按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Her wanderings brought her to a crystal brook and there she drank and bathed beneath an overhanging tree that offered her quick asylum in the event of danger。 It was a quiet and beautiful spot and she loved it from the first。 The bottom of the brook was paved with pretty stones and bits of glassy obsidian。 As she gathered a handful of the pebbles and held them up to look at them she noticed that one of her fingers was bleeding from a clean； straight cut。 She fell to searching for the cause and presently discovered it in one of the fragments of volcanic glass which revealed an edge that was almost razor…like。 Jane Clayton was elated。 Here； God…given to her hands； was the first beginning with which she might eventually arrive at both weapons and toolsa cutting edge。 Everything was possible to him who possessed itnothing without。
She sought until she had collected many of the precious bits of stoneuntil the pouch that hung at her right side was almost filled。 Then she climbed into the great tree to examine them at leisure。 There were some that looked like knife blades； and some that could easily be fashioned into spear heads； and many smaller ones that nature seemed to have intended for the tips of savage arrows。
The spear she would essay firstthat would be easiest。 There was a hollow in the bole of the tree in a great crotch high above the ground。 Here she cached all of her treasure except a single knifelike sliver。 With this she descended to the ground and searching out a slender sapling that grew arrow…straight she hacked and sawed until she could break it off without splitting the wood。 It was just the right diameter for the shaft of a speara hunting spear such as her beloved Waziri had liked best。 How often had she watched them fashioning them； and they had taught her how to use them； toothem and the heavy war spearslaughing and clapping their hands as her proficiency increased。
She knew the arborescent grasses that yielded the longest and toughest fibers and these she sought and carried to her tree with the spear shaft that was to be。 Clambering to her crotch she bent to her work； humming softly a little tune。 She caught herself and smiledit was the first time in all these bitter months that song had passed her lips or such a smile。
〃I feel；〃 she sighed； 〃I almost feel that John is nearmy Johnmy Tarzan！〃
She cut the spear shaft to the proper length and removed the twigs and branches and the bark； whittling and scraping at the nubs until the surface was all smooth and straight。 Then she split one end and inserted a spear point； shaping the wood until it fitted perfectly。 This done she laid the shaft aside and fell to splitting the thick grass stems and pounding and twisting them until she had separated and partially cleaned the fibers。 These she took down to the brook and washed and brought back again and wound tightly around the cleft end of the shaft； which she had notched to receive them； and the upper part of the spear head which she had also notched slightly with a bit of stone。 It was a crude spear but the best that she could attain in so short a time。 Later； she promised herself； she should have othersmany of themand they would be spears of which even the greatest of the Waziri spear…men might be proud。
18
The Lion Pit of Tu…lur
THOUGH Tarzan searched the outskirts of the city until nearly dawn he discovered nowhere the spoor of his mate。 The breeze coming down from the mountains brought to his nostrils a diversity of scents but there was not among them the slightest suggestion of her whom he sought。 The natural deduction was therefore that she had been taken in some other direction。 In his search he had many times crossed the fresh tracks of many men leading toward the lake and these he concluded had probably been made by Jane Clayton's abductors。 It had only been to minimize the chance of error by the process of elimination that he had carefully reconnoitered every other avenue leading from A…lur toward the southeast where lay Mo…sar's city of Tu…lur； and now he followed the trail to the shores of Jad…ben…lul where the party had embarked upon the quiet waters in their sturdy canoes。
He found many other craft of the same description moored along the shore and one of these he commandeered for the purpose of pursuit。 It was daylight when he passed through the lake which lies next below Jad…ben…lul and paddling strongly passed within sight of the very tree in which his lost mate lay sleeping。
Had the gentle wind that caressed the bosom of the lake been blowing from a southerly direction the giant ape…man and Jane Clayton would have been reunited then； but an unkind fate had willed otherwise and the opportunity passed with the passing of his canoe which presently his powerful strokes carried out of sight into the stream at the lower end of the lake。
Following the winding river which bore a considerable distance to the north before doubling back to empty into the Jad…in…lul； the ape…man missed a portage that would have saved him hours of paddling。
It was at the upper end of this portage where Mo…sar and his warriors had debarked that the chief discovered the absence of his captive。 As Mo…sar had been asleep since shortly after their departure from A…lur； and as none of the warriors recalled when she had last been seen； it was impossible to conjecture with any degree of accuracy the place where she had escaped。 The consensus of opinion was； however； that it had been in the narrow river connecting Jad…ben…lul with the lake next below it； which is called Jad…bal…lul； which freely translated means the lake of gold。 Mo…sar had been very wroth and having himself been the only one at fault he naturally sought with great diligence to fix the blame upon another。
He would have returned in search of her had he not feared to meet a pursuing company dispatched either by Ja…don or the high priest； both of whom； he knew； had just grievances against him。 He would not even spare a boatload of his warriors from his own protection to return in quest of the fugitive but hastened onward with as little delay as possible across the portage and out upon the waters of Jad…in…lul。
The morning sun was just touching the white domes of Tu…lur when Mo…sar's paddlers brought their canoes against the shore at the city's edge。 Safe once more behind his own walls and protected by many warriors； the courage of the chief returned sufficiently at least to permit him to dispatch three canoes in search of Jane Clayton； and also to go as far as A…lur if possible to learn what had delayed Bu…lot； whose failure to reach the canoes with the balance of the party at the time of the flight from the northern city had in no way delayed Mo…sar's departure； his own safety being of far greater moment than that of his son。
As the three canoes reached the portage on their return journey the warriors who were dragging them from the water were suddenly startled by the appearance of two priests； carrying a light canoe in the direction of Jad…in…lul。 At first they thought them the advance guard of a larger force of Lu…don's followers； although the correctness of such a theory was belied by their knowledge that priests never accepte