登陆注册
5169700000031

第31章

The village was in an uproar instantly.Armed men rushed from the interior of many a hut and raced madly across the clearing toward the excited sentry.After them trooped the old men, and the women and children until, in a moment, the village was deserted.

Tarzan of the Apes knew that they had found the body of his victim, but that interested him far less than the fact that no one remained in the village to prevent his taking a supply of the arrows which lay below him.

Quickly and noiselessly he dropped to the ground beside the cauldron of poison.For a moment he stood motionless, his quick, bright eyes scanning the interior of the palisade.

No one was in sight.His eyes rested upon the open doorway of a nearby hut.He would take a look within, thought Tarzan, and so, cautiously, he approached the low thatched building.

For a moment he stood without, listening intently.There was no sound, and he glided into the semi-darkness of the interior.

Weapons hung against the walls--long spears, strangely shaped knives, a couple of narrow shields.In the center of the room was a cooking pot, and at the far end a litter of dry grasses covered by woven mats which evidently served the owners as beds and bedding.Several human skulls lay upon the floor.

Tarzan of the Apes felt of each article, hefted the spears, smelled of them, for he "saw" largely through his sensitive and highly trained nostrils.He determined to own one of these long, pointed sticks, but he could not take one on this trip because of the arrows he meant to carry.

As he took each article from the walls, he placed it in a pile in the center of the room.On top of all he placed the cooking pot, inverted, and on top of this he laid one of the grinning skulls, upon which he fastened the headdress of the dead Kulonga.

Then he stood back, surveyed his work, and grinned.

Tarzan of the Apes enjoyed a joke.

But now he heard, outside, the sounds of many voices, and long mournful howls, and mighty wailing.He was startled.

Had he remained too long? Quickly he reached the doorway and peered down the village street toward the village gate.

The natives were not yet in sight, though he could plainly hear them approaching across the plantation.They must be very near.

Like a flash he sprang across the opening to the pile of arrows.

Gathering up all he could carry under one arm, he overturned the seething cauldron with a kick, and disappeared into the foliage above just as the first of the returning natives entered the gate at the far end of the village street.Then he turned to watch the proceeding below, poised like some wild bird ready to take swift wing at the first sign of danger.

The natives filed up the street, four of them bearing the dead body of Kulonga.Behind trailed the women, uttering strange cries and weird lamentation.On they came to the portals of Kulonga's hut, the very one in which Tarzan had wrought his depredations.

Scarcely had half a dozen entered the building ere they came rushing out in wild, jabbering confusion.The others hastened to gather about.There was much excited gesticulating, pointing, and chattering; then several of the warriors approached and peered within.

Finally an old fellow with many ornaments of metal about his arms and legs, and a necklace of dried human hands depending upon his chest, entered the hut.

It was Mbonga, the king, father of Kulonga.

For a few moments all was silent.Then Mbonga emerged, a look of mingled wrath and superstitious fear writ upon his hideous countenance.He spoke a few words to the assembled warriors, and in an instant the men were flying through the little village searching minutely every hut and corner within the palisades.

Scarcely had the search commenced than the overturned cauldron was discovered, and with it the theft of the poisoned arrows.Nothing more they found, and it was a thoroughly awed and frightened group of savages which huddled around their king a few moments later.

Mbonga could explain nothing of the strange events that had taken place.The finding of the still warm body of Kulonga--on the very verge of their fields and within easy earshot of the village--knifed and stripped at the door of his father's home, was in itself sufficiently mysterious, but these last awesome discoveries within the village, within the dead Kulonga's own hut, filled their hearts with dismay, and conjured in their poor brains only the most frightful of superstitious explanations.

They stood in little groups, talking in low tones, and ever casting affrighted glances behind them from their great rolling eyes.

Tarzan of the Apes watched them for a while from his lofty perch in the great tree.There was much in their demeanor which he could not understand, for of superstition he was ignorant, and of fear of any kind he had but a vague conception.

The sun was high in the heavens.Tarzan had not broken fast this day, and it was many miles to where lay the toothsome remains of Horta the boar.

So he turned his back upon the village of Mbonga and melted away into the leafy fastness of the forest.

同类推荐
  • 明伦汇编官常典县尉部

    明伦汇编官常典县尉部

    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。
  • 庐山天然禅师语录

    庐山天然禅师语录

    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。
  • 玄奘三藏法师资传丛书

    玄奘三藏法师资传丛书

    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。
  • 佛说杂譬喻经

    佛说杂譬喻经

    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。
  • 金匮玉函要略述义

    金匮玉函要略述义

    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
  • 渔妇

    渔妇

    穿越了,寄人篱下,婶母不喜,叔父不爱,还要逼她替堂姐出嫁。无奈,那就嫁吧!嫁到偏僻渔村,从此婆婆妯娌小姑一箩筐,吵吵闹闹过日子。无所谓,做个渔妇也不错。抓个鱼,捉个虾,采采紫菜,捞上来,全是银子。只是,只是夫君,你身上的那块玉佩到底是谁家的传家之宝?新书《锦医归》已经上传,坑品有保证,请大家放心入坑!
  • 维摩经略疏垂裕记

