the return of tarzan-第11部分

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An　hour　later　Tarzan；　with　a　rather　bulky　manuscript　in　his

coat　pocket；　turned　at　the　door　leading　from　Rokoff's　room。



〃Were　I　you　I　should　leave　France；〃　he　said；　〃for　sooner

or　later　I　shall　find　an　excuse　to　kill　you　that　will　not　in

any　way　compromise　your　sister。〃







Chapter　6





A　Duel





D'Arnot　was　asleep　when　Tarzan　entered　their　apartments

after　leaving　Rokoff's。　　Tarzan　did　not　disturb　him；　but

the　following　morning　he　narrated　the　happenings　of

the　previous　evening；　omitting　not　a　single　detail。



〃What　a　fool　I　have　been；〃　he　concluded。　　〃De　Coude　and

his　wife　were　both　my　friends。　　How　have　I　returned　their

friendship？　　Barely　did　I　escape　murdering　the　count。　　I　have

cast　a　stigma　on　the　name　of　a　good　woman。　　It　is　very　probable

that　I　have　broken　up　a　happy　home。〃



〃Do　you　love　Olga　de　Coude？〃　asked　D'Arnot。



〃Were　I　not　positive　that　she　does　not　love　me　I　could　not

answer　your　question；　Paul；　but　without　disloyalty　to　her　I

tell　you　that　I　do　not　love　her；　nor　does　she　love　me。　　For　an

instant　we　were　the　victims　of　a　sudden　madnessit　was　not

loveand　it　would　have　left　us；　unharmed；　as　suddenly　as

it　had　come　upon　us　even　though　De　Coude　had　not　returned。

As　you　know；　I　have　had　little　experience　of　women。　　Olga

de　Coude　is　very　beautiful；　that；　and　the　dim　light　and　the

seductive　surroundings；　and　the　appeal　of　the　defenseless　for

protection；　might　have　been　resisted　by　a　more　civilized

man；　but　my　civilization　is　not　even　skin　deepit　does　not　go

deeper　than　my　clothes。



〃Paris　is　no　place　for　me。　　I　will　but　continue　to　stumble

into　more　and　more　serious　pitfalls。　　The　man…made

restrictions　are　irksome。　　I　feel　always　that　I　am　a　prisoner。

I　cannot　endure　it；　my　friend；　and　so　I　think　that　I　shall　go

back　to　my　own　jungle；　and　lead　the　life　that　God　intended

that　I　should　lead　when　He　put　me　there。〃



〃Do　not　take　it　so　to　heart；　Jean；〃　responded　D'Arnot。

〃You　have　acquitted　yourself　much　better　than　most

‘civilized'　men　would　have　under　similar　circumstances。

As　to　leaving　Paris　at　this　time；　I　rather　think　that

Raoul　de　Coude　may　be　expected　to　have　something　to　say

on　that　subject　before　long。〃



Nor　was　D'Arnot　mistaken。　　A　week　later　on　Monsieur　Flaubert

was　announced　about　eleven　in　the　morning；　as　D'Arnot　and

Tarzan　were　breakfasting。　　Monsieur　Flaubert　was　an

impressively　polite　gentleman。　　With　many　low　bows　he　delivered

Monsieur　le　Count　de　Coude's　challenge　to　Monsieur　Tarzan。

Would　monsieur　be　so　very　kind　as　to　arrange　to　have

a　friend　meet　Monsieur　Flaubert　at　as　early　an　hour　as

convenient；　that　the　details　might　be　arranged　to　the　mutual

satisfaction　of　all　concerned？



Certainly。　　Monsieur　Tarzan　would　be　delighted　to　place

his　interests　unreservedly　in　the　hands　of　his　friend；

Lieutenant　D'Arnot。　　And　so　it　was　arranged　that　D'Arnot

was　to　call　on　Monsieur　Flaubert　at　two　that　afternoon；

and　the　polite　Monsieur　Flaubert；　with　many　bows；　left　them。



When　they　were　again　alone　D'Arnot　looked　quizzically　at　Tarzan。



〃Well？〃　he　said。



〃Now　to　my　sins　I　must　add　murder；　or　else　myself　be　killed；〃

said　Tarzan。　　〃I　am　progressing　rapidly　in　the　ways　of

my　civilized　brothers。〃



〃What　weapons　shall　you　select？〃　asked　D'Arnot。

〃De　Coude　is　accredited　with　being　a　master　with　the　sword；

and　a　splendid　shot。〃



〃I　might　then　choose　poisoned　arrows　at　twenty　paces；

or　spears　at　the　same　distance；〃　laughed　Tarzan。

〃Make　it　pistols；　Paul。〃



〃He　will　kill　you；　Jean。〃



〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it；〃　replied　Tarzan。　　〃I　must　die　some　day。〃



