the son of tarzan-第44部分

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ts；　and　knowing　well　from　the　gossip　of　the　head…men　that　half　of　Malbihn's　party　lay　in　camp　by　the　great　river　far　to　the　west；　it　was　not　difficult　for　the　boy　to　put　two　and　two　together　and　arrive　at　four　as　the　sumthe　four　being　represented　by　a　firm　conviction　that　his　master　had　deceived　the　other　white　man　and　taken　the　latter's　woman　to　his　western　camp；　leaving　the　other　to　suffer　capture　and　punishment　at　the　hands　of　the　Big　Bwana　whom　all　feared。　　Again　the　boy　bared　his　rows　of　big；　white　teeth　and　laughed　aloud。　　Then　he　resumed　his　northward　way；　traveling　at　a　dogged　trot　that　ate　up　the　miles　with　marvelous　rapidity。

In　the　Swede's　camp　the　Hon。　Morison　had　spent　an　almost　sleepless　night　of　nervous　apprehension　and　doubts　and　fears。　Toward　morning　he　had　slept；　utterly　exhausted。　　It　was　the　headman　who　awoke　him　shortly　after　sun　rise　to　remind　him　that　they　must　at　once　take　up　their　northward　journey。　　Baynes　hung　back。　　He　wanted　to　wait　for　〃Hanson〃　and　Meriem。　　The　headman　urged　upon　him　the　danger　that　lay　in　loitering。　　The　fellow　knew　his　master's　plans　sufficiently　well　to　understand　that　he　had　done　something　to　arouse　the　ire　of　the　Big　Bwana　and　that　it　would　fare　ill　with　them　all　if　they　were　overtaken　in　Big　Bwana's　country。　　At　the　suggestion　Baynes　took　alarm。

What　if　the　Big　Bwana；　as　the　head…man　called　him；　had　surprised　〃Hanson〃　in　his　nefarious　work。　　Would　he　not　guess　the　truth　and　possibly　be　already　on　the　march　to　overtake　and　punish　him？　　Baynes　had　heard　much　of　his　host's　summary　method　of　dealing　out　punishment　to　malefactors　great　and　small　who　transgressed　the　laws　or　customs　of　his　savage　little　world　which　lay　beyond　the　outer　ramparts　of　what　men　are　pleased　to　call　frontiers。　　In　this　savage　world　where　there　was　no　law　the　Big　Bwana　was　law　unto　himself　and　all　who　dwelt　about　him。　　It　was　even　rumored　that　he　had　extracted　the　death　penalty　from　a　white　man　who　had　maltreated　a　native　girl。

Baynes　shuddered　at　the　recollection　of　this　piece　of　gossip　as　he　wondered　what　his　host　would　exact　of　the　man　who　had　attempted　to　steal　his　young；　white　ward。　　The　thought　brought　him　to　his　feet。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　nervously；　〃we　must　get　away　from　here　at　once。　　Do　you　know　the　trail　to　the　north？〃

The　head…man　did；　and　he　lost　no　time　in　getting　the　safari　upon　the　march。

It　was　noon　when　a　tired　and　sweat…covered　runner　overtook　the　trudging　little　column。　　The　man　was　greeted　with　shouts　of　welcome　from　his　fellows；　to　whom　he　imparted　all　that　he　knew　and　guessed　of　the　actions　of　their　master；　so　that　the　entire　safari　was　aware　of　matters　before　Baynes；　who　marched　close　to　the　head　of　the　column；　was　reached　and　acquainted　with　the　facts　and　the　imaginings　of　the　black　boy　whom　Malbihn　had　deserted　in　the　clearing　the　night　before。

When　the　Hon。　Morison　had　listened　to　all　that　the　boy　had　to　say　and　realized　that　the　trader　had　used　him　as　a　tool　whereby　he　himself　might　get　Meriem　into　his　possession；　his　blood　ran　hot　with　rage　and　he　trembled　with　apprehension　for　the　girl's　safety。

