登陆注册
5169900000071

第71章

The long and perilous journey with Obergatz had trained her muscles and her nerves to such unaccustomed habits.She found a safe resting place such as Tarzan had taught her was best and there she curled herself, thirty feet above the ground, for a night's rest.She was cold and uncomfortable and yet she slept, for her heart was warm with renewed hope and her tired brain had found temporary surcease from worry.

She slept until the heat of the sun, high in the heavens, awakened her.She was rested and now her body was well as her heart was warm.A sensation of ease and comfort and happiness pervaded her being.She rose upon her gently swaying couch and stretched luxuriously, her naked limbs and lithe body mottled by the sunlight filtering through the foliage above combined with the lazy gesture to impart to her appearance something of the leopard.With careful eye she scrutinized the ground below and with attentive ear she listened for any warning sound that might suggest the near presence of enemies, either man or beast.

Satisfied at last that there was nothing close of which she need have fear she clambered to the ground.She wished to bathe but the lake was too exposed and just a bit too far from the safety of the trees for her to risk it until she became more familiar with her surroundings.She wandered aimlessly through the forest searching for food which she found in abundance.She ate and rested, for she had no objective as yet.Her freedom was too new to be spoiled by plannings for the future.The haunts of civilized man seemed to her now as vague and unattainable as the half-forgotten substance of a dream.If she could but live on here in peace, waiting, waiting for--him.It was the old hope revived.She knew that he would come some day, if he lived.She had always known that, though recently she had believed that he would come too late.If he lived! Yes, he would come if he lived, and if he did not live she were as well off here as elsewhere, for then nothing mattered, only to wait for the end as patiently as might be.

Her wanderings brought her to a crystal brook and there she drank and bathed beneath an overhanging tree that offered her quick asylum in the event of danger.It was a quiet and beautiful spot and she loved it from the first.The bottom of the brook was paved with pretty stones and bits of glassy obsidian.As she gathered a handful of the pebbles and held them up to look at them she noticed that one of her fingers was bleeding from a clean, straight cut.She fell to searching for the cause and presently discovered it in one of the fragments of volcanic glass which revealed an edge that was almost razor-like.Jane Clayton was elated.Here, God-given to her hands, was the first beginning with which she might eventually arrive at both weapons and tools--a cutting edge.Everything was possible to him who possessed it--nothing without.

She sought until she had collected many of the precious bits of stone--until the pouch that hung at her right side was almost filled.Then she climbed into the great tree to examine them at leisure.There were some that looked like knife blades, and some that could easily be fashioned into spear heads, and many smaller ones that nature seemed to have intended for the tips of savage arrows.

The spear she would essay first--that would be easiest.There was a hollow in the bole of the tree in a great crotch high above the ground.Here she cached all of her treasure except a single knifelike sliver.With this she descended to the ground and searching out a slender sapling that grew arrow-straight she hacked and sawed until she could break it off without splitting the wood.It was just the right diameter for the shaft of a spear--a hunting spear such as her beloved Waziri had liked best.

How often had she watched them fashioning them, and they had taught her how to use them, too--them and the heavy war spears--laughing and clapping their hands as her proficiency increased.

She knew the arborescent grasses that yielded the longest and toughest fibers and these she sought and carried to her tree with the spear shaft that was to be.Clambering to her crotch she bent to her work, humming softly a little tune.She caught herself and smiled--it was the first time in all these bitter months that song had passed her lips or such a smile.

"I feel," she sighed, "I almost feel that John is near--my John--my Tarzan!"

She cut the spear shaft to the proper length and removed the twigs and branches and the bark, whittling and scraping at the nubs until the surface was all smooth and straight.Then she split one end and inserted a spear point, shaping the wood until it fitted perfectly.This done she laid the shaft aside and fell to splitting the thick grass stems and pounding and twisting them until she had separated and partially cleaned the fibers.These she took down to the brook and washed and brought back again and wound tightly around the cleft end of the shaft, which she had notched to receive them, and the upper part of the spear head which she had also notched slightly with a bit of stone.It was a crude spear but the best that she could attain in so short a time.Later, she promised herself, she should have others--many of them--and they would be spears of which even the greatest of the Waziri spear-men might be proud.

同类推荐
  • William Ewart Gladstone

    William Ewart Gladstone

    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。
  • 宝悉地成佛陀罗尼经

    宝悉地成佛陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 楚辞芳草谱

    楚辞芳草谱

    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。
  • 仁学

    仁学

    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。
  • 方言校箋

    方言校箋

    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
  • 废材盲女傲视天下

    废材盲女傲视天下

    她,蓝魅儿!曾经被誉为蓝家的“天才少女”,星芒大陆的第一美女,为蓝家取得了至高无上的荣誉,救天下人于水生火热之中,曾经站在世界峰的超级强者!却被族人谋害惨死!她,蓝魅儿!蓝家直系七小姐,蓝家的“废柴盲女”,被视为让家族蒙羞的“野种”,不仅眼盲,更连半分灵气都没有!处处遭人嘲笑,欺凌,她懦弱,她无助,她恨,恨老天的不公!恨他们对她的所作所为!直至遭人毒打致死,她都未曾哭泣,甚至流过一滴泪……当她变成了她?她嫉恶如仇,手段狠辣,用尽各种手段报复曾经伤害过她的人,脸上却永远挂着那无害迷人的笑容。她女扮男装行天下!她结交无数美男,使无数美男为之倾心!相伴左右!她夺异宝,寻灵石,御万兽,只为变强解开身世之谜,寻找父亲!且看她如何在魔兽纵横的异界大陆从人人欺辱的“废物盲女”一步步走向巅峰,俯瞰一切!………………………
  • 罪孽道途

