tarzan the terrible-第42部分

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ed　even　closer　to　the　ear　of　the　high　priest　of　Tu…lur；　〃if　you　would　be　high　priest　at　A…lur　it　is　within　your　power。〃

Pan…sat　ceased　speaking　and　waited　for　the　other's　reply。　The　high　priest　was　visibly　affected。　To　be　high　priest　at　A…lur！　That　was　almost　as　good　as　being　king　of　all　Pal…ul…don；　for　great　were　the　powers　of　him　who　conducted　the　sacrifices　upon　the　altars　of　A…lur。

〃How？〃　whispered　the　high　priest。　〃How　may　I　become　high　priest　at　A…lur？〃

Again　Pan…sat　leaned　close：　〃By　killing　the　one　and　bringing　the　other　to　A…lur；〃　replied　he。　Then　he　rose　and　departed　knowing　chat　the　other　had　swallowed　the　bait　and　could　be　depended　upon　to　do　whatever　was　required　to　win　him　the　great　prize。

Nor　was　Pan…sat　mistaken　other　than　in　one　trivial　consideration。　This　high　priest　would　indeed　commit　murder　and　treason　to　attain　the　high　office　at　A…lur；　but　he　had　misunderstood　which　of　his　victims　was　to　be　killed　and　which　to　be　delivered　to　Lu…don。　Pan…sat；　knowing　himself　all　the　details　of　the　plannings　of　Lu…don；　had　made　the　quite　natural　error　of　assuming　that　the　ocher　was　perfectly　aware　that　only　by　publicly　sacrificing　the　false　Dor…ul…Otho　could　the　high　priest　at　A…lur　bolster　his　waning　power　and　that　the　assassination　of　Mo…sar；　the　pretender；　would　remove　from　Lu…don's　camp　the　only　obstacle　to　his　combining　the　offices　of　high　priest　and　king。　The　high　priest　at　Tu…lur　thought　that　he　had　been　commissioned　to　kill　Tarzan　and　bring　Mo…sar　to　A…lur。　He　also　thought　that　when　he　had　done　these　things　he　would　be　made　high　priest　at　A…lur；　but　he　did　not　know　that　already　the　priest　had　been　selected　who　was　to　murder　him　within　the　hour　that　he　arrived　at　A…lur；　nor　did　he　know　that　a　secret　grave　had　been　prepared　for　him　in　the　floor　of　a　subterranean　chamber　in　the　very　temple　he　dreamed　of　controlling。

And　so　when　he　should　have　been　arranging　the　assassination　of　his　chief　he　was　leading　a　dozen　heavily　bribed　warriors　through　the　dark　corridors　beneath　the　temple　to　slay　Tarzan　in　the　lion　pit。　Night　had　fallen。　A　single　torch　guided　the　footsteps　of　the　murderers　as　they　crept　stealthily　upon　their　evil　way；　for　they　knew　that　they　were　doing　the　thing　that　their　chief　did　not　want　done　and　their　guilty　consciences　warned　them　to　stealth。

In　the　dark　of　his　cell　the　ape…man　worked　at　his　seemingly　endless　chipping　and　scraping。　His　keen　ears　detected　the　coming　of　footsteps　along　the　corridor　withoutfootsteps　that　approached　the　larger　door。　Always　before　had　they　come　to　the　smaller　doorthe　footsteps　of　a　single　slave　who　brought　his　food。　This　time　there　were　many　more　than　one　and　their　coming　at　this　time　of　night　carried　a　sinister　suggestion。　Tarzan　continued　to　work　at　his　scraping　and　chipping。　He　heard　them　stop　beyond　the　door。　All　was　silence　broken　only　by　the　scrape；　scrape；　scrape　of　the　ape…man's　tireless　blade。

Those　without　heard　it　and　listening　sought　to　explain　it。　They　whispered　in　low　tones　making　their　plans。　Two　would　raise　the　door　quickly　and　the　others　would　rush　in　and　hurl　their　clubs　at　the　prisoner。　They　would　take　no　chances；　for　the　stories　that　had　circulated　in　A…lur　had　been　brought　to　Tu…lurstories　of　the　great　strength　and　wonderful　prowess　of　Tarzan…jad…guru　that　caused　the　sweat　to　stand　upon　the　brows　of　the　warriors；　though　it　was　cool　in　the　damp　corridor　and　they　were　twelve　to　one。