That　another　contemplated　no　worse　a　deed　than　he　had　contemplated　in　no　way　palliated　the　hideousness　of　the　other's　offense。　　At　first　it　did　not　occur　to　him　that　he　would　have　wronged　Meriem　no　less　than　he　believed　〃Hanson〃　contemplated　wronging　her。　　Now　his　rage　was　more　the　rage　of　a　man　beaten　at　his　own　game　and　robbed　of　the　prize　that　he　had　thought　already　his。

〃Do　you　know　where　your　master　has　gone？〃　he　asked　the　black。

〃Yes；　Bwana；〃　replied　the　boy。　　〃He　has　gone　to　the　other　camp　beside　the　big　afi　that　flows　far　toward　the　setting　sun。

〃Can　you　take　me　to　him？〃　demanded　Baynes。

The　boy　nodded　affirmatively。　　Here　he　saw　a　method　of　revenging　himself　upon　his　hated　Bwana　and　at　the　same　time　of　escaping　the　wrath　of　the　Big　Bwana　whom　all　were　positive　would　first　follow　after　the　northerly　safari。

〃Can　you　and　I；　alone；　reach　his　camp？〃　asked　the　Hon。　Morison。

〃Yes；　Bwana；〃　assured　the　black。

Baynes　turned　toward　the　head…man。　　He　was　conversant　with　〃Hanson's〃　plans　now。　　He　understood　why　he　had　wished　to　move　the　northern　camp　as　far　as　possible　toward　the　northern　boundary　of　the　Big　Bwana's　countryit　would　give　him　far　more　time　to　make　his　escape　toward　the　West　Coast　while　the　Big　Bwana　was　chasing　the　northern　contingent。　　Well；　he　would　utilize　the　man's　plans　to　his　own　end。　　He；　too；　must　keep　out　of　the　clutches　of　his　host。

〃You　may　take　the　men　north　as　fast　as　possible；〃　he　said　to　the　head…man。　　〃I　shall　return　and　attempt　to　lead　the　Big　Bwana　to　the　west。〃

The　Negro　assented　with　a　grunt。　　He　had　no　desire　to　follow　this　strange　white　man　who　was　afraid　at　night；　he　had　less　to　remain　at　the　tender　mercies　of　the　Big　Bwana's　lusty　warriors；　between　whom　and　his　people　there　was　long…standing　blood　feud；　and　he　was　more　than　delighted；　into　the　bargain；　for　a　legitimate　excuse　for　deserting　his　much　hated　Swede　master。　He　knew　a　way　to　the　north　and　his　own　country　that　the　white　men　did　not　knowa　short　cut　across　an　arid　plateau　where　lay　water　holes　of　which　the　white　hunters　and　explorers　that　had　passed　from　time　to　time　the　fringe　of　the　dry　country　had　never　dreamed。　　He　might　even　elude　the　Big　Bwana　should　he　follow　them；　and　with　this　thought　uppermost　in　his　mind　he　gathered　the　remnants　of　Malbihn's　safari　into　a　semblance　of　order　and　moved　off　toward　the　north。　　And　toward　the　southwest　the　black　boy　led　the　Hon。　Morison　Baynes　into　the　jungles。

Korak　had　waited　about　the　camp；　watching　the　Hon。　Morison　until　the　safari　had　started　north。　　Then；　assured　that　the　young　Englishman　was　going　in　the　wrong　direction　to　meet　Meriem　he　had　abandoned　him　and　returned　slowly　to　the　point　where　he　had　seen　the　girl；　for　whom　his　heart　yearned；　in　the　arms　of　another。

So　great　had　been　his　happiness　at　seeing　Meriem　alive　that；　for　the　instant；　no　thought　of　jealousy　had　entered　his　mind。　Later　these　thoughts　had　comedark；　bloody　thoughts　that　would　have　made　the　flesh　of　the　Hon。　Morison　creep　could　he　have　guessed　that　they　were　revolving　in　the　brain　of　a　savage　creature　creeping　stealthily　among　the　branches　of　the　forest　giant　beneath　which　he　waited　the　coming　of　〃Hanson〃　and　the　girl。

