tarzan and the jewels of opar()-及6何蛍
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!!!!隆堋響頼��紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響��
Waziri awaited the signal of their master。 Then Werper�察�slipping stealthily
from his hiding place�察�dropped into the somber darkness of the entrance
and disappeared。
Tarzan�察 �halting upon the kopje's edge�察 �raised his voice in the
thunderous roar of a lion。 Twice�察�at regular intervals�察�he repeated the call�察�
standing in attentive silence for several minutes after the echoes of the
third call had died away。 And then�察 �from far across the valley�察 �faintly�察�
came an answering roaronce�察�twice�察�thrice。 Basuli�察�the Waziri chieftain�察�
had heard and replied。
Tarzan again made his way toward the treasure vault�察�knowing that in
a few hours his blacks would be with him�察 �ready to bear away another
fortune in the strangely shaped�察�golden ingots of Opar。 In the meantime
he would carry as much of the precious metal to the summit of the kopje
as he could。
Six trips he made in the five hours before Basuli reached the kopje�察�
and at the end of that time he had transported forty´eight ingots to the edge
of the great boulder�察�carrying upon each trip a load which might well have
staggered two ordinary men�察 �yet his giant frame showed no evidence of
fatigue�察�as he helped to raise his ebon warriors to the hill top with the rope
that had been brought for the purpose。
Six times he had returned to the treasure chamber�察 �and six times
Werper�察�the Belgian�察�had cowered in the black shadows at the far end of
the long vault。 Once again came the ape´man�察�and this time there came
with him fifty fighting men�察�turning porters for love of the only creature in
the world who might command of their fierce and haughty natures such
menial service。 Fifty´two more ingots passed out of the vaults�察�making
the total of one hundred which Tarzan intended taking away with him。
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
As the last of the Waziri filed from the chamber�察�Tarzan turned back
for a last glimpse of the fabulous wealth upon which his two inroads had
made no appreciable impression。 Before he extinguished the single
candle he had brought with him for the purpose�察�and the flickering light of
which had cast the first alleviating rays into the impenetrable darkness of
the buried chamber�察�that it had known for the countless ages since it had
lain forgotten of man�察�Tarzan's mind reverted to that first occasion upon
which he had entered the treasure vault�察�coming upon it by chance as he
fled from the pits beneath the temple�察�where he had been hidden by La�察�the
High Priestess of the Sun Worshipers。
He recalled the scene within the temple when he had lain stretched
upon the sacrificial altar�察�while La�察�with high´raised dagger�察�stood above
him�察 �and the rows of priests and priestesses awaited�察 �in the ecstatic
hysteria of fanaticism�察�the first gush of their victim's warm blood�察�that they
might fill their golden goblets and drink to the glory of their Flaming God。
The brutal and bloody interruption by Tha�察 �the mad priest�察 �passed
vividly before the ape´man's recollective eyes�察 �the flight of the votaries
before the insane blood lust of the hideous creature�察�the brutal attack upon
La�察 �and his own part of the grim tragedy when he had battled with the
infuriated Oparian and left him dead at the feet of the priestess he would
have profaned。
This and much more passed through Tarzan's memory as he stood
gazing at the long tiers of dull´yellow metal。 He wondered if La still ruled
the temples of the ruined city whose crumbling walls rose upon the very
foundations about him。 Had she finally been forced into a union with
one of her grotesque priests�拭�It seemed a hideous fate�察�indeed�察�for one so
beautiful。 With a shake of his head�察�Tarzan stepped to the flickering candle�察�
extinguished its feeble rays and turned toward the exit。
Behind him the spy waited for him to be gone。 He had learned the
secret for which he had come�察�and now he could return at his leisure to his
waiting followers�察�bring them to the treasure vault and carry away all the
gold that they could stagger under。
The Waziri had reached the outer end of the tunnel�察�and were winding
upward toward the fresh air and the welcome starlight of the kopje's
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Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
summit�察�before Tarzan shook off the detaining hand of reverie and started
slowly after them。
Once again�察�and�察�he thought�察�for the last time�察�he closed the massive
door of the treasure room。 In the darkness behind him Werper rose and
stretched his cramped muscles。 He stretched forth a hand and lovingly
caressed a golden ingot on the nearest tier。 He raised it from its
immemorial resting place and weighed it in his hands。 He clutched it to
his bosom in an ecstasy of avarice。
Tarzan dreamed of the happy homecoming which lay before him�察 �of
dear arms about his neck�察�and a soft cheek pressed to his�察�but there rose to
dispel that dream the memory of the old witch´doctor and his warning。
And then�察�in the span of a few brief seconds�察�the hopes of both these
men were shattered。 The one forgot even his greed in the panic of terror´
´the other was plunged into total forgetfulness of the past by a jagged
fragment of rock which gashed a deep cut upon his head。
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5
The Altar of the Flaming God
It was at the moment that Tarzan turned from the closed door to
pursue his way to the outer world。 The thing came without warning。
One instant all was quiet and stabilitythe next�察�and the world rocked�察�the
tortured sides of the narrow passageway split and crumbled�察�great blocks
of granite�察 �dislodged from the ceiling�察 �tumbled into the narrow way�察�
choking it�察 �and the walls bent inward upon the wreckage。 Beneath the
blow of a fragment of the roof�察�Tarzan staggered back against the door to
the treasure room�察�his weight pushed it open and his body rolled inward
upon the floor。
In the great apartment where the treasure lay less damage was wrought
by the earthquake。 A few ingots toppled from the higher tiers�察�a single
piece of the rocky ceiling splintered off and crashed downward to the floor�察�
and the walls cracked�察�though they did not collapse。
There was but the single shock�察 �no other followed to complete the
damage undertaken by the first。 Werper�察 �thrown to his length by the
suddenness and violence of the disturbance�察�staggered to his feet when he
found himself unhurt。 Groping his way toward the far end of the
chamber�察�he sought the candle which Tarzan had left stuck in its own wax
upon the protruding end of an ingot。
By striking numerous matches the Belgian at last found what he
sought�察 �and when�察 �a moment later�察 �the sickly rays relieved the Stygian
darkness about him�察 �he breathed a nervous sigh of relief�察 �for the
impenetrable gloom had accentuated the terrors of his situation。
As they became accustomed to the light the man turned his eyes
toward the doorhis one thought now was of escape from this frightful
tomband as he did so he saw the body of the naked giant lying stretched
upon the floor just within the doorway。 Werper drew back in sudden fear
of detection�察�but a second glance convinced him that the Englishman was
dead。 From a great gash in the man's head a pool of blood had collected
upon the concrete floor。
Quickly�察 �the Belgian leaped over the prostrate form of his erstwhile
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host�察�and without a thought of succor for the man in whom�察�for aught he
knew�察�life still remained�察�he bolted for the passageway and safety。
But his renewed hopes were soon dashed。 Just beyond the doorway
he found the passage completely clogged and choked by impenetrable
masses of shattered rock。 Once more he turned and re´entered the treasure
vault。 Taking the candle from its place he commenced a systematic search
of the apartment�察�nor had he gone far before he discovered another door in
the opposite end of the room�察�a door which gave upon creaking hinges to
the weight of his body。 Beyond the door lay another narrow passageway。
Along this Werper made his way�察 �ascending a flight of stone steps to
another corridor twenty feet above the level of the first。 The flickering
candle lighted the way before him�察�and a moment later he was thankful for
the possession of this crude and antiquated luminant�察�which�察�a few hours
before he might have looked upon with contempt�察�for it showed him�察�just
in time�察 �a yawning pit�察