登陆注册
5232000000055

第55章 The Battle for Teeka(1)

THE DAY WAS perfect. A cool breeze tempered the heat of the equatorial sun. Peace had reigned within the tribe for weeks and no alien enemy had trespassed upon its preserves from without. To the ape-mind all this was sufficient evidence that the future would be identical with the immediate past--that Utopia would persist.

The sentinels, now from habit become a fixed tribal custom, either relaxed their vigilance or entirely deserted their posts, as the whim seized them. The tribe was far scattered in search of food. Thus may peace and prosperity undermine the safety of the most primitive community even as it does that of the most cultured.

Even the individuals became less watchful and alert, so that one might have thought Numa and Sabor and Sheeta entirely deleted from the scheme of things. The shes and the balus roamed unguarded through the sullen jungle, while the greedy males foraged far afield, and thus it was that Teeka and Gazan, her balu, hunted upon the extreme southern edge of the tribe with no great male near them.

Still farther south there moved through the forest a sinister figure--a huge bull ape, maddened by solitude and defeat. A week before he had contended for the kingship of a tribe far distant, and now battered, and still sore, he roamed the wilderness an outcast.

Later he might return to his own tribe and submit to the will of the hairy brute he had attempted to dethrone;but for the time being he dared not do so, since he had sought not only the crown but the wives, as well, of his lord and master. It would require an entire moon at least to bring forgetfulness to him he had wronged, and so Toog wandered a strange jungle, grim, terrible, hate-filled.

It was in this mental state that Toog came unexpectedly upon a young she feeding alone in the jungle--a stranger she, lithe and strong and beautiful beyond compare.

Toog caught his breath and slunk quickly to one side of the trail where the dense foliage of the tropical underbrush concealed him from Teeka while permitting him to feast his eyes upon her loveliness.

But not alone were they concerned with Teeka--they roved the surrounding jungle in search of the bulls and cows and balus of her tribe, though principally for the bulls.

When one covets a she of an alien tribe one must take into consideration the great, fierce, hairy guardians who seldom wander far from their wards and who will fight a stranger to the death in protection of the mate or offspring of a fellow, precisely as they would fight for their own.

Toog could see no sign of any ape other than the strange she and a young balu playing near by. His wicked, blood-shot eyes half closed as they rested upon the charms of the former--as for the balu, one snap of those great jaws upon the back of its little neck would prevent it from raising any unnecessary alarm.

Toog was a fine, big male, resembling in many ways Teeka's mate, Taug. Each was in his prime, and each was wonderfully muscled, perfectly fanged and as horrifyingly ferocious as the most exacting and particular she could wish.

Had Toog been of her own tribe, Teeka might as readily have yielded to him as to Taug when her mating time arrived;but now she was Taug's and no other male could claim her without first defeating Taug in personal combat.

And even then Teeka retained some rights in the matter.

If she did not favor a correspondent, she could enter the lists with her rightful mate and do her part toward discouraging his advances, a part, too, which would prove no mean assistance to her lord and master, for Teeka, even though her fangs were smaller than a male's, could use them to excellent effect.

Just now Teeka was occupied in a fascinating search for beetles, to the exclusion of all else. She did not realize how far she and Gazan had become separated from the balance of the tribe, nor were her defensive senses upon the alert as they should have been. Months of immunity from danger under the protecting watchfulness of the sentries, which Tarzan had taught the tribe to post, had lulled them all into a sense of peaceful security based on that fallacy which has wrecked many enlightened communities in the past and will continue to wreck others in the future--that because they have not been attacked they never will be.

Toog, having satisfied himself that only the she and her balu were in the immediate vicinity, crept stealthily forward.

Teeka's back was toward him when he finally rushed upon her;but her senses were at last awakened to the presence of danger and she wheeled to face the strange bull just before he reached her. Toog halted a few paces from her.

His anger had fled before the seductive feminine charms of the stranger. He made conciliatory noises--a species of clucking sound with his broad, flat lips--that were, too, not greatly dissimilar to that which might be produced in an osculatory solo.

But Teeka only bared her fangs and growled. Little Gazan started to run toward his mother, but she warned him away with a quick "Kreeg-ah!" telling him to run high into a tall tree. Evidently Teeka was not favorably impressed by her new suitor. Toog realized this and altered his methods accordingly. He swelled his giant chest, beat upon it with his calloused knuckles and swaggered to and fro before her.

"I am Toog," he boasted. "Look at my fighting fangs.

Look at my great arms and my mighty legs. With one bite Ican slay your biggest bull. Alone have I slain Sheeta.

I am Toog. Toog wants you." Then he waited for the effect, nor did he have long to wait. Teeka turned with a swiftness which belied her great weight and bolted in the opposite direction. Toog, with an angry growl, leaped in pursuit; but the smaller, lighter female was too fleet for him. He chased her for a few yards and then, foaming and barking, he halted and beat upon the ground with his hard fists.

