the son of tarzan-第5部分

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　shoulder　with　him　years　before。　　He　saw　the　black　Mugambi　wielding　his　deadly　knob…　stick；　and　beside　them；　with　bared　fangs　and　bristling　whiskers；　Sheeta　the　terrible；　and　pressing　close　behind　the　savage　and　the　savage　panther；　the　hideous　apes　of　Akut。　　The　man　sighed。　　Strong　within　him　surged　the　jungle　lust　that　he　had　thought　dead。　　Ah！　if　he　could　go　back　even　for　a　brief　month　of　it；　to　feel　again　the　brush　of　leafy　branches　against　his　naked　hide；　to　smell　the　musty　rot　of　dead　vegetationfrankincense　and　myrrh　to　the　jungle　born；　to　sense　the　noiseless　coming　of　the　great　carnivora　upon　his　trail；　to　hunt　and　to　be　hunted；　to　kill！　　The　picture　was　alluring。　　And　then　came　another　picturea　sweet…　faced　woman；　still　young　and　beautiful；　friends；　a　home；　a　son。　　He　shrugged　his　giant　shoulders。

〃It　cannot　be；　Akut；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　you　would　return；　I　shall　see　that　it　is　done。　　You　could　not　be　happy　hereI　may　not　be　happy　there。〃

The　trainer　stepped　forward。　　The　ape　bared　his　fangs；　growling。

〃Go　with　him；　Akut；〃　said　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。　　〃I　will　come　and　see　you　tomorrow。〃

The　beast　moved　sullenly　to　the　trainer's　side。　　The　latter；　at　John　Clayton's　request；　told　where　they　might　be　found。　　Tarzan　turned　toward　his　son。

〃Come！〃　he　said；　and　the　two　left　the　theater。　　Neither　spoke　for　several　minutes　after　they　had　entered　the　limousine。　　It　was　the　boy　who　broke　the　silence。

〃The　ape　knew　you；〃　he　said；　〃and　you　spoke　together　in　the　ape's　tongue。　　How　did　the　ape　know　you；　and　how　did　you　learn　his　language？〃

And　then；　briefly　and　for　the　first　time；　Tarzan　of　the　Apes　told　his　son　of　his　early　lifeof　the　birth　in　the　jungle；　of　the　death　of　his　parents；　and　of　how　Kala；　the　great　she　ape　had　suckled　and　raised　him　from　infancy　almost　to　manhood。　　He　told　him；　too；　of　the　dangers　and　the　horrors　of　the　jungle；　of　the　great　beasts　that　stalked　one　by　day　and　by　night；　of　the　periods　of　drought；　and　of　the　cataclysmic　rains；　of　hunger；　of　cold；　of　intense　heat；　of　nakedness　and　fear　and　suffering。　　He　told　him　of　all　those　things　that　seem　most　horrible　to　the　creature　of　civilization　in　the　hope　that　the　knowledge　of　them　might　expunge　from　the　lad's　mind　any　inherent　desire　for　the　jungle。　　Yet　they　were　the　very　things　that　made　the　memory　of　the　jungle　what　it　was　to　Tarzanthat　made　up　the　composite　jungle　life　he　loved。　　And　in　the　telling　he　forgot　one　thingthe　principal　thingthat　the　boy　at　his　side；　listening　with　eager　ears；　was　the　son　of　Tarzan　of　the　Apes。

After　the　boy　had　been　tucked　away　in　bedand　without　the　threatened　punishmentJohn　Clayton　told　his　wife　of　the　events　of　the　evening；　and　that　he　had　at　last　acquainted　the　boy　with　the　facts　of　his　jungle　life。　　The　mother；　who　had　long　foreseen　that　her　son　must　some　time　know　of　those　frightful　years　during　which　his　father　had　roamed　the　jungle；　a　naked；　savage　beast　of　prey；　only　shook　her　head；　hoping　against　hope　that　the　lure　she　knew　was　still　strong　in　the　father's　breast　had　not　been　transmitted　to　his　son。

