登陆注册
5169900000033

第33章

A-lur

AS THE hissing reptile bore down upon the stranger swimming in the open water near the center of the morass on the frontier of Pal-ul-don it seemed to the man that this indeed must be the futile termination of an arduous and danger-filled journey.It seemed, too, equally futile to pit his puny knife against this frightful creature.Had he been attacked on land it is possible that he might as a last resort have used his Enfield, though he had come thus far through all these weary, danger-ridden miles without recourse to it, though again and again had his life hung in the balance in the face of the savage denizens of forest, jungle, and steppe.For whatever it may have been for which he was preserving his precious ammunition he evidently held it more sacred even than his life, for as yet he had not used a single round and now the decision was not required of him, since it would have been impossible for him to have unslung his Enfield, loaded and fired with the necessary celerity while swimming.

Though his chance for survival seemed slender, and hope at its lowest ebb, he was not minded therefore to give up without a struggle.Instead he drew his blade and awaited the oncoming reptile.The creature was like no living thing he ever before had seen although possibly it resembled a crocodile in some respects more than it did anything with which he was familiar.

As this frightful survivor of some extinct progenitor charged upon him with distended jaws there came to the man quickly a full consciousness of the futility of endeavoring to stay the mad rush or pierce the armor-coated hide with his little knife.The thing was almost upon him now and whatever form of defense he chose must be made quickly.There seemed but a single alternative to instant death, and this he took at almost the instant the great reptile towered directly above him.

With the celerity of a seal he dove headforemost beneath the oncoming body and at the same instant, turning upon his back, he plunged his blade into the soft, cold surface of the slimy belly as the momentum of the hurtling reptile carried it swiftly over him; and then with powerful strokes he swam on beneath the surface for a dozen yards before he rose.A glance showed him the stricken monster plunging madly in pain and rage upon the surface of the water behind him.That it was writhing in its death agonies was evidenced by the fact that it made no effort to pursue him, and so, to the accompaniment of the shrill screaming of the dying monster, the man won at last to the farther edge of the open water to take up once more the almost superhuman effort of crossing the last stretch of clinging mud which separated him from the solid ground of Pal-ul-don.

A good two hours it took him to drag his now weary body through the clinging, stinking muck, but at last, mud covered and spent, he dragged himself out upon the soft grasses of the bank.A

hundred yards away a stream, winding its way down from the distant mountains, emptied into the morass, and, after a short rest, he made his way to this and seeking a quiet pool, bathed himself and washed the mud and slime from his weapons, accouterments, and loin cloth.Another hour was spent beneath the rays of the hot sun in wiping, polishing, and oiling his Enfield though the means at hand for drying it consisted principally of dry grasses.It was afternoon before he had satisfied himself that his precious weapon was safe from any harm by dirt, or dampness, and then he arose and took up the search for the spoor he had followed to the opposite side of the swamp.

Would he find again the trail that had led into the opposite side of the morass, to be lost there, even to his trained senses? If he found it not again upon this side of the almost impassable barrier he might assume that his long journey had ended in failure.And so he sought up and down the verge of the stagnant water for traces of an old spoor that would have been invisible to your eyes or mine, even had we followed directly in the tracks of its maker.

As Tarzan advanced upon the gryfs he imitated as closely as he could recall them the methods and mannerisms of the Tor-o-don, but up to the instant that he stood close beside one of the huge creatures he realized that his fate still hung in the balance, for the thing gave forth no sign, either menacing or otherwise.

It only stood there, watching him out of its cold, reptilian eyes and then Tarzan raised his staff and with a menacing "Whee-oo!"

struck the gryf a vicious blow across the face.

The creature made a sudden side snap in his direction, a snap that did not reach him, and then turned sullenly away, precisely as it had when the Tor-o-don commanded it.Walking around to its rear as he had seen the shaggy first-man do, Tarzan ran up the broad tail and seated himself upon the creature's back, and then again imitating the acts of the Tor-o-don he prodded it with the sharpened point of his staff, and thus goading it forward and guiding it with blows, first upon one side and then upon the other, he started it down the gorge in the direction of the valley.

At first it had been in his mind only to determine if he could successfully assert any authority over the great monsters, realizing that in this possibility lay his only hope of immediate escape from his jailers.But once seated upon the back of his titanic mount the ape-man experienced the sensation of a new thrill that recalled to him the day in his boyhood that he had first clambered to the broad head of Tantor, the elephant, and this, together with the sense of mastery that was always meat and drink to the lord of the jungle, decided him to put his newly acquired power to some utilitarian purpose.

