Chapter 10
The Swede
As the warriors, clustered thick about Tarzan and Sheeta, realized thatit was a flesh-and-blood panther that had interrupted their dance ofdeath, they took heart a trifle, for in the face of all those circlingspears even the mighty Sheeta would be doomed.
Rokoff was urging the chief to have his spearmen launch their missiles,and the black was upon the instant of issuing the command, when hiseyes strayed beyond Tarzan, following the gaze of the ape-man.
With a yell of terror the chief turned and fled toward the villagegate, and as his people looked to see the cause of his fright, they tootook to their heels--for there, lumbering down upon them, their hugeforms exaggerated by the play of moonlight and camp fire, came thehideous apes of Akut.
The instant the natives turned to flee the ape-man's savage cry rangout above the shrieks of the blacks, and in answer to it Sheeta and theapes leaped growling after the fugitives. Some of the warriors turnedto battle with their enraged antagonists, but before the fiendishferocity of the fierce beasts they went down to bloody death.
Others were dragged down in their flight, and it was not until thevillage was empty and the last of the blacks had disappeared into thebush that Tarzan was able to recall his savage pack to his side. Thenit was that he discovered to his chagrin that he could not make one ofthem, not even the comparatively intelligent Akut, understand that hewished to be freed from the bonds that held him to the stake.
In time, of course, the idea would filter through their thick skulls,but in the meanwhile many things might happen--the blacks might returnin force to regain their village; the whites might readily pick themall off with their rifles from the surrounding trees; he might evenstarve to death before the dull-witted apes realized that he wishedthem to gnaw through his bonds.
As for Sheeta--the great cat understood even less than the apes; butyet Tarzan could not but marvel at the remarkable characteristics thisbeast had evidenced. That it felt real affection for him there seemedlittle doubt, for now that the blacks were disposed of it walked slowlyback and forth about the stake, rubbing its sides against the ape-man'slegs and purring like a contented tabby. That it had gone of its ownvolition to bring the balance of the pack to his rescue, Tarzan couldnot doubt. His Sheeta was indeed a jewel among beasts.
Mugambi's absence worried the ape-man not a little. He attempted tolearn from Akut what had become of the black, fearing that the beasts,freed from the restraint of Tarzan's presence, might have fallen uponthe man and devoured him; but to all his questions the great ape butpointed back in the direction from which they had come out of thejungle.
The night passed with Tarzan still fast bound to the stake, and shortlyafter dawn his fears were realized in the discovery of naked blackfigures moving stealthily just within the edge of the jungle about thevillage. The blacks were returning.
With daylight their courage would be equal to the demands of a chargeupon the handful of beasts that had routed them from their rightfulabodes. The result of the encounter seemed foregone if the savagescould curb their superstitious terror, for against their overwhelmingnumbers, their long spears and poisoned arrows, the panther and theapes could not be expected to survive a really determined attack.
That the blacks were preparing for a charge became apparent a fewmoments later, when they commenced to show themselves in force upon theedge of the clearing, dancing and jumping about as they waved theirspears and shouted taunts and fierce warcries toward the village.
These manoeuvres Tarzan knew would continue until the blacks had workedthemselves into a state of hysterical courage sufficient to sustainthem for a short charge toward the village, and even though he doubtedthat they would reach it at the first attempt, he believed that at thesecond or the third they would swarm through the gateway, when theoutcome could not be aught than the extermination of Tarzan's bold, butunarmed and undisciplined, defenders.
Even as he had guessed, the first charge carried the howling warriorsbut a short distance into the open--a shrill, weird challenge from theape-man being all that was necessary to send them scurrying back to thebush. For half an hour they pranced and yelled their courage to thesticking-point, and again essayed a charge.
This time they came quite to the village gate, but when Sheeta and thehideous apes leaped among them they turned screaming in terror, andagain fled to the jungle.
Again was the dancing and shouting repeated. This time Tarzan felt nodoubt they would enter the village and complete the work that a handfulof determined white men would have carried to a successful conclusionat the first attempt.
To have rescue come so close only to be thwarted because he could notmake his poor, savage friends understand precisely what he wanted ofthem was most irritating, but he could not find it in his heart toplace blame upon them. They had done their best, and now he was surethey would doubtless remain to die with him in a fruitless effort todefend him.
The blacks were already preparing for the charge. A few individualshad advanced a short distance toward the village and were exhorting theothers to follow them. In a moment the whole savage horde would beracing across the clearing.
