The sentinels, now from habit become a fixed4 tribal5 custom, either relaxed their vigilance or entirely6 deserted7 their posts, as the whim8 seized them. The tribe was far scattered9 in search of food. Thus may peace and prosperity undermine the safety of the most primitive10 community even as it does that of the most cultured.
Even the individuals became less watchful12 and alert, so that one might have thought Numa and Sabor and Sheeta entirely deleted from the scheme of things. The shes and the balus roamed unguarded through the sullen13 jungle, while the greedy males foraged14 far afield, and thus it was that Teeka and Gazan, her balu, hunted upon the extreme southern edge of the tribe with no great male near them.
Still farther south there moved through the forest a sinister15 figure—a huge bull ape, maddened by solitude16 and defeat. A week before he had contended for the kingship of a tribe far distant, and now battered17, and still sore, he roamed the wilderness18 an outcast. Later he might return to his own tribe and submit to the will of the hairy brute19 he had attempted to dethrone; but for the time being he dared not do so, since he had sought not only the crown but the wives, as well, of his lord and master. It would require an entire moon at least to bring forgetfulness to him he had wronged, and so Toog wandered a strange jungle, grim, terrible, hate-filled.
It was in this mental state that Toog came unexpectedly upon a young she feeding alone in the jungle—a stranger she, lithe20 and strong and beautiful beyond compare. Toog caught his breath and slunk quickly to one side of the trail where the dense21 foliage22 of the tropical underbrush concealed23 him from Teeka while permitting him to feast his eyes upon her loveliness.
But not alone were they concerned with Teeka—they roved the surrounding jungle in search of the bulls and cows and balus of her tribe, though principally for the bulls. When one covets24 a she of an alien tribe one must take into consideration the great, fierce, hairy guardians25 who seldom wander far from their wards26 and who will fight a stranger to the death in protection of the mate or offspring of a fellow, precisely27 as they would fight for their own.
Toog could see no sign of any ape other than the strange she and a young balu playing near by. His wicked, blood-shot eyes half closed as they rested upon the charms of the former—as for the balu, one snap of those great jaws28 upon the back of its little neck would prevent it from raising any unnecessary alarm.
Toog was a fine, big male, resembling in many ways Teeka's mate, Taug. Each was in his prime, and each was wonderfully muscled, perfectly29 fanged30 and as horrifyingly32 ferocious33 as the most exacting34 and particular she could wish. Had Toog been of her own tribe, Teeka might as readily have yielded to him as to Taug when her mating time arrived; but now she was Taug's and no other male could claim her without first defeating Taug in personal combat. And even then Teeka retained some rights in the matter. If she did not favor a correspondent, she could enter the lists with her rightful mate and do her part toward discouraging his advances, a part, too, which would prove no mean assistance to her lord and master, for Teeka, even though her fangs35 were smaller than a male's, could use them to excellent effect.
Just now Teeka was occupied in a fascinating search for beetles36, to the exclusion37 of all else. She did not realize how far she and Gazan had become separated from the balance of the tribe, nor were her defensive38 senses upon the alert as they should have been. Months of immunity39 from danger under the protecting watchfulness40 of the sentries41, which Tarzan had taught the tribe to post, had lulled42 them all into a sense of peaceful security based on that fallacy which has wrecked43 many enlightened communities in the past and will continue to wreck44 others in the future—that because they have not been attacked they never will be.
Toog, having satisfied himself that only the she and her balu were in the immediate vicinity, crept stealthily forward. Teeka's back was toward him when he finally rushed upon her; but her senses were at last awakened45 to the presence of danger and she wheeled to face the strange bull just before he reached her. Toog halted a few paces from her. His anger had fled before the seductive feminine charms of the stranger. He made conciliatory noises—a species of clucking sound with his broad, flat lips—that were, too, not greatly dissimilar to that which might be produced in an osculatory solo.
But Teeka only bared her fangs and growled47. Little Gazan started to run toward his mother, but she warned him away with a quick "Kreeg-ah!" telling him to run high into a tall tree. Evidently Teeka was not favorably impressed by her new suitor. Toog realized this and altered his methods accordingly. He swelled49 his giant chest, beat upon it with his calloused50 knuckles52 and swaggered to and fro before her.
"I am Toog," he boasted. "Look at my fighting fangs. Look at my great arms and my mighty53 legs. With one bite I can slay54 your biggest bull. Alone have I slain55 Sheeta. I am Toog. Toog wants you." Then he waited for the effect, nor did he have long to wait. Teeka turned with a swiftness which belied56 her great weight and bolted in the opposite direction. Toog, with an angry growl48, leaped in pursuit; but the smaller, lighter57 female was too fleet for him. He chased her for a few yards and then, foaming58 and barking, he halted and beat upon the ground with his hard fists.