Pan-at-lee he judged must either have already reached safety or met with death.At least, no longer could he be of service to her, while below Kor-ul-gryf, in the soft green valley, lay A-lur, the City of Light, which, since he had gazed upon it from the shoulder of Pastar-ul-ved, had been his ambition and his goal.

同类推荐
  • 奇门遁甲统宗

    奇门遁甲统宗

    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。
  • 东巡记

    东巡记

    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。
  • 说学斋稿

    说学斋稿

    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。
  • 宿蓝田山口奉寄沈员

    宿蓝田山口奉寄沈员

    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。
  • Taming of the Shrew

    Taming of the Shrew

    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
  • 望瑶九天

    望瑶九天

    多少次的午夜梦回,他重生在少时,重生在那家人都健在的时候。这本是普通人家人家最最平淡的生活,然而这在他眼中,却是奢望……因为他是天九氏族人,是老九天王天九胤唯一的亲外孙,还未出生,就被授予么九天王之位,从小起,便是明目张胆的打斗,都已是家常便饭。外公,父亲,都因他而死……且看他如何复仇,如何重掌乾坤!
  • 韩信,你放开我家的鲲

    韩信,你放开我家的鲲

    我子休要是喊你一声重言哥哥,我就吃x!重言哥哥…
  • 西厢记(中小学生必读丛书)

    西厢记(中小学生必读丛书)

    《西厢记》的故事最早起源于唐代诗人元稹的传奇小说《莺莺传》,在宋金时代流传甚广,一些文人、民间艺人纷纷将其改编成说唱和戏剧。《西厢记》就是在这些丰富的艺术积累上进行加工创作而成的,讲述了张生与崔莺莺缠绵悱恻、跌宕起伏的爱情故事,表达了有情人终成眷属的美好愿望。
  • 恶魔总裁的小妻子

    恶魔总裁的小妻子

    奉命挑妻,顾淮墨选中卫家最不出眼的卫紫。他绝对强势、霸道,只想要一个乖乖听话的老婆摆着好看。可是这像小可怜一样的妻子、胆小,听话都是表面的,她骨子里却是叛逆至极。顾二公子看走眼挑了个小妻子,LOLI与大叔的争斗,懒散与严肃之极端。他顾淮墨要是还搞不定她,他就跟她姓,吃干抹净不服再来。这霸道的老男人卫紫不放在眼里,天天不给他招事她就难受,老牛吃嫩草,你行吗?爱上他不可能,他都差不多可以当她爸了,哼哼。卫紫,他的小妻子,他只想放在手心里娇宠。情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 朱子年谱考异

    朱子年谱考异

    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。
  • 雷公炮炙论

    雷公炮炙论

    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。
  • 抗战游击队

    抗战游击队

    即使只是游击队,我们也要努力做大做强,为成为业界标杆而不懈努力!
  • 情定旧爱

    情定旧爱

    【新文《慕安以南》连载中】 [1V1大宠小虐HE]年少时,他们在一起,他是一穷二白的小混混,她是富家千金。后因误会分手,两人分道扬镳。 父亲含冤入狱,她便从名媛小姐变成了落魄千金。为了生存,她不得已误入歧途,与一个从未谋面的男人有了荒唐的一夜,第二天醒来才发现,原来他就是他。她落荒而逃,却不曾想他醒来后会发了疯的找她。 几年后再见面时,却是在她最难堪的时候。那时的他是名门财阀之后,有一位名动全城的未婚妻,而她除了相依为命的儿子,什么都没有。 他向她威逼利诱,目的是和她结婚,她不明白,为什么会选择她,他却说,“你有儿子,我有女儿,凑在一起刚刚好。”到最后才发现,原来她才是最有城府的那个。
  • 玉虚神剑

    玉虚神剑

    玉鬓风尘下,虚白离人静。神王荡乾坤,剑履若云行(曰:玉虚神剑)昆仑山脉,传奇再现!暮霭中一少年在向你缓缓走来.他穿云破雾,剑动四方.任物换星移,?坎坷过尽,却初心不改...~少年仰天大笑,激荡我心“且随我凭栏听雨,?把酒临风。且看我踏风逐浪,再战苍穹。”【本文无毒,窈窕君子,淑女好逑碉堡人生正上演中】
  • 初雪情缘0a

    初雪情缘0a

    霸道总裁与完颜冷血杀手的情史,就此展开…………