[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
the treasure that was in it.
Only Jane knew what the loss meant to her father, and none there knew what it meant to her.
Six days later Captain Dufranne announced that they would sail early on the morrow.
Jane would have begged for a further reprieve, had it not been that she too had begun to believe that her
forest lover would return no more.
In spite of herself she began to entertain doubts and fears. The reasonableness of the arguments of these
disinterested French officers commenced to convince her against her will.
That he was a cannibal she would not believe, but that he was an adopted member of some savage tribe
at length seemed possible to her.
She would not admit that he could be dead. It was impossible to believe that that perfect body, so filled
with triumphant life, could ever cease to harbor the vital spark--as soon believe that immortality were
dust.
As Jane permitted herself to harbor these thoughts, others equally unwelcome forced themselves upon
her.
If he belonged to some savage tribe he had a savage wife --a dozen of them perhaps--and wild,
half-caste children. The girl shuddered, and when they told her that the cruiser would sail on the morrow
she was almost glad.
It was she, though, who suggested that arms, ammunition, supplies and comforts be left behind in the
cabin, ostensibly for that intangible personality who had signed himself Tarzan of the Apes, and for
D'Arnot should he still be living, but really, she hoped, for her forest god--even though his feet should
prove of clay.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
And at the last minute she left a message for him, to be transmitted by Tarzan of the Apes.
She was the last to leave the cabin, returning on some trivial pretext after the others had started for the
boat.
She kneeled down beside the bed in which she had spent so many nights, and offered up a prayer for
the safety of her primeval man, and crushing his locket to her lips she murmured:
I love you, and because I love you I believe in you. But if I did not believe, still should I love. Had you
come back for me, and had there been no other way, I would have gone into the jungle with
you--forever.
The Outpost of the World
With the report of his gun D'Arnot saw the door fly open and the figure of a man pitch headlong within
onto the cabin floor.
The Frenchman in his panic raised his gun to fire again into the prostrate form, but suddenly in the half
dusk of the open door he saw that the man was white and in another instant realized that he had shot his
friend and protector, Tarzan of the Apes.
With a cry of anguish D'Arnot sprang to the ape-man's side, and kneeling, lifted the latter's head in his
arms--calling Tarzan's name aloud.
There was no response, and then D'Arnot placed his ear above the man's heart. To his joy he heard its
steady beating beneath.
Carefully he lifted Tarzan to the cot, and then, after closing and bolting the door, he lighted one of the
lamps and examined the wound.
The bullet had struck a glancing blow upon the skull. There was an ugly flesh wound, but no signs of a
fracture of the skull.
D'Arnot breathed a sigh of relief, and went about bathing the blood from Tarzan's face.
Soon the cool water revived him, and presently he opened his eyes to look in questioning surprise at
D'Arnot.
The latter had bound the wound with pieces of cloth, and as he saw that Tarzan had regained
consciousness he arose and going to the table wrote a message, which he handed to the ape-man,
explaining the terrible mistake he had made and how thankful he was that the wound was not more
serious.
Tarzan, after reading the message, sat on the edge of the couch and laughed.
It is nothing, he said in French, and then, his vocabulary failing him, he wrote:
You should have seen what Bolgani did to me, and Kerchak, and Terkoz, before I killed them--then you
would laugh at such a little scratch.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
D'Arnot handed Tarzan the two messages that had been left for him.
Tarzan read the first one through with a look of sorrow on his face. The second one he turned over and
over, searching for an opening--he had never seen a sealed envelope before. At length he handed it to
D'Arnot.
The Frenchman had been watching him, and knew that Tarzan was puzzled over the envelope. How
strange it seemed that to a full-grown white man an envelope was a mystery. D'Arnot opened it and
handed the letter back to Tarzan.
Sitting on a camp stool the ape-man spread the written sheet before him and read:
TO TARZAN OF THE APES:
Before I leave let me add my thanks to those of Mr. Clayton for the kindness you have shown in
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]