From the tree above him little Gazan looked down and witnessed the stranger bull's discomfiture59. Being young, and thinking himself safe above the reach of the heavy male, Gazan screamed an ill-timed insult at their tormentor60. Toog looked up. Teeka had halted at a little distance—she would not go far from her balu; that Toog quickly realized and as quickly determined61 to take advantage of. He saw that the tree in which the young ape squatted62 was isolated63 and that Gazan could not reach another without coming to earth. He would obtain the mother through her love for her young.
He swung himself into the lower branches of the tree. Little Gazan ceased to insult him; his expression of deviltry changed to one of apprehension64, which was quickly followed by fear as Toog commenced to ascend65 toward him. Teeka screamed to Gazan to climb higher, and the little fellow scampered66 upward among the tiny branches which would not support the weight of the great bull; but nevertheless Toog kept on climbing. Teeka was not fearful. She knew that he could not ascend far enough to reach Gazan, so she sat at a little distance from the tree and applied67 jungle opprobrium68 to him. Being a female, she was a past master of the art.
But she did not know the malevolent69 cunning of Toog's little brain. She took it for granted that the bull would climb as high as he could toward Gazan and then, finding that he could not reach him, resume his pursuit of her, which she knew would prove equally fruitless. So sure was she of the safety of her balu and her own ability to take care of herself that she did not voice the cry for help which would soon have brought the other members of the tribe flocking to her side.
Toog slowly reached the limit to which he dared risk his great weight to the slender branches. Gazan was still fifteen feet above him. The bull braced70 himself and seized the main branch in his powerful hands, then he commenced shaking it vigorously. Teeka was appalled71. Instantly she realized what the bull purposed. Gazan clung far out upon a swaying limb. At the first shake he lost his balance, though he did not quite fall, clinging still with his four hands; but Toog redoubled his efforts; the shaking produced a violent snapping of the limb to which the young ape clung. Teeka saw all too plainly what the outcome must be and forgetting her own danger in the depth of her mother love, rushed forward to ascend the tree and give battle to the fearsome creature that menaced the life of her little one.
But before ever she reached the bole, Toog had succeeded, by violent shaking of the branch, to loosen Gazan's hold. With a cry the little fellow plunged72 down through the foliage, clutching futilely73 for a new hold, and alighted with a sickening thud at his mother's feet, where he lay silent and motionless. Moaning, Teeka stooped to lift the still form in her arms; but at the same instant Toog was upon her.
Struggling and biting she fought to free herself; but the giant muscles of the great bull were too much for her lesser74 strength. Toog struck and choked her repeatedly until finally, half unconscious, she lapsed75 into quasi submission76. Then the bull lifted her to his shoulder and turned back to the trail toward the south from whence he had come.
Upon the ground lay the quiet form of little Gazan. He did not moan. He did not move. The sun rose slowly toward meridian77. A mangy thing, lifting its nose to scent78 the jungle breeze, crept through the underbrush. It was Dango, the hyena79. Presently its ugly muzzle80 broke through some near-by foliage and its cruel eyes fastened upon Gazan.
Early that morning, Tarzan of the Apes had gone to the cabin by the sea, where he passed many an hour at such times as the tribe was ranging in the vicinity. On the floor lay the skeleton of a man—all that remained of the former Lord Greystoke—lay as it had fallen some twenty years before when Kerchak, the great ape, had thrown it, lifeless, there. Long since had the termites81 and the small rodents83 picked clean the sturdy English bones. For years Tarzan had seen it lying there, giving it no more attention than he gave the countless84 thousand bones that strewed85 his jungle haunts. On the bed another, smaller, skeleton reposed86 and the youth ignored it as he ignored the other. How could he know that the one had been his father, the other his mother? The little pile of bones in the rude cradle, fashioned with such loving care by the former Lord Greystoke, meant nothing to him—that one day that little skull87 was to help prove his right to a proud title was as far beyond his ken46 as the satellites of the suns of Orion. To Tarzan they were bones—just bones. He did not need them, for there was no meat left upon them, and they were not in his way, for he knew no necessity for a bed, and the skeleton upon the floor he easily could step over.
Today he was restless. He turned the pages first of one book and then of another. He glanced at pictures which he knew by heart, and tossed the books aside. He rummaged88 for the thousandth time in the cupboard. He took out a bag which contained several small, round pieces of metal. He had played with them many times in the years gone by; but always he replaced them carefully in the bag, and the bag in the cupboard, upon the very shelf where first he had discovered it. In strange ways did heredity manifest itself in the ape-man. Come of an orderly race, he himself was orderly without knowing why. The apes dropped things wherever their interest in them waned—in the tall grass or from the high-flung branches of the trees. What they dropped they sometimes found again, by accident; but not so the ways of Tarzan. For his few belongings89 he had a place and scrupulously90 he returned each thing to its proper place when he was done with it. The round pieces of metal in the little bag always interested him. Raised pictures were upon either side, the meaning of which he did not quite understand. The pieces were bright and shiny. It amused him to arrange them in various figures upon the table. Hundreds of times had he played thus. Today, while so engaged, he dropped a lovely yellow piece—an English sovereign—which rolled beneath the bed where lay all that was mortal of the once beautiful Lady Alice.
