登陆注册
5169700000056

第56章

Near the center of the clearing, and not far from the drum, or altar, he commenced to dig.This was harder work than turning up the freshly excavated earth at the grave, but Tarzan of the Apes was persevering and so he kept at his labor until he was rewarded by seeing a hole sufficiently deep to receive the chest and effectually hide it from view.

Why had he gone to all this labor without knowing the value of the contents of the chest?

Tarzan of the Apes had a man's figure and a man's brain, but he was an ape by training and environment.His brain told him that the chest contained something valuable, or the men would not have hidden it.His training had taught him to imitate whatever was new and unusual, and now the natural curiosity, which is as common to men as to apes, prompted him to open the chest and examine its contents.

But the heavy lock and massive iron bands baffled both his cunning and his immense strength, so that he was compelled to bury the chest without having his curiosity satisfied.

By the time Tarzan had hunted his way back to the vicinity of the cabin, feeding as he went, it was quite dark.

Within the little building a light was burning, for Clayton had found an unopened tin of oil which had stood intact for twenty years, a part of the supplies left with the Claytons by Black Michael.The lamps also were still useable, and thus the interior of the cabin appeared as bright as day to the astonished Tarzan.

He had often wondered at the exact purpose of the lamps.

His reading and the pictures had told him what they were, but he had no idea of how they could be made to produce the wondrous sunlight that some of his pictures had portrayed them as diffusing upon all surrounding objects.

As he approached the window nearest the door he saw that the cabin had been divided into two rooms by a rough partition of boughs and sailcloth.

In the front room were the three men; the two older deep in argument, while the younger, tilted back against the wall on an improvised stool, was deeply engrossed in reading one of Tarzan's books.

Tarzan was not particularly interested in the men, however, so he sought the other window.There was the girl.How beautiful her features! How delicate her snowy skin!

She was writing at Tarzan's own table beneath the window.

Upon a pile of grasses at the far side of the room lay the Negress asleep.

For an hour Tarzan feasted his eyes upon her while she wrote.How he longed to speak to her, but he dared not attempt it, for he was convinced that, like the young man, she would not understand him, and he feared, too, that he might frighten her away.

At length she arose, leaving her manuscript upon the table.

She went to the bed upon which had been spread several layers of soft grasses.These she rearranged.

Then she loosened the soft mass of golden hair which crowned her head.Like a shimmering waterfall turned to burnished metal by a dying sun it fell about her oval face;in waving lines, below her waist it tumbled.

Tarzan was spellbound.Then she extinguished the lamp and all within the cabin was wrapped in Cimmerian darkness.

Still Tarzan watched.Creeping close beneath the window he waited, listening, for half an hour.At last he was rewarded by the sounds of the regular breathing within which denotes sleep.

Cautiously he intruded his hand between the meshes of the lattice until his whole arm was within the cabin.Carefully he felt upon the desk.At last he grasped the manuscript upon which Jane Porter had been writing, and as cautiously withdrew his arm and hand, holding the precious treasure.

Tarzan folded the sheets into a small parcel which he tucked into the quiver with his arrows.Then he melted away into the jungle as softly and as noiselessly as a shadow.

同类推荐
  • 岘泉集

    岘泉集

    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。
  • The Queen of Hearts

    The Queen of Hearts

    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。
  • 三曼陀跋陀罗菩萨经

    三曼陀跋陀罗菩萨经

    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。
  • 阳曲傅先生事略

    阳曲傅先生事略

    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。
  • 少室六门

    少室六门

    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
  • 云中歌3:忆流年

    云中歌3:忆流年

    云歌陪伴刘弗陵远离了皇宫,度过了一段世外桃源的幸福时光。另一方面,刘弗陵也要为保护大汉江山选择自己的继任者,精明不羁的刘贺、韬光养晦的刘询,刘弗陵终于选定了新的皇位继承者,一个崭新的时代就要到来,光芒掩盖之下,却隐藏着巨大的阴谋。云歌也成为了多方势力觊觎的对象,面临着巨大的威胁。而孟珏也一直等待着云歌有一天能回到他的身边……
  • 儿童拖延心理学

    儿童拖延心理学

    每一个做事情磨磨蹭蹭、拖拖拉拉的孩子,都会让父母感到头疼。有的父母被孩子的拖延问题弄得很无奈,还会抱怨道:“我怎么会生了这么个‘小蜗牛’呢?!”的确,面对有拖延症的孩子,父母的着急苦闷是很难用语言形容的,也许只有亲身经历过的父母,才能体会到个中滋味。那么,父母到底如何做才能有效地介入孩子的拖延问题,帮助孩子战胜拖延症呢?当然是先要了解拖延背后的心理原因,明白孩子的拖延行为是一种正常的现象,然后按照“七步戒拖法”,循序渐进地帮助孩子摆脱拖延症,培养出一个勤快、自觉又高效的孩子。
  • The Well-Beloved--A Sketch of A Temperament

