the son of tarzan-第27部分

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ts。

The　softest　skins　fell　gracefully　from　the　graceful　shoulders　of　his　Meriem。　　The　sweetest…scented　grasses　lined　her　bower　where　other　soft；　furry　pelts　made　hers　the　downiest　couch　in　all　the　jungle。

What　wonder　then　that　Meriem　loved　her　Korak？　　But　she　loved　him　as　a　little　sister　might　love　a　big　brother　who　was　very　good　to　her。　　As　yet　she　knew　naught　of　the　love　of　a　maid　for　a　man。

So　now　as　she　lay　waiting　for　him　she　dreamed　of　him　and　of　all　that　he　meant　to　her。　　She　compared　him　with　The　Sheik；　her　father；　and　at　thought　of　the　stern；　grizzled；　old　Arab　she　shuddered。　　Even　the　savage　blacks　had　been　less　harsh　to　her　than　he。　　Not　understanding　their　tongue　she　could　not　guess　what　purpose　they　had　in　keeping　her　a　prisoner。　　She　knew　that　man　ate　man；　and　she　had　expected　to　be　eaten；　but　she　had　been　with　them　for　some　time　now　and　no　harm　had　befallen　her。　　She　did　not　know　that　a　runner　had　been　dispatched　to　the　distant　village　of　The　Sheik　to　barter　with　him　for　a　ransom。　　She　did　not　know；　nor　did　Kovudoo；　that　the　runner　had　never　reached　his　destinationthat　he　had　fallen　in　with　the　safari　of　Jenssen　and　Malbihn　and　with　the　talkativeness　of　a　native　to　other　natives　had　unfolded　his　whole　mission　to　the　black　servants　of　the　two　Swedes。　　These　had　not　been　long　in　retailing　the　matter　to　their　masters；　and　the　result　was　that　when　the　runner　left　their　camp　to　continue　his　journey　he　had　scarce　passed　from　sight　before　there　came　the　report　of　a　rifle　and　he　rolled　lifeless　into　the　underbrush　with　a　bullet　in　his　back。

A　few　moments　later　Malbihn　strolled　back　into　the　encampment；　where　he　went　to　some　pains　to　let　it　be　known　that　he　had　had　a　shot　at　a　fine　buck　and　missed。　　The　Swedes　knew　that　their　men　hated　them；　and　that　an　overt　act　against　Kovudoo　would　quickly　be　carried　to　the　chief　at　the　first　opportunity。　Nor　were　they　sufficiently　strong　in　either　guns　or　loyal　followers　to　risk　antagonizing　the　wily　old　chief。

Following　this　episode　came　the　encounter　with　the　baboons　and　the　strange；　white　savage　who　had　allied　himself　with　the　beasts　against　the　humans。　　Only　by　dint　of　masterful　maneuvering　and　the　expenditure　of　much　power　had　the　Swedes　been　able　to　repulse　the　infuriated　apes；　and　even　for　hours　afterward　their　camp　was　constantly　besieged　by　hundreds　of　snarling；　screaming　devils。

The　Swedes；　rifles　in　hand；　repelled　numerous　savage　charges　which　lacked　only　efficient　leadership　to　have　rendered　them　as　effective　in　results　as　they　were　terrifying　in　appearance。　　Time　and　time　again　the　two　men　thought　they　saw　the　smooth…skinned　body　of　the　wild　ape…man　moving　among　the　baboons　in　the　forest；　and　the　belief　that　he　might　head　a　charge　upon　them　proved　most　disquieting。　　They　would　have　given　much　for　a　clean　shot　at　him；　for　to　him　they　attributed　the　loss　of　their　specimen　and　the　ugly　attitude　of　the　baboons　toward　them。

