登陆注册
4809800000061

第61章 Usanga$$$$$s Reward.(1)

For two days Tarzan of the Apes had been hunting leisurely to the north, and swinging in a wide circle, he had re-turned to within a short distance of the clearing where he had left Bertha Kircher and the young lieutenant. He had spent the night in a large tree that overhung the river only a short distance from the clearing, and now in the early morning hours he was crouching at the water's edge waiting for an opportunity to capture Pisah, the fish, thinking that he would take it back with him to the hut where the girl could cook it for herself and her companion.

Motionless as a bronze statue was the wily ape-man, for well he knew how wary is Pisah, the fish. The slightest move-ment would frighten him away and only by infinite patience might he be captured at all. Tarzan depended upon his own quickness and the suddenness of his attack, for he had no bait or hook. His knowledge of the ways of the denizens of the water told him where to wait for Pisah. It might be a minute or it might be an hour before the fish would swim into the little pool above which he crouched, but sooner or later one would come. That the ape-man knew, so with the pa-tience of the beast of prey he waited for his quarry.

At last there was a glint of shiny scales. Pisah was coming.

In a moment he would be within reach and then with the swiftness of light two strong, brown hands would plunge into the pool and seize him, but, just at the moment that the fish was about to come within reach, there was a great crashing in the underbrush behind the ape-man. Instantly Pisah was gone and Tarzan, growling, had wheeled about to face what-ever creature might be menacing him. The moment that he turned he saw that the author of the disturbance was Zu-tag.

"What does Zu-tag want?" asked the ape-man.

"Zu-tag comes to the water to drink," replied the ape.

"Where is the tribe?" asked Tarzan.

"They are hunting for pisangs and scimatines farther back in the forest," replied Zu-tag.

"And the Tarmangani she and bull --" asked Tarzan, "are they safe?""They have gone away," replied Zu-tag. "Kudu has come out of his lair twice since they left.""Did the tribe chase them away?" asked Tarzan.

"No," replied the ape. "We did not see them go. We do not know why they left."Tarzan swung quickly through the trees toward the clearing.

The hut and boma were as he had left them, but there was no sign of either the man or the woman. Crossing the clearing, he entered the boma and then the hut. Both were empty, and his trained nostrils told him that they had been gone for at least two days. As he was about to leave the hut he saw a paper pinned upon the wall with a sliver of wood and taking it down, he read:

After what you told me about Miss Kircher, and knowing that you dislike her, I feel that it is not fair to her and to you that we should impose longer upon you. I know that our presence is keeping you from continuing your journey to the west coast, and so I have decided that it is better for us to try and reach the white settlements immediately without im-posing further upon you. We both thank you for your kind-ness and protection. If there was any way that I might repay the obligation I feel, I should be only too glad to do so.

It was signed by Lieutenant Harold Percy Smith-Oldwick.

Tarzan shrugged his shoulders, crumpled the note in his hand and tossed it aside. He felt a certain sense of relief from responsibility and was glad that they had taken the matter out of his hands. They were gone and would for-get, but somehow he could not forget. He walked out across the boma and into the clearing. He felt uneasy and restless.

Once he started toward the north in response to a sudden determination to continue his way to the west coast. He would follow the winding river toward the north a few miles where its course turned to the west and then on toward its source across a wooded plateau and up into the foothills and the mountains. Upon the other side of the range he would search for a stream running downward toward the west coast, and thus following the rivers he would be sure of game and water in plenty.

But he did not go far. A dozen steps, perhaps, and he came to a sudden stop. "He is an Englishman," he muttered, "and the other is a woman. They can never reach the settlements without my help. I could not kill her with my own hands when I tried, and if I let them go on alone, I will have killed her just as surely as though I had run my knife into her heart.

No," and again he shook his head. "Tarzan of the Apes is a fool and a weak, old woman," and he turned back toward the south.

Manu, the monkey, had seen the two Tarmangani pass two days before. Chattering and scolding, he told Tarzan all about it. They had gone in the direction of the village of the Gomangani, that much had Manu seen with his own eyes, so the ape-man swung on through the jungle in a southerly direc-tion and though with no concentrated effort to follow the spoor of those he trailed, he passed numerous evidences that they had gone this way -- faint suggestions of their scent spoor clung lightly to leaf or branch or bole that one or the other had touched, or in the earth of the trail their feet had trod, and where the way wound through the gloomy depth of dank forest, the impress of their shoes still showed occasionally in the damp mass of decaying vegetation that floored the way.

An inexplicable urge spurred Tarzan to increasing, speed.

The same still, small voice that chided him for having neg-lected them seemed constantly whispering that they were in dire need of him now. Tarzan's conscience was troubling him, which accounted for the fact that he compared himself to a weak, old woman, for the ape-man, reared in savagery and inured to hardships and cruelty, disliked to admit any of the gentler traits that in reality were his birthright.

