the son of tarzan-第5部分

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　after　a　considerable　search　through　a　section　of　London　which　he　had　never　before　visited；　he　found　the　smelly　little　quarters　of　the　pock…marked　old　man。　　The　old　fellow　himself　replied　to　his　knocking；　and　when　he　stated　that　he　had　come　to　see　Ajax；　opened　the　door　and　admitted　him　to　the　little　room　which　he　and　the　great　ape　occupied。　　In　former　years　Paulvitch　had　been　a　fastidious　scoundrel；　but　ten　years　of　hideous　life　among　the　cannibals　of　Africa　had　eradicated　the　last　vestige　of　niceness　from　his　habits。　　His　apparel　was　wrinkled　and　soiled。　　His　hands　were　unwashed；　his　few　straggling　locks　uncombed。　　His　room　was　a　jumble　of　filthy　disorder。　　As　the　boy　entered　he　saw　the　great　ape　squatting　upon　the　bed；　the　coverlets　of　which　were　a　tangled　wad　of　filthy　blankets　and　ill…smelling　quilts。　　At　sight　of　the　youth　the　ape　leaped　to　the　floor　and　shuffled　forward。　　The　man；　not　recognizing　his　visitor　and　fearing　that　the　ape　meant　mischief；　stepped　between　them；　ordering　the　ape　back　to　the　bed。

〃He　will　not　hurt　me；〃　cried　the　boy。　　〃We　are　friends；　and　before；　he　was　my　father's　friend。　　They　knew　one　another　in　the　jungle。　　My　father　is　Lord　Greystoke。　　He　does　not　know　that　I　have　come　here。　　My　mother　forbid　my　coming；　but　I　wished　to　see　Ajax；　and　I　will　pay　you　if　you　will　let　me　come　here　often　and　see　him。〃

At　the　mention　of　the　boy's　identity　Paulvitch's　eyes　narrowed。　　Since　he　had　first　seen　Tarzan　again　from　the　wings　of　the　theater　there　had　been　forming　in　his　deadened　brain　the　beginnings　of　a　desire　for　revenge。　　It　is　a　characteristic　of　the　weak　and　criminal　to　attribute　to　others　the　misfortunes　that　are　the　result　of　their　own　wickedness；　and　so　now　it　was　that　Alexis　Paulvitch　was　slowly　recalling　the　events　of　his　past　life　and　as　he　did　so　laying　at　the　door　of　the　man　whom　he　and　Rokoff　had　so　assiduously　attempted　to　ruin　and　murder　all　the　misfortunes　that　had　befallen　him　in　the　failure　of　their　various　schemes　against　their　intended　victim。

He　saw　at　first　no　way　in　which　he　could；　with　safety　to　himself；　wreak　vengeance　upon　Tarzan　through　the　medium　of　Tarzan's　son；　but　that　great　possibilities　for　revenge　lay　in　the　boy　was　apparent　to　him；　and　so　he　determined　to　cultivate　the　lad　in　the　hope　that　fate　would　play　into　his　hands　in　some　way　in　the　future。　　He　told　the　boy　all　that　he　knew　of　his　father's　past　life　in　the　jungle　and　when　he　found　that　the　boy　had　been　kept　in　ignorance　of　all　these　things　for　so　many　years；　and　that　he　had　been　forbidden　visiting　the　zoological　gardens；　that　he　had　had　to　bind　and　gag　his　tutor　to　find　an　opportunity　to　come　to　the　music　hall　and　see　Ajax；　he　guessed　immediately　the　nature　of　the　great　fear　that　lay　in　the　hearts　of　the　boy's　parents　that　he　might　crave　the　jungle　as　his　father　had　craved　it。

And　so　Paulvitch　encouraged　the　boy　to　come　and　see　him　often；　and　always　he　played　upon　the　lad's　craving　for　tales　of　the　savage　world　with　which　Paulvitch　was　all　too　familiar。　　He　left　him　alone　with　Akut　much；　and　it　was　not　long　until　he　was　surprised　to　learn　that　the　boy　could　make　the　great　beast　understand　himthat　he　had　actually　learned　many　of　the　words　of　the　primitive　language　of　the　anthropoids。