〃The　fellow　must　be　the　same　we　fired　on　several　years　ago；〃　said　Malbihn。　　〃That　time　he　was　accompanied　by　a　gorilla。　　Did　you　get　a　good　look　at　him；　Carl？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Jenssen。　　〃He　was　not　five　paces　from　me　when　I　fired　at　him。　　He　appears　to　be　an　intelligent　looking　Europeanand　not　much　more　than　a　lad。　　There　is　nothing　of　the　imbecile　or　degenerate　in　his　features　or　expression；　as　is　usually　true　in　similar　cases；　where　some　lunatic　escapes　into　the　woods　and　by　living　in　filth　and　nakedness　wins　the　title　of　wild　man　among　the　peasants　of　the　neighborhood。　　No；　this　fellow　is　of　different　stuffand　so　infinitely　more　to　be　feared。　As　much　as　I　should　like　a　shot　at　him　I　hope　he　stays　away。　Should　he　ever　deliberately　lead　a　charge　against　us　I　wouldn't　give　much　for　our　chances　if　we　happened　to　fail　to　bag　him　at　the　first　rush。〃

But　the　white　giant　did　not　appear　again　to　lead　the　baboons　against　them；　and　finally　the　angry　brutes　themselves　wandered　off　into　the　jungle　leaving　the　frightened　safari　in　peace。

The　next　day　the　Swedes　set　out　for　Kovudoo's　village　bent　on　securing　possession　of　the　person　of　the　white　girl　whom　Kovudoo's　runner　had　told　them　lay　captive　in　the　chief's　village。　How　they　were　to　accomplish　their　end　they　did　not　know。　　Force　was　out　of　the　question；　though　they　would　not　have　hesitated　to　use　it　had　they　possessed　it。　　In　former　years　they　had　marched　rough　shod　over　enormous　areas；　taking　toll　by　brute　force　even　when　kindliness　or　diplomacy　would　have　accomplished　more；　but　now　they　were　in　bad　straitsso　bad　that　they　had　shown　their　true　colors　scarce　twice　in　a　year　and　then　only　when　they　came　upon　an　isolated　village；　weak　in　numbers　and　poor　in　courage。

Kovudoo　was　not　as　these；　and　though　his　village　was　in　a　way　remote　from　the　more　populous　district　to　the　north　his　power　was　such　that　he　maintained　an　acknowledged　suzerainty　over　the　thin　thread　of　villages　which　connected　him　with　the　savage　lords　to　the　north。　　To　have　antagonized　him　would　have　spelled　ruin　for　the　Swedes。　　It　would　have　meant　that　they　might　never　reach　civilization　by　the　northern　route。　　To　the　west；　the　village　of　The　Sheik　lay　directly　in　their　path；　barring　them　effectually。　　To　the　east　the　trail　was　unknown　to　them；　and　to　the　south　there　was　no　trail。　　So　the　two　Swedes　approached　the　village　of　Kovudoo　with　friendly　words　upon　their　tongues　and　deep　craft　in　their　hearts。

Their　plans　were　well　made。　　There　was　no　mention　of　the　white　prisonerthey　chose　to　pretend　that　they　were　not　aware　that　Kovudoo　had　a　white　prisoner。　　They　exchanged　gifts　with　the　old　chief；　haggling　with　his　plenipotentiaries　over　the　value　of　what　they　were　to　receive　for　what　they　gave；　as　is　customary　and　proper　when　one　has　no　ulterior　motives。　　Unwarranted　generosity　would　have　aroused　suspicion。

During　the　palaver　which　followed　they　retailed　the　gossip　of　the　villages　through　which　they　had　passed；　receiving　in　exchange　such　news　as　Kovudoo　possessed。　　The　palaver　was　long　and　tiresome；　as　these　native　ceremonies　always　are　to　Europeans。　　Kovudoo　made　no　mention　of　his　prisoner　and　from　his　generous　offers　of　guides　and　presents　seemed　anxious　to　assure　himself　of　the　speedy　departure　of　his　guests。　　It　was　Malbihn　who；　quite　casually；　near　the　close　of　their　talk；　mentioned　the　fact　that　The　Sheik　was　dead。　　Kovudoo　evinced　interest　and　surprise。

