“Wait a minute,” said Tarzan, “until the smoke is thick enough to hide our movements from the Bolgani, and then we will rush the windows overlooking the terrace, for they are nearer the east gate than any other exit, and thus some of us will have a better chance for escape.”
“I have a better plan,” said the old man. “When the smoke conceals4 us, follow me. There is one exit that is unguarded, probably because they do not dream that we would use it. When I passed over the dais behind the throne I took occasion to note that there were no Bolgani guarding it.”
“Where does it lead?” asked Tarzan.
“Into the basement of the Tower of Diamonds—the tower in which I discovered you. That portion of the palace is nearest to the east gate, and if we can reach it before they suspect our purpose there will be little doubt that we can reach the forest at least.”
“Splendid!” ejaculated the ape-man. “It will not be long now before the smoke hides us from the Bolgani.”
In fact it was so thick by this time that the occupants of the throne room were finding difficulty in breathing. Many of them were coughing and choking and the eyes of all were watering from the effects of the acrid5 smoke. And yet they were not entirely6 hidden from the observation of the watchers all about them.
“I don’t know how much more of this we can stand,” said Tarzan. “I have about all I care for, now.”
“It is thickening up a bit,” said the old man. “Just a moment more and I think we can make it unseen.”
“I can stand it no longer,” cried La. “I am suffocating and I am half-blinded.”
“Very well,” said the old man; “I doubt if they can see us now. It is pretty thick. Come, follow me;” and he led the way up the steps of the dais and through an aperture7 behind the thrones—a small opening hidden by hangings. The old man went first, and then La, followed by Tarzan and Jad-bal-ja, who had about reached the limit of his endurance and patience, so that it had been with difficulty that Tarzan had restrained him, and who now was voicing his anger in deep growls8 which might have apprised9 the Bolgani of their avenue of escape. Behind Tarzan and the lion crowded the coughing Gomangani; but because Jad-bal-ja was just in front of them they did not crowd as closely upon the party ahead of them as they probably would have done otherwise.
The aperture opened into a dark corridor which led down a flight of rough steps to a lower level, and then straight through utter darkness for the rather considerable distance which separated the Tower of Diamonds from the Tower of the Emperors. So great was their relief at escaping the dense10 smoke of the throne room that none of the party minded the darkness of the corridor, but followed patiently the lead of the old man who had explained that the first stairs down which they had passed were the only obstacles to be encountered in the tunnel.
At the corridor’s end the old man halted before a heavy door, which after considerable difficulty he managed to open.
“Wait a moment,” he said, “until I find a cresset and make a light.”
They heard him moving about beyond the doorway11 for a moment and then a dim light flared12, and presently the wick in a cresset flickered13. In the dim rays Tarzan saw before them a large rectangular chamber14, the great size of which was only partially15 suggested in the wavering light of the cresset.
“Get them all in,” said the old man, “and close the door;” and when that had been done he called to Tarzan. “Come!” he said. “Before we leave this chamber I want to show you such a sight as no other human eyes have ever rested upon.”
He led him to the far side of the chamber where, in the light of the cresset, Tarzan saw tier after tier of shelves, upon which were stacked small sacks made of skins. The old man set the cresset upon one of the shelves and taking a sack opened it and spilled a portion of the contents into the palm of his hand. “Diamonds,” he said. “Each of these packages weighs five pounds and each contains diamonds. They have been accumulating them for countless16 ages, for they mine far more than they can use themselves. In their legends is the belief that some day the Atlantians will return and they can sell the diamonds to them. And so they continue to mine them and store them as though there was a constant and ready market for them. Here, take one of the bags with you,” he said. He handed one to Tarzan and another to La.
“I do not believe that we shall ever leave the valley alive, but we might;” and he took a third bag for himself.
From the diamond vault17 the old man led them up a primitive ladder to the floor above, and quickly to the main entrance of the Tower. Only two heavy doors, bolted upon the inside, now lay between them and the terrace, a short distance beyond which the east gate swung open. The old man was about to open the doors when Tarzan stopped him.
