Motionless as a bronze statue was the wily ape-man, for well he knew how wary4 is Pisah, the fish. The slightest movement would frighten him away and only by infinite patience might he be captured at all. Tarzan depended upon his own quickness and the suddenness of his attack, for he had no bait or hook. His knowledge of the ways of the denizens5 of the water told him where to wait for Pisah. It might be a minute or it might be an hour before the fish would swim into the little pool above which he crouched6, but sooner or later one would come. That the ape-man knew, so with the patience of the beast of prey7 he waited for his quarry8.
At last there was a glint of shiny scales. Pisah was coming. In a moment he would be within reach and then with the swiftness of light two strong, brown hands would plunge9 into the pool and seize him, but, just at the moment that the fish was about to come within reach, there was a great crashing in the underbrush behind the ape-man. Instantly Pisah was gone and Tarzan, growling10, had wheeled about to face whatever creature might be menacing him. The moment that he turned he saw that the author of the disturbance11 was Zu-tag.
"What does Zu-tag want?" asked the ape-man.
"Zu-tag comes to the water to drink," replied the ape.
"Where is the tribe?" asked Tarzan.
"They are hunting for pisangs and scimatines farther back in the forest," replied Zu-tag.
"And the Tarmangani she and bull—" asked Tarzan, "are they safe?"
"Did the tribe chase them away?" asked Tarzan.
"No," replied the ape. "We did not see them go. We do not know why they left."
Tarzan swung quickly through the trees toward the clearing. The hut and boma were as he had left them, but there was no sign of either the man or the woman. Crossing the clearing, he entered the boma and then the hut. Both were empty, and his trained nostrils13 told him that they had been gone for at least two days. As he was about to leave the hut he saw a paper pinned upon the wall with a sliver14 of wood and taking it down, he read:
After what you told me about Miss Kircher, and knowing that you dislike her, I feel that it is not fair to her and to you that we should impose longer upon you. I know that our presence is keeping you from continuing your journey to the west coast, and so I have decided15 that it is better for us to try and reach the white settlements immediately without imposing16 further upon you. We both thank you for your kindness and protection. If there was any way that I might repay the obligation I feel, I should be only too glad to do so.
It was signed by Lieutenant Harold Percy Smith-Oldwick.
Tarzan shrugged17 his shoulders, crumpled18 the note in his hand and tossed it aside. He felt a certain sense of relief from responsibility and was glad that they had taken the matter out of his hands. They were gone and would forget, but somehow he could not forget. He walked out across the boma and into the clearing. He felt uneasy and restless. Once he started toward the north in response to a sudden determination to continue his way to the west coast. He would follow the winding19 river toward the north a few miles where its course turned to the west and then on toward its source across a wooded plateau and up into the foothills and the mountains. Upon the other side of the range he would search for a stream running downward toward the west coast, and thus following the rivers he would be sure of game and water in plenty.
But he did not go far. A dozen steps, perhaps, and he came to a sudden stop. "He is an Englishman," he muttered, "and the other is a woman. They can never reach the settlements without my help. I could not kill her with my own hands when I tried, and if I let them go on alone, I will have killed her just as surely as though I had run my knife into her heart. No," and again he shook his head. "Tarzan of the Apes is a fool and a weak, old woman," and he turned back toward the south.
Manu, the monkey, had seen the two Tarmangani pass two days before. Chattering20 and scolding, he told Tarzan all about it. They had gone in the direction of the village of the Gomangani, that much had Manu seen with his own eyes, so the ape-man swung on through the jungle in a southerly direction and though with no concentrated effort to follow the spoor of those he trailed, he passed numerous evidences that they had gone this way—faint suggestions of their scent22 spoor clung lightly to leaf or branch or bole that one or the other had touched, or in the earth of the trail their feet had trod, and where the way wound through the gloomy depth of dank forest, the impress of their shoes still showed occasionally in the damp mass of decaying vegetation that floored the way.
An inexplicable23 urge spurred Tarzan to increasing, speed. The same still, small voice that chided him for having neglected them seemed constantly whispering that they were in dire21 need of him now. Tarzan's conscience was troubling him, which accounted for the fact that he compared himself to a weak, old woman, for the ape-man, reared in savagery25 and inured26 to hardships and cruelty, disliked to admit any of the gentler traits that in reality were his birthright.
The trail made a detour27 to the east of the village of the Wamabos, and then returned to the wide elephant path nearer to the river, where it continued in a southerly direction for several miles. At last there came to the ears of the ape-man a peculiar28 whirring, throbbing29 sound. For an instant he paused, listening intently, "An aeroplane!" he muttered, and hastened forward at greatly increased speed.