And　then　the　high　priest　gave　the　signalthe　door　shot　upward　and　ten　warriors　leaped　into　the　chamber　with　poised　clubs。　Three　of　the　heavy　weapons　flew　across　the　room　toward　a　darker　shadow　that　lay　in　the　shadow　of　the　opposite　wall；　then　the　flare　of　the　torch　in　the　priest's　hand　lighted　the　interior　and　they　saw　that　the　thing　at　which　they　had　flung　their　clubs　was　a　pile　of　skins　torn　from　the　windows　and　that　except　for　themselves　the　chamber　was　vacant。

One　of　them　hastened　to　a　window。　All　but　a　single　bar　was　gone　and　to　this　was　tied　one　end　of　a　braided　rope　fashioned　from　strips　cut　from　the　leather　window　hangings。

To　the　ordinary　dangers　of　Jane　Clayton's　existence　was　now　added　the　menace　of　Obergatz'　knowledge　of　her　whereabouts。　The　lion　and　the　panther　had　given　her　less　cause　for　anxiety　than　did　the　return　of　the　unscrupulous　Hun；　whom　she　had　always　distrusted　and　feared；　and　whose　repulsiveness　was　now　immeasurably　augmented　by　his　unkempt　and　filthy　appearance；　his　strange　and　mirthless　laughter；　and　his　unnatural　demeanor。　She　feared　him　now　with　a　new　fear　as　though　he　had　suddenly　become　the　personification　of　some　nameless　horror。　The　wholesome；　outdoor　life　that　she　had　been　leading　had　strengthened　and　rebuilt　her　nervous　system　yet　it　seemed　to　her　as　she　thought　of　him　that　if　this　man　should　ever　touch　her　she　should　scream；　and；　possibly；　even　faint。　Again　and　again　during　the　day　following　their　unexpected　meeting　the　woman　reproached　herself　for　not　having　killed　him　as　she　would　ja　or　jato　or　any　other　predatory　beast　that　menaced　her　existence　or　her　safety。　There　was　no　attempt　at　self…justification　for　these　sinister　reflectionsthey　needed　no　justification。　The　standards　by　which　the　acts　of　such　as　you　or　I　may　be　judged　could　not　apply　to　hers。　We　have　recourse　to　the　protection　of　friends　and　relatives　and　the　civil　soldiery　that　upholds　the　majesty　of　the　law　and　which　may　be　invoked　to　protect　the　righteous　weak　against　the　unrighteous　strong；　but　Jane　Clayton　comprised　within　herself　not　only　the　righteous　weak　but　all　the　various　agencies　for　the　protection　of　the　weak。　To　her；　then；　Lieutenant　Erich　Obergatz　presented　no　different　problem　than　did　ja；　the　lion；　other　than　that　she　considered　the　former　the　more　dangerous　animal。　And　so　she　determined　that　should　he　ignore　her　warning　there　would　be　no　temporizing　upon　the　occasion　of　their　next　meetingthe　same　swift　spear　that　would　meet　ja's　advances　would　meet　his。