“Wait a moment,” he said, “until the rest of the Gomangani come. It takes them some time to ascend18 the ladder. When they are all here behind us, swing the doors open, and you and La, with this ten or a dozen Gomangani that are immediately around us, make a break for the gate. The rest of us will bring up the rear and hold the Bolgani off in case they attack us. Get ready,” he added a moment later, “I think they are all up.”
Carefully Tarzan explained to the Gomangani the plan he had in mind, and then, turning to the old man, he commanded “Now!” The bolt slipped, the doors swung open, and simultaneously20 the entire party started at a run toward the east gate.
The Bolgani, who were still massed about the throne room, were not aware that their victims had eluded21 them until Tarzan, bringing up the rear with Jad-bal-ja was passing through the east gate. Then the Bolgani discovered him, and immediately set up a hue22 and cry that brought several hundred of them on a mad run in pursuit.
“Here they come,” cried Tarzan to the others, “make a run of it—straight down the valley toward Opar, La.”
“And you?” demanded the young woman.
“I shall remain a moment with the Gomangani, and attempt to punish these fellows.”
La stopped in her tracks. “I shall not go a step without you, Tarzan of the Apes,” she said. “Too great already are the risks you have taken for me. No; I shall not go without you.”
With great difficulty he rallied a portion of the Gomangani who, once through the gate, seemed imbued24 but with a single purpose, and that to put as much distance between the Palace of Diamonds and themselves as possible. Perhaps fifty warriors25 rallied to his call, and with these he stood in the gateway26 toward which several hundred Bolgani were now charging.
The old man came and touched Tarzan on the arm. “You had better fly,” he said. “The Gomangani will break and run at the first assault.”
“We will gain nothing by flying,” said Tarzan, “for we should only lose what we have gained with the Gomangani, and then we should have the whole valley about us like hornets.”
He had scarcely finished speaking when one of the Gomangani cried: “Look! Look! They come;” and pointed27 along the trail into the forest.
“And just in time, too,” remarked Tarzan, as he saw the first of a swarm28 of Gomangani pouring out of the forest toward the east gate. “Come!” he cried to the advancing blacks, “the Bolgani are upon us. Come, and avenge29 your wrongs!” Then he turned, and calling to the blacks around him, leaped forward to meet the onrushing gorilla-men. Behind them wave after wave of Gomangani rolled through the east gate of the Palace of Diamonds, carrying everything before them to break at last like surf upon the wavering wall of Bolgani that was being relentlessly30 hurled31 back against the palace walls.
The shouting and the fighting and the blood worked Jad-bal-ja into such a frenzy32 of excitement that Tarzan with difficulty restrained him from springing upon friend and foe33 alike, with the result that it required so much of the ape-man’s time to hold in leash34 his ferocious35 ally that he was able to take but little part in the battle, yet he saw that it was going his way, and that, but for the occurrence of some untoward36 event, the complete defeat of the Bolgani was assured.
Nor were his deductions37 erroneous. So frantic38 were the Gomangani with the blood-lust of revenge and so enthused by the first fruits of victory, that they went fully19 as mad as Jad-bal-ja himself. They neither gave nor asked quarter, and the fighting ended only when they could find no more Bolgani to slay39.
The fighting over, Tarzan, with La and the old man, returned to the throne room, from which the fumes of the smoke bombs had now disappeared. To them they summoned the head-man of each village, and when they had assembled before the dais, above which stood the three whites, with the great, black-maned lion Jad-bal-ja, Tarzan addressed them.
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1
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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2
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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3
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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4
conceals
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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5
acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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6
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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7
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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8
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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9
apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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10
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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11
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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12
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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13
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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15
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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16
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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17
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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18
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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19
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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20
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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21
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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22
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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23
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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24
imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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25
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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26
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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27
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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28
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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29
avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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30
relentlessly
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| adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断 | |
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31
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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32
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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33
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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34
leash
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| n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住 | |
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35
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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36
untoward
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| adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的 | |
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37
deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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38
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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39
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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