the son of tarzan-第6部分

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with。　　He　walked　back　and　forth；　up　and　down　the　room。　　His　pock…marked　features　were　working　horribly　as　he　talked　silent　to　himself。　　The　boy　had　never　seen　him　thusit　made　him　uneasy。　　At　last　Paulvitch　stopped　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　room；　far　from　the　ape。

〃Come　here；〃　he　said　to　the　lad。　　〃I　will　show　you　how　to　secure　the　ape　should　he　show　signs　of　rebellion　during　the　trip。〃

The　lad　laughed。　　〃It　will　not　be　necessary；〃　he　replied。　　〃Ajax　will　do　whatever　I　tell　him　to　do。〃

The　old　man　stamped　his　foot　angrily。　　〃Come　here；　as　I　tell　you；〃　he　repeated。　　〃If　you　do　not　do　as　I　say　you　shall　not　accompany　the　ape　to　DoverI　will　take　no　chances　upon　his　escaping。〃

Still　smiling；　the　lad　crossed　the　room　and　stood　before　the　Russ。

〃Turn　around；　with　your　back　toward　me；〃　directed　the　latter；　〃that　I　may　show　you　how　to　bind　him　quickly。〃

The　boy　did　as　he　was　bid；　placing　his　hands　behind　him　when　Paulvitch　told　him　to　do　so。　　Instantly　the　old　man　slipped　the　running　noose　over　one　of　the　lad's　wrists；　took　a　couple　of　half　hitches　about　his　other　wrist；　and　knotted　the　cord。

The　moment　that　the　boy　was　secured　the　attitude　of　the　man　changed。　　With　an　angry　oath　he　wheeled　his　prisoner　about；　tripped　him　and　hurled　him　violently　to　the　floor；　leaping　upon　his　breast　as　he　fell。　　From　the　bed　the　ape　growled　and　struggled　with　his　bonds。　　The　boy　did　not　cry　outa　trait　inherited　from　his　savage　sire　whom　long　years　in　the　jungle　following　the　death　of　his　foster　mother；　Kala　the　great　ape；　had　taught　that　there　was　none　to　come　to　the　succor　of　the　fallen。

Paulvitch's　fingers　sought　the　lad's　throat。　　He　grinned　down　horribly　into　the　face　of　his　victim。

〃Your　father　ruined　me；〃　he　mumbled。　　〃This　will　pay　him。　He　will　think　that　the　ape　did　it。　　I　will　tell　him　that　the　ape　did　it。　　That　I　left　him　alone　for　a　few　minutes；　and　that　you　sneaked　in　and　the　ape　killed　you。　　I　will　throw　your　body　upon　the　bed　after　I　have　choked　the　life　from　you；　and　when　I　bring　your　father　he　will　see　the　ape　squatting　over　it；〃　and　the　twisted　fiend　cackled　in　gloating　laughter。　　His　fingers　closed　upon　the　boy's　throat。

Behind　them　the　growling　of　the　maddened　beast　reverberated　against　the　walls　of　the　little　room。　　The　boy　paled；　but　no　other　sign　of　fear　or　panic　showed　upon　his　countenance。　　He　was　the　son　of　Tarzan。　　The　fingers　tightened　their　grip　upon　his　throat。　It　was　with　difficulty　that　he　breathed；　gaspingly。　　The　ape　lunged　against　the　stout　cord　that　held　him。　　Turning；　he　wrapped　the　cord　about　his　hands；　as　a　man　might　have　done；　and　surged　heavily　backward。　　The　great　muscles　stood　out　beneath　his　shaggy　hide。　　There　was　a　rending　as　of　splintered　woodthe　cord　held；　but　a　portion　of　the　footboard　of　the　bed　came　away。

At　the　sound　Paulvitch　looked　up。　　His　hideous　face　went　white　with　terrorthe　ape　was　free。

With　a　single　bound　the　creature　was　upon　him。　　The　man　shrieked。　　The　brute　wrenched　him　from　the　body　of　the　boy。　　Great　fingers　sunk　into　the　man's　flesh。　　Yellow　fangs　gaped　close　to　his　throathe　struggled；　futilelyand　when　they　closed；　the　soul　of　Alexis　Paulvitch　passed　into　the　keeping　of　the　demons　who　had　long　been　awaiting　it。