〃We　had　better　make　it　swords；〃　said　D'Arnot。　　〃He　will　be

satisfied　with　wounding　you；　and　there　is　less　danger　of　a

mortal　wound。〃

〃Pistols；〃　said　Tarzan；　with　finality。



D'Arnot　tried　to　argue　him　out　of　it；　but　without　avail；

so　pistols　it　was。



D'Arnot　returned　from　his　conference　with　Monsieur　Flaubert

shortly　after　four。



〃It　is　all　arranged；〃　he　said。　　〃Everything　is　satisfactory。

Tomorrow　morning　at　daylightthere　is　a　secluded　spot　on

the　road　not　far　from　Etamps。　　For　some　personal　reason

Monsieur　Flaubert　preferred　it。　　I　did　not　demur。〃



〃Good！〃　was　Tarzan's　only　comment。　　He　did　not　refer　to

the　matter　again　even　indirectly。　　That　night　he　wrote　several

letters　before　he　retired。　　After　sealing　and　addressing　them

he　placed　them　all　in　an　envelope　addressed　to　D'Arnot。

As　he　undressed　D'Arnot　heard　him　humming　a　music…hall　ditty。



The　Frenchman　swore　under　his　breath。　　He　was　very　unhappy；

for　he　was　positive　that　when　the　sun　rose　the　next

morning　it　would　look　down　upon　a　dead　Tarzan。　　It　grated

upon　him　to　see　Tarzan　so　unconcerned。



〃This　is　a　most　uncivilized　hour　for　people　to　kill　each

other；〃　remarked　the　ape…man　when　he　had　been　routed　out　of

a　comfortable　bed　in　the　blackness　of　the　early　morning　hours。

He　had　slept　well；　and　so　it　seemed　that　his　head　scarcely

touched　the　pillow　ere　his　man　deferentially　aroused　him。

His　remark　was　addressed　to　D'Arnot；　who　stood　fully

dressed　in　the　doorway　of　Tarzan's　bedroom。



D'Arnot　had　scarcely　slept　at　all　during　the　night。　　He　was

nervous；　and　therefore　inclined　to　be　irritable。



〃I　presume　you　slept　like　a　baby　all　night；〃　he　said。



Tarzan　laughed。　　〃From　your　tone；　Paul；　I　infer　that　you

rather　harbor　the　fact　against　me。　　I　could　not　help　it；　really。〃



〃No；　Jean；　it　is　not　that；〃　replied　D'Arnot；　himself

smiling。　　〃But　you　take　the　entire　matter　with　such

infernal　indifferenceit　is　exasperating。　　One　would

think　that　you　were　going　out　to　shoot　at　a　target；

rather　than　to　face　one　of　the　best　shots　in　France。〃



Tarzan　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃I　am　going　out　to　expiate

