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the return of tarzan-第51章

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what the trouble might be。



〃Trouble!〃 shrieked Spider。  〃Trouble!  It's worse than

troubleit's death!  This … tin is full of coal oil!〃



Hastily now Clayton and Monsieur Thuran tore open one of

theirs; only to learn the hideous truth that it also contained;

not food; but coal oil。  One after another the four tins on

board were opened。  And as the contents of each became

known howls of anger announced the grim truththere was

not an ounce of food upon the boat。



〃Well; thank Gawd it wasn't the water;〃 cried Thompkins。

〃It's easier to get along without food than it is without water。

We can eat our shoes if worse comes to worst; but we

couldn't drink 'em。〃



As he spoke Wilson had been boring a hole in one of the water

kegs; and as Spider held a tin cup he tilted the keg to pour

a draft of the precious fluid。  A thin stream of blackish;

dry particles filtered slowly through the tiny aperture into

the bottom of the cup。  With a groan Wilson dropped the keg; and

sat staring at the dry stuff in the cup; speechless with horror。



〃The kegs are filled with gunpowder;〃 said Spider; in a low tone;

turning to those aft。  And so it proved when the last had been opened。



〃Coal oil and gunpowder!〃 cried Monsieur Thuran。

〃SAPRISTI!  What a diet for shipwrecked mariners!〃



With the full knowledge that there was neither food nor

water on board; the pangs of hunger and thirst became

immediately aggravated; and so on the first day of their tragic

adventure real suffering commenced in grim earnest; and the

full horrors of shipwreck were upon them。



As the days passed conditions became horrible。  Aching eyes

scanned the horizon day and night until the weak

and weary watchers would sink exhausted to the bottom of

the boat; and there wrest in dream…disturbed slumber a

moment's respite from the horrors of the waking reality。



The sailors; goaded by the remorseless pangs of hunger;

had eaten their leather belts; their shoes; the sweatbands

from their caps; although both Clayton and Monsieur

Thuran had done their best to convince them that these

would only add to the suffering they were enduring。



Weak and hopeless; the entire party lay beneath the pitiless

tropic sun; with parched lips and swollen tongues; waiting for

the death they were beginning to crave。  The intense suffering

of the first few days had become deadened for the three

passengers who had eaten nothing; but the agony of the

sailors was pitiful; as their weak and impoverished stomachs

attempted to cope with the bits of leather with which they

had filled them。  Tompkins was the first to succumb。  Just a

week from the day the LADY ALICE went down the sailor died

horribly in frightful convulsions。



For hours his contorted and hideous features lay grinning

back at those in the stern of the little boat; until Jane

Porter could endure the sight no longer。

〃Can you not drop his body overboard; William?〃 she asked。



Clayton rose and staggered toward the corpse。  The two

remaining sailors eyed him with a strange; baleful light in

their sunken orbs。  Futilely the Englishman tried to lift the

corpse over the side of the boat; but his strength was not

equal to the task。



〃Lend me a hand here; please;〃 he said to Wilson; who lay

nearest him。



〃Wot do you want to throw 'im over for?〃 questioned the

sailor; in a querulous voice。



〃We've got to before we're too weak to do it;〃 replied Clayton。

〃He'd be awful by tomorrow; after a day under that broiling sun。〃



〃Better leave well enough alone;〃 grumbled Wilson。

〃We may need him before tomorrow。〃



Slowly the meaning of the man's words percolated into

Clayton's understanding。  At last he realized the fellow's

reason for objecting to the disposal of the dead man。



〃God!〃 whispered Clayton; in a horrified tone。  〃You don't mean〃



〃W'y not?〃 growled Wilson。  〃Ain't we gotta live?  He's dead;〃

he added; jerking his thumb in the direction of the corpse。

〃He won't care。〃



〃Come here; Thuran;〃 said Clayton; turning toward the Russian。

〃We'll have something worse than death aboard us if we don't

get rid of this body before dark。〃



Wilson staggered up menacingly to prevent the contemplated act;

but when his comrade; Spider; took sides with Clayton and

Monsieur Thuran he gave up; and sat eying the corpse

hungrily as the three men; by combining their efforts;

succeeded in rolling it overboard。



All the balance of the day Wilson sat glaring at Clayton;

in his eyes the gleam of insanity。  Toward evening; as the

sun was sinking into the sea; he commenced to chuckle and

mumble to himself; but his eyes never left Clayton。



After it became quite dark Clayton could still feel those terrible

eyes upon him。  He dared not sleep; and yet so exhausted

was he that it was a constant fight to retain consciousness。

After what seemed an eternity of suffering his head dropped

upon a thwart; and he slept。  How long he was unconscious

he did not knowhe was awakened by a shuffling noise quite

close to him。  The moon had risen; and as he opened his

startled eyes he saw Wilson creeping stealthily toward him;

his mouth open and his swollen tongue hanging out。



The slight noise had awakened Jane Porter at the same time;

and as she saw the hideous tableau she gave a shrill cry

of alarm; and at the same instant the sailor lurched forward

and fell upon Clayton。  Like a wild beast his teeth sought

the throat of his intended prey; but Clayton; weak though he

was; still found sufficient strength to hold the maniac's

mouth from him。



At Jane Porter's scream Monsieur Thuran and Spider awoke。

On seeing the cause of her alarm; both men crawled to

Clayton's rescue; and between the three of them were able

to subdue Wilson and hurl him to the bottom of the boat。

For a few minutes he lay there chattering and laughing; and then;

with an awful scream; and before any of his companions

could prevent; he staggered to his feet and leaped overboard。



The reaction from the terrific strain of excitement left the

weak survivors trembling and prostrated。  Spider broke down

and wept; Jane Porter prayed; Clayton swore softly to himself;

Monsieur Thuran sat with his head in his hands; thinking。

The result of his cogitation developed the following morning

in a proposition he made to Spider and Clayton。



〃Gentlemen;〃 said Monsieur Thuran; 〃you see the fate that

awaits us all unless we are picked up within a day or two。

That there is little hope of that is evidenced by the fact

that during all the days we have drifted we have seen no

sail; nor the faintest smudge of smoke upon the horizon。



〃There might be a chance if we had food; but without food

there is none。  There remains for us; then; but one of two

alternatives; and we must choose at once。  Either we must

all die together within a few days; or one must be sacrificed

that the others may live。  Do you quite clearly grasp my meanin
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