The　boy　struggled　to　his　feet；　assisted　by　Akut。　　For　two　hours　under　the　instructions　of　the　former　the　ape　worked　upon　the　knots　that　secured　his　friend's　wrists。　　Finally　they　gave　up　their　secret；　and　the　boy　was　free。　　Then　he　opened　one　of　his　bags　and　drew　forth　some　garments。　　His　plans　had　been　well　made。　　He　did　not　consult　the　beast；　which　did　all　that　he　directed。　　Together　they　slunk　from　the　house；　but　no　casual　observer　might　have　noted　that　one　of　them　was　an　ape。



Chapter　4

The　killing　of　the　friendless　old　Russian；　Michael　Sabrov；　by　his　great　trained　ape；　was　a　matter　for　newspaper　comment　for　a　few　days。　　Lord　Greystoke　read　of　it；　and　while　taking　special　precautions　not　to　permit　his　name　to　become　connected　with　the　affair；　kept　himself　well　posted　as　to　the　police　search　for　the　anthropoid。

As　was　true　of　the　general　public；　his　chief　interest　in　the　matter　centered　about　the　mysterious　disappearance　of　the　slayer。　Or　at　least　this　was　true　until　he　learned；　several　days　subsequent　to　the　tragedy；　that　his　son　Jack　had　not　reported　at　the　public　school　en　route　for　which　they　had　seen　him　safely　ensconced　in　a　railway　carriage。　　Even　then　the　father　did　not　connect　the　disappearance　of　his　son　with　the　mystery　surrounding　the　whereabouts　of　the　ape。　　Nor　was　it　until　a　month　later　that　careful　investigation　revealed　the　fact　that　the　boy　had　left　the　train　before　it　pulled　out　of　the　station　at　London；　and　the　cab　driver　had　been　found　who　had　driven　him　to　the　address　of　the　old　Russian；　that　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　realized　that　Akut　had　in　some　way　been　connected　with　the　disappearance　of　the　boy。

Beyond　the　moment　that　the　cab　driver　had　deposited　his　fare　beside　the　curb　in　front　of　the　house　in　which　the　Russian　had　been　quartered　there　was　no　clue。　　No　one　had　seen　either　the　boy　or　the　ape　from　that　instantat　least　no　one　who　still　lived。　　The　proprietor　of　the　house　identified　the　picture　of　the　lad　as　that　of　one　who　had　been　a　frequent　visitor　in　the　room　of　the　old　man。　　Aside　from　this　he　knew　nothing。　　And　there；　at　the　door　of　a　grimy；　old　building　in　the　slums　of　London；　the　searchers　came　to　a　blank　wallbaffled。

The　day　following　the　death　of　Alexis　Paulvitch　a　youth　accompanying　his　invalid　grandmother；　boarded　a　steamer　at　Dover。　　The　old　lady　was　heavily　veiled；　and　so　weakened　by　age　and　sickness　that　she　had　to　be　wheeled　aboard　the　vessel　in　an　invalid　chair。

The　boy　would　permit　none　but　himself　to　wheel　her；　and　with　his　own　hands　assisted　her　from　the　chair　to　the　interior　of　their　stateroomand　that　was　the　last　that　was　seen　of　the　old　lady　by　the　ship's　company　until　the　pair　disembarked。　　The　boy　even　insisted　upon　doing　the　work　of　their　cabin　steward；　since；　as　he　explained；　his　grandmother　was　suffering　from　a　nervous　disposition　that　made　the　presence　of　strangers　extremely　distasteful　to　her。

Outside　the　cabinand　none　there　was　aboard　who　knew　what　he　did　in　the　cabinthe　lad　was　just　as　any　other　healthy；　normal　English　boy　might　have　been。　　He　mingled　with　his　fellow　passengers；　became　a　prime　favorite　with　the　officers；　and　struck　up　numerous　friendships　among　the　common　sailors。　　He　was　generous　and　unaffected；　yet　carried　an　air　of　dignity　and　strength　of　character　that　inspired　his　many　new　friends　with　admiration　as　well　as　affection　for　him。