Tarzan thought only of the little child somewhere in this cruel,relentless wilderness. His heart ached for the son that he might nolonger seek to save--that and the realization of Jane's suffering wereall that weighed upon his brave spirit in these that he thought hislast moments of life. Succour, all that he could hope for, had come tohim in the instant of his extremity--and failed. There was nothingfurther for which to hope.
The blacks were half-way across the clearing when Tarzan's attentionwas attracted by the actions of one of the apes. The beast was glaringtoward one of the huts. Tarzan followed his gaze. To his infiniterelief and delight he saw the stalwart form of Mugambi racing towardhim.
The huge black was panting heavily as though from strenuous physicalexertion and nervous excitement. He rushed to Tarzan's side, and asthe first of the savages reached the village gate the native's knifesevered the last of the cords that bound Tarzan to the stake.
In the street lay the corpses of the savages that had fallen before thepack the night before. From one of these Tarzan seized a spear andknob stick, and with Mugambi at his side and the snarling pack abouthim, he met the natives as they poured through the gate.
Fierce and terrible was the battle that ensued, but at last the savageswere routed, more by terror, perhaps, at sight of a black man and awhite fighting in company with a panther and the huge fierce apes ofAkut, than because of their inability to overcome the relatively smallforce that opposed them.
One prisoner fell into the hands of Tarzan, and him the ape-manquestioned in an effort to learn what had become of Rokoff and hisparty. Promised his liberty in return for the information, the blacktold all he knew concerning the movements of the Russian.
It seemed that early in the morning their chief had attempted toprevail upon the whites to return with him to the village and withtheir guns destroy the ferocious pack that had taken possession of it,but Rokoff appeared to entertain even more fears of the giant white manand his strange companions than even the blacks themselves.
Upon no conditions would he consent to returning even within sight ofthe village. Instead, he took his party hurriedly to the river, wherethey stole a number of canoes the blacks had hidden there. The lastthat had been seen of them they had been paddling strongly up-stream,their porters from Kaviri's village wielding the blades.
So once more Tarzan of the Apes with his hideous pack took up hissearch for the ape-man's son and the pursuit of his abductor.
For weary days they followed through an almost uninhabited country,only to learn at last that they were upon the wrong trail. The littleband had been reduced by three, for three of Akut's apes had fallen inthe fighting at the village. Now, with Akut, there were five greatapes, and Sheeta was there--and Mugambi and Tarzan.
The ape-man no longer heard rumors even of the three who
had precededRokoff--the white man and woman and the child. Who the man and womanwere he could not guess, but that the child was his was enough to keephim hot upon the trail. He was sure that Rokoff would be followingthis trio, and so he felt confident that so long as he could keep uponthe Russian's trail he would be winning so much nearer to the time hemight snatch his son from the dangers and horrors that menaced him.
In retracing their way after losing Rokoff's trail Tarzan picked it upagain at a point where the Russian had left the river and taken to thebrush in a northerly direction. He could only account for this changeon the ground that the child had been carried away from the river bythe two who now had possession of it.
Nowhere along the way, however, could he gain definite information thatmight assure him positively that the child was ahead of him. Not asingle native they questioned had seen or heard of this other party,though nearly all had had direct experience with the Russian or hadtalked with others who had.
It was with difficulty that Tarzan could find means to communicate withthe natives, as the moment their eyes fell upon his companions theyfled precipitately into the bush. His only alternative was to go aheadof his pack and waylay an occasional warrior whom he found alone in thejungle.
One day as he was thus engaged, tracking an unsuspecting savage, hecame upon the fellow in the act of hurling a spear at a wounded whiteman who crouched in a clump of bush at the trail's side. The white wasone whom Tarzan had often seen, and whom he recognized at once.
Deep in his memory was implanted those repulsive features--theclose-set eyes, the shifty expression, the drooping yellow moustache.
Instantly it occurred to the ape-man that this fellow had not beenamong those who had accompanied Rokoff at the village where Tarzan hadbeen a prisoner. He had seen them all, and this fellow had not beenthere. There could be but one explanation--he it was who had fledahead of the Russian with the woman and the child--and the woman hadbeen Jane Clayton. He was sure now of the meaning of Rokoff's words.
The ape-man's face went white as he looked upon the pasty, vice-markedcountenance of the Swede. Across Tarzan's forehead stood out the broadband of scarlet that marked the scar where, years before, Terkoz hadtorn a great strip of the ape-man's scalp from his skull in the fiercebattle in which Tarzan had sustained his fitness to the kingship of theapes of Kerchak.