Tarzan　visited　Akut　the　following　day；　but　though　Jack　begged　to　be　allowed　to　accompany　him　he　was　refused。　　This　time　Tarzan　saw　the　pock…marked　old　owner　of　the　ape；　whom　he　did　not　recognize　as　the　wily　Paulvitch　of　former　days。　　Tarzan；　influenced　by　Akut's　pleadings；　broached　the　question　of　the　ape's　purchase；　but　Paulvitch　would　not　name　any　price；　saying　that　he　would　consider　the　matter。

When　Tarzan　returned　home　Jack　was　all　excitement　to　hear　the　details　of　his　visit；　and　finally　suggested　that　his　father　buy　the　ape　and　bring　it　home。　　Lady　Greystoke　was　horrified　at　the　suggestion。　　The　boy　was　insistent。　　Tarzan　explained　that　he　had　wished　to　purchase　Akut　and　return　him　to　his　jungle　home；　and　to　this　the　mother　assented。　　Jack　asked　to　be　allowed　to　visit　the　ape；　but　again　he　was　met　with　flat　refusal。　　He　had　the　address；　however；　which　the　trainer　had　given　his　father；　and　two　days　later　he　found　the　opportunity　to　elude　his　new　tutorwho　had　replaced　the　terrified　Mr。　Mooreand　after　a　considerable　search　through　a　section　of　London　which　he　had　never　before　visited；　he　found　the　smelly　little　quarters　of　the　pock…marked　old　man。　　The　old　fellow　himself　replied　to　his　knocking；　and　when　he　stated　that　he　had　come　to　see　Ajax；　opened　the　door　and　admitted　him　to　the　little　room　which　he　and　the　great　ape　occupied。　　In　former　years　Paulvitch　had　been　a　fastidious　scoundrel；　but　ten　years　of　hideous　life　among　the　cannibals　of　Africa　had　eradicated　the　last　vestige　of　niceness　from　his　habits。　　His　apparel　was　wrinkled　and　soiled。　　His　hands　were　unwashed；　his　few　straggling　locks　uncombed。　　His　room　was　a　jumble　of　filthy　disorder。　　As　the　boy　entered　he　saw　the　great　ape　squatting　upon　the　bed；　the　coverlets　of　which　were　a　tangled　wad　of　filthy　blankets　and　ill…smelling　quilts。　　At　sight　of　the　youth　the　ape　leaped　to　the　floor　and　shuffled　forward。　　The　man；　not　recognizing　his　visitor　and　fearing　that　the　ape　meant　mischief；　stepped　between　them；　ordering　the　ape　back　to　the　bed。

〃He　will　not　hurt　me；〃　cried　the　boy。　　〃We　are　friends；　and　before；　he　was　my　father's　friend。　　They　knew　one　another　in　the　jungle。　　My　father　is　Lord　Greystoke。　　He　does　not　know　that　I　have　come　here。　　My　mother　forbid　my　coming；　but　I　wished　to　see　Ajax；　and　I　will　pay　you　if　you　will　let　me　come　here　often　and　see　him。〃

At　the　mention　of　the　boy's　identity　Paulvitch's　eyes　narrowed。　　Since　he　had　first　seen　Tarzan　again　from　the　wings　of　the　theater　there　had　been　forming　in　his　deadened　brain　the　beginnings　of　a　desire　for　revenge。　　It　is　a　characteristic　of　the　weak　and　criminal　to　attribute　to　others　the　misfortunes　that　are　the　result　of　their　own　wickedness；　and　so　now　it　was　that　Alexis　Paulvitch　was　slowly　recalling　the　events　of　his　past　life　and　as　he　did　so　laying　at　the　door　of　the　man　whom　he　and　Rokoff　had　so　assiduously　attempted　to　ruin　and　murder　all　the　misfortunes　that　had　befallen　him　in　the　failure　of　their　various　schemes　against　their　intended　victim。