And　with　passing　of　the　hours　had　come　subdued　reflection　in　which　he　had　weighed　himself　against　the　trimly　clad　English　gentleman　andfound　that　he　was　wanting。　　What　had　he　to　offer　her　by　comparison　with　that　which　the　other　man　might　offer？　　What　was　his　〃mess　of　pottage〃　to　the　birthright　that　the　other　had　preserved？　　How　could　he　dare　go；　naked　and　unkempt；　to　that　fair　thing　who　had　once　been　his　jungle…fellow　and　propose　the　thing　that　had　been　in　his　mind　when　first　the　realization　of　his　love　had　swept　over　him？　　He　shuddered　as　he　thought　of　the　irreparable　wrong　that　his　love　would　have　done　the　innocent　child　but　for　the　chance　that　had　snatched　her　from　him　before　it　was　too　late。　　Doubtless　she　knew　now　the　horror　that　had　been　in　his　mind。　　Doubtless　she　hated　and　loathed　him　as　he　hated　and　loathed　himself　when　he　let　his　mind　dwell　upon　it。　He　had　lost　her。　　No　more　surely　had　she　been　lost　when　he　thought　her　dead　than　she　was　in　reality　now　that　he　had　seen　her　livingliving　in　the　guise　of　a　refinement　that　had　transfigured　and　sanctified　her。

He　had　loved　her　before；　now　he　worshipped　her。　　He　knew　that　he　might　never　possess　her　now；　but　at　least　he　might　see　her。　　From　a　distance　he　might　look　upon　her。　　Perhaps　he　might　serve　her；　but　never　must　she　guess　that　he　had　found　her　or　that　he　lived。

He　wondered　if　she　ever　thought　of　himif　the　happy　days　that　they　had　spent　together　never　recurred　to　her　mind。　　It　seemed　unbelievable　that　such　could　be　the　case；　and　yet；　too；　it　seemed　almost　equally　unbelievable　that　this　beautiful　girl　was　the　same　disheveled；　half　naked；　little　sprite　who　skipped　nimbly　among　the　branches　of　the　trees　as　they　ran　and　played　in　the　lazy；　happy　days　of　the　past。　　It　could　not　be　that　her　memory　held　more　of　the　past　than　did　her　new　appearance。

It　was　a　sad　Korak　who　ranged　the　jungle　near　the　plain's　edge　waiting　for　the　coming　of　his　Meriemthe　Meriem　who　never　came。

But　there　came　anothera　tall；　broad…shouldered　man　in　khaki　at　the　head　of　a　swarthy　crew　of　ebon　warriors。　　The　man's　face　was　set　in　hard；　stern　lines　and　the　marks　of　sorrow　were　writ　deep　about　his　mouth　and　eyesso　deep　that　the　set　expression　of　rage　upon　his　features　could　not　obliterate　them。

Korak　saw　the　man　pass　beneath　him　where　he　hid　in　the　great　tree　that　had　harbored　him　before　upon　the　edge　of　that　fateful　little　clearing。　　He　saw　him　come　and　he　set　rigid　and　frozen　and　suffering　above　him。　　He　saw　him　search　the　ground　with　his　keen　eyes；　and　he　only　sat　there　watching　with　eyes　that　glazed　from　the　intensity　of　his　gaze。　　He　saw　him　sign　to　his　men　that　he　had　come　upon　that　which　he　sought　and　he　saw　him　pass　out　of　sight　toward　the　north；　and　still　Korak　sat　like　a　graven　image；　with　a　heart　that　bled　in　dumb　misery。　　An　hour　later　Korak　moved　slowly　away；　back　into　the　jungle　toward　the　west。　He　went　listlessly；　with　bent　head　and　stooped　shoulders；　like　an　old　man