What were the thoughts of his strange captor or guide Clayton could only vaguely4 conjecture5; but that he had heard the shot, and was in some manner affected6 by it was quite evident, for he quickened his pace so appreciably7 that Clayton, stumbling blindly in his wake, was down a dozen times in as many minutes in a vain effort to keep pace with him, and soon was left hopelessly behind.
Fearing that he would again be irretrievably lost, he called aloud to the wild man ahead of him, and in a moment had the satisfaction of seeing him drop lightly to his side from the branches above.
For a moment Tarzan looked at the young man closely, as though undecided as to just what was best to do; then, stooping down before Clayton, he motioned him to grasp him about the neck, and, with the white man upon his back, Tarzan took to the trees.
The next few minutes the young Englishman never forgot. High into bending and swaying branches he was borne with what seemed to him incredible swiftness, while Tarzan chafed9 at the slowness of his progress.
From one lofty branch the agile10 creature swung with Clayton through a dizzy arc to a neighboring tree; then for a hundred yards maybe the sure feet threaded a maze11 of interwoven limbs, balancing like a tightrope12 walker high above the black depths of verdure beneath.
From the first sensation of chilling fear Clayton passed to one of keen admiration13 and envy of those giant muscles and that wondrous14 instinct or knowledge which guided this forest god through the inky blackness of the night as easily and safely as Clayton would have strolled a London street at high noon.
Occasionally they would enter a spot where the foliage15 above was less dense16, and the bright rays of the moon lit up before Clayton’s wondering eyes the strange path they were traversing.
At such times the man fairly caught his breath at sight of the horrid17 depths below them, for Tarzan took the easiest way, which often led over a hundred feet above the earth.
And yet with all his seeming speed, Tarzan was in reality feeling his way with comparative slowness, searching constantly for limbs of adequate strength for the maintenance of this double weight.
Presently they came to the clearing before the beach. Tarzan’s quick ears had heard the strange sounds of Sabor’s efforts to force her way through the lattice, and it seemed to Clayton that they dropped a straight hundred feet to earth, so quickly did Tarzan descend18. Yet when they struck the ground it was with scarce a jar; and as Clayton released his hold on the ape-man he saw him dart19 like a squirrel for the opposite side of the cabin.
The Englishman sprang quickly after him just in time to see the hind8 quarters of some huge animal about to disappear through the window of the cabin.
As Jane opened her eyes to a realization20 of the imminent21 peril22 which threatened her, her brave young heart gave up at last its final vestige23 of hope. But then to her surprise she saw the huge animal being slowly drawn24 back through the window, and in the moonlight beyond she saw the heads and shoulders of two men.
As Clayton rounded the corner of the cabin to behold25 the animal disappearing within, it was also to see the ape-man seize the long tail in both hands, and, bracing26 himself with his feet against the side of the cabin, throw all his mighty27 strength into the effort to draw the beast out of the interior.
Clayton was quick to lend a hand, but the ape-man jabbered28 to him in a commanding and peremptory29 tone something which Clayton knew to be orders, though he could not understand them.
At last, under their combined efforts, the great body was slowly dragged farther and farther outside the window, and then there came to Clayton’s mind a dawning conception of the rash bravery of his companion’s act.
For a naked man to drag a shrieking31, clawing man-eater forth32 from a window by the tail to save a strange white girl, was indeed the last word in heroism33.
Insofar as Clayton was concerned it was a very different matter, since the girl was not only of his own kind and race, but was the one woman in all the world whom he loved.
Though he knew that the lioness would make short work of both of them, he pulled with a will to keep it from Jane Porter. And then he recalled the battle between this man and the great, black-maned lion which he had witnessed a short time before, and he commenced to feel more assurance.
Tarzan was still issuing orders which Clayton could not understand.
He was trying to tell the stupid white man to plunge34 his poisoned arrows into Sabor’s back and sides, and to reach the savage heart with the long, thin hunting knife that hung at Tarzan’s hip35; but the man would not understand, and Tarzan did not dare release his hold to do the things himself, for he knew that the puny36 white man never could hold mighty Sabor alone, for an instant.
Slowly the lioness was emerging from the window. At last her shoulders were out.
And then Clayton saw an incredible thing. Tarzan, racking his brains for some means to cope single-handed with the infuriated beast, had suddenly recalled his battle with Terkoz; and as the great shoulders came clear of the window, so that the lioness hung upon the sill only by her forepaws, Tarzan suddenly released his hold upon the brute37.
