the return of tarzan-第6部分

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But　the　other　thing　that　he　saw　was　of　more　immediate　interest。

It　was　a　great　brute　of　a　fellow　tiptoeing　upon　him　from

behind　with　a　huge　bludgeon　in　his　hand；　and　then；　as

the　man　and　his　confederates　saw　that　he　was　discovered；

there　was　a　concerted　rush　upon　Tarzan　from　all　sides。

Some　of　the　men　drew　knives。　　Others　picked　up　chairs；　while　the

fellow　with　the　bludgeon　raised　it　high　above　his　head　in　a

mighty　swing　that　would　have　crushed　Tarzan's　head　had　it

ever　descended　upon　it。



But　the　brain；　and　the　agility；　and　the　muscles　that　had　coped

with　the　mighty　strength　and　cruel　craftiness　of　Terkoz　and

Numa　in　the　fastness　of　their　savage　jungle　were　not　to　be　so

easily　subdued　as　these　apaches　of　Paris　had　believed。



Selecting　his　most　formidable　antagonist；　the　fellow　with

the　bludgeon；　Tarzan　charged　full　upon　him；　dodging　the

falling　weapon；　and　catching　the　man　a　terrific　blow　on　the

point　of　the　chin　that　felled　him　in　his　tracks。



Then　he　turned　upon　the　others。　　This　was　sport。　　He　was

reveling　in　the　joy　of　battle　and　the　lust　of　blood。　　As　though

it　had　been　but　a　brittle　shell；　to　break　at　the　least　rough

usage；　the　thin　veneer　of　his　civilization　fell　from　him；　and

the　ten　burly　villains　found　themselves　penned　in　a　small

room　with　a　wild　and　savage　beast；　against　whose　steel

muscles　their　puny　strength　was　less　than　futile。



At　the　end　of　the　corridor　without　stood　Rokoff；　waiting

the　outcome　of　the　affair。　　He　wished　to　be　sure　that　Tarzan

was　dead　before　he　left；　but　it　was　not　a　part　of　his　plan　to

be　one　of　those　within　the　room　when　the　murder　occurred。



The　woman　still　stood　where　she　had　when　Tarzan　entered；

but　her　face　had　undergone　a　number　of　changes　with

the　few　minutes　which　had　elapsed。　　From　the　semblance　of

distress　which　it　had　worn　when　Tarzan　first　saw　it；　it　had

changed　to　one　of　craftiness　as　he　had　wheeled　to　meet　the

attack　from　behind；　but　the　change　Tarzan　had　not　seen。



Later　an　expression　of　surprise　and　then　one　of　horror

superseded　the　others。　　And　who　may　wonder。　　For　the

immaculate　gentleman　her　cries　had　lured　to　what　was　to　have

been　his　death　had　been　suddenly　metamorphosed　into　a

demon　of　revenge。　　Instead　of　soft　muscles　and　a　weak

resistance；　she　was　looking　upon　a　veritable　Hercules　gone　mad。



〃MON　DIEU！〃　she　cried；　〃he　is　a　beast！〃　　For　the　strong；

white　teeth　of　the　ape…man　had　found　the　throat　of　one　of

his　assailants；　and　Tarzan　fought　as　he　had　learned　to　fight

with　the　great　bull　apes　of　the　tribe　of　Kerchak。



He　was　in　a　dozen　places　at　once；　leaping　hither　and

thither　about　the　room　in　sinuous　bounds　that　reminded

the　woman　of　a　panther　she　had　seen　at　the　zoo。　　Now　a　wrist…

bone　snapped　in　his　iron　grip；　now　a　shoulder　was　wrenched

from　its　socket　as　he　forced　a　victim's　arm　backward　and　upward。



With　shrieks　of　pain　the　men　escaped　into　the　hallway　as

quickly　as　they　could；　but　even　before　the　first　one　staggered；

bleeding　and　broken；　from　the　room；　Rokoff　had　seen　enough

to　convince　him　that　Tarzan　would　not　be　the　one　to　lie

dead　in　that　house　this　night；　and　so　the　Russian　had

hastened　to　a　nearby　den　and　telephoned　the　police　that　a

