the son of tarzan-第24部分

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nd。　　The　result　being　that　the　scent　of　their　pursuers　was　borne　away　from　them；　so　they　proceeded　upon　their　way　in　total　ignorance　of　the　fact　that　tireless　trackers　but　little　less　expert　in　the　mysteries　of　woodcraft　than　themselves　were　dogging　their　trail　with　savage　insistence。

The　little　party　of　warriors　was　led　by　Kovudoo；　the　chief；　a　middle…aged　savage　of　exceptional　cunning　and　bravery。　　It　was　he　who　first　came　within　sight　of　the　quarry　which　they　had　followed　for　hours　by　the　mysterious　methods　of　their　almost　uncanny　powers　of　observation；　intuition；　and　even　scent。

Kovudoo　and　his　men　came　upon　Korak；　Akut　and　Meriem　after　the　killing　of　the　king　ape；　the　noise　of　the　combat　having　led　them　at　last　straight　to　their　quarry。　　The　sight　of　the　slender　white　girl　had　amazed　the　savage　chief　and　held　him　gazing　at　the　trio　for　a　moment　before　ordering　his　warriors　to　rush　out　upon　their　prey。　　In　that　moment　it　was　that　the　great　apes　came　and　again　the　blacks　remained　awestruck　witnesses　to　the　palaver；　and　the　battle　between　Korak　and　the　young　bull。

But　now　the　apes　had　gone；　and　the　white　youth　and　the　white　maid　stood　alone　in　the　jungle。　　One　of　Kovudoo's　men　leaned　close　to　the　ear　of　his　chief。　　〃Look！〃　he　whispered；　and　pointed　to　something　that　dangled　at　the　girl's　side。　　〃When　my　brother　and　I　were　slaves　in　the　village　of　The　Sheik　my　brother　made　that　thing　for　The　Sheik's　little　daughtershe　played　with　it　always　and　called　it　after　my　brother；　whose　name　is　Geeka。　Just　before　we　escaped　some　one　came　and　struck　down　The　Sheik；　stealing　his　daughter　away。　　If　this　is　she　The　Sheik　will　pay　you　well　for　her　return。〃

Korak's　arm　had　again　gone　around　the　shoulders　of　Meriem。　Love　raced　hot　through　his　young　veins。　　Civilization　was　but　a　half…remembered　stateLondon　as　remote　as　ancient　Rome。　　In　all　the　world　there　were　but　they　twoKorak；　The　Killer；　and　Meriem；　his　mate。　　Again　he　drew　her　close　to　him　and　covered　her　willing　lips　with　his　hot　kisses。　　And　then　from　behind　him　broke　a　hideous　bedlam　of　savage　war　cries　and　a　score　of　shrieking　blacks　were　upon　them。

Korak　turned　to　give　battle。　　Meriem　with　her　own　light　spear　stood　by　his　side。　　An　avalanche　of　barbed　missiles　flew　about　them。　　One　pierced　Korak's　shoulder；　another　his　leg；　and　he　went　down。

Meriem　was　unscathed　for　the　blacks　had　intentionally　spared　her。　　Now　they　rushed　forward　to　finish　Korak　and　made　good　the　girl's　capture；　but　as　they　came　there　came　also　from　another　point　in　the　jungle　the　great　Akut　and　at　his　heels　the　huge　bulls　of　his　new　kingdom。

Snarling　and　roaring　they　rushed　upon　the　black　warriors　when　they　saw　the　mischief　they　had　already　wrought。　　Kovudoo；　realizing　the　danger　of　coming　to　close　quarters　with　these　mighty　ape…men；　seized　Meriem　and　called　upon　his　warriors　to　retreat。　For　a　time　the　apes　followed　them；　and　several　of　the　blacks　were　badly　mauled　and　one　killed　before　they　succeeded　in　escaping。　　Nor　would　they　have　gotten　off　thus　easily　had　Akut　not　been　more　concerned　with　the　condition　of　the　wounded　Korak　than　with　the　fate　of　the　girl　upon　whom　he　had　always　looked　as　more　or　less　of　an　interloper　and　an　unquestioned　burden。

Korak　lay　bleeding　and　unconscious　when　Akut　reached　his　side。　　The　great　ape　tore　the　heavy　spears　from　his　flesh；　licked　the　wounds　and　then　carried　his　friend　to　the　lofty　shelter　that　Korak　had　constructed　for　Meriem。　　Further　than　this　the　brute　could　do　nothing。　　Nature　must　accomplish　the　rest　unaided　or　Korak　must　die。

He　did　not　die；　however。　　For　days　he　lay　helpless　with　fever；　while　Akut　and　the　apes　hunted　close　by　that　they　might　protect　him　from　such　birds　and　beasts　as　might　reach　his　lofty　retreat。　Occasionally　Akut　brought　him　juicy　fruits　which　helped　to　slake　his　thirst　and　allay　his　fever；　and　little　by　little　his　powerful　constitution　overcame　the　effects　of　the　spear　thrusts。　　The　wounds　healed　and　his　strength　returned。　　All　during　his　rational　moments　as　he　had　lain　upon　the　soft　furs　which　lined　Meriem's　nest　he　had　suffered　more　acutely　from　fears　for　Meriem　than　from　the　pain　of　his　own　wounds。　　For　her　he　must　live。　　For　her　he　must　regain　his　strength　that　he　might　set　out　in　search　of　her。　　What　had　the　blacks　done　to　her？　　Did　she　still　live；　or　had　they　sacrificed　her　to　their　lust　for　torture　and　human　flesh？　Korak　almost　trembled　with　terror　as　the　most　hideous　possibilities　of　the　girl's　fate　suggested　themselves　to　him　out　of　his　knowledge　of　the　customs　of　Kovudoo's　tribe。