True to form, Tarzan at once dropped to his hands and knees and searched beneath the bed for the lost gold piece. Strange as it might appear, he had never before looked beneath the bed. He found the gold piece, and something else he found, too—a small wooden box with a loose cover. Bringing them both out he returned the sovereign to its bag and the bag to its shelf within the cupboard; then he investigated the box. It contained a quantity of cylindrical91 bits of metal, cone-shaped at one end and flat at the other, with a projecting rim11. They were all quite green and dull, coated with years of verdigris92.
Tarzan removed a handful of them from the box and examined them. He rubbed one upon another and discovered that the green came off, leaving a shiny surface for two-thirds of their length and a dull gray over the cone-shaped end. Finding a bit of wood he rubbed one of the cylinders93 rapidly and was rewarded by a lustrous95 sheen which pleased him.
At his side hung a pocket pouch96 taken from the body of one of the numerous black warriors97 he had slain. Into this pouch he put a handful of the new playthings, thinking to polish them at his leisure; then he replaced the box beneath the bed, and finding nothing more to amuse him, left the cabin and started back in the direction of the tribe.
Shortly before he reached them he heard a great commotion98 ahead of him—the loud screams of shes and balus, the savage99, angry barking and growling100 of the great bulls. Instantly he increased his speed, for the "Kreeg-ahs" that came to his ears warned him that something was amiss with his fellows.
While Tarzan had been occupied with his own devices in the cabin of his dead sire, Taug, Teeka's mighty mate, had been hunting a mile to the north of the tribe. At last, his belly101 filled, he had turned lazily back toward the clearing where he had last seen the tribe and presently commenced passing its members scattered alone or in twos or threes. Nowhere did he see Teeka or Gazan, and soon he began inquiring of the other apes where they might be; but none had seen them recently.
Now the lower orders are not highly imaginative. They do not, as you and I, paint vivid mental pictures of things which might have occurred, and so Taug did not now apprehend102 that any misfortune had overtaken his mate and their off-spring—he merely knew that he wished to find Teeka that he might lie down in the shade and have her scratch his back while his breakfast digested; but though he called to her and searched for her and asked each whom he met, he could find no trace of Teeka, nor of Gazan either.
He was beginning to become peeved103 and had about made up his mind to chastise104 Teeka for wandering so far afield when he wanted her. He was moving south along a game trail, his calloused soles and knuckles giving forth105 no sound, when he came upon Dango at the opposite side of a small clearing. The eater of carrion106 did not see Taug, for all his eyes were for something which lay in the grass beneath a tree—something upon which he was sneaking107 with the cautious stealth of his breed.
Taug, always cautious himself, as it behooves108 one to be who fares up and down the jungle and desires to survive, swung noiselessly into a tree, where he could have a better view of the clearing. He did not fear Dango; but he wanted to see what it was that Dango stalked. In a way, possibly, he was actuated as much by curiosity as by caution.
And when Taug reached a place in the branches from which he could have an unobstructed view of the clearing he saw Dango already sniffing109 at something directly beneath him—something which Taug instantly recognized as the lifeless form of his little Gazan.
With a cry so frightful111, so bestial112, that it momentarily paralyzed the startled Dango, the great ape launched his mighty bulk upon the surprised hyena. With a cry and a snarl113, Dango, crushed to earth, turned to tear at his assailant; but as effectively might a sparrow turn upon a hawk114. Taug's great, gnarled fingers closed upon the hyena's throat and back, his jaws snapped once on the mangy neck, crushing the vertebrae, and then he hurled115 the dead body contemptuously aside.
Again he raised his voice in the call of the bull ape to its mate, but there was no reply; then he leaned down to sniff110 at the body of Gazan. In the breast of this savage, hideous116 beast there beat a heart which was moved, however slightly, by the same emotions of paternal117 love which affect us. Even had we no actual evidence of this, we must know it still, since only thus might be explained the survival of the human race in which the jealousy118 and selfishness of the bulls would, in the earliest stages of the race, have wiped out the young as rapidly as they were brought into the world had not God implanted in the savage bosom119 that paternal love which evidences itself most strongly in the protective instinct of the male.
In Taug the protective instinct was not alone highly developed; but affection for his offspring as well, for Taug was an unusually intelligent specimen120 of these great, manlike apes which the natives of the Gobi speak of in whispers; but which no white man ever had seen, or, if seeing, lived to tell of until Tarzan of the Apes came among them.
And so Taug felt sorrow as any other father might feel sorrow at the loss of a little child. To you little Gazan might have seemed a hideous and repulsive121 creature, but to Taug and Teeka he was as beautiful and as cute as is your little Mary or Johnnie or Elizabeth Ann to you, and he was their firstborn, their only balu, and a he—three things which might make a young ape the apple of any fond father's eye.