When Tarzan of the Apes finally reached the edge of the meadowland where Smith-Oldwick's plane had landed, he took in the entire scene in one quick glance and grasped the situation, although he could scarce give credence30 to the things he saw. Bound and helpless, the English officer lay upon the ground at one side of the meadow, while around him stood a number of the black deserters from the German command. Tarzan had seen these men before and knew who they were. Coming toward him down the meadow was an aeroplane piloted by the black Usanga and in the seat behind the pilot was the white girl, Bertha Kircher. How it befell that the ignorant savage24 could operate the plane, Tarzan could not guess nor had he time in which to speculate upon the subject. His knowledge of Usanga, together with the position of the white man, told him that the black sergeant31 was attempting to carry off the white girl. Why he should be doing this when he had her in his power and had also captured and secured the only creature in the jungle who might wish to defend her in so far as the black could know, Tarzan could not guess, for he knew nothing of Usanga's twenty-four dream wives nor of the black's fear of the horrid32 temper of Naratu, his present mate. He did not know, then, that Usanga had determined33 to fly away with the white girl never to return, and to put so great a distance between himself and Naratu that the latter never could find him again; but it was this very thing that was in the black's mind although not even his own warriors34 guessed it. He had told them that he would take the captive to a sultan of the north and there obtain a great price for her and that when he returned they should have some of the spoils.
These things Tarzan did not know. All he knew was what he saw—a Negro attempting to fly away with a white girl. Already the machine was slowly leaving the ground. In a moment more it would rise swiftly out of reach. At first Tarzan thought of fitting an arrow to his bow and slaying35 Usanga, but as quickly he abandoned the idea because he knew that the moment the pilot was slain36 the machine, running wild, would dash the girl to death among the trees.
There was but one way in which he might hope to succor37 her—a way which if it failed must send him to instant death and yet he did not hesitate in an attempt to put it into execution.
Usanga did not see him, being too intent upon the unaccustomed duties of a pilot, but the blacks across the meadow saw him and they ran forward with loud and savage cries and menacing rifles to intercept38 him. They saw a giant white man leap from the branches of a tree to the turf and race rapidly toward the plane. They saw him take a long grass rope from about his shoulders as he ran. They saw the noose39 swinging in an undulating circle above his head. They saw the white girl in the machine glance down and discover him.
Twenty feet above the running ape-man soared the huge plane. The open noose shot up to meet it, and the girl, half guessing the ape-man's intentions, reached out and caught the noose and, bracing40 herself, clung tightly to it with both hands. Simultaneously41 Tarzan was dragged from his feet and the plane lurched sideways in response to the new strain. Usanga clutched wildly at the control and the machine shot upward at a steep angle. Dangling42 at the end of the rope the ape-man swung pendulum-like in space. The Englishman, lying bound upon the ground, had been a witness of all these happenings. His heart stood still as he saw Tarzan's body hurtling through the air toward the tree tops among which it seemed he must inevitably43 crash; but the plane was rising rapidly, so that the beast-man cleared the top-most branches. Then slowly, hand over hand, he climbed toward the fuselage. The girl, clinging desperately44 to the noose, strained every muscle to hold the great weight dangling at the lower end of the rope.
Usanga, all unconscious of what was going on behind him, drove the plane higher and higher into the air.
Tarzan glanced downward. Below him the tree tops and the river passed rapidly to the rear and only a slender grass rope and the muscles of a frail45 girl stood between him and the death yawning there thousands of feet below.
It seemed to Bertha Kircher that the fingers of her hands were dead. The numbness46 was running up her arms to her elbows. How much longer she could cling to the straining strands47 she could not guess. It seemed to her that those lifeless fingers must relax at any instant and then, when she had about given up hope, she saw a strong brown hand reach up and grasp the side of the fuselage. Instantly the weight upon the rope was removed and a moment later Tarzan of the Apes raised his body above the side and threw a leg over the edge. He glanced forward at Usanga and then, placing his mouth close to the girl's ear he cried: "Have you ever piloted a plane?" The girl nodded a quick affirmative.
"Have you the courage to climb up there beside the black and seize the control while I take care of him?"
Tarzan drew his hunting knife from its sheath and reaching down, severed49 the thongs50 that bound her ankles. Then the girl unsnapped the strap51 that held her to her seat. With one hand Tarzan grasped the girl's arm and steadied her as the two crawled slowly across the few feet which intervened between the two seats. A single slight tip of the plane would have cast them both into eternity52. Tarzan realized that only through a miracle of chance could they reach Usanga and effect the change in pilots and yet he knew that that chance must be taken, for in the brief moments since he had first seen the plane, he had realized that the black was almost without experience as a pilot and that death surely awaited them in any event should the black sergeant remain at the control.