That　night　her　snug　little　nest　perched　high　in　the　great　tree　seemed　less　the　sanctuary　that　it　had　before。　What　might　resist　the　sanguinary　intentions　of　a　prowling　panther　would　prove　no　great　barrier　to　man；　and　influenced　by　this　thought　she　slept　less　well　than　before。　The　slightest　noise　that　broke　the　monotonous　hum　of　the　nocturnal　jungle　startled　her　into　alert　wakefulness　to　lie　with　straining　ears　in　an　attempt　to　classify　the　origin　of　the　disturbance；　and　once　she　was　awakened　thus　by　a　sound　that　seemed　to　come　from　something　moving　in　her　own　tree。　She　listened　intentlyscarce　breathing。　Yes；　there　it　was　again。　A　scuffing　of　something　soft　against　the　hard　bark　of　the　tree。　The　woman　reached　out　in　the　darkness　and　grasped　her　spear。　Now　she　felt　a　slight　sagging　of　one　of　the　limbs　that　supported　her　shelter　as　though　the　thing；　whatever　it　was；　was　slowly　raising　its　weight　to　the　branch。　It　came　nearer。　Now　she　thought　that　she　could　detect　its　breathing。　It　was　at　the　door。　She　could　hear　it　fumbling　with　the　frail　barrier。　What　could　it　be？　It　made　no　sound　by　which　she　might　identify　it。　She　raised　herself　upon　her　hands　and　knees　and　crept　stealthily　the　little　distance　to　the　doorway；　her　spear　clutched　tightly　in　her　hand。　Whatever　the　thing　was；　it　was　evidently　attempting　to　gain　entrance　without　awakening　her。　It　was　just　beyond　the　pitiful　little　contraption　of　slender　boughs　that　she　had　bound　together　with　grasses　and　called　a　dooronly　a　few　inches　lay　between　the　thing　and　her。　Rising　to　her　knees　she　reached　out　with　her　left　hand　and　felt　until　she　found　a　place　where　a　crooked　branch　had　left　an　opening　a　couple　of　inches　wide　near　the　center　of　the　barrier。　Into　this　she　inserted　the　point　of　her　spear。　The　thing　must　have　heard　her　move　within　for　suddenly　it　abandoned　its　efforts　for　stealth　and　tore　angrily　at　the　obstacle。　At　the　same　moment　Jane　thrust　her　spear　forward　with　all　her　strength。　She　felt　it　enter　flesh。　There　was　a　scream　and　a　curse　from　without；　followed　by　the　crashing　of　a　body　through　limbs　and　foliage。　Her　spear　was　almost　dragged　from　her　grasp；　but　she　held　to　it　until　it　broke　free　from　the　thing　it　had　pierced。

It　was　Obergatz；　the　curse　had　told　her　that。　From　below　came　no　further　sound。　Had　she；　then；　killed　him？　She　prayed　sowith　all　her　heart　she　prayed　it。　To　be　freed　from　the　menace　of　this　loathsome　creature　were　relief　indeed。　During　all　the　balance　of　the　night　she　lay　there　awake；　listening。　Below　her；　she　imagined；　she　could　see　the　dead　man　with　his　hideous　face　bathed　in　the　cold　light　of　the　moonlying　there　upon　his　back　staring　up　at　her。

She　prayed　that　ja　might　come　and　drag　it　away；　but　all　during　the　remainder　of　the　night　she　heard　never　another　sound　above　the　drowsy　hum　of　the　jungle。　She　was　glad　that　he　was　dead；　but　she　dreaded　the　gruesome　ordeal　that　awaited　her　on　the　morrow；　for　she　must　bury　the　thing　that　had　been　Erich　Obergatz　and　live　on　there　above　the　shallow　grave　of　the　man　she　had　slain。

She　reproached　herself　for　her　weakness；　repeating　over　and　over　that　she　had　killed　in　self…defense；　that　her　act　was　justified；　but　she　was　still　a　woman　of　today；　and　strong　upon　her　were　the　iron　mandates　of　the　social　order　from　which　she　had　sprung；　its　interdictions　and　its　superstitions。

At　last　came　the　tardy　dawn。　Slowly　the　sun　topped　the　distant　mountains　beyond　Jad…in…lul。　And　yet　she　hesitated　to　loosen　the　fastenings　of　her　door　and　look　out　upon　the　thing　below。　But　it　must　be　done。　She　steeled　herself　and　untied　the　rawhide　thong　that　secured　the　barrier。　She　looked　down　and　only　the　grass　and　the　flowers　looked　up　at　her。　She　came　from　her　shelter　and　examined　the　ground　upon　the　opposite　side　of　the　treethere　was　no　dead　man　there；　nor　anywhere　as　far　as　she　could　see。　Slowly　she　descended；　keeping　a　wary　eye　and　an　alert　ear　ready　for　the　first　intimation　of　danger。

At　the　foot　of　the　tree　was　a　pool　of　blood　and　a　little　trail　of　crimson　drops　upon　the　grass；　leading　away　parallel　with　the　shore　of　Jad…ben…lul。　Then　she　had　not　slain　him！　She　was　vaguely　aware　of　a　peculiar；　double　sensation　of　relief　and　regret。　Now　she　would　be　always　in　doubt。　He　might　return；　but　at　least　she　would　not　have　to　live　above　his　grave。

She　thought　some　of　following　the　bloody　spoor　on　the　cha