During　this　period　Tarzan　came　several　times　to　visit　Paulvitch。　　He　seemed　anxious　to　purchase　Ajax；　and　at　last　he　told　the　man　frankly　that　he　was　prompted　not　only　by　a　desire　upon　his　part　to　return　the　beast　to　the　liberty　of　his　native　jungle；　but　also　because　his　wife　feared　that　in　some　way　her　son　might　learn　the　whereabouts　of　the　ape　and　through　his　attachment　for　the　beast　become　imbued　with　the　roving　instinct　which；　as　Tarzan　explained　to　Paulvitch；　had　so　influenced　his　own　life。

The　Russian　could　scarce　repress　a　smile　as　he　listened　to　Lord　Greystoke's　words；　since　scarce　a　half　hour　had　passed　since　the　time　the　future　Lord　Greystoke　had　been　sitting　upon　the　disordered　bed　jabbering　away　to　Ajax　with　all　the　fluency　of　a　born　ape。

It　was　during　this　interview　that　a　plan　occurred　to　Paulvitch；　and　as　a　result　of　it　he　agreed　to　accept　a　certain　fabulous　sum　for　the　ape；　and　upon　receipt　of　the　money　to　deliver　the　beast　to　a　vessel　that　was　sailing　south　from　Dover　for　Africa　two　days　later。　　He　had　a　double　purpose　in　accepting　Clayton's　offer。　Primarily；　the　money　consideration　influenced　him　strongly；　as　the　ape　was　no　longer　a　source　of　revenue　to　him；　having　consistently　refused　to　perform　upon　the　stage　after　having　discovered　Tarzan。　　It　was　as　though　the　beast　had　suffered　himself　to　be　brought　from　his　jungle　home　and　exhibited　before　thousands　of　curious　spectators　for　the　sole　purpose　of　searching　out　his　long　lost　friend　and　master；　and；　having　found　him；　considered　further　mingling　with　the　common　herd　of　humans　unnecessary。　However　that　may　be；　the　fact　remained　that　no　amount　of　persuasion　could　influence　him　even　to　show　himself　upon　the　music　hall　stage；　and　upon　the　single　occasion　that　the　trainer　attempted　force　the　results　were　such　that　the　unfortunate　man　considered　himself　lucky　to　have　escaped　with　his　life。　　All　that　saved　him　was　the　accidental　presence　of　Jack　Clayton；　who　had　been　permitted　to　visit　the　animal　in　the　dressing　room　reserved　for　him　at　the　music　hall；　and　had　immediately　interfered　when　he　saw　that　the　savage　beast　meant　serious　mischief。

And　after　the　money　consideration；　strong　in　the　heart　of　the　Russian　was　the　desire　for　revenge；　which　had　been　growing　with　constant　brooding　over　the　failures　and　miseries　of　his　life；　which　he　attributed　to　Tarzan；　the　latest；　and　by　no　means　the　least；　of　which　was　Ajax's　refusal　to　longer　earn　money　for　him。　The　ape's　refusal　he　traced　directly　to　Tarzan；　finally　convincing　himself　that　the　ape　man　had　instructed　the　great　anthropoid　to　refuse　to　go　upon　the　stage。

Paulvitch's　naturally　malign　disposition　was　aggravated　by　the　weakening　and　warping　of　his　mental　and　physical　faculties　through　torture　and　privation。　　From　cold；　calculating；　highly　intelligent　perversity　it　had　deteriorated　into　the　indiscriminating；　dangerous　menace　of　the　mentally　defective。　　His　plan；　however；　was　sufficiently　cunning　to　at　least　cast　a　doubt　upon　the　assertion　that　his　mentality　was　wandering。　　It　assured　him　first　of　the　competence　which　Lord　Greystoke　had　promised　to　pay　him　for　the　deportation　of　the　ape；　and　then　of　revenge　upon　his　benefactor　through　the　son　he　idolized。　　That　part　of　his　scheme　was　crude　and　brutalit　lacked　the　refinement　of　torture　that　had　marked　the　master　strokes　of　the　Paulvitch　of　old；　when　he　had　worked　with　that　virtuoso　of　villainy；　Nikolas　Rokoffbut　it　at　least　assured　Paulvitch　of　immunity　from　responsibility；　placing　that　upon　the　ape；　who　would　thus　also　be　punished　for　his　refusal　longer　to　support　the　Russian。

