登陆注册
5232000000068

第68章 A Jungle Joke(7)

The women and the children came from the huts to witness the slaying of the devil-god. The lion turned blazing eyes upon them and then swung about toward the advancing warriors.

With shouts of savage joy and triumph they came toward him, menacing him with their spears. The devil-god was theirs!

And then, with a frightful roar, Numa, the lion, charged.

The men of Mbonga, the chief, met Numa with ready spears and screams of raillery. In a solid mass of muscled ebony they waited the coming of the devil-god; yet beneath their brave exteriors lurked a haunting fear that all might not be quite well with them--that this strange creature could yet prove invulnerable to their weapons and inflict upon them full punishment for their effrontery.

The charging lion was all too lifelike--they saw that in the brief instant of the charge; but beneath the tawny hide they knew was hid the soft flesh of the white man, and how could that withstand the assault of many war spears?

In their forefront stood a huge young warrior in the full arrogance of his might and his youth. Afraid? Not he! He laughed as Numa bore down upon him; he laughed and couched his spear, setting the point for the broad breast.

And then the lion was upon him. A great paw swept away the heavy war spear, splintering it as the hand of man might splinter a dry twig.

Down went the black, his skull crushed by another blow.

And then the lion was in the midst of the warriors, clawing and tearing to right and left. Not for long did they stand their ground; but a dozen men were mauled before the others made good their escape from those frightful talons and gleaming fangs.

In terror the villagers fled hither and thither.

No hut seemed a sufficiently secure asylum with Numa ranging within the palisade. From one to another fled the frightened blacks, while in the center of the village Numa stood glaring and growling above his kills.

At last a tribesman flung wide the gates of the village and sought safety amid the branches of the forest trees beyond. Like sheep his fellows followed him, until the lion and his dead remained alone in the village.

From the nearer trees the men of Mbonga saw the lion lower his great head and seize one of his victims by the shoulder and then with slow and stately tread move down the village street past the open gates and on into the jungle.

They saw and shuddered, and from another tree Tarzan of the Apes saw and smiled.

A full hour elapsed after the lion had disappeared with his feast before the blacks ventured down from the trees and returned to their village. Wide eyes rolled from side to side, and naked flesh contracted more to the chill of fear than to the chill of the jungle night.

"It was he all the time," murmured one. "It was the devil-god.""He changed himself from a lion to a man, and back again into a lion," whispered another.

"And he dragged Mweeza into the forest and is eating him,"said a third, shuddering.

"We are no longer safe here," wailed a fourth. "Let us take our belongings and search for another village site far from the haunts of the wicked devil-god."But with morning came renewed courage, so that the experiences of the preceding evening had little other effect than to increase their fear of Tarzan and strengthen their belief in his supernatural origin.

And thus waxed the fame and the power of the ape-man in the mysterious haunts of the savage jungle where he ranged, mightiest of beasts because of the man-mind which directed his giant muscles and his flawless courage.

同类推荐
  • 净土必求

    净土必求

    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。
  • 春秋列国志传

    春秋列国志传

    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。
  • 大乘起信论义疏

    大乘起信论义疏

    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。
  • 上清无英真童合游内变玉经

    上清无英真童合游内变玉经

    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。
  • 砚斋词话

    砚斋词话

    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
  • 农田常用杀虫剂使用技术

    农田常用杀虫剂使用技术

    本书从农药,特别是杀虫剂的科学使用出发,系统地叙述了杀虫剂的分类、作用机理、选用原则、毒性种类、防止中毒的措施,并且比较详细地叙述了100种当前我国常用杀虫剂的毒性、理化性质、使用方法和注意事项等。本书内容翔实,语言通俗,可作为普通农民、农药经营者、农业科技推广人员的技术指导书。
  • 神豪阔少

    神豪阔少

    儿子,我有个好消息要告诉你,我们瞒了你十八年,我们家其实不穷,我们是世界首富。高考成绩出来当天,郑凯接到他爸的电话,被雷的里嫩外焦,这种段子居然活生生地在自己身上出现,这种感觉非常……爽!!!
  • 竹马专属宠:萌货小青梅

    竹马专属宠:萌货小青梅

    三岁,还是白嫩可口的小神童。“姐姐,给你摸我的脸哦。”“我家小神童的脸又滑又软。”十岁,已经初见棱角的小神童。“除了我未来媳妇,谁都不能摸我脸。”“哼,不摸就不摸,不稀罕!”“给柒柒摸,呐。”已经是气场全开的洛男神把白柒柒欺上书桌。“呐,我刚洗的脸,给你摸。”“滚滚滚!”
  • OXFORD

    OXFORD

    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。
  • 龙族之子Ⅰ:学院危机

    龙族之子Ⅰ:学院危机

    傍晚留校的少年秦澈因为变形怪钻进自己的手臂中而与异界的高等灵士白凌风结缘,为除掉手臂里的怪物,少年挣扎着随白凌风去往另一个世界——恒界。本以为只是简单的“治病”,谁知白凌风看上少年的天份,软磨硬泡之下,少年成了恒界灵能学院的一名灵士。在学院里,秦澈结识了很多伙伴,其中就有令他萌生情愫的夏雪琪,此外,秦澈还将另外两个性格鲜明的地球少年带进了灵能学院。中等灵士考核完毕之后,秦澈与伙伴们组成了除魔小队,开始了他们的任务生涯,期间,秦澈意外掉落山崖,保住小命后发现了神月青铜龙的巢穴,并获得了神龙的部分力量!这时,刚开始发生的一连串事件让他们起了疑心,经过调查,一个惊天阴谋慢慢浮出水面……
  • 山水一程风雪一更

    山水一程风雪一更

    埋藏在心底的秘密,随着时光的推移慢慢浮出水面。多年过去,一切都变得那么清晰。谢谢你,让我住进你的心里。
  • 玄武天下(9)

    玄武天下(9)

    千世的轮回消磨不了他(刀)内在的杀气。万年的魔咒尘封不住他(剑)体内的战意。他们的出世使平静的乐士烽烟四起!他们的重逢将武界引入神魔之境!四帝的传说,神祇的传奇,导致大冥乐土万世伟业分崩离析。一位自认能战胜传说的惊世强者在战火中崛起,他以不屈的战意与传说之剑融为一体,并以玄道意境与火帝之女展开千世的恋情。神祇的荣辱,乐土的存亡,武道的兴衰与他的命运息息相连。
  • 红龙大君

    红龙大君

    蓝天穿越了,睡了一觉醒来就成了一头红龙,本打算当一头咸鱼红龙来着,却不想多出来一个万象转盘,让他走向了氪金抽奖的道路。还被人拉进了穿越者聊天群,接着又回到了地球。什么我的姐姐是轮回者?怎么办?在线等挺急的。说好的咸鱼龙生呢。
  • 至尊盛宠:逆天九王妃

    至尊盛宠:逆天九王妃

    连晨,21世纪的王牌特工,当命运的齿轮开始转动,她魂穿异世,成为了“他”。冷酷淡漠的九王爷,邪魅古怪的宗主大人,心狠手辣的大皇子,各色美男齐齐围聚在她身边,她却是不屑一顾。她是女帝转世之身,手握九大神器,任何人都无法阻挡她逆天而行的脚步,任何人想取笑她,侮辱她,她会遇神杀神,遇佛杀佛。且看王牌特工如何傲视天下,笑看苍穹。
  • 太古御龙诀

    太古御龙诀

    (新书《圣血武帝已经发布》,多多关注!)这是一个御兽师的故事!一个少年与五爪金龙的热血传奇!