With the quickness of a striking rattler he launched himself full upon Sabor’s back, his strong young arms seeking and gaining a full-Nelson upon the beast, as he had learned it that other day during his bloody38, wrestling victory over Terkoz.
With a roar the lioness turned completely over upon her back, falling full upon her enemy; but the black-haired giant only closed tighter his hold.
Pawing and tearing at earth and air, Sabor rolled and threw herself this way and that in an effort to dislodge this strange antagonist39; but ever tighter and tighter drew the iron bands that were forcing her head lower and lower upon her tawny40 breast.
Higher crept the steel forearms of the ape-man about the back of Sabor’s neck. Weaker and weaker became the lioness’s efforts.
At last Clayton saw the immense muscles of Tarzan’s shoulders and biceps leap into corded knots beneath the silver moonlight. There was a long sustained and supreme41 effort on the ape-man’s part — and the vertebrae of Sabor’s neck parted with a sharp snap.
In an instant Tarzan was upon his feet, and for the second time that day Clayton heard the bull ape’s savage roar of victory. Then he heard Jane’s agonized42 cry:
“Cecil — Mr. Clayton! Oh, what is it? What is it?”
Running quickly to the cabin door, Clayton called out that all was right, and shouted to her to open the door. As quickly as she could she raised the great bar and fairly dragged Clayton within.
“What was that awful noise?” she whispered, shrinking close to him.
“It was the cry of the kill from the throat of the man who has just saved your life, Miss Porter. Wait, I will fetch him so you may thank him.”
The frightened girl would not be left alone, so she accompanied Clayton to the side of the cabin where lay the dead body of the lioness.
Tarzan of the Apes was gone.
Clayton called several times, but there was no reply, and so the two returned to the greater safety of the interior.
“What a frightful43 sound!” cried Jane, “I shudder44 at the mere45 thought of it. Do not tell me that a human throat voiced that hideous46 and fearsome shriek30.”
“But it did, Miss Porter,” replied Clayton; “or at least if not a human throat that of a forest god.”
And then he told her of his experiences with this strange creature — of how twice the wild man had saved his life — of the wondrous strength, and agility47, and bravery — of the brown skin and the handsome face.
“I cannot make it out at all,” he concluded. “At first I thought he might be Tarzan of the Apes; but he neither speaks nor understands English, so that theory is untenable.”
“Well, whatever he may be,” cried the girl, “we owe him our lives, and may God bless him and keep him in safety in his wild and savage jungle!”
“Amen,” said Clayton, fervently48.
“For the good Lord’s sake, ain’t I dead?”
The two turned to see Esmeralda sitting upright upon the floor, her great eyes rolling from side to side as though she could not believe their testimony49 as to her whereabouts.
And now, for Jane Porter, the reaction came, and she threw herself upon the bench, sobbing50 with hysterical51 laughter.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
apprehension
|
|
| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
morbidly
|
|
| adv.病态地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
savage
|
|
| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
vaguely
|
|
| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
conjecture
|
|
| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
appreciably
|
|
| adv.相当大地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
hind
|
|
| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
chafed
|
|
| v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的过去式 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
agile
|
|
| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
maze
|
|
| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
tightrope
|
|
| n.绷紧的绳索或钢丝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
wondrous
|
|
| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
foliage
|
|
| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
dense
|
|
| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
horrid
|
|
| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
descend
|
|
| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
dart
|
|
| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
realization
|
|
| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
imminent
|
|
| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
vestige
|
|
| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
behold
|
|
| v.看，注视，看到 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
bracing
|
|
| adj.令人振奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
jabbered
|
|
| v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的过去式和过去分词 )；急促兴奋地说话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
peremptory
|
|
| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
shriek
|
|
| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
shrieking
|
|
| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
heroism
|
|
| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
plunge
|
|
| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
hip
|
|
| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
puny
|
|
| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
bloody
|
|
| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
antagonist
|
|
| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
tawny
|
|
| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
supreme
|
|
| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
agonized
|
|
| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
frightful
|
|
| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
shudder
|
|
| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
hideous
|
|
| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
agility
|
|
| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
fervently
|
|
| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
testimony
|
|
| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
sobbing
|
|
| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
hysterical
|
|
| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |