登陆注册
5232000000005

第5章 Tarzan's First Love(5)

He was upon the point of dropping his noose about the neck of one of them, who was a little distance from his companions, when he became interested in the thing which occupied the savages. They were building a cage in the trail and covering it with leafy branches.

When they had completed their work the structure was scarcely visible.

Tarzan wondered what the purpose of the thing might be, and why, when they had built it, they turned away and started back along the trail in the direction of their village.

It had been some time since Tarzan had visited the blacks and looked down from the shelter of the great trees which overhung their palisade upon the activities of his enemies, from among whom had come the slayer of Kala.

Although he hated them, Tarzan derived considerable entertainment in watching them at their daily life within the village, and especially at their dances, when the fires glared against their naked bodies as they leaped and turned and twisted in mimic warfare. It was rather in the hope of witnessing something of the kind that he now followed the warriors back toward their village, but in this he was disappointed, for there was no dance that night.

Instead, from the safe concealment of his tree, Tarzan saw little groups seated about tiny fires discussing the events of the day, and in the darker corners of the village he descried isolated couples talking and laughing together, and always one of each couple was a young man and the other a young woman.

Tarzan cocked his head upon one side and thought, and before he went to sleep that night, curled in the crotch of the great tree above the village, Teeka filled his mind, and afterward she filled his dreams--she and the young black men laughing and talking with the young black women.

Taug, hunting alone, had wandered some distance from the balance of the tribe. He was making his way slowly along an elephant path when he discovered that it was blocked with undergrowth. Now Taug, come into maturity, was an evil-natured brute of an exceeding short temper.

When something thwarted him, his sole idea was to overcome it by brute strength and ferocity, and so now when he found his way blocked, he tore angrily into the leafy screen and an instant later found himself within a strange lair, his progress effectually blocked, notwithstanding his most violent efforts to forge ahead.

Biting and striking at the barrier, Taug finally worked himself into a frightful rage, but all to no avail;and at last he became convinced that he must turn back.

But when he would have done so, what was his chagrin to discover that another barrier had dropped behind him while he fought to break down the one before him! Taug was trapped.

Until exhaustion overcame him he fought frantically for his freedom; but all for naught.

In the morning a party of blacks set out from the village of Mbonga in the direction of the trap they had constructed the previous day, while among the branches of the trees above them hovered a naked young giant filled with the curiosity of the wild things. Manu, the monkey, chattered and scolded as Tarzan passed, and though he was not afraid of the familiar figure of the ape-boy, he hugged closer to him the little brown body of his life's companion.

Tarzan laughed as he saw it; but the laugh was followed by a sudden clouding of his face and a deep sigh.

A little farther on, a gaily feathered bird strutted about before the admiring eyes of his somber-hued mate.

It seemed to Tarzan that everything in the jungle was combining to remind him that he had lost Teeka; yet every day of his life he had seen these same things and thought nothing of them.

When the blacks reached the trap, Taug set up a great commotion.

Seizing the bars of his prison, he shook them frantically, and all the while he roared and growled terrifically.

The blacks were elated, for while they had not built their trap for this hairy tree man, they were delighted with their catch.

Tarzan pricked up his ears when he heard the voice of a great ape and, circling quickly until he was down wind from the trap, he sniffed at the air in search of the scent spoor of the prisoner. Nor was it long before there came to those delicate nostrils the familiar odor that told Tarzan the identity of the captive as unerringly as though he had looked upon Taug with his eyes. Yes, it was Taug, and he was alone.

Tarzan grinned as he approached to discover what the blacks would do to their prisoner. Doubtless they would slay him at once. Again Tarzan grinned. Now he could have Teeka for his own, with none to dispute his right to her.

As he watched, he saw the black warriors strip the screen from about the cage, fasten ropes to it and drag it away along the trail in the direction of their village.

Tarzan watched until his rival passed out of sight, still beating upon the bars of his prison and growling out his anger and his threats. Then the ape-boy turned and swung rapidly off in search of the tribe, and Teeka.

Once, upon the journey, he surprised Sheeta and his family in a little overgrown clearing. The great cat lay stretched upon the ground, while his mate, one paw across her lord's savage face, licked at the soft white fur at his throat.

Tarzan increased his speed then until he fairly flew through the forest, nor was it long before he came upon the tribe. He saw them before they saw him, for of all the jungle creatures, none passed more quietly than Tarzan of the Apes. He saw Kamma and her mate feeding side by side, their hairy bodies rubbing against each other.