For a moment Taug sniffed122 at the quiet little form. With his muzzle and his tongue he smoothed and caressed123 the rumpled124 coat. From his savage lips broke a low moan; but quickly upon the heels of sorrow came the overmastering desire for revenge.
Leaping to his feet he screamed out a volley of "Kreegahs," punctuated125 from time to time by the blood-freezing cry of an angry, challenging bull—a rage-mad bull with the blood lust94 strong upon him.
Answering his cries came the cries of the tribe as they swung through the trees toward him. It was these that Tarzan heard on his return from his cabin, and in reply to them he raised his own voice and hurried forward with increased speed until he fairly flew through the middle terraces of the forest.
When at last he came upon the tribe he saw their members gathered about Taug and something which lay quietly upon the ground. Dropping among them, Tarzan approached the center of the group. Taug was still roaring out his challenges; but when he saw Tarzan he ceased and stooping picked up Gazan in his arms and held him out for Tarzan to see. Of all the bulls of the tribe, Taug held affection for Tarzan only. Tarzan he trusted and looked up to as one wiser and more cunning. To Tarzan he came now—to the playmate of his balu days, the companion of innumerable battles of his maturity126.
When Tarzan saw the still form in Taug's arms, a low growl broke from his lips, for he too loved Teeka's little balu.
"Who did it?" he asked. "Where is Teeka?"
"I do not know," replied Taug. "I found him lying here with Dango about to feed upon him; but it was not Dango that did it—there are no fang31 marks upon him."
Tarzan came closer and placed an ear against Gazan's breast. "He is not dead," he said. "Maybe he will not die." He pressed through the crowd of apes and circled once about them, examining the ground step by step. Suddenly he stopped and placing his nose close to the earth sniffed. Then he sprang to his feet, giving a peculiar127 cry. Taug and the others pressed forward, for the sound told them that the hunter had found the spoor of his quarry128.
"A stranger bull has been here," said Tarzan. "It was he that hurt Gazan. He has carried off Teeka."
Taug and the other bulls commenced to roar and threaten; but they did nothing. Had the stranger bull been within sight they would have torn him to pieces; but it did not occur to them to follow him.
"If the three bulls had been watching around the tribe this would not have happened," said Tarzan. "Such things will happen as long as you do not keep the three bulls watching for an enemy. The jungle is full of enemies, and yet you let your shes and your balus feed where they will, alone and unprotected. Tarzan goes now—he goes to find Teeka and bring her back to the tribe."
The idea appealed to the other bulls. "We will all go," they cried.
"No," said Tarzan, "you will not all go. We cannot take shes and balus when we go out to hunt and fight. You must remain to guard them or you will lose them all."
They scratched their heads. The wisdom of his advice was dawning upon them, but at first they had been carried away by the new idea—the idea of following up an enemy offender129 to wrest130 his prize from him and punish him. The community instinct was ingrained in their characters through ages of custom. They did not know why they had not thought to pursue and punish the offender—they could not know that it was because they had as yet not reached a mental plane which would permit them to work as individuals. In times of stress, the community instinct sent them huddling131 into a compact herd132 where the great bulls, by the weight of their combined strength and ferocity, could best protect them from an enemy. The idea of separating to do battle with a foe133 had not yet occurred to them—it was too foreign to custom, too inimical to community interests; but to Tarzan it was the first and most natural thought. His senses told him that there was but a single bull connected with the attack upon Teeka and Gazan. A single enemy did not require the entire tribe for his punishment. Two swift bulls could quickly overhaul134 him and rescue Teeka.
In the past no one ever had thought to go forth in search of the shes that were occasionally stolen from the tribe. If Numa, Sabor, Sheeta or a wandering bull ape from another tribe chanced to carry off a maid or a matron while no one was looking, that was the end of it—she was gone, that was all. The bereaved135 husband, if the victim chanced to have been mated, growled around for a day or two and then, if he were strong enough, took another mate within the tribe, and if not, wandered far into the jungle on the chance of stealing one from another community.
In the past Tarzan of the Apes had condoned136 this practice for the reason that he had had no interest in those who had been stolen; but Teeka had been his first love and Teeka's balu held a place in his heart such as a balu of his own would have held. Just once before had Tarzan wished to follow and revenge. That had been years before when Kulonga, the son of Mbonga, the chief, had slain Kala. Then, single-handed, Tarzan had pursued and avenged137. Now, though to a lesser degree, he was moved by the same passion.
He turned toward Taug. "Leave Gazan with Mumga," he said. "She is old and her fangs are broken and she is no good; but she can take care of Gazan until we return with Teeka, and if Gazan is dead when we come back," he turned to address Mumga, "I will kill you, too."
"Where are we going?" asked Taug.
