The younger and lighter1 members of his tribe scampered2 to the higher branches of the great trees to escape his wrath4; risking their lives upon branches that scarce supported their weight rather than face old Kerchak in one of his fits of uncontrolled anger.
The other males scattered5 in all directions, but not before the infuriated brute6 had felt the vertebra of one snap between his great, foaming7 jaws8.
A luckless young female slipped from an insecure hold upon a high branch and came crashing to the ground almost at Kerchak’s feet.
With a wild scream he was upon her, tearing a great piece from her side with his mighty9 teeth, and striking her viciously upon her head and shoulders with a broken tree limb until her skull10 was crushed to a jelly.
And then he spied Kala, who, returning from a search for food with her young babe, was ignorant of the state of the mighty male’s temper until suddenly the shrill12 warnings of her fellows caused her to scamper3 madly for safety.
But Kerchak was close upon her, so close that he had almost grasped her ankle had she not made a furious leap far into space from one tree to another — a perilous13 chance which apes seldom if ever take, unless so closely pursued by danger that there is no alternative.
She made the leap successfully, but as she grasped the limb of the further tree the sudden jar loosened the hold of the tiny babe where it clung frantically14 to her neck, and she saw the little thing hurled15, turning and twisting, to the ground thirty feet below.
With a low cry of dismay Kala rushed headlong to its side, thoughtless now of the danger from Kerchak; but when she gathered the wee, mangled16 form to her bosom17 life had left it.
With low moans, she sat cuddling the body to her; nor did Kerchak attempt to molest18 her. With the death of the babe his fit of demoniacal rage passed as suddenly as it had seized him.
Kerchak was a huge king ape, weighing perhaps three hundred and fifty pounds. His forehead was extremely low and receding19, his eyes bloodshot, small and close set to his coarse, flat nose; his ears large and thin, but smaller than most of his kind.
His awful temper and his mighty strength made him supreme20 among the little tribe into which he had been born some twenty years before.
Now that he was in his prime, there was no simian21 in all the mighty forest through which he roved that dared contest his right to rule, nor did the other and larger animals molest him.
Old Tantor, the elephant, alone of all the wild savage22 life, feared him not — and he alone did Kerchak fear. When Tantor trumpeted23, the great ape scurried24 with his fellows high among the trees of the second terrace.
The tribe of anthropoids over which Kerchak ruled with an iron hand and bared fangs25, numbered some six or eight families, each family consisting of an adult male with his females and their young, numbering in all some sixty or seventy apes.
Kala was the youngest mate of a male called Tublat, meaning broken nose, and the child she had seen dashed to death was her first; for she was but nine or ten years old.
Notwithstanding her youth, she was large and powerful — a splendid, clean-limbed animal, with a round, high forehead, which denoted more intelligence than most of her kind possessed26. So, also, she had a great capacity for mother love and mother sorrow.
But she was still an ape, a huge, fierce, terrible beast of a species closely allied27 to the gorilla28, yet more intelligent; which, with the strength of their cousin, made her kind the most fearsome of those awe-inspiring progenitors29 of man.
When the tribe saw that Kerchak’s rage had ceased they came slowly down from their arboreal30 retreats and pursued again the various occupations which he had interrupted.
The young played and frolicked about among the trees and bushes. Some of the adults lay prone31 upon the soft mat of dead and decaying vegetation which covered the ground, while others turned over pieces of fallen branches and clods of earth in search of the small bugs32 and reptiles33 which formed a part of their food.
Others, again, searched the surrounding trees for fruit, nuts, small birds, and eggs.
They had passed an hour or so thus when Kerchak called them together, and, with a word of command to them to follow him, set off toward the sea.
They traveled for the most part upon the ground, where it was open, following the path of the great elephants whose comings and goings break the only roads through those tangled34 mazes35 of bush, vine, creeper, and tree. When they walked it was with a rolling, awkward motion, placing the knuckles36 of their closed hands upon the ground and swinging their ungainly bodies forward.
But when the way was through the lower trees they moved more swiftly, swinging from branch to branch with the agility37 of their smaller cousins, the monkeys. And all the way Kala carried her little dead baby hugged closely to her breast.