man　was　committing　murder　on　the　third　floor　of　Rue　Maule；　27。

When　the　officers　arrived　they　found　three　men　groaning

on　the　floor；　a　frightened　woman　lying　upon　a　filthy　bed；　her

face　buried　in　her　arms；　and　what　appeared　to　be　a　well…

dressed　young　gentleman　standing　in　the　center　of　the　room

awaiting　the　reenforcements　which　he　had　thought　the　footsteps

of　the　officers　hurrying　up　the　stairway　had　announced

but　they　were　mistaken　in　the　last；　it　was　a　wild　beast

that　looked　upon　them　through　those　narrowed　lids　and　steel…

gray　eyes。　　With　the　smell　of　blood　the　last　vestige　of

civilization　had　deserted　Tarzan；　and　now　he　stood　at　bay；　like　a

lion　surrounded　by　hunters；　awaiting　the　next　overt　act；　and

crouching　to　charge　its　author。



〃What　has　happened　here？〃　asked　one　of　the　policemen。



Tarzan　explained　briefly；　but　when　he　turned　to　the　woman

for　confirmation　of　his　statement　he　was　appalled　by　her　reply。



〃He　lies！〃　she　screamed　shrilly；　addressing　the　policeman。

〃He　came　to　my　room　while　I　was　alone；　and　for　no　good

purpose。　　When　I　repulsed　him　he　would　have　killed　me　had

not　my　screams　attracted　these　gentlemen；　who　were　passing

the　house　at　the　time。　　He　is　a　devil；　monsieurs；　alone　he　has

all　but　killed　ten　men　with　his　bare　hands　and　his　teeth。〃



So　shocked　was　Tarzan　by　her　ingratitude　that　for　a　moment

he　was　struck　dumb。　　The　police　were　inclined　to　be　a　little

skeptical；　for　they　had　had　other　dealings　with　this

same　lady　and　her　lovely　coterie　of　gentlemen　friends。

However；　they　were　policemen；　not　judges；　so　they　decided　to

place　all　the　inmates　of　the　room　under　arrest；　and　let　another；

whose　business　it　was；　separate　the　innocent　from　the　guilty。



But　they　found　that　it　was　one　thing　to　tell　this　well…

dressed　young　man　that　he　was　under　arrest；　but　quite

another　to　enforce　it。



〃I　am　guilty　of　no　offense；〃　he　said　quietly。　　〃I　have　but

sought　to　defend　myself。　　I　do　not　know　why　the　woman　has

told　you　what　she　has。　　She　can　have　no　enmity　against　me；

for　never　until　I　came　to　this　room　in　response　to　her　cries

for　help　had　I　seen　her。〃



〃Come；　come；〃　said　one　of　the　officers；　〃there　are　judges

to　listen　to　all　that；〃　and　he　advanced　to　lay　his　hand　upon

Tarzan's　shoulder。　　An　instant　later　he　lay　crumpled　in　a

corner　of　the　room；　and　then；　as　his　comrades　rushed　in　upon

the　ape…man；　they　experienced　a　taste　of　what　the　apaches

had　but　recently　gone　through。　　So　quickly　and　so　roughly

did　he　handle　them　that　they　had　not　even　an　opportunity

to　draw　their　revolvers。



During　the　brief　fight　Tarzan　had　noted　the　open　window

and；　beyond；　the　stem　of　a　tree；　or　a　telegraph　polehe

could　not　tell　which。　　As　the　last　officer　went　down；　one　of

his　fellows　succeeded　in　drawing　his　revolver　and；　from

where　he　lay　on　the　floor；　fired　at　Tarzan。　　The　shot　missed；

and　before　the　man　could　fire　again　Tarzan　had　swept　the

lamp　from　the　mantel　and　plunged　the　room　into　darkness。



The　next　they　saw　was　a　lithe　form　spring　to　the　sill　of

the　open　window　and　leap；　panther…like；　onto　the　pole　across

the　walk。　　When　the　police　gathered　themselves　together　and

reached　the　street　their　prisoner　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。