The　days　dragged　their　weary　lengths　along；　but　at　last　he　had　sufficiently　regained　his　strength　to　crawl　from　the　shelter　and　make　his　way　unaided　to　the　ground。　　Now　he　lived　more　upon　raw　meat；　for　which　he　was　entirely　dependent　on　Akut's　skill　and　generosity。　　With　the　meat　diet　his　strength　returned　more　rapidly；　and　at　last　he　felt　that　he　was　fit　to　undertake　the　journey　to　the　village　of　the　blacks。



Chapter　12

Two　tall；　bearded　white　men　moved　cautiously　through　the　jungle　from　their　camp　beside　a　wide　river。　　They　were　Carl　Jenssen　and　Sven　Malbihn；　but　little　altered　in　appearance　since　the　day；　years　before；　that　they　and　their　safari　had　been　so　badly　frightened　by　Korak　and　Akut　as　the　former　sought　haven　with　them。

Every　year　had　they　come　into　the　jungle　to　trade　with　the　natives；　or　to　rob　them；　to　hunt　and　trap；　or　to　guide　other　white　men　in　the　land　they　knew　so　well。　　Always　since　their　experience　with　The　Sheik　had　they　operated　at　a　safe　distance　from　his　territory。

Now　they　were　closer　to　his　village　than　they　had　been　for　years；　yet　safe　enough　from　discovery　owing　to　the　uninhabited　nature　of　the　intervening　jungle　and　the　fear　and　enmity　of　Kovudoo's　people　for　The　Sheik；　who；　in　time　past；　had　raided　and　all　but　exterminated　the　tribe。

This　year　they　had　come　to　trap　live　specimens　for　a　European　zoological　garden；　and　today　they　were　approaching　a　trap　which　they　had　set　in　the　hope　of　capturing　a　specimen　of　the　large　baboons　that　frequented　the　neighborhood。　　As　they　approached　the　trap　they　became　aware　from　the　noises　emanating　from　its　vicinity　that　their　efforts　had　been　crowned　with　success。　　The　barking　and　screaming　of　hundreds　of　baboons　could　mean　naught　else　than　that　one　or　more　of　their　number　had　fallen　a　victim　to　the　allurements　of　the　bait。

The　extreme　caution　of　the　two　men　was　prompted　by　former　experiences　with　the　intelligent　and　doglike　creatures　with　which　they　had　to　deal。　　More　than　one　trapper　has　lost　his　life　in　battle　with　enraged　baboons　who　will　hesitate　to　attack　nothing　upon　one　occasion；　while　upon　another　a　single　gun　shot　will　disperse　hundreds　of　them。

Heretofore　the　Swedes　had　always　watched　near…by　their　trap；　for　as　a　rule　only　the　stronger　bulls　are　thus　caught；　since　in　their　greediness　they　prevent　the　weaker　from　approaching　the　covered　bait；　and　when　once　within　the　ordinary　rude　trap　woven　on　the　spot　of　interlaced　branches　they　are　able；　with　the　aid　of　their　friends　upon　the　outside；　to　demolish　their　prison　and　escape。　　But　in　this　instance　the　trappers　had　utilized　a　special　steel　cage　which　could　withstand　all　the　strength　and　cunning　of　a　baboon。　　It　was　only　necessary；　therefore；　to　drive　away　the　herd　which　they　knew　were　surrounding　the　prison　and　wait　for　their　boys　who　were　even　now　following　them　to　the　trap。

As　they　came　within　sight　of　the　spot　they　found　conditions　precisely　as　they　had　expected。　　A　large　male　was　battering　frantically　against　the　steel　wires　of　the　cage　that　held　him　captive。　　Upon　the　outside　several　hundred　other　baboons　were　tearing　and　tugging　in　his　aid；　and　all　were　roaring　and　jabbering　and　barking　at　the　top　of　their　lungs。

But　what　neither　the　Swedes　nor　the　baboons　saw　was　the　half…naked　figure　of　a　youth　hidden　in　the　foliage　of　a　nearby　tree。　　He　had　come　upon　the　scene　at　almost　the　same　instant　as　Jenssen　and　Malbihn；　and　was　watching　the　activities　of　the　baboons　with　every　mark　of　interest。

Korak's　relations　with　the　baboons　had　never　been　over　friendly。　　A　species　of　armed　toleration　had　marked　their　occasional　meetings。　　The　baboons　and　Akut　had　walked　stiff　legged　and　growling　past　one　another；　while　Korak　had　maintained　a　bared　fang　neutrality。　　So　now　he　was　not　greatly　disturbed　by　the　predicament　of　their　king。　　Curiosity　prompted　him　to　tarry　a　moment；　and　in　that　moment　his　quick　eyes　caught　the　unfamiliar　coloration　of　the　clothing　of　the　two　Swedes　behind　a　bush　not　far　from　him。　　Now　he　was　all　alertness。　　Who　were　these　interlopers？　　What　was　their　business　in　the　jungle　of　the　Mangani？　　Korak　slunk　noiselessly　around　them　to　a　point　where　he　might　get　their　scent　as　well　as　a　better　view　of　them；　and　scarce　had　he　done　so　when　he　recognized　themthey　were　the　men　who　had　fired　upon　him　years　before。　　His　eyes　blazed。　　He　could　feel　the　hairs　upon　his　scalp　stiffen　at　the　roots。　　He　watched　them　with　the　intentness　of　a　panther　about　to　spring　upon　its　prey。

He　saw　them　rise　and；　shouting；　attempt　to　frighten　away　the　baboons　as　they　approached　the　cage。　　Then　one　of　them　raised　his　rifle　and　fired　into　the　midst　of　the　surprised　and　angry　herd。　For　an　instant　Korak　thought