceased; and again
the wounded man tried to speak。 Tarzan knelt near the faintly
moving lips。
〃The wife and child!〃 he repeated。 〃Where are they?〃
Anderssen pointed up the trail。
〃The Russianhe got them;〃 he whispered。
〃How did you come here?〃 continued Tarzan。 〃Why are you not with Rokoff?〃
〃They catch us;〃 replied Anderssen; in a voice so low
that the ape…man could just distinguish the words。
〃They catch us。 Ay fight; but my men they all run away。
Then they get me when Ay ban vounded。 Rokoff he say leave
me here for the hyenas。 That vas vorse than to kill。
He tak your vife and kid。〃
〃What were you doing with themwhere were you taking them?〃
asked Tarzan; and then fiercely; leaping close to the
fellow with fierce eyes blazing with the passion of hate and
vengeance that he had with difficulty controlled; 〃What harm
did you do to my wife or child? Speak quick before I kill you!
Make your peace with God! Tell me the worst; or I will
tear you to pieces with my hands and teeth。 You have seen
that I can do it!〃
A look of wide…eyed surprise overspread Anderssen's face。
〃Why;〃 he whispered; 〃Ay did not hurt them。 Ay tried
to save them from that Russian。 Your vife was kind to me on
the Kincaid; and Ay hear that little baby cry sometimes。
Ay got a vife an' kid for my own by Christiania an' Ay couldn't
bear for to see them separated an' in Rokoff's hands any more。
That vas all。 Do Ay look like Ay ban here to hurt them?〃
he continued after a pause; pointing to the arrow protruding
from his breast。
There was something in the man's tone and expression that
convinced Tarzan of the truth of his assertions。 More weighty
than anything else was the fact that Anderssen evidently seemed
more hurt than frightened。 He knew he was going to die;
so Tarzan's threats had little effect upon him; but it was
quite apparent that he wished the Englishman to know the
truth and not to wrong him by harbouring the belief that his
words and manner indicated that he had entertained。
The ape…man instantly dropped to his knees beside the Swede。
〃I am sorry;〃 he said very simply。 〃I had looked for none
but knaves in company with Rokoff。 I see that I was wrong。
That is past now; and we will drop it for the more important
matter of getting you to a place of comfort and looking after
your wounds。 We must have you on your feet again as soon
as possible。〃
The Swede; smiling; shook his head。
〃You go on an' look for the vife an' kid;〃 he said。
〃Ay ban as gude as dead already; but〃he hesitated〃Ay hate
to think of the hyenas。 Von't you finish up this job?〃
Tarzan shuddered。 A moment ago he had been upon the point
of killing this man。 Now he could no more have taken his life
than he could have taken the life of any of his best friends。
He lifted the Swede's head in his arms to change and ease his position。
Again came a fit of coughing and the terrible haemorrhage。
After it was over Anderssen lay with closed eyes。
Tarzan thought that he was dead; until he suddenly raised
his eyes to those of the ape…man; sighed; and spokein a
very low; weak whisper。
〃Ay tank it blow purty soon purty hard!〃 he said; and died。
Chapter 11
Tambudza
Tarzan scooped a shallow grave for the Kincaid's cook;
beneath whose repulsive exterior had beaten the heart of
a chivalrous gentleman。 That was all he could do in the cruel
jungle for the man who had given his life in the service of
his little son and his wife。
Then Tarzan took up again the pursuit of Rokoff。 Now that
he was positive that the woman ahead of him was indeed
Jane; and that she had again fallen into the hands of the
Russian; it seemed that with all the incredible speed of his
fleet and agile muscles he moved at but a snail's pace。
It was with difficulty that he kept the trail; for there were
many paths through the jungle at this pointcrossing and
crisscrossing; forking and branching in all directions; and over
them all had passed natives innumerable; coming and going。
The spoor of the white men was obliterated by that of the
native carriers who had followed them; and over all was the
spoor of other natives and of wild beasts。
It was most perplexing; yet Tarzan kept on assiduously;
checking his sense of sight against his sense of smell; that he
might more surely keep to the right trail。 But; with all his
care; night found him at a point where he was positive that
he was on the wrong trail entirely。
He knew that the pack would follow his spoor; and so he
had been careful to make it as distinct as possible; brushing
often against the vines and creepers that walled the jungle…
path; and in other ways leaving his scent…spoor plainly discernible。
As darkness settled a heavy rain set in; and there was
nothing for the baffled ape…man to do but wait in the partial
shelter of a huge tree