"We are going to get Teeka," replied the ape-man, "and kill the bull who has stolen her. Come!"
He turned again to the spoor of the stranger bull, which showed plainly to his trained senses, nor did he glance back to note if Taug followed. The latter laid Gazan in Mumga's arms with a parting: "If he dies Tarzan will kill you," and he followed after the brown-skinned figure that already was moving at a slow trot138 along the jungle trail.
No other bull of the tribe of Kerchak was so good a trailer as Tarzan, for his trained senses were aided by a high order of intelligence. His judgment139 told him the natural trail for a quarry to follow, so that he need but note the most apparent marks upon the way, and today the trail of Toog was as plain to him as type upon a printed page to you or me.
Following close behind the lithe figure of the ape-man came the huge and shaggy bull ape. No words passed between them. They moved as silently as two shadows among the myriad141 shadows of the forest. Alert as his eyes and ears, was Tarzan's patrician142 nose. The spoor was fresh, and now that they had passed from the range of the strong ape odor of the tribe he had little difficulty in following Toog and Teeka by scent alone. Teeka's familiar scent spoor told both Tarzan and Taug that they were upon her trail, and soon the scent of Toog became as familiar as the other.
They were progressing rapidly when suddenly dense clouds overcast143 the sun. Tarzan accelerated his pace. Now he fairly flew along the jungle trail, or, where Toog had taken to the trees, followed nimbly as a squirrel along the bending, undulating pathway of the foliage branches, swinging from tree to tree as Toog had swung before them; but more rapidly because they were not handicapped by a burden such as Toog's.
Tarzan felt that they must be almost upon the quarry, for the scent spoor was becoming stronger and stronger, when the jungle was suddenly shot by livid lightning, and a deafening144 roar of thunder reverberated145 through the heavens and the forest until the earth trembled and shook. Then came the rain—not as it comes to us of the temperate146 zones, but as a mighty avalanche147 of water—a deluge148 which spills tons instead of drops upon the bending forest giants and the terrified creatures which haunt their shade.
And the rain did what Tarzan knew that it would do—it wiped the spoor of the quarry from the face of the earth. For a half hour the torrents149 fell—then the sun burst forth, jeweling the forest with a million scintillant150 gems151; but today the ape-man, usually alert to the changing wonders of the jungle, saw them not. Only the fact that the spoor of Teeka and her abductor was obliterated152 found lodgment in his thoughts.
Even among the branches of the trees there are well-worn trails, just as there are trails upon the surface of the ground; but in the trees they branch and cross more often, since the way is more open than among the dense undergrowth at the surface. Along one of these well-marked trails Tarzan and Taug continued after the rain had ceased, because the ape-man knew that this was the most logical path for the thief to follow; but when they came to a fork, they were at a loss. Here they halted, while Tarzan examined every branch and leaf which might have been touched by the fleeing ape.
He sniffed the bole of the tree, and with his keen eyes he sought to find upon the bark some sign of the way the quarry had taken. It was slow work and all the time, Tarzan knew, the bull of the alien tribe was forging steadily153 away from them—gaining precious minutes that might carry him to safety before they could catch up with him.
First along one fork he went, and then another, applying every test that his wonderful junglecraft was cognizant of; but again and again he was baffled, for the scent had been washed away by the heavy downpour, in every exposed place. For a half hour Tarzan and Taug searched, until at last, upon the bottom of a broad leaf, Tarzan's keen nose caught the faint trace of the scent spoor of Toog, where the leaf had brushed a hairy shoulder as the great ape passed through the foliage.
Once again the two took up the trail, but it was slow work now and there were many discouraging delays when the spoor seemed lost beyond recovery. To you or me there would have been no spoor, even before the coming of the rain, except, possibly, where Toog had come to earth and followed a game trail. In such places the imprint154 of a huge handlike foot and the knuckles of one great hand were sometimes plain enough for an ordinary mortal to read. Tarzan knew from these and other indications that the ape was yet carrying Teeka. The depth of the imprint of his feet indicated a much greater weight than that of any of the larger bulls, for they were made under the combined weight of Toog and Teeka, while the fact that the knuckles of but one hand touched the ground at any time showed that the other hand was occupied in some other business—the business of holding the prisoner to a hairy shoulder. Tarzan could follow, in sheltered places, the changing of the burden from one shoulder to another, as indicated by the deepening of the foot imprint upon the side of the load, and the changing of the knuckle51 imprints155 from one side of the trail to the other.
There were stretches along the surface paths where the ape had gone for considerable distances entirely erect156 upon his hind140 feet—walking as a man walks; but the same might have been true of any of the great anthropoids of the same species, for, unlike the chimpanzee and the gorilla157, they walk without the aid of their hands quite as readily as with. It was such things, however, which helped to identify to Tarzan and to Taug the appearance of the abductor, and with his individual scent characteristic already indelibly impressed upon their memories, they were in a far better position to know him when they came upon him, even should he have disposed of Teeka before, than is a modern sleuth with his photographs and Bertillon measurements, equipped to recognize a fugitive158 from civilized159 justice.