It was shortly after noon when they reached a ridge38 overlooking the beach where below them lay the tiny cottage which was Kerchak’s goal.
He had seen many of his kind go to their deaths before the loud noise made by the little black stick in the hands of the strange white ape who lived in that wonderful lair39, and Kerchak had made up his brute mind to own that death-dealing contrivance, and to explore the interior of the mysterious den11.
He wanted, very, very much, to feel his teeth sink into the neck of the queer animal that he had learned to hate and fear, and because of this, he came often with his tribe to reconnoiter, waiting for a time when the white ape should be off his guard.
Of late they had quit attacking, or even showing themselves; for every time they had done so in the past the little stick had roared out its terrible message of death to some member of the tribe.
Today there was no sign of the man about, and from where they watched they could see that the cabin door was open. Slowly, cautiously, and noiselessly they crept through the jungle toward the little cabin.
There were no growls40, no fierce screams of rage — the little black stick had taught them to come quietly lest they awaken41 it.
On, on they came until Kerchak himself slunk stealthily to the very door and peered within. Behind him were two males, and then Kala, closely straining the little dead form to her breast.
Inside the den they saw the strange white ape lying half across a table, his head buried in his arms; and on the bed lay a figure covered by a sailcloth, while from a tiny rustic42 cradle came the plaintive43 wailing44 of a babe.
Noiselessly Kerchak entered, crouching46 for the charge; and then John Clayton rose with a sudden start and faced them.
The sight that met his eyes must have frozen him with horror, for there, within the door, stood three great bull apes, while behind them crowded many more; how many he never knew, for his revolvers were hanging on the far wall beside his rifle, and Kerchak was charging.
When the king ape released the limp form which had been John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, he turned his attention toward the little cradle; but Kala was there before him, and when he would have grasped the child she snatched it herself, and before he could intercept47 her she had bolted through the door and taken refuge in a high tree.
As she took up the little live baby of Alice Clayton she dropped the dead body of her own into the empty cradle; for the wail45 of the living had answered the call of universal motherhood within her wild breast which the dead could not still.
High up among the branches of a mighty tree she hugged the shrieking48 infant to her bosom, and soon the instinct that was as dominant49 in this fierce female as it had been in the breast of his tender and beautiful mother — the instinct of mother love — reached out to the tiny man-child’s half-formed understanding, and he became quiet.
Then hunger closed the gap between them, and the son of an English lord and an English lady nursed at the breast of Kala, the great ape.
In the meantime the beasts within the cabin were warily50 examining the contents of this strange lair.
Once satisfied that Clayton was dead, Kerchak turned his attention to the thing which lay upon the bed, covered by a piece of sailcloth.
Gingerly he lifted one corner of the shroud51, but when he saw the body of the woman beneath he tore the cloth roughly from her form and seized the still, white throat in his huge, hairy hands.
A moment he let his fingers sink deep into the cold flesh, and then, realizing that she was already dead, he turned from her, to examine the contents of the room; nor did he again molest the body of either Lady Alice or Sir John.
The rifle hanging upon the wall caught his first attention; it was for this strange, death-dealing thunder-stick that he had yearned52 for months; but now that it was within his grasp he scarcely had the temerity53 to seize it.
Cautiously he approached the thing, ready to flee precipitately54 should it speak in its deep roaring tones, as he had heard it speak before, the last words to those of his kind who, through ignorance or rashness, had attacked the wonderful white ape that had borne it.
Deep in the beast’s intelligence was something which assured him that the thunder-stick was only dangerous when in the hands of one who could manipulate it, but yet it was several minutes ere he could bring himself to touch it.
Instead, he walked back and forth55 along the floor before it, turning his head so that never once did his eyes leave the object of his desire.
Using his long arms as a man uses crutches56, and rolling his huge carcass from side to side with each stride, the great king ape paced to and fro, uttering deep growls, occasionally punctuated57 with the ear-piercing scream, than which there is no more terrifying noise in all the jungle.
Presently he halted before the rifle. Slowly he raised a huge hand until it almost touched the shining barrel, only to withdraw it once more and continue his hurried pacing.