〃You　did　not　know　it？〃　asked　Malbihn。　　〃That　is　strange。　　It　was　during　the　last　moon。　　He　fell　from　his　horse　when　the　beast　stepped　in　a　hole。　　The　horse　fell　upon　him。　　When　his　men　came　up　The　Sheik　was　quite　dead。〃

Kovudoo　scratched　his　head。　　He　was　much　disappointed。　　No　Sheik　meant　no　ransom　for　the　white　girl。　　Now　she　was　worthless；　unless　he　utilized　her　for　a　feast　ora　mate。　　The　latter　thought　aroused　him。　　He　spat　at　a　small　beetle　crawling　through　the　dust　before　him。　　He　eyed　Malbihn　appraisingly。　　These　white　men　were　peculiar。　　They　traveled　far　from　their　own　villages　without　women。　　Yet　he　knew　they　cared　for　women。　　But　how　much　did　they　care　for　them？that　was　the　question　that　disturbed　Kovudoo。

〃I　know　where　there　is　a　white　girl；〃　he　said；　unexpectedly。　〃If　you　wish　to　buy　her　she　may　be　had　cheap。〃

Malbihn　shrugged。　　〃We　have　troubles　enough；　Kovudoo；〃　he　said；　〃without　burdening　ourselves　with　an　old　she…hyena；　and　as　for　paying　for　one〃　　Malbihn　snapped　his　fingers　in　derision。

〃She　is　young；〃　said　Kovudoo；　〃and　good　looking。〃

The　Swedes　laughed。　　〃There　are　no　good　looking　white　women　in　the　jungle；　Kovudoo；〃　said　Jenssen。　　〃You　should　be　ashamed　to　try　to　make　fun　of　old　friends。〃

Kovudoo　sprang　to　his　feet。　　〃Come；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　show　you　that　she　is　all　I　say。〃

Malbihn　and　Jenssen　rose　to　follow　him　and　as　they　did　so　their　eyes　met；　and　Malbihn　slowly　drooped　one　of　his　lids　in　a　sly　wink。　　Together　they　followed　Kovudoo　toward　his　hut。　　In　the　dim　interior　they　discerned　the　figure　of　a　woman　lying　bound　upon　a　sleeping　mat。

Malbihn　took　a　single　glance　and　turned　away。　　〃She　must　be　a　thousand　years　old；　Kovudoo；〃　he　said；　as　he　left　the　hut。

〃She　is　young；〃　cried　the　savage。　　〃It　is　dark　in　here。　　You　cannot　see。　　Wait；　I　will　have　her　brought　out　into　the　sunlight；〃　and　he　commanded　the　two　warriors　who　watched　the　girl　to　cut　the　bonds　from　her　ankles　and　lead　her　forth　for　inspection。

Malbihn　and　Jenssen　evinced　no　eagerness；　though　both　were　fairly　bursting　with　itnot　to　see　the　girl　but　to　obtain　possession　of　her。　　They　cared　not　if　she　had　the　face　of　a　marmoset；　or　the　figure　of　pot…bellied　Kovudoo　himself。　　All　that　they　wished　to　know　was　that　she　was　the　girl　who　had　been　stolen　from　The　Sheik　several　years　before。　　They　thought　that　they　would　recognize　her　for　such　if　she　was　indeed　the　same；　but　even　so　the　testimony　of　the　runner　Kovudoo　had　sent　to　The　Sheik　was　such　as　to　assure　them　that　the　girl　was　the　one　they　had　once　before　attempted　to　abduct。

As　Meriem　was　brought　forth　from　the　darkness　of　the　hut's　interior　the　two　men　turned　with　every　appearance　of　disinterestedness　to　glance　at　her。　　It　was　with　difficulty　that　Malbihn　suppressed　an　ejaculation　of　astonishment。　　The　girl's　beauty　fairly　took　his　breath　from　him；　but　instantly　he　recovered　his　poise　and　turned　to　Kovudo