9
The Theft of the Jewels
For two days Werper sought for the party that had accompanied him fromthe camp to the barrier cliffs; but not until late in the afternoon ofthe second day did he find clew to its whereabouts, and then in suchgruesome form that he was totally unnerved by the sight.
In an open glade he came upon the bodies of three of the blacks,terribly mutilated, nor did it require considerable deductive power toexplain their murder. Of the little party only these three had notbeen slaves. The others, evidently tempted to hope for freedom fromtheir cruel Arab master, had taken advantage of their separation fromthe main camp, to slay the three representatives of the hated powerwhich held them in slavery, and vanish into the jungle.
Cold sweat exuded from Werper's forehead as he contemplated the fatewhich chance had permitted him to escape, for had he been present whenthe conspiracy bore fruit, he, too, must have been of the garnered.
Tarzan showed not the slightest surprise or interest in the discovery.Inherent in him was a calloused familiarity with violent death. Therefinements of his recent civilization expunged by the force of the sadcalamity which had befallen him, left only the primitive sensibilitieswhich his childhood's training had imprinted indelibly upon the fabricof his mind.
The training of Kala, the examples and precepts of Kerchak, of Tublat,and of Terkoz now formed the basis of his every thought and action. Heretained a mechanical knowledge of French and English speech. Werperhad spoken to him in French, and Tarzan had replied in the same tonguewithout conscious realization that he had departed from theanthropoidal speech in which he had addressed La. Had Werper usedEnglish, the result would have been the same.
Again, that night, as the two sat before their camp fire, Tarzan playedwith his shining baubles. Werper asked him what they were and where hehad found them. The ape-man replied that they were gay-colored stones,with which he purposed fashioning a necklace, and that he had foundthem far beneath the sacrificial court of the temple of the Flaming God.
Werper was relieved to find that Tarzan had no conception of the valueof the gems. This would make it easier for the Belgian to obtainpossession of them. Possibly the man would give them to him for theasking. Werper reached out his hand toward the little pile that Tarzanhad arranged upon a piece of flat wood before him.
"Let me see them," said the Belgian.
Tarzan placed a large palm over his treasure. He bared his fightingfangs, and growled. Werper withdrew his hand more quickly than he hadadvanced it. Tarzan resumed his playing with the gems, and hisconversation with Werper as though nothing unusual had occurred. Hehad but exhibited the beast's jealous protective instinct for apossession. When he killed he shared the meat with Werper; but hadWerper ever, by accident, laid a hand upon Tarzan's share, he wouldhave aroused the same savage, and resentful warning.
From that occurrence dated the beginning of a great fear in the breastof the Belgian for his savage companion. He had never understood thetransformation that had been wrought in Tarzan by the blow upon hishead, other than to attribute it to a form of amnesia. That Tarzan hadonce been, in truth, a savage, jungle beast, Werper had not known, andso, of course, he could not guess that the man had reverted to thestate in which his childhood and young manhood had been spent.
Now Werper saw in the Englishman a dangerous maniac, whom the slightestuntoward accident might turn upon him with rending fangs. Not for amoment did Werper attempt to delude himself into the belief that hecould defend himself successfully against an attack by the ape-man.His one hope lay in eluding him, and making for the far distant camp ofAchmet Zek as rapidly as he could; but armed only with the sacrificialknife, Werper shrank from attempting the journey through the jungle.Tarzan constituted a protection that was by no means despicable, evenin the face of the larger carnivora, as Werper had reason toacknowledge from the evidence he had witnessed in the Oparian temple.
Too, Werper had his covetous soul set upon the pouch of gems, and so hewas torn between the various emotions of avarice and fear. But avariceit was that burned most strongly in his breast, to the end that hedared the dangers and suffered the terrors of constant association withhim he thought a mad man, rather than give up the hope of obtainingpossession of the fortune which the contents of the little pouchrepresented.
Achmet Zek should know nothing of these--these would be for Werperalone, and so soon as he could encompass his design he would reach thecoast and take passage for America, where he could conceal himselfbeneath the veil of a new identity and enjoy to some measure the fruitsof his theft. He had it all planned out, did Lieutenant Albert Werper,living in anticipation the luxurious life of the idle rich. He evenfound himself regretting that America was so provincial, and thatnowhere in the new world was a city that might compare with his belovedBrussels.
It was upon the third day of their progress from Opar that the keenears of Tarzan caught the sound of men behind them. Werper heardnothing above the humming of the jungle insects, and the chatteringlife of the lesser monkeys and the birds.
For a time Tarzan stood in statuesque silence, listening, his sensitivenostrils dilating as he assayed each passing breeze. Then he withdrewWerper into the concealment of thick brush, and waited. Presently,along the game trail that Werper and Tarzan had been following, therecame in sight a sleek, black warrior, alert and watchful.