    维摩经略疏垂裕记

    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。
  • 修仙之田园辣妻

    修仙之田园辣妻

    云家村天煞孤星命的老实猎户云烈意外救了个落魄小姐,白捡了个媳妇儿!本以为新媳妇儿温柔婉约,没想到不过三天时间,媳妇儿的性格就来了个大反转!明明又泼辣又凶残,可他居然还觉得好喜欢,他是不是病了?天赋极佳的连凤华冲击金丹失败,睁开眼变成了云家村一个猎户刚过门的小媳妇儿。上辈子光顾着修炼,连恋爱都没谈过的雏儿,现在不但结了婚,男人居然也有灵根可以一起修炼!双修提高修为什么的,简直是意外惊喜!穿越大神GJ!只是,男人家里家徒四壁,内有早了分了家的亲戚坏名声,外有深山里的野兽时不时下山袭村,更坑爹的是,饮食水平也堪比原始社会!除了煮煮煮,就是烤烤烤!这特么的还能不能愉快地玩耍了!?*问——妹妹病弱怎么办?炼个丹药,百病全消!野兽袭村怎么办?画个大阵,神鬼莫侵!极品找茬怎么办?撸起衣袖,揍不死你!且看连凤华如何重拾修为,改善生活,和丈夫携手走向人生巅峰,分分钟成为人生赢家!*男女主片段:面对难以下咽的饭菜——云烈一脸无辜:媳妇儿,我不会做。凤花斗志高昂地撸起衣袖:你不会我会啊!放着我来!煎炸炒煸焯,焖涮熏烩焗、一桌色香味俱全的美食分分钟搞定!云烈吃的眼睛放光,满是自豪地竖起大拇指:“媳妇儿真棒!”凤花得意地一撩长发:“那当然!不看我是谁”云烈目光一闪,意味深长地笑道:“媳妇儿,其实我也很棒。”凤花狐疑地上下打量他:“你棒?你指,哪方面?”云烈憨笑两声,直接把人扛回房间,用行动来告诉她。第二天,凤花扶着小蛮腰怒比中指,悲愤呐喊:“——棒你老母!”-这就是个男女主一边修炼一边做美食致富,谈谈情,寻寻宝,虐虐渣,炼丹炼器,霸气侧漏的故事。【种田美食+修真、前期主种田,后期主玄幻!男女主双洁,温馨互宠爽文向!】***推荐如歌其他完结文:《田园乞丐婆》:《盛世田园之天才小酒娘》:
  • X和X世界

    X和X世界

    (无cp)在我醒来的时候,平时关系很好的学长的尸体就躺在不远处……我陷入了一桩杀人案中,但更大的漩涡还等着我。这是一场,跨越世界的大阴谋。【烂尾误入】【书友群:190951794,答案是末子】
  • 别闹,姐在种田

    别闹,姐在种田

    农大少女一睁眼却成了地主家的小农女?爹爹无能,后娘当家,姐弟受尽凌辱,是可忍孰不可忍,牵着弟弟赶着猪仔,从此两家是陌路,什么,后娘还敢上门来?看我不赶你走!亲爹要我养老?哼,我有后台我怕谁,先把财产交给我再说!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 郎咸平开讲:中国商帮

    郎咸平开讲:中国商帮

    晋商曾经从南方贩茶叶,掌控了整条产业链,又以“票号”开创了中国金融史上的辉煌历程,实现了“汇通天下”的宏伟理想;徽商从贫困的山区走出来,靠“徽骆驼”精神,最终走出了一条险峻的出路;湖州丝商们敢于走出南浔、走进上海,直接与国外买办交易,生丝的出口成就了湖商的成功……可是曾经辉煌的中国商帮大部分没能经得起时间的考验,到底是什么原因让他们逐渐淹没在了历史的长河中?本书作者从当时的社会环境、国际环境、四大商帮本身的特质以及中华文化的特征等当面进行分析,并指出,从古至今一家企业能走多远,最终都是取决于其战略思维能达到多高。历史会给每个商帮、每个企业留出转型的时间,如何在对的时间做出对的选择,也是本书要告
  • 缘来爱往

    缘来爱往

    当年抓到黎源劈腿,杨艾没有手撕小三,爆打劈腿男。而是默默的回到一个人的世界,疗伤四年后为了躲他,她还跑去了离家遥远的沿海城市。结果上班的第一天就遇到了他……
  • 宇宙法则掠夺有限公司

    宇宙法则掠夺有限公司

    咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕咕
  • 可以输给别人,不可以输给自己

    可以输给别人,不可以输给自己

    《可以输给别人不能输给自己》通过许多富有哲理的故事和一些人生感悟,展示了面对失败的态度、在强者面前的态度、对待朋友的态度、把握时间的态度、获取财富的态度和拥有坚实情感后盾的态度选择等内容。
  • 小萌妃她超凶的

    小萌妃她超凶的

    她,末世异能女王,一朝穿越被人丢去喂兽,是渣渣们飘了,还是我夜兮扛不动刀了!养仙草,塑灵根;握神鼎,练灵丹;收神兽,建兵团!却被某位爷越养越歪,硬生生地宠成了个祸水!他,有恶鬼之称的皇子,人冷剑刚,宠妻无敌。“孤用这江山养你一个人够不够,不够,我再去打几个江山下来!”超爽甜宠文,还赠送三个小萌宝。【新文已开,超甜超宠影后宠妃小迷妹vs假高冷真傲娇暴君男神】影后云奚偷偷粉了个本命男神整整五年,然鹅,男神只是书中的纸片人。直到有一天,她穿进了那本书,穿成了一个不配拥有姓名的小炮灰,小炮灰她除了美貌一无所有。……》戳隔壁《皇后是朕的小迷妹》