It was as though the great brute by this show of fearlessness, and through the medium of his wild voice, was endeavoring to bolster58 up his courage to the point which would permit him to take the rifle in his hand.
Again he stopped, and this time succeeded in forcing his reluctant hand to the cold steel, only to snatch it away almost immediately and resume his restless beat.
Time after time this strange ceremony was repeated, but on each occasion with increased confidence, until, finally, the rifle was torn from its hook and lay in the grasp of the great brute.
Finding that it harmed him not, Kerchak began to examine it closely. He felt of it from end to end, peered down the black depths of the muzzle59, fingered the sights, the breech, the stock, and finally the trigger.
During all these operations the apes who had entered sat huddled60 near the door watching their chief, while those outside strained and crowded to catch a glimpse of what transpired61 within.
Suddenly Kerchak’s finger closed upon the trigger. There was a deafening62 roar in the little room and the apes at and beyond the door fell over one another in their wild anxiety to escape.
Kerchak was equally frightened, so frightened, in fact, that he quite forgot to throw aside the author of that fearful noise, but bolted for the door with it tightly clutched in one hand.
As he passed through the opening, the front sight of the rifle caught upon the edge of the inswung door with sufficient force to close it tightly after the fleeing ape.
When Kerchak came to a halt a short distance from the cabin and discovered that he still held the rifle, he dropped it as he might have dropped a red hot iron, nor did he again attempt to recover it — the noise was too much for his brute nerves; but he was now quite convinced that the terrible stick was quite harmless by itself if left alone.
It was an hour before the apes could again bring themselves to approach the cabin to continue their investigations63, and when they finally did so, they found to their chagrin64 that the door was closed and so securely fastened that they could not force it.
The cleverly constructed latch65 which Clayton had made for the door had sprung as Kerchak passed out; nor could the apes find means of ingress through the heavily barred windows.
After roaming about the vicinity for a short time, they started back for the deeper forests and the higher land from whence they had come.
Kala had not once come to earth with her little adopted babe, but now Kerchak called to her to descend66 with the rest, and as there was no note of anger in his voice she dropped lightly from branch to branch and joined the others on their homeward march.
Those of the apes who attempted to examine Kala’s strange baby were repulsed67 with bared fangs and low menacing growls, accompanied by words of warning from Kala.
When they assured her that they meant the child no harm she permitted them to come close, but would not allow them to touch her charge.
It was as though she knew that her baby was frail68 and delicate and feared lest the rough hands of her fellows might injure the little thing.
Another thing she did, and which made traveling an onerous69 trial for her. Remembering the death of her own little one, she clung desperately70 to the new babe, with one hand, whenever they were upon the march.
The other young rode upon their mothers’ backs; their little arms tightly clasping the hairy necks before them, while their legs were locked beneath their mothers’ armpits.
Not so with Kala; she held the small form of the little Lord Greystoke tightly to her breast, where the dainty hands clutched the long black hair which covered that portion of her body. She had seen one child fall from her back to a terrible death, and she would take no further chances with this.
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1
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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2
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scamper
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| v.奔跑，快跑 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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8
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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9
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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15
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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16
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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17
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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18
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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19
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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20
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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21
simian
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| adj.似猿猴的；n.类人猿，猴 | |
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22
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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23
trumpeted
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| 大声说出或宣告（trumpet的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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24
scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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26
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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gorilla
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| n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手 | |
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29
progenitors
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| n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 )；先驱；前辈；原本 | |
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30
arboreal
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| adj.树栖的；树的 | |
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31
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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32
bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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33
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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34
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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35
mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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36
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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37
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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38
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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39
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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40
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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41
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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42
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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43
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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44
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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45
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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46
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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47
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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48
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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49
dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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50
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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51
shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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52
yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
temerity
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| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
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54
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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55
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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56
crutches
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| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
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57
punctuated
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| v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物 | |
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58
bolster
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| n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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59
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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60
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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61
transpired
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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62
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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63
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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64
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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65
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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66
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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67
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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68
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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69
onerous
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| adj.繁重的 | |
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70
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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