And he saw Teeka feeding by herself. Not for long would she feed thus in loneliness, thought Tarzan, as with a bound he landed amongst them.

There was a startled rush and a chorus of angry and frightened snarls, for Tarzan had surprised them;but there was more, too, than mere nervous shock to account for the bristling neck hair which remained standing long after the apes had discovered the identity of the newcomer.

同类推荐
  • 温疫论

    温疫论

    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。
  • The Elements of Law Natural and Politic

    The Elements of Law Natural and Politic

    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。
  • 道书援神契

    道书援神契

    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。
  • 皇明恩命世录

    皇明恩命世录

    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。
  • 佛说毗奈耶经

    佛说毗奈耶经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 快乐故事

    快乐故事

    无数事实、经验和理性已经证明:好故事可以影响人的一生。而以我们之见,所谓好故事,在内容上讲述的应是做人与处世的道理,在形式上也应听得进、记得住、讲得出、传得开,而且不会因时代的变迁而失去她的本质特征和艺术光彩。为了让更多的读者走进好故事,阅读好故事,欣赏好故事,珍藏好故事,传播好故事,我们特编选了一套“故事会5元精品系列”以飨之。其选择标准主要有以下三点:一、在《故事会》杂志上发表的作品。二、有过目不忘的艺术感染力。三、有恒久的趣味,对今天的读者仍有启迪作用。愿好故事伴随你的一生!
  • 都市风水天才

    都市风水天才

    林家风水,举世无双。少年天才,天生气感,一朝踏入风水门,绞浪翻江腾云起。
  • 四月间事

    四月间事

    落拓不羁的王牌私人保镖卫来,被沙特船东雇佣,保护知名社评人岑今前往索马里海域谈判,试图赎回一艘被海盗劫持的超级油轮。从冰原到沙漠,红海到埃高,看似平静的行程一路危机四伏。岑今究竟是光环笼罩下被授予总统勋章的志愿者,还是卡隆屠杀中和暴徒沆瀣一气的帮凶?审判前夜,绞刑台前,命运的舟船终得以穿过骇浪,泊于温柔浅滩。
  • 光明王

    光明王

    他们称佛陀为弥勒,意思是光明王,还有人继续叫他无量萨姆大神,说他是位神祗,但他仍旧宁愿去掉“无量”和“大神”而自称萨姆。他从未宣称自己是神,不过,他当然也从未否认过这点。情势如此,承认和否认都毫无益处。死亡与光明永远无处不在。它们开始、终结、相伴、相克,它们进入无名的梦境,附着在那梦境之上,在轮回中将言语焚烧,也许正是为了创造一点点美。而这无名,就是我们的世界。《光明王》是泽拉兹尼最富盛名的科幻史诗,一经问世便引起轰动,曾获雨果奖最佳小说奖,并获得星云奖的最佳小说奖提名。
  • 切蛋糕

    切蛋糕

    假如你和小伙伴一起开公司,两人商定平分股份。结果你做了所有的工作,而你的小伙伴却十分懒散。那么,你还要把一半公司交到他手里吗?《切蛋糕》旨在教你如何来精确计算每一个创始人应获得的股份,或者公司早期员工应当享有的权益。你将会学到:如何评价一个员工为公司付出的时间和带来的资源价值;如果有创始人离开公司,会带来什么样的损失;以及当你不得不解雇某人时,你该如何处理他的股权。
  • 蓝色人鱼之泪

    蓝色人鱼之泪

    夜北欧,我不想喜欢你了,我累了,池小糯留。
  • Miss or Mrs

    Miss or Mrs

    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。
  • 太清修丹秘诀

    太清修丹秘诀

    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。
  • 世界之途

    世界之途

    (全供向)传说中,除了我们生存的宇宙,还有其他无数的平行世界……主角三人因为一次意外,被迫前往了其他世界,寻回自己的朋友。但,事情似乎没有想象中的那么简单……不同的势力,各自的目标与路,契约,还是更大的阴谋?
  • 蓝霜狐

    蓝霜狐

    《蓝霜狐》是骆平的一部中短篇小说集,也是巴金文学院签约作家书系中的一本。这部中短篇小说集由《蓝霜狐》《姜汁热窝鸡》《荼靡》等6部中篇小说和《青木瓜之恋》《冬天的风之花》等7部短篇小说组成。作者为我们讲述了一个个在现实生活中常见的看似荒诞的故事,深刻地讽刺和批判了某些在金钱和权利的诱惑下被腐蚀的人性。这部中短篇小说故事性极强,人物形象鲜明,心理描写细腻,具有较高的文学价值和出版价值。