a　great　wrong；　Paul。　　A　very　necessary　feature　of　the　expiation

is　the　marksmanship　of　my　opponent。　　Wherefore；　then；　should

I　be　dissatisfied？　　Have　you　not　yourself　told　me　that　Count

de　Coude　is　a　splendid　marksman？〃



〃You　mean　that　you　hope　to　be　killed？〃　exclaimed　D'Arnot；

in　horror。



〃I　cannot　say　that　I　hope　to　be；　but　you　must　admit　that

there　is　little　reason　to　believe　that　I　shall　not　be　killed。〃



Had　D'Arnot　known　the　thing　that　was　in　the　ape…man's

mindthat　had　been　in　his　mind　almost　from　the　first

intimation　that　De　Coude　would　call　him　to　account　on　the

field　of　honorhe　would　have　been　even　more　horrified　than

he　was。



In　silence　they　entered　D'Arnot's　great　car；　and　in

similar　silence　they　sped　over　the　dim　road　that　leads

to　Etamps。　　Each　man　was　occupied　with　his　own　thoughts。

D'Arnot's　were　very　mournful；　for　he　was　genuinely　fond

of　Tarzan。　　The　great　friendship　which　had　sprung　up　between

these　two　men　whose　lives　and　training　had　been　so　widely

different　had　but　been　strengthened　by　association；　for

they　were　both　men　to　whom　the　same　high　ideals　of　manhood；

of　personal　courage；　and　of　honor　appealed　with　equal　force。

They　could　understand　one　another；　and　each　could　be　proud

of　the　friendship　of　the　other。



Tarzan　of　the　Apes　was　wrapped　in　thoughts　of　the　past；

pleasant　memories　of　the　happier　occasions　of　his　lost

jungle　life。　　He　recalled　the　countless　boyhood　hours　that

he　had　spent　cross…legged　upon　the　table　in　his　dead　father's

cabin；　his　little　brown　body　bent　over　one　of　the　fascinating

picture　books　from　which；　unaided；　he　had　gleaned　the　secret

of　the　printed　language　long　before　the　sounds　of

human　speech　fell　upon　his　ears。　　A　smile　of　contentment

softened　his　strong　face　as　he　thought　of　that　day　of　days

that　he　had　had　alone　with　Jane　Porter　in　the　heart　of　his

primeval　forest。



Presently　his　reminiscences　were　broken　in　upon　by　the

stopping　of　the　carthey　were　at　their　destination。

Tarzan's　mind　returned　to　the　affairs　of　the　moment。

He　knew　that　he　was　about　to　die；　but　there　was　no　fear　of

death　in　him。　　To　a　denizen　of　the　cruel　jungle　death　is

a　commonplace。　　The　first　law　of　nature　compels　them　to

cling　tenaciously　to　lifeto　fight　for　it；　but　it　does

not　teach　them　to　fear　death。



D'Arnot　and　Tarzan　were　first　upon　the　field　of　honor。　　A

moment　later　De　Coude；　Monsieur　Flaubert；　and　a　third

gentleman　arrived。　　The　last　was　introduced　to　D'Arnot　and

Tarzan；　he　was　a　physician。



D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert　spoke　together　in　whispers

for　a　brief　time。　　The　Count　de　Coude　and　Tarzan　stood　apart

at　opposite　sides　of　the　field。　　Presently　the　seconds

summoned　them。　　D'Arnot　and　Monsieur　Flaubert　had　examined

both　pistols。　　The　two　men　who　were　to　face　each　other　a

moment　later　stood　silently　while　Monsieur　Flaubert　recited

the　conditions　they　were　to　observe。



They　were　to　stand　back　to　back。　　At　a　signal　from　Monsieur

Flaubert　they　were　to　walk　in　opposite　directions；

their　pistols　hanging　by　their　sides。　　When　each　had　proceeded

ten　paces　D'Arnot　was　to　give　the　final　signalthen　they

were　to　turn　and　fire　at　will　until　one　fell；　or　each　had

expended　the　three　shots　allowed。



While　Monsieur　Flaubert　spoke　Tarzan　selected　a　cigarette

from　his　case；　and　lighted　it。　　De　Coude　was　the　personification

of　coolnesswas　he　not　the　best　shot　in　France？



Presently　Monsieur　Flaubert　nodded　to　D'Arnot；　and

each　man　placed　his　principal　in　position。



〃Are　you　quite　ready；　gentlemen？〃　asked　Monsieur　Flaubert。



〃Quite；〃　replied　De　Coude。



Tarzan　nodded。　　Monsieur　Flaubert　gave　the　signal。　　He

and　D'Arnot　stepped　back　a　few　paces　to　be　out　of　the　line

of　fire　as　the　men　paced　slowly　apart。　　Six！　　Seven！　　Eight！

There　were　tears　in　D'Arnot's　eyes。　　He　loved　Tarzan　very　much。

Nine！　　Another　pace；　and　the　poor　lieutenant　gave　the

signal　he　so　hated　to　give。　　To　him　it　sounded　the　doom

of　his　best　friend。



Quickly　De　Coude　wheeled　and　fired。　　Tarzan　gave　a　little　start。

His　pistol　still　dangled　at　his　side。　　De　Coude　hesitated；

as　though　waiting　to　see　hi