But with all their high-strung and delicately attuned160 perceptive161 faculties162 the two bulls of the tribe of Kerchak were often sore pressed to follow the trail at all, and at best were so delayed that in the afternoon of the second day, they still had not overhauled163 the fugitive. The scent was now strong, for it had been made since the rain, and Tarzan knew that it would not be long before they came upon the thief and his loot. Above them, as they crept stealthily forward, chattered164 Manu, the monkey, and his thousand fellows; squawked and screamed the brazen-throated birds of plumage; buzzed and hummed the countless insects amid the rustling165 of the forest leaves, and, as they passed, a little gray-beard, squeaking166 and scolding upon a swaying branch, looked down and saw them. Instantly the scolding and squeaking ceased, and off tore the long-tailed mite82 as though Sheeta, the panther, had been endowed with wings and was in close pursuit of him. To all appearances he was only a very much frightened little monkey, fleeing for his life—there seemed nothing sinister about him.
And what of Teeka during all this time? Was she at last resigned to her fate and accompanying her new mate in the proper humility167 of a loving and tractable168 spouse169? A single glance at the pair would have answered these questions to the utter satisfaction of the most captious170. She was torn and bleeding from many wounds, inflicted171 by the sullen Toog in his vain efforts to subdue172 her to his will, and Toog too was disfigured and mutilated; but with stubborn ferocity, he still clung to his now useless prize.
On through the jungle he forced his way in the direction of the stamping ground of his tribe. He hoped that his king would have forgotten his treason; but if not he was still resigned to his fate—any fate would be better than suffering longer the sole companionship of this frightful she, and then, too, he wished to exhibit his captive to his fellows. Maybe he could wish her on the king—it is possible that such a thought urged him on.
At last they came upon two bulls feeding in a parklike grove173—a beautiful grove dotted with huge boulders175 half embedded176 in the rich loam—mute monuments, possibly, to a forgotten age when mighty glaciers177 rolled their slow course where now a torrid sun beats down upon a tropic jungle.
The two bulls looked up, baring long fighting fangs, as Toog appeared in the distance. The latter recognized the two as friends. "It is Toog," he growled. "Toog has come back with a new she."
The apes waited his nearer approach. Teeka turned a snarling178, fanged face toward them. She was not pretty to look upon, yet through the blood and hatred179 upon her countenance180 they realized that she was beautiful, and they envied Toog—alas! they did not know Teeka.
As they squatted looking at one another there raced through the trees toward them a long-tailed little monkey with gray whiskers. He was a very excited little monkey when he came to a halt upon the limb of a tree directly overhead. "Two strange bulls come," he cried. "One is a Mangani, the other a hideous ape without hair upon his body. They follow the spoor of Toog. I saw them."
The four apes turned their eyes backward along the trail Toog had just come; then they looked at one another for a minute. "Come," said the larger of Toog's two friends, "we will wait for the strangers in the thick bushes beyond the clearing."
He turned and waddled181 away across the open place, the others following him. The little monkey danced about, all excitement. His chief diversion in life was to bring about bloody182 encounters between the larger denizens183 of the forest, that he might sit in the safety of the trees and witness the spectacles. He was a glutton184 for gore185, was this little, whiskered, gray monkey, so long as it was the gore of others—a typical fight fan was the graybeard.
The apes hid themselves in the shrubbery beside the trail along which the two stranger bulls would pass. Teeka trembled with excitement. She had heard the words of Manu, and she knew that the hairless ape must be Tarzan, while the other was, doubtless, Taug. Never, in her wildest hopes, had she expected succor186 of this sort. Her one thought had been to escape and find her way back to the tribe of Kerchak; but even this had appeared to her practically impossible, so closely did Toog watch her.
As Taug and Tarzan reached the grove where Toog had come upon his friends, the ape scent became so strong that both knew the quarry was but a short distance ahead. And so they went even more cautiously, for they wished to come upon the thief from behind if they could and charge him before he was aware of their presence. That a little gray-whiskered monkey had forestalled187 them they did not know, nor that three pairs of savage eyes were already watching their every move and waiting for them to come within reach of itching188 paws and slavering jowls.
On they came across the grove, and as they entered the path leading into the dense jungle beyond, a sudden "Kreeg-ah!" shrilled190 out close before them—a "Kreeg-ah" in the familiar voice of Teeka. The small brains of Toog and his companions had not been able to foresee that Teeka might betray them, and now that she had, they went wild with rage. Toog struck the she a mighty blow that felled her, and then the three rushed forth to do battle with Tarzan and Taug. The little monkey danced upon his perch191 and screamed with delight.