In single file behind him, there followed, one after another, nearfifty others, each burdened with two dull-yellow ingots lashed upon hisback. Werper recognized the party immediately as that which hadaccompanied Tarzan on his journey to Opar. He glanced at the ape-man;but in the savage, watchful eyes he saw no recognition of Basuli andthose other loyal Waziri.
When all had passed, Tarzan rose and emerged from concealment. Helooked down the trail in the direction the party had gone. Then heturned to Werper.
"We will follow and slay them," he said.
"Why?" asked the Belgian.
"They are black," explained Tarzan. "It was a black who killed Kala.They are the enemies of the Manganis."
Werper did not relish the idea of engaging in a battle with Basuli andhis fierce fighting men. And, again, he had welcomed the sight of themreturning toward the Greystoke bungalow, for he had begun to havedoubts as to his ability to retrace his steps to the Waziri country.Tarzan, he knew, had not the remotest idea of whither they were going.By keeping at a safe distance behind the laden warriors, they wouldhave no difficulty in following them home. Once at the bungalow,Werper knew the way to the camp of Achmet Zek. There was still anotherreason why he did not wish to interfere with the Waziri--they werebearing the great burden of treasure in the direction he wished itborne. The farther they took it, the less the distance that he andAchmet Zek would have to transport it.
He argued with the ape-man therefore, against the latter's desire toexterminate the blacks, and at last he prevailed upon Tarzan to followthem in peace, saying that he was sure they would lead them out of theforest into a rich country, teeming with game.
It was many marches from Opar to the Waziri country; but at last camethe hour when Tarzan and the Belgian, following the trail of thewarriors, topped the last rise, and saw before them the broad Waziriplain, the winding river, and the distant forests to the north and west.
A mile or more ahead of them, the line of warriors was creeping like agiant caterpillar through the tall grasses of the plain. Beyond,grazing herds of zebra, hartebeest, and topi dotted the levellandscape, while closer to the river a bull buffalo, his head andshoulders protruding from the reeds watched the advancing blacks for amoment, only to turn at last and disappear into the safety of his dankand gloomy retreat.
Tarzan looked out across the familiar vista with no faintest gleam ofrecognition in his eyes. He saw the game animals, and his mouthwatered; but he did not look in the direction of his bungalow. Werper,however, did. A puzzled expression entered the Belgian's eyes. Heshaded them with his palms and gazed long and earnestly toward the spo
twhere the bungalow had stood. He could not credit the testimony of hiseyes--there was no bungalow--no barns--no out-houses. The corrals, thehay stacks--all were gone. What could it mean?
And then, slowly there filtered into Werper's consciousness anexplanation of the havoc that had been wrought in that peaceful valleysince last his eyes had rested upon it--Achmet Zek had been there!
Basuli and his warriors had noted the devastation the moment they hadcome in sight of the farm. Now they hastened on toward it talkingexcitedly among themselves in animated speculation upon the cause andmeaning of the catastrophe.
When, at last they crossed the trampled garden and stood before thecharred ruins of their master's bungalow, their greatest fears becameconvictions in the light of the evidence about them.
Remnants of human dead, half devoured by prowling hyenas and others ofthe carnivora which infested the region, lay rotting upon the ground,and among the corpses remained sufficient remnants of their clothingand ornaments to make clear to Basuli the frightful story of thedisaster that had befallen his master's house.
"The Arabs," he said, as his men clustered about him.
The Waziri gazed about in mute rage for several minutes. Everywherethey encountered only further evidence of the ruthlessness of the cruelenemy that had come during the Great Bwana's absence and laid waste hisproperty.
"What did they with 'Lady'?" asked one of the blacks.
They had always called Lady Greystoke thus.
"The women they would have taken with them," said Basuli. "Our womenand his."
A giant black raised his spear above his head, and gave voice to asavage cry of rage and hate. The others followed his example. Basulisilenced them with a gesture.
"This is no time for useless noises of the mouth," he said. "The GreatBwana has taught us that it is acts by which things are done, notwords. Let us save our breath--we shall need it all to follow up theArabs and slay them. If 'Lady' and our women live the greater the needof haste, and warriors cannot travel fast upon empty lungs."
From the shelter of the reeds along the river, Werper and Tarzanwatched the blacks. They saw them dig a trench with their knives andfingers. They saw them lay their yellow burdens in it and scoop theoverturned earth back over the tops of the ingots.
Tarzan seemed little interested, after Werper had assured him that thatwhich they buried was not good to eat; but Werper was intenselyinterested. He would have given much had he had his own followers withhim, that he might take away the treasure as soon as the blacks left,for he was sure that they would leave this scene of desolation anddeath as soon as possible.