They　did　not　handle　the　woman　and　the　men　who　had

not　escaped　any　too　gently　when　they　took　them　to　the

station；　they　were　a　very　sore　and　humiliated　detail　of　police。

It　galled　them　to　think　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　report

that　a　single　unarmed　man　had　wiped　the　floor　with　the

whole　lot　of　them；　and　then　escaped　them　as　easily　as

though　they　had　not　existed。



The　officer　who　had　remained　in　the　street　swore　that　no

one　had　leaped　from　the　window　or　left　the　building　from

the　time　they　entered　until　they　had　come　out。　　His　comrades

thought　that　he　lied；　but　they　could　not　prove　it。



When　Tarzan　found　himself　clinging　to　the　pole　outside　the

window；　he　followed　his　jungle　instinct　and　looked　below　for

enemies　before　he　ventured　down。　　It　was　well　he　did；　for

just　beneath　stood　a　policeman。　　Above；　Tarzan　saw　no　one；

so　he　went　up　instead　of　down。



The　top　of　the　pole　was　opposite　the　roof　of　the　building；

so　it　was　but　the　work　of　an　instant　for　the　muscles　that

had　for　years　sent　him　hurtling　through　the　treetops　of　his

primeval　forest　to　carry　him　across　the　little　space　between

the　pole　and　the　roof。　　From　one　building　he　went　to　another；

and　so　on；　with　much　climbing；　until　at　a　cross　street　he

discovered　another　pole；　down　which　he　ran　to　the　ground。



For　a　square　or　two　he　ran　swiftly；　then　he　turned　into　a

little　all…night　cafe　and　in　the　lavatory　removed　the

evidences　of　his　over…roof　promenade　from　hands　and　clothes。

When　he　emerged　a　few　moments　later　it　was　to　saunter

slowly　on　toward　his　apartments。



Not　far　from　them　he　came　to　a　well…lighted　boulevard　which

it　was　necessary　to　cross。　　As　he　stood　directly　beneath

a　brilliant　arc　light；　waiting　for　a　limousine　that　was

approaching　to　pass　him；　he　heard　his　name　called　in　a　sweet

feminine　voice。　　Looking　up；　he　met　the　smiling　eyes　of　Olga　de

Coude　as　she　leaned　forward　upon　the　back　seat　of　the　machine。

He　bowed　very　low　in　response　to　her　friendly　greeting。

When　he　straightened　up　the　machine　had　borne　her　away。



〃Rokoff　and　the　Countess　de　Coude　both　in　the　same

evening；〃　he　soliloquized；　〃Paris　is　not　so　large；　after　all。〃







Chapter　4





The　Countess　Explains





〃Your　Paris　is　more　dangerous　than　my　savage　jungles；

Paul；〃　concluded　Tarzan；　after　narrating　his　adventures

to　his　friend　the　morning　following　his　encounter　with

the　apaches　and　police　in　the　Rue　Maule。　　〃Why　did　they

lure　me　there？　　Were　they　hungry？〃



D'Arnot　feigned　a　horrified　shudder；　but　he　laughed　at　the

quaint　suggestion。



〃It　is　difficult　to　rise　above　the　jungle　standards　and　reason

by　the　light　of　civilized　ways；　is　it　not；　my　friend？〃　he

queried　banteringly。



〃Civilized　ways；　forsooth；〃　scoffed　Tarzan。　　〃Jungle　standards

do　not　countenance　wanton　atrocities。　　There　we　kill　for

food　and　for　self…preservation；　or　in　the　winning　of　mates

and　the　protection　of　the　young。　　Always；　you　see；　in

accordance　with　the　dictates　of　some　great　natural　law。

But　here！　　Faugh；　your　civilized　man　is　more　brutal　than

the　brutes。　　He　kills　wantonly；　and；　worse　than　that；　he

utilizes　a　noble　sentiment；　the　brotherhood　of　man；　as　a

lure　to　entice　his　unwary　victim　to　his　doom。　　It　was　in

answer　to　an　appeal　from　a　fellow　being　that　I　hastened

to　that　room　where　the　assassins　lay　in　wait　for　me。



〃I　did　not　realize；　I　could　not　realize　for　a　long　time

afterward；　that　any　woman　could　sink　to　such