Everything　played　with　fiendish　unanimity　into　Paulvitch's　hands。　　As　chance　would　have　it；　Tarzan's　son　overheard　his　father　relating　to　the　boy's　mother　the　steps　he　was　taking　to　return　Akut　safely　to　his　jungle　home；　and　having　overheard　he　begged　them　to　bring　the　ape　home　that　he　might　have　him　for　a　play…fellow。　　Tarzan　would　not　have　been　averse　to　this　plan；　but　Lady　Greystoke　was　horrified　at　the　very　thought　of　it。　　Jack　pleaded　with　his　mother；　but　all　unavailingly。　　She　was　obdurate；　and　at　last　the　lad　appeared　to　acquiesce　in　his　mother's　decision　that　the　ape　must　be　returned　to　Africa　and　the　boy　to　school；　from　which　he　had　been　absent　on　vacation。

He　did　not　attempt　to　visit　Paulvitch's　room　again　that　day；　but　instead　busied　himself　in　other　ways。　　He　had　always　been　well　supplied　with　money；　so　that　when　necessity　demanded　he　had　no　difficulty　in　collecting　several　hundred　pounds。　　Some　of　this　money　he　invested　in　various　strange　purchases　which　he　managed　to　smuggle　into　the　house；　undetected；　when　he　returned　late　in　the　afternoon。

The　next　morning；　after　giving　his　father　time　to　precede　him　and　conclude　his　business　with　Paulvitch；　the　lad　hastened　to　the　Russian's　room。　　Knowing　nothing　of　the　man's　true　character　the　boy　dared　not　take　him　fully　into　his　confidence　for　fear　that　the　old　fellow　would　not　only　refuse　to　aid　him；　but　would　report　the　whole　affair　to　his　father。　　Instead；　he　simply　asked　permission　to　take　Ajax　to　Dover。　　He　explained　that　it　would　relieve　the　old　man　of　a　tiresome　journey；　as　well　as　placing　a　number　of　pounds　in　his　pocket；　for　the　lad　purposed　paying　the　Russian　well。

〃You　see；〃　he　went　on；　〃there　will　be　no　danger　of　detection　since　I　am　supposed　to　be　leaving　on　an　afternoon　train　for　school。　　Instead　I　will　come　here　after　they　have　left　me　on　board　the　train。　　Then　I　can　take　Ajax　to　Dover；　you　see；　and　arrive　at　school　only　a　day　late。　　No　one　will　be　the　wiser；　no　harm　will　be　done；　and　I　shall　have　had　an　extra　day　with　Ajax　before　I　lose　him　forever。〃

The　plan　fitted　perfectly　with　that　which　Paulvitch　had　in　mind。　　Had　he　known　what　further　the　boy　contemplated　he　would　doubtless　have　entirely　abandoned　his　own　scheme　of　revenge　and　aided　the　boy　whole　heartedly　in　the　consummation　of　the　lad's；　which　would　have　been　better　for　Paulvitch；　could　he　have　but　read　the　future　but　a　few　short　hours　ahead。

That　afternoon　Lord　and　Lady　Greystoke　bid　their　son　good…　bye　and　saw　him　safely　settled　in　a　first…class　compartment　of　the　railway　carriage　that　would　set　him　down　at　school　in　a　few　hours。　　No　sooner　had　they　left　him；　however；　than　he　gathered　his　bags　together；　descended　from　the　compartment　and　sought　a　cab　stand　outside　the　station。　　Here　he　engaged　a　cabby　to　take　him　to　the　Russian's　address。　　It　was　dusk　when　he　arrived。　　He　found　Paulvitch　awaiting　him。　　The　man　was　pacing　the　floor　nervously。　　The　ape　was　tied　with　a　stout　cord　to　the　bed。　　It　was　the　first　time　that　Jack　had　ever　seen　Ajax　thus　secured。　　He　looked　questioningly　at　Paulvitch。　　The　man；　mumbling；　explained　that　he　believed　the　animal　had　guessed　that　he　was　to　be　sent　away　and　he　feared　he　would　attempt　to　escape。

Paulvitch　carried　another　piece　of　cord　in　his　hand。　　There　was　a　noose　in　one　end　of　it　which　he　was　continually　playing　with。　　He　walked　back　and　forth；　up　and　down　the　room。　　His　pock…marked　features　were　working　horrib