同类推荐
  • 成就妙法莲华经王瑜伽观智仪轨

    成就妙法莲华经王瑜伽观智仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 顾太清词选

    顾太清词选

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • La Mere Bauche

    La Mere Bauche

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太极祭炼内法

    太极祭炼内法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 王氏兰谱

    王氏兰谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 穿越之丞相的炮灰妻

    穿越之丞相的炮灰妻

    初夏是一个小人物,从公司的小职员,不断的挖陷阱埋人拍马屁,终于皇天不负有心人,一朝飞跃升级成了总经理,本以为美好的生活就在眼前,可是这位置还没有坐稳便被灯砸到了这个坑爹的世界,之所以说坑爹是因为着个世界既然是在一本书中她闲来无事看过的一本书中,名字叫做【重生嫡女富贵命】,而她成为了一个小炮灰!上有原重生嫡姐(女主),下有特工穿越的庶妹(最大女配),而她便是“狠毒后妈”的亲生女儿(小炮灰),这节奏,要让她怎么活?看在是豪门贵女,有吃有喝,生活无忧的面子上适应性强的初夏秉承着远离女主女配过自己日子的想法,安安静静的看了5年的宅斗戏。。。但是看着眼前的大红喜衣,还没有明白怎么回事便被特工庶妹打晕扛上花轿。一醒来便看到一张笑的渗人的妖孽脸蛋向着自己。“妈呀!这不是男主么?我怎么到这里来了?”在看看整个鲜红的房间,哭喊道:“老天,剧情大神我错了,不该看戏不给钱,还幸灾乐祸!!”此文女主腹黑扮猪吃老虎型,男主是腹黑加冷酷型。宠文,一对一,有宅斗,宫斗。
  • 俏先生的迷糊冷面妃

    俏先生的迷糊冷面妃

    一别千年,你此刻会在哪里?我很是念想你我。昨夜进宫陪同帝王参星赏月,有幸听闻司南解说广袤无垠的星空“明日亥时北斗七星会出现千年难得一见的归位,大陆将会迎来撼动邪恶力量的新生儿。”多希望,那时能护住你的三魂七魄,或许你还可以再重生,我还能再见到你。
  • 龙文鞭影(中华国学经典)

    龙文鞭影(中华国学经典)

    《龙文鞭影》形象地反映了该书“逸而功倍”的效果。该书内容主要来自二十四史中的人物典故,同时又从《庄子》和古代神话、小说、笔记如《搜神记》、 《列仙传》、《世说新语》等书中广泛收集故事。辑录了历史上许多著名人物如孔子、诸葛亮、司马迁、李白、杜甫、朱熹等人的轶闻趣事。全书共收辑了包括孟母断机、毛遂自荐、荆轲刺秦、鹬蚌相争、董永卖身、红叶题诗等两千多典故,文字简练扼要,而能阐明故事梗概,可称之为一本典故大全。该书全文都用四言,成一短句,上下对偶,各讲一个典故。 逐联押韵,全书按韵编排,是一本重要的蒙学读物。
  • 洪荒之金乌永恒

    洪荒之金乌永恒

    翻手为云,覆手为雨,这是一个重生为东皇太一的故事。波澜壮阔的洪荒,跌岩起伏的人生,看主角怎样以妖皇东皇太一的身份斗天。
  • 皇上去哪儿:回来种田

    皇上去哪儿:回来种田

    世界那么大,我想去看看,钱包那么小,还是穿越好;可,成为小村姑,家徒四壁便也罢;渣男贱女,极品亲戚,一箩筐,日子过得苦哈哈;她,人穷志不穷,没钱就赚钱,经商发财,种田养家,虽然一波三折,但是成功起航;路上意外捡个帅少年,冰块心,毒舌嘴,好在模样俊朗,请他做个牛郎,贴补家用,可最后,牛郎变虎狼,怎么既入了他的虎口,又进了他的狼窝,谁能告诉她,为什么?【推荐微微另外一本《本宫36计:邪皇宠妻很缠绵》喜欢微微文的读者请加群:363290192】
  • 家庭生活保健小常识(最实用的居家小书)

    家庭生活保健小常识(最实用的居家小书)

    每个人都渴望拥有一个健康的身体,在我们日常生活中,有很多与健康息息相关的小常识,不知道大家是否有注意到呢?《家庭生活保健小常识(最实用的居家小书)》介绍了大量的生活保健的常识,包括医疗药物的使用常识,食疗的方法,以及用家庭常见的材料治疗疾病等,阅读此书,永葆健康!
  • 925号邮筒

    925号邮筒

    一段被遗忘的记忆,一部仅为你写下的小说。有一天,我被自己的小说吸了进去,治愈、拯救、逃脱,最后…
  • 乐园

    乐园

    那天,马云丢了新买的飞鸽自行车,丧着一张脸,走进庄浪东路的漫画屋。店老板戴金丝眼镜,在门口收银台坐定,笑迎天下客,桌上一壶茉莉,下有暖瓶,不时添水。店内人头攒动,红领巾如云。架上漫画琳琅满目,日系居多,间杂国产。最打眼位置,鸟山明作品,42卷珍藏版《七龙珠》,每本的书脊上,都绘有人物,书脊向外,一字排开,就是一幅浩瀚画卷。萌态可掬的青龙打头阵,挥手告别的孙悟天收尾。中段人物庞杂:孙悟空,乐平,龟仙人,布尔玛,短笛,弥次郎兵卫,猫仙人,兰琪,孙悟饭,弗利萨,贝吉塔,界王,沙鲁,人造人……这些人物表情各异,但都朝同一方向行进,或奔跑,或飞行,或架筋斗云,或骑摩托车。
  • 女性最佳保健读本(生活必备丛书)

    女性最佳保健读本(生活必备丛书)

    为了加强妇女的身心保健,使广大妇女能健康、科学地享受新世纪的现代文明生活,我们综合了国内外的最新研究成果,在有关专家的指导下,根据现代妇女身心疾病的特点,编辑了本书。本书内容具有很强的科学性﹑权威性﹑系统性和实用性,是现代家庭和基层医务工作者用于广大妇女预防保健和医疗用药的良好参考读物。
  • 陶然斋选集(第一卷)

    陶然斋选集(第一卷)

    本书精选陶行知先生的主要代表作,并加以分类编辑,便于广大教师检索、查阅、学习。此外,编者还分别选编了他的政论、诗歌、散文等,这也有助于我们更全面地了解陶行知先生。