Among　the　passengers　there　was　an　American　named　Condon；　a　noted　blackleg　and　crook　who　was　〃wanted〃　in　a　half　dozen　of　the　larger　cities　of　the　United　States。　　He　had　paid　little　attention　to　the　boy　until　on　one　occasion　he　had　seen　him　accidentally　display　a　roll　of　bank　notes。　　From　then　on　Condon　cultivated　the　youthful　Briton。　　He　learned；　easily；　that　the　boy　was　traveling　alone　with　his　invalid　grandmother；　and　that　their　destination　was　a　small　port　on　the　west　coast　of　Africa；　a　little　below　the　equator；　that　their　name　was　Billings；　and　that　they　had　no　friends　in　the　little　settlement　for　which　they　were　bound。　　Upon　the　point　of　their　purpose　in　visiting　the　place　Condon　found　the　boy　reticent；　and　so　he　did　not　push　the　matterhe　had　learned　all　that　he　cared　to　know　as　it　was。

Several　times　Condon　attempted　to　draw　the　lad　into　a　card　game；　but　his　victim　was　not　interested；　and　the　black　looks　of　several　of　the　other　men　passengers　decided　the　American　to　find　other　means　of　transferring　the　boy's　bank　roll　to　his　own　pocket。

At　last　came　the　day　that　the　steamer　dropped　anchor　in　the　lee　of　a　wooded　promontory　where　a　score　or　more　of　sheet…　iron　shacks　making　an　unsightly　blot　upon　the　fair　face　of　nature　proclaimed　the　fact　that　civilization　had　set　its　heel。　　Straggling　upon　the　outskirts　were　the　thatched　huts　of　natives；　picturesque　in　their　primeval　savagery；　harmonizing　with　the　background　of　tropical　jungle　and　accentuating　the　squalid　hideousness　of　the　white　man's　pioneer　architecture。

The　boy；　leaning　over　the　rail；　was　looking　far　beyond　the　man…made　town　deep　into　the　God…made　jungle。　　A　little　shiver　of　anticipation　tingled　his　spine；　and　then；　quite　without　volition；　he　found　himself　gazing　into　the　loving　eyes　of　his　mother　and　the　strong　face　of　the　father　which　mirrored；　beneath　its　masculine　strength；　a　love　no　less　than　the　mother's　eyes　proclaimed。　　He　felt　himself　weakening　in　his　resolve。　　Nearby　one　of　the　ship's　officers　was　shouting　orders　to　a　flotilla　of　native　boats　that　was　approaching　to　lighter　the　consignment　of　the　steamer's　cargo　destined　for　this　tiny　post。

〃When　does　the　next　steamer　for　England　touch　here？〃　the　boy　asked。

〃The　Emanuel　ought　to　be　along　most　any　time　now；〃　replied　the　officer。　　〃I　figgered　we'd　find　her　here；〃　and　he　went　on　with　his　bellowing　remarks　to　the　dusty　horde　drawing　close　to　the　steamer's　side。

The　task　of　lowering　the　boy's　grandmother　over　the　side　to　a　waiting　canoe　was　rather　difficult。　　The　lad　insisted　on　being　always　at　her　side；　and　when　at　last　she　was　safely　ensconced　in　the　bottom　of　the　craft　that　was　to　bear　them　shoreward　her　grandson　dropped　catlike　after　her。　　So　interested　was　he　in　seeing　her　comfortably　disposed　that　he　failed　to　notice　the　little　package　that　had　worked　from　his　pocket　as　he　assisted　in　lowering　the　sling　that　contained　the　old　woman　over　the　steamer's　side；　nor　did　he　notice　it　even　as　it　slipped　out　entirely　and　dropped　into　the　sea。

Scarcely　had　the　boat　containing　the　boy　and　the　old　woman　started　for　the　shore　than　Condon　hailed　a　canoe　upon　the　other　side　of　the　ship；　and　after　bargaining　with　its　owner　finally　lowered　his　baggage　and　himself　aboard。　　Once　ashore　he　kept　out　of　sight　of　the　two…story　atrocity　that　bore　the　legend　〃Hotel〃　to　lure　unsuspecting　wayfarers　to　its　multitudinous　discomforts。　　It　was　quite　dark　before　he　ventured　to　enter　and　arrange　for　accommodations。

In　a　back　room　upon　the　second　floor　the　lad　was　explaining；　not　without　considerable　difficulty；　to　his　grandmother　that　he　had　decided　to　return　to　England　upon　the　next　steamer。　　He　was　endeavoring　to　make　i