    罪孽道途

    大夏皇宫,金碧辉煌的宫殿在骄阳下熠熠生辉,汉白玉铺筑的石阶直达天听,华美到过分的宫廷建筑一座又一座,让人数都数不过来,极尽强盛的夏朝到达了一个朝代所能达到了极致,这是至高点,然而,在有心人眼中,却也是大厦倾塌的预兆。
  • 趣味知识竞赛题库

    趣味知识竞赛题库

    读者实现了这个期待已久的愿望。本书的编辑们耗时几年,在浩如烟海的知识宝库中,犹如海滩拾贝,精心筛选了几千道题,编成了此书。它收录的是那些人们应该懂得而又易于掌握的各门各类知识,向读者展现了一个知识的大千世界,为渴求知识的人们搭起了一座简便、快捷地获取知识的桥梁。
  • 世纪末的黑洞

    世纪末的黑洞

    1988年夏,广东沿海某市。混混周继才与政工干部谈志军在偷渡船上相遇,二人此前有过矛盾。被边防巡逻队发现,偷渡分子纷纷跳海。周继才受伤被抓,谈志军因准备充分而逃脱。
  • 独生子女:就是要这样教

    独生子女:就是要这样教

    随着社会竞争的愈演愈烈,越来越多的人只生一个孩子。只生一个孩子对于父母来说,可以把各方面的压力与负担减到最小,但是在教育的问题上,却经常遇到棘手的难题。初生的婴儿无疑是一张白纸,在未来的成长过程中,白纸上描绘出什么图案,染上什么色彩,都由父母决定,因为,孩子的性格来自父母的教育,而性格决定孩子一生的命运。独生子女家庭的父母,更需要在繁忙的时候,抽出一点时间,为孩子塑造健康的性格,发掘他们的潜能,不但充当他们的长辈,还要充当他们的朋友、哥哥姐姐,尊重他们,理解他们,也让他们在和谐的亲子氛围中,学会尊重和理解别人,成为一个优秀的人,让他们在将来的社会竞争中,能够从容面对。
  • 甜心蜜令:男神好难追

    甜心蜜令:男神好难追

    陈沫沫有个后妈,有个妹妹,简直标准红文配置,可惜,男神并没有按照言情定律爱上她。为了走上人生巅峰,为了迎娶高富帅,情商低,表情少的陈沫沫,接受了男神系统的邀约,从此开始走上了,攻略各路男神的漫漫不归路。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 初恋无下限

    初恋无下限

    陆小舟与干爹的婚期临近,却意外与初恋男友双双重生。明明已经水火不相容的两个人,却回到了当年青梅竹马的时光。她隐藏重生的事情,伪装成原本的自己靠近苏盛欢,傻呆萌的调戏他,在他刚刚对小时的她有些动心的时候,她才开口说:“苏盛欢,你知不知道你很渣?”两个人再次闹翻。当年害羞温柔的苏盛欢已经变得很暴躁、爱吐槽、爱咆哮。当年活泼可爱的陆小舟已经变得缺人品、无下限、无节操。奈何家里的大人还是当他们是小孩,不但要他们一起玩,还一起洗澡、睡觉。苍天,要不要这么玩人,难道这一次我们还得一起老?!
  • 风语2

    风语2

    《风语(2)》著述的正是中国黑室的故事。主人公是一个惊世骇俗的数学奇人、天才破译家,他手无缚鸡之力,却令敌人闻风丧胆,谈之色变;他不识枪炮,却是那场战争中最大的战斗英雄;他在纸上谈兵,却歼敌于千里之外;他孤身一人,但起的作用却抵得过一个野战军团;他门外有重兵把守,抽屉里有各种保健良药,却依然命悬一线,命运多舛。这是一个神奇的人,黑室让他变得更加神奇。他活着,就有更多的人能够幸免于死;他活着,就有更多的人要为他而死;他活着,就有传奇,就有故事,就有人世间最欢心的事、最揪心的痛。他是中国一代精英知识分子的代表,在历史的风云际会之中尽显热情与智慧,也深感无辜与无助。
  • 玄案

    玄案

    “朋友,如果你待我的心真的如我待你一般的真诚,如果你我真的称得上是知己,那你会找到我想告诉你。遥,如果有一天你经过我的坟墓,请双手合十为我祝福。”一封突来的信,好友离奇失踪,娇小姐和名侦探相识,却在机缘巧合下并肩破案,一桩桩一件件,惊险、刺激,开动你的大脑,和他们一起走进中国私家侦探版的《犯罪心理》。新书《梦断深宅》已在快本频道上架,悬疑+宅斗+红楼文风,各位亲多多捧场!
  • 豪门缠情:老公,饶了我

    豪门缠情:老公,饶了我

    因为自己的失误家破人亡因此她背负了扫把星的恶名因为自己的好心招来了恶魔因此她成了恶魔弟弟的禁宠