The treasure buried, the blacks removed themselves a short distance upwind from the fetid corpses, where they made camp, that they might restbefore setting out in pursuit of the Arabs. It was already dusk.Werper and Tarzan sat devouring some pieces of meat they had broughtfrom their last camp. The Belgian was occupied with his plans for theimmediate future. He was positive that the Waziri would pursue AchmetZek, for he knew enough of savage warfare, and of the characteristicsof the Arabs and their degraded followers to guess that they hadcarried the Waziri women off into slavery. This alone would assureimmediate pursuit by so warlike a people as the Waziri.
Werper felt that he should find the means and the opportunity to pushon ahead, that he might warn Achmet Zek of the coming of Basuli, andalso of the location of the buried treasure. What the Arab would nowdo with Lady Greystoke, in view of the mental affliction of herhusband, Werper neither knew nor cared. It was enough that the goldentreasure buried upon the site of the burned bungalow was infinitelymore valuable than any ransom that would have occurred even to theavaricious mind of the Arab, and if Werper could persuade the raider toshare even a portion of it with him he would be well satisfied.
But by far the most important consideration, to Werper, at least, wasthe incalculably valuable treasure in the little leathern pouch atTarzan's side. If he could but obtain possession of this! He must!He would!
His eyes wandered to the object of his greed. They measured Tarzan'sgiant frame, and rested upon the rounded muscles of his arms. It washopeless. What could he, Werper, hope to accomplish, other than hisown death, by an attempt to wrest the gems from their savage owner?
Disconsolate, Werper threw himself upon his side. His head waspillowed on one arm, the other rested across his face in such a waythat his eyes were hidden from the ape-man, though one of them wasfastened upon him from beneath the shadow of the Belgian's forearm.For a time he lay thus, glowering at Tarzan, and originating schemesfor plundering him of his treasure--schemes that were discarded asfutile as rapidly as they were born.
Tarzan presently let his own eyes rest upon Werper. The Belgian sawthat he was being watched, and lay very still. After a few moments hesimulated the regular breathing of deep slumber.
Tarzan had been thinking. He had seen the Waziri bury theirbelongings. Werper had told him that they were hiding them lest someone find them and take them away. This seemed to Tarzan a splendidplan for safeguarding valuables. Since Werper had evinced a desire topossess his glittering pebbles, Tarzan, with the suspicions of asavage, had guarded the baubles, of whose worth he was entirelyignorant, as zealously as though they spelled life or death to him.
For a long time the ape-man sat watching his companion. At last,convinced that he slept, Tarzan withdrew his hunting knife andcommenced to dig a hole in the ground before him. With the blade heloosened up the earth, and with his hands he scooped it out until hehad excavated a little cavity a few inches in diameter, and five or sixinches in depth. Into this he placed the pouch of jewels. Werperalmost forgot to breathe after the fashion of a sleeper as he saw whatthe ape-man was doing--he scarce repressed an ejaculation ofsatisfaction.
Tarzan become suddenly rigid as his keen ears noted the cessation ofthe regular inspirations and expirations of his companion. Hisnarrowed eyes bored straight down upon the Belgian. Werper felt thathe was lost--he must risk all on his ability to carry on the deception.He sighed, threw both arms outward, and turned over on his backmumbling as though in the throes of a bad dream. A moment later heresumed the regular breathing.
Now he could not watch Tarzan, but he was sure that the man sat for along time looking at him. Then, faintly, Werper heard the other'shands scraping dirt, and later patting it down. He knew then that thejewels were buried.
It was an hour before Werper moved again, then he rolled over facingTarzan and opened his eyes. The ape-man slept. By reaching out hishand Werper could touch the spot where the pouch was buried.
For a long time he lay watching and listening. He moved about, makingmore noise than necessary, yet Tarzan did not awaken. He drew thesacrificial knife from his belt, and plunged it into the ground.Tarzan did not move. Cautiously the Belgian pushed the blade downwardthrough the loose earth above the pouch. He felt the point touch thesoft, tough fabric of the leather. Then he pried down upon the handle.Slowly the little mound of loose earth rose and parted. An instantlater a corner of the pouch came into view. Werper pulled it from itshiding place, and tucked it in his shirt. Then he refilled the holeand pressed the dirt carefully down as it had been before.
Greed had prompted him to an act, the discovery of which by hiscompanion could lead only to the most frightful consequences forWerper. Already he could almost feel those strong, white fangs buryingthemselves in his neck. He shuddered. Far out across the plain aleopard screamed, and in the dense reeds behind him some great beastmoved on padded feet.
Werper feared these prowlers of the night; but infinitely more hefeared the just wrath of the human beast sleeping at his side. Withutmost caution the Belgian arose. Tarzan did not move. Werper took afew steps toward the plain and the distant forest to the northwest,then he paused and fingered the hilt of the long knife in his belt. Heturned and looked down upon the sleeper.
"Why not?" he mused. "Then I should be safe."
He returned and bent above the ape-man. Clutc
hed tightly in his handwas the sacrificial knife of the High Priestess of the Flaming God!
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar Page 9