同类推荐
  • 壬归

    壬归

    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。
  • Lesser Hippias

    Lesser Hippias

    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。
  • 小儿痢门

    小儿痢门

    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。
  • 菩萨五法忏悔文

    菩萨五法忏悔文

    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。
  • 永字八法

    永字八法

    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
  • 星际机甲师

    星际机甲师

    罪恶大陆的后台果然就是军方,海跃奇他们刚刚冲出苦牢星,马上就遭到军方四艘中型宇宙战舰的围攻。关键时刻,海跃奇胸口那条一直都没有什么动静的项鍊突然发威了,居然化成一条巨大的粒子鍊,直向那四艘中型宇宙战舰扑去……连续两次反空间之旅,带给海跃奇莫大的好处,同时让他真正领会到反空间的美丽。在反空间里充足能量的帮助下,海跃奇的修为大为提升,修真境界居然一跳好几级,直接结成了元婴!
  • 老弟的盛宴

    老弟的盛宴

    “平瞎子”从生下来一直在接受着极限考验,现实生存的极限考验,个人意志力的极限考验。当他过了生存这一关后,依然要面对亲情的极度冷漠和个人的深度孤独。老弟的盛宴,就此成了老哥见证人情温度、人性深度和人生自我调试能力的考场。平师傅正在给“大块头”作按摩,突然房门被推开了:“平师傅,电话!”这声音在连呼吸声都能听见的小小的按摩室里惊起,像鞭子一样,抽得“大块头”浑身一震。平师傅的手陡然停了下来,然后他听到一声骂:搞什么鬼!老子的瞌睡虫刚刚上来,现在又被吵没了!“大块头”翻个身,扯掉自己身上的白毛巾,坐起来。
  • 铁剑之兽灵契约

    铁剑之兽灵契约

    自太古时代就已统治天地的神兽、异兽、妖兽,在一场神秘的不期而至浩劫中化为传说。一介放牛娃自小便身负异兽旋龟之灵,悬崖秘洞中收获奇缘,长大后踏上旅程,开启了一段不世传说。而当此时,天下三分,天龙帝国的战矛早已觊觎水月、镜花两大王国,战争一触即发。兽灵与宿主、骑士与国王、帝国与教会,一双双眼睛隐藏在黑暗处观察和推动着世界的变革……
  • 夫人,先生又吃醋了!

    夫人,先生又吃醋了!

    【新书《冷酷男神是女生:女王,拽炸天!》已发】意外重生,废才摇身一变,成逆天学霸,横扫娱乐圈,颜值和演技并存。谁人不知道帝都墨总,杀伐决断,至今快30岁还没有女朋友,可是突然有一天传出墨总竟然谈恋爱了!甚至隐婚了!记者:墨总,请问你的家庭地位怎么样?墨总:自然我说了算!记者一脸懵逼,墨总您先从键盘上面起来再说好吗?
  • 如果只是薄如蝉翼的喜欢

    如果只是薄如蝉翼的喜欢

    我是怎么从台北瞬间转移到这间又潮又臭暗室的已经成了世界未解之谜。肩上还背着塞满零食漫画书的大红书包,校服已经被汗水濡湿粘糊糊的贴着背脊。我蜷缩在一角,感受着不知从哪个破洞涌进来的寒风。努力回想,我记得就五分钟前我还在和班草朴正罕有说有笑的漫步公园的绿地上。就连他递给我吃的芒果冰还在胃里没有消化完,自己怎么会突然在这个鬼地方呢?
  • 天才宝宝,神医娘亲

    天才宝宝,神医娘亲

    成婚当日,她被人设下圈套杀害,抛尸野外,再次醒来时,灵魂交替,眸光骤变,从此以后,江湖上多了一位绝顶炼丹师,神医蓝玫瑰。他,魔幻城的城主,天生剑魔伏身,魔性可时时刻刻发作,特别是在十五月圆之夜,发作之时,六亲不认,如嗜血魔鬼,江湖上人人避之。情节一:娘亲,前面有一个长得很像孩儿的人挡住了我们的路,孩儿不喜欢他,他的脸就像锅底一样的黑,一点都不可爱。某奕奕双手插腰,指着前面酷似自己的冷酷男子大声的吼着。孩儿啊!都说了像锅底,怎么会像你呢?你啥时候变成色盲了。情节二:娘亲,他挡住了孩儿们的路,孩儿这就过去杀了他们,和某奕奕一模一样的小男孩阴沉的说着,有着成人的稳重和成熟。孩儿啊!淡定淡定,都说了武力是解决不了问题的,伤身,伤力伤财伤脑子,看娘亲的,驾……马车向着一脸脸色铁青的冷酷男子冲去……。
  • 无之青冥

    无之青冥

    什么是无:无代表着不存在;什么是有:有代表着存在;什么是无中生有:这代表着从不存在中诞生存在......
  • 法医狂后:妖孽邪帝霸宠妻

    法医狂后:妖孽邪帝霸宠妻

    她,21世纪著名法医,技艺超群,在一次验尸中意外穿越,成为了大家族人人可欺的五小姐。从死人堆里爬出来,治得了花柳,验得了死尸,扮得了傀儡,还肩负振兴二房的重任。。
  • 烘焙师

    烘焙师

    什么是幸福,幸福就是过着自己想要的生活!
  • 我要出山做大佬

    我要出山做大佬

    一个修行千年的老妖精,活了几千年,却因驻颜有方,水灵得像个十八岁的大姑娘。