The first intimation Usanga had that all was not well with him was when the girl slipped suddenly to his side and grasped the control and at the same instant steel-like fingers seized his throat. A brown hand shot down with a keen blade and severed the strap about his waist and giant muscles lifted him bodily from his seat. Usanga clawed the air and shrieked53 but he was helpless as a babe. Far below the watchers in the meadow could see the aeroplane careening in the sky, for with the change of control it had taken a sudden dive. They saw it right itself and, turning in a short circle, return in their direction, but it was so far above them and the light of the sun so strong that they could see nothing of what was going on within the fuselage; but presently Lieutenant Smith-Oldwick gave a gasp54 of dismay as he saw a human body plunge downward from the plane. Turning and twisting in mid-air it fell with ever-increasing velocity55 and the Englishman held his breath as the thing hurtled toward them.
With a muffled56 thud it flattened57 upon the turf near the center of the meadow, and when at last the Englishman could gain the courage to again turn his eyes upon it, he breathed a fervent58 prayer of thanks, for the shapeless mass that lay upon the blood-stained turf was covered with an ebon hide. Usanga had reaped his reward.
Again and again the plane circled above the meadow. The blacks, at first dismayed at the death of their leader, were now worked to a frenzy59 of rage and a determination to be avenged60. The girl and the ape-man saw them gather in a knot about the body of their fallen chief. They saw as they circled above the meadow the black fists shaken at them, and the rifles brandishing61 a menace toward them. Tarzan still clung to the fuselage directly behind the pilot's seat. His face was close beside Bertha Kircher's, and at the top of his voice, above the noise of propeller62, engine and exhaust, he screamed a few words of instruction into her ear.
As the girl grasped the significance of his words she paled, but her lips set in a hard line and her eyes shone with a sudden fire of determination as she dropped the plane to within a few feet of the ground and at the opposite end of the meadow from the blacks and then at full speed bore down upon the savages63. So quickly the plane came that Usanga's men had no time to escape it after they realized its menace. It touched the ground just as it struck among them and mowed64 through them, a veritable juggernaut of destruction. When it came to rest at the edge of the forest the ape-man leaped quickly to the ground and ran toward the young lieutenant, and as he went he glanced at the spot where the warriors had stood, ready to defend himself if necessary, but there was none there to oppose him. Dead and dying they lay strewn for fifty feet along the turf.
By the time Tarzan had freed the Englishman the girl joined them. She tried to voice her thanks to the ape-man but he silenced her with a gesture.
"You saved yourself," he insisted, "for had you been unable to pilot the plane, I could not have helped you, and now," he said, "you two have the means of returning to the settlements. The day is still young. You can easily cover the distance in a few hours if you have sufficient petrol." He looked inquiringly toward the aviator65.
Smith-Oldwick nodded his head affirmatively. "I have plenty," he replied.
"Then go at once," said the ape-man. "Neither of you belong in the jungle." A slight smile touched his lips as he spoke66.
The girl and the Englishman smiled too. "This jungle is no place for us at least," said Smith-Oldwick, "and it is no place for any other white man. Why don't you come back to civilization with us?"
Tarzan shook his head. "I prefer the jungle," he said.
The aviator dug his toe into the ground and still looking down, blurted67 something which he evidently hated to say. "If it is a matter of living, old top," he said, "er—money, er—you know—"
Tarzan laughed. "No," he said. "I know what you are trying to say. It is not that. I was born in the jungle. I have lived all my life in the jungle, and I shall die in the jungle. I do not wish to live or die elsewhere."
The others shook their heads. They could not understand him.
"Go," said the ape-man. "The quicker you go, the quicker you will reach safety."
They walked to the plane together. Smith-Oldwick pressed the ape-man's hand and clambered into the pilot's seat. "Good-bye," said the girl as she extended her hand to Tarzan. "Before I go won't you tell me you don't hate me any more?" Tarzan's face clouded. Without a word he picked her up and lifted her to her place behind the Englishman. An expression of pain crossed Bertha Kircher's face. The motor started and a moment later the two were being borne rapidly toward the east.
In the center of the meadow stood the ape-man watching them. "It is too bad that she is a German and a spy," he said, "for she is very hard to hate."
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收听单词发音
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1
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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3
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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denizens
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| n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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10
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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11
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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12
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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sliver
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| n.裂片，细片，梳毛；v.纵切，切成长片，剖开 | |
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15
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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16
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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17
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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18
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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19
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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21
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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24
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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25
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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26
inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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27
detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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30
credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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31
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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32
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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35
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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36
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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succor
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| n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助 | |
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intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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39
noose
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| n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑 | |
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40
bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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41
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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42
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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43
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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44
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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45
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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46
numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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47
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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49
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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50
thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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51
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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52
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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53
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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55
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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56
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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57
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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58
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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59
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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60
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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61
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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62
propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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63
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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64
mowed
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| v.刈，割( mow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
aviator
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| n.飞行家，飞行员 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
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