He　saw　at　first　no　way　in　which　he　could；　with　safety　to　himself；　wreak　vengeance　upon　Tarzan　through　the　medium　of　Tarzan's　son；　but　that　great　possibilities　for　revenge　lay　in　the　boy　was　apparent　to　him；　and　so　he　determined　to　cultivate　the　lad　in　the　hope　that　fate　would　play　into　his　hands　in　some　way　in　the　future。　　He　told　the　boy　all　that　he　knew　of　his　father's　past　life　in　the　jungle　and　when　he　found　that　the　boy　had　been　kept　in　ignorance　of　all　these　things　for　so　many　years；　and　that　he　had　been　forbidden　visiting　the　zoological　gardens；　that　he　had　had　to　bind　and　gag　his　tutor　to　find　an　opportunity　to　come　to　the　music　hall　and　see　Ajax；　he　guessed　immediately　the　nature　of　the　great　fear　that　lay　in　the　hearts　of　the　boy's　parents　that　he　might　crave　the　jungle　as　his　father　had　craved　it。

And　so　Paulvitch　encouraged　the　boy　to　come　and　see　him　often；　and　always　he　played　upon　the　lad's　craving　for　tales　of　the　savage　world　with　which　Paulvitch　was　all　too　familiar。　　He　left　him　alone　with　Akut　much；　and　it　was　not　long　until　he　was　surprised　to　learn　that　the　boy　could　make　the　great　beast　understand　himthat　he　had　actually　learned　many　of　the　words　of　the　primitive　language　of　the　anthropoids。

During　this　period　Tarzan　came　several　times　to　visit　Paulvitch。　　He　seemed　anxious　to　purchase　Ajax；　and　at　last　he　told　the　man　frankly　that　he　was　prompted　not　only　by　a　desire　upon　his　part　to　return　the　beast　to　the　liberty　of　his　native　jungle；　but　also　because　his　wife　feared　that　in　some　way　her　son　might　learn　the　whereabouts　of　the　ape　and　through　his　attachment　for　the　beast　become　imbued　with　the　roving　instinct　which；　as　Tarzan　explained　to　Paulvitch；　had　so　influenced　his　own　life。

The　Russian　could　scarce　repress　a　smile　as　he　listened　to　Lord　Greystoke's　words；　since　scarce　a　half　hour　had　passed　since　the　time　the　future　Lord　Greystoke　had　been　sitting　upon　the　disordered　bed　jabbering　away　to　Ajax　with　all　the　fluency　of　a　born　ape。

It　was　during　this　interview　that　a　plan　occurred　to　Paulvitch；　and　as　a　result　of　it　he　agreed　to　accept　a　certain　fabulous　sum　for　the　ape；　and　upon　receipt　of　the　money　to　deliver　the　beast　to　a　vessel　that　was　sailing　south　from　Dover　for　Africa　two　days　later。　　He　had　a　double　purpose　in　accepting　Clayton's　offer。　Primarily；　the　money　consideration　influenced　him　strongly；　as　the　ape　was　no　longer　a　source　of　revenue　to　him；　having　consistently　refused　to　perform　upon　the　stage　after　having　discovered　Tarzan。　　It　was　as　though　the　beast　had　suffered　himself　to　be　brought　from　his　jungle　home　and　exhibited　before　thousands　of　curious　spectators　for　the　sole　purpose　of　searching　out　his　long　lost　friend　and　master；　and；　having　found　him；　considered　further　mingling　with　the　common　herd　of　humans　unnecessary。　However　that　may　be；　the　fact　remained　that　no　amount　of　persuasion　could　influence　him　even　to　show　himself　upon　the　music　hall　stage；　and　upon　the　single　occasion　that　the　trainer　attempted　force　the　results　were　such　that　the　unfortunate　man　considered　himself　lucky　to　have　escaped　with　his　life。　　All　that　saved　him　was　the　accidental　presence　of　Jack　Clayto