And indeed he might well be delighted, for it was a lovely fight. There were no preliminaries, no formalities, no introductions—the five bulls merely charged and clinched192. They rolled in the narrow trail and into the thick verdure beside it. They bit and clawed and scratched and struck, and all the while they kept up the most frightful chorus of growlings and barkings and roarings. In five minutes they were torn and bleeding, and the little graybeard leaped high, shrilling193 his primitive bravos; but always his attitude was "thumbs down." He wanted to see something killed. He did not care whether it were friend or foe. It was blood he wanted—blood and death.
Taug had been set upon by Toog and another of the apes, while Tarzan had the third—a huge brute with the strength of a buffalo194. Never before had Tarzan's assailant beheld195 so strange a creature as this slippery, hairless bull with which he battled. Sweat and blood covered Tarzan's sleek196, brown hide. Again and again he slipped from the clutches of the great bull, and all the while he struggled to free his hunting knife from the scabbard in which it had stuck.
At length he succeeded—a brown hand shot out and clutched a hairy throat, another flew upward clutching the sharp blade. Three swift, powerful strokes and the bull relaxed with a groan197, falling limp beneath his antagonist198. Instantly Tarzan broke from the clutches of the dying bull and sprang to Taug's assistance. Toog saw him coming and wheeled to meet him. In the impact of the charge, Tarzan's knife was wrenched199 from his hand and then Toog closed with him. Now was the battle even—two against two—while on the verge200, Teeka, now recovered from the blow that had felled her, slunk waiting for an opportunity to aid. She saw Tarzan's knife and picked it up. She never had used it, but knew how Tarzan used it. Always had she been afraid of the thing which dealt death to the mightiest201 of the jungle people with the ease that Tantor's great tusks202 deal death to Tantor's enemies.
She saw Tarzan's pocket pouch torn from his side, and with the curiosity of an ape, that even danger and excitement cannot entirely dispel203, she picked this up, too.
Now the bulls were standing204—the clinches205 had been broken. Blood streamed down their sides—their faces were crimsoned206 with it. Little graybeard was so fascinated that at last he had even forgotten to scream and dance; but sat rigid207 with delight in the enjoyment208 of the spectacle.
Back across the grove Tarzan and Taug forced their adversaries209. Teeka followed slowly. She scarce knew what to do. She was lame210 and sore and exhausted211 from the frightful ordeal212 through which she had passed, and she had the confidence of her sex in the prowess of her mate and the other bull of her tribe—they would not need the help of a she in their battle with these two strangers.
The roars and screams of the fighters reverberated through the jungle, awakening213 the echoes in the distant hills. From the throat of Tarzan's antagonist had come a score of "Kreeg-ahs!" and now from behind came the reply he had awaited. Into the grove, barking and growling, came a score of huge bull apes—the fighting men of Toog's tribe.
Teeka saw them first and screamed a warning to Tarzan and Taug. Then she fled past the fighters toward the opposite side of the clearing, fear for a moment claiming her. Nor can one censure214 her after the frightful ordeal from which she was still suffering.
Down upon them came the great apes. In a moment Tarzan and Taug would be torn to shreds215 that would later form the pièce de résistance of the savage orgy of a Dum-Dum. Teeka turned to glance back. She saw the impending216 fate of her defenders217 and there sprung to life in her savage bosom the spark of martyrdom, that some common forbear had transmitted alike to Teeka, the wild ape, and the glorious women of a higher order who have invited death for their men. With a shrill189 scream she ran toward the battlers who were rolling in a great mass at the foot of one of the huge boulders which dotted the grove; but what could she do? The knife she held she could not use to advantage because of her lesser strength. She had seen Tarzan throw missiles, and she had learned this with many other things from her childhood playmate. She sought for something to throw and at last her fingers touched upon the hard objects in the pouch that had been torn from the ape-man. Tearing the receptacle open, she gathered a handful of shiny cylinders—heavy for their size, they seemed to her, and good missiles. With all her strength she hurled them at the apes battling in front of the granite218 boulder174.
The result surprised Teeka quite as much as it did the apes. There was a loud explosion, which deafened219 the fighters, and a puff220 of acrid221 smoke. Never before had one there heard such a frightful noise. Screaming with terror, the stranger bulls leaped to their feet and fled back toward the stamping ground of their tribe, while Taug and Tarzan slowly gathered themselves together and arose, lame and bleeding, to their feet. They, too, would have fled had they not seen Teeka standing there before them, the knife and the pocket pouch in her hands.
"What was it?" asked Tarzan.
Teeka shook her head. "I hurled these at the stranger bulls," and she held forth another handful of the shiny metal cylinders with the dull gray, cone-shaped ends.
Tarzan looked at them and scratched his head.
"What are they?" asked Taug.
"I do not know," said Tarzan. "I found them."
The little monkey with the gray beard halted among the trees a mile away and huddled222, terrified, against a branch. He did not know that the dead father of Tarzan of the Apes, reaching back out of the past across a span of twenty years, had saved his son's life.