    The Well-Beloved--A Sketch of A Temperament

    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。
  • 道者无心·海内篇

    道者无心·海内篇

    《道者无心(海内篇)》这是一部降妖术士题材的奇幻巨著。前部海内篇共分为《伏魔》《辟邪》《斩鬼》《搜神》四卷,每卷独立成篇,却又隐然串联为一篇幽暗惊悚的血色传说。乱世多魍魉,人鬼不殊途。黑暗的元朝末年,世道离乱,人鬼邪魔混杂而处。原为色目人祭拜的五显灵官庙传出以活人献祭之事,一名不忌荤酒嫁娶、属道教符箓派的正一教小道士,与一名密宗小僧结识,不期然卷入了这事件中,与此同时,密宗高僧也来到了附近……故事主人公无心是个年轻的火居道士。道法高,心思敏捷,虽然有贪财好色的毛病,但大关节无亏。他被逐出龙虎山后,浪迹天涯,虽然信守“法不空施”的原则,但见义仍旧勇为,历经重重凶险,破螭龙咒、闯龙眠谷,伏魔辟邪,
  • 什么是道德?——李泽厚伦理学讨论班实录

    什么是道德?——李泽厚伦理学讨论班实录

    2014年5月,李泽厚在华东师范大学开设伦理学讨论班,与全国各地慕名而来的青年学生探讨道德和伦理问题,并与陈嘉映、杨国荣、童世骏和郁振华等教授围绕“何为哲学”这一话题,进行了深度交谈。这一事件成为2014上海学界一大盛事。本书的内容主要是李泽厚上海之行的讲课和对话录。
  • 大明奇侠传

    大明奇侠传

    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。
  • 黄金戏

    黄金戏

    春雨连绵,官道旁边的茶棚下面,几个挑脚头喝着大碗热茶,啃着冷面饼,兴致勃勃听着茶棚掌柜说话。“……咱们栖霞,多的是金矿。就算是以次充好,向上面多报些废矿,瞒下一个矿坑也不难。这天高皇帝远,就这样瞒了一年多,那贪下的金子,少说也有上万两了吧?若不是这次挖出来的狗头金实在惊人,怕还能瞒下去呢。”李继坐在茶棚一角,听众人闲话。十日前,他被点为栖霞县令,将上任时才知道,原来是栖霞出了一件黄金大案:县令贪污黄金一年有余,待上面要查时,竟畏罪自尽。然而,贪污的金子追回来不到三成。
  • 大小姐驾到:Holle,顾少

    大小姐驾到:Holle,顾少

    【全文免费:爽宠一身,多宠少虐】无需重生,她就能虐渣所谓的“妹妹”。无需重生,她就是世人惧怕的皇阁首席“九”。她本是萧家万千宠爱的二小姐,一家四口幸福美满。不想母亲去世,莫氏母女来临,带走的不只是她的爱,更有姐姐的性命。一朝分别四年,她是萧家大小姐,更是黑暗的“九”。本以为回国只是单纯的虐渣,却不想误惹了他。他是她的未婚夫,也是被她遗忘的竹马。如果出现一下场景,请关上亮堂的灯泡离开,因为顾少要开始撩大小姐了!大小姐瞪他:“我告诉你离我远点!”他勾唇一笑:“亲一口就不会让我远了。”大小姐:“别烦我,我困了。”他翻身上床:“那我们一起睡吧。”
  • 将军盛宠之娇妻入怀

    将军盛宠之娇妻入怀

    她是眉梢眼角藏秀气,声音笑貌露温柔的大家闺秀,他是心有长风万壑,却为浊世所辱的世家子弟。他们的婚姻父母之命媒妁之言,她从没有想过她会对这个男子如此倾心相付。他那样的深情体贴,她不由泥足深陷,无法自拔。新婚之夜许下“白首不相离”的誓言,到底能否经得住时间的考验,现实的颠簸?经历了重重波折,千帆过尽之后他是否还能重新拥她在怀,缱绻柔情地唤一声“娘子”还是故事的最后誓言成戏言?他们各自的命运又将何去何从?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • Greyfriars Bobby

    Greyfriars Bobby

    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。