The man was his prey--the black should not have him, and with thethought he leaped upon the warrior, striking down the spear before itcould reach its mark. The black, whipping out his knife, turned to dobattle with this new enemy, while the Swede, lying in the bush,witnessed a duel, the like of which he had never dreamed to see--ahalf-naked white man battling with a half-naked black, hand to handwith the crude weapons of primeval man at first, and then with handsand teeth like the primordial brutes from whose loins their forebearssprung.
For a time Anderssen did not recognize the white, and when at last itdawned upon him that he had seen this giant before, his eyes went widein surprise that this growling, rending beast could ever have been thewell-groomed English gentleman who had been a prisoner aboard theKincaid.
An English nobleman! He had learned the identity of the Kincaid'sprisoners from Lady Greystoke during their flight up the Ugambi.Before, in common with the other members of the crew of the steamer, hehad not known who the two might be.
The fight was over. Tarzan had been compelled to kill his antagonist,as the fellow would not surrender.
The Swede saw the white man leap to his feet beside the corpse of hisfoe, and placing one foot upon the broken neck lift his voice in thehideous challenge of the victorious bull-ape.
Anderssen shuddered. Then Tarzan turned toward him. His face was coldand cruel, and in the grey eyes the Swede read murder.
"Where is my wife?" growled the ape-man. "Where is the child?"
Anderssen tried to reply, but a sudden fit of coughing choked him.There was an arrow entirely through his chest, and as he coughed theblood from his wounded lung poured suddenly from his mouth and nostrils.
Tarzan stood waiting for the paroxysm to pass. Like a bronzeimage--cold, hard, and relentless--he stood over the helpless man,waiting to wring such information from him as he needed, and then tokill.
Presently the coughing and haemorrhage ceased, and again the woundedman tried to speak. Tarzan knelt near the faintly moving lips.
"The wife and child!" he repeated. "Where are they?"
Anderssen pointed up the trail.
"The Russian--he got them," he whispered.
"How did you come here?" continued Tarzan. "Why are you not withRokoff?"
"They catch us," replied Anderssen, in a voice so low that the ape-mancould just distinguish the words. "They catch us. Ay fight, but mymen they all run away. Then they get me when Ay ban vounded. Rokoffhe say leave me here for the hyenas. That vas vorse than to kill. Hetak your vife and kid."
"What were you doing with them--where were you taking them?" askedTarzan, and then fiercely, leaping close to the fellow with fierce eyesblazing with the passion of hate and vengeance that he had withdifficulty controlled, "What harm did you do to my wife or child?Speak quick before I kill you! Make your peace with God! Tell me theworst, or I will tear you to pieces with my hands and teeth. You haveseen that I can do it!"
A look of wide-eyed surprise overspread Anderssen's face.
"Why," he whispered, "Ay did not hurt them. Ay tried to save them fromthat Russian. Your vife was kind to me on the Kincaid, and Ay hearthat little baby cry sometimes. Ay got a vife an' kid for my own byChristiania an' Ay couldn't bear for to see them separated an' inRokoff's hands any more. That vas all. Do Ay look like Ay ban hereto hurt them?" he continued after a pause, pointing to the arrowprotruding from his breast.
There was something in the man's tone and expression that convincedTarzan of the truth of his assertions. More weighty than anything elsewas the fact that Anderssen evidently seemed more hurt than frightened.He knew he was going to die, so Tarzan's threats had little effect uponhim; but it was quite apparent that he wished the Englishman to knowthe truth and not to wrong him by harbouring the belief that his wordsand manner indicated that he had entertained.
The ape-man instantly dropped to his knees beside the Swede.
"I am sorry," he said very simply. "I had looked for none but knavesin company with Rokoff. I see that I was wrong. That is past now,and we will drop it for the more important matter of getting you to aplace of comfort and looking after your wounds. We must have you onyour feet again as soon as possible."
The Swede, smiling, shook his head.
"You go on an' look for the vife an' kid," he said. "Ay ban as gudeas dead already; but"--he hesitated--"Ay hate to think of the hyenas.Von't you finish up this job?"
Tarzan shuddered. A moment ago he had been upon the point of killingthis man. Now he could no more have taken his life than he could havetaken the life of any of his best friends.
He lifted the Swede's head in his arms to change and ease his position.
Again came a fit of coughing and the terrible haemorrhage. After itwas over Anderssen lay with closed eyes.
Tarzan thought that he was dead, until he suddenly raised his eyes tothose of the ape-man, sighed, and spoke--in a very low, weak whisper.
"Ay tank it blow purty soon purty hard!" he said, and died.