Nor did Tarzan, Lord Greystoke, know it either.
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1
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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trespassed
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| （trespass的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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4
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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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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10
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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12
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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13
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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14
foraged
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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15
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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16
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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17
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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18
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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19
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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20
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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21
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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22
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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23
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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24
covets
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| v.贪求，觊觎( covet的第三人称单数 ) | |
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25
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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26
wards
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| 区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态 | |
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27
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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28
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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29
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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30
fanged
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| adj.有尖牙的，有牙根的，有毒牙的 | |
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31
fang
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| n.尖牙，犬牙 | |
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32
horrifyingly
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33
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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34
exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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35
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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36
beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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37
exclusion
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| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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38
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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39
immunity
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| n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权 | |
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40
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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41
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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42
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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43
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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44
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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45
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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46
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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47
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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48
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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49
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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50
calloused
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| adj.粗糙的，粗硬的，起老茧的v.（使）硬结，（使）起茧( callous的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）冷酷无情 | |
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51
knuckle
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| n.指节；vi.开始努力工作；屈服，认输 | |
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52
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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53
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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54
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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55
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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56
belied
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| v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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57
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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58
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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59
discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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60
tormentor
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| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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61
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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62
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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63
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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64
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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65
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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66
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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67
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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68
opprobrium
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| n.耻辱，责难 | |
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69
malevolent
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| adj.有恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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70
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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71
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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72
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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73
futilely
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| futile（无用的）的变形； 干 | |
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74
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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75
lapsed
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| adj.流失的，堕落的v.退步( lapse的过去式和过去分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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76
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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77
meridian
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| adj.子午线的；全盛期的 | |
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78
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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79
hyena
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| n.土狼，鬣狗 | |
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80
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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81
termites
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| n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 ) | |
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82
mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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83
rodents
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| n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 ) | |
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84
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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85
strewed
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| v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满 | |
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86
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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87
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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88
rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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89
belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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90
scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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91
cylindrical
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| adj.圆筒形的 | |
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92
verdigris
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| n.铜锈；铜绿 | |
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93
cylinders
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| n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物 | |
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94
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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95
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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96
pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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97
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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98
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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99
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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100
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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101
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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102
apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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103
peeved
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| adj.恼怒的，不高兴的v.（使）气恼，（使）焦躁，（使）愤怒( peeve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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104
chastise
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| vt.责骂，严惩 | |
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105
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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106
carrion
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| n.腐肉 | |
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107
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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108
behooves
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| n.利益，好处( behoof的名词复数 )v.适宜( behoove的第三人称单数 ) | |
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109
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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110
sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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111
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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112
bestial
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| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
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113
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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114
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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115
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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116
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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117
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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118
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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119
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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120
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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121
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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122
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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123
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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124
rumpled
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| v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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125
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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126
maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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127
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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128
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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129
offender
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| n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者 | |
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130
wrest
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| n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲 | |
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131
huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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132
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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133
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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134
overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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135
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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136
condoned
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| v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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137
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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138
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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139
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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140
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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141
myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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142
patrician
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| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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143
overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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144
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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145
reverberated
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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146
temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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147
avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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148
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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149
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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150
scintillant
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| adj.产生火花的，闪烁（耀）的 | |
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151
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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152
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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153
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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154
imprint
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| n.印痕，痕迹；深刻的印象；vt.压印，牢记 | |
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155
imprints
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| n.压印( imprint的名词复数 )；痕迹；持久影响 | |
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156
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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157
gorilla
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| n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手 | |
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158
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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159
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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160
attuned
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| v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音 | |
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161
perceptive
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| adj.知觉的，有洞察力的，感知的 | |
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162
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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163
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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164
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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165
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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166
squeaking
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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167
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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168
tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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169
spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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170
captious
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| adj.难讨好的，吹毛求疵的 | |
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171
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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172
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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173
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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174
boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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175
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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176
embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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177
glaciers
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| 冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 ) | |
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178
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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179
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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180
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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181
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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182
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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183
denizens
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| n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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184
glutton
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| n.贪食者，好食者 | |
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185
gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
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186
succor
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| n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助 | |
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187
forestalled
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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188
itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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189
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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190
shrilled
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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191
perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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192
clinched
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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193
shrilling
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的现在分词 )； 凄厉 | |
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194
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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195
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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196
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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197
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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198
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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199
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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200
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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201
mightiest
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| adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的 | |
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202
tusks
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| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
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203
dispel
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| vt.驱走，驱散，消除 | |
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204
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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205
clinches
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| n.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的名词复数 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议）v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的第三人称单数 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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206
crimsoned
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| 变为深红色（crimson的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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207
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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208
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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209
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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210
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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211
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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212
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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213
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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214
censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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215
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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216
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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217
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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218
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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219
deafened
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| 使聋( deafen的过去式和过去分词 )； 使隔音 | |
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220
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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221
acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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222
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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