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from within by a powerful； dark…visaged man； and drawn
hastily into the stuffy； ill…smelling interior。
The sudden shock of fright which the unexpected attack
had upon her drew a single piercing scream from her throat；
then the man clapped a hand roughly over the mouth。
〃Not until we are farther from land； my dear；〃 he said。
〃Then you may yell your pretty head off。〃
Lady Greystoke turned to look into the leering； bearded
face so close to hers。 The man relaxed the pressure of his
fingers upon her lips； and with a little moan of terror as she
recognized him the girl shrank away from her captor。
〃Nikolas Rokoff！ M。 Thuran！〃 she exclaimed。
〃Your devoted admirer；〃 replied the Russian； with a low bow。
〃My little boy；〃 she said next； ignoring the terms of endearment
〃where is he？ Let me have him。 How could you be so crueleven as you
Nikolas Rokoffcannot be entirely devoid of mercy and compassion？
Tell me where he is。 Is he aboard this ship？ Oh； please； if such a
thing as a heart beats within your breast； take me to my baby！〃
〃If you do as you are bid no harm will befall him；〃 replied Rokoff。
〃But remember that it is your own fault that you are here。
You came aboard voluntarily； and you may take the consequences。
I little thought；〃 he added to himself； 〃that any such
good luck as this would come to me。〃
He went on deck then； locking the cabin…door upon his prisoner；
and for several days she did not see him。 The truth of the
matter being that Nikolas Rokoff was so poor a sailor
that the heavy seas the Kincaid encountered from the very
beginning of her voyage sent the Russian to his berth with a
bad attack of sea…sickness。
During this time her only visitor was an uncouth Swede；
the Kincaid's unsavoury cook； who brought her meals to her。
His name was Sven Anderssen； his one pride being that his
patronymic was spelt with a double 〃s。〃
The man was tall and raw…boned； with a long yellow
moustache； an unwholesome complexion； and filthy nails。
The very sight of him with one grimy thumb buried deep in
the lukewarm stew； that seemed； from the frequency of its
repetition； to constitute the pride of his culinary art；
was sufficient to take away the girl's appetite。
His small； blue； close…set eyes never met hers squarely。
There was a shiftiness of his whole appearance that even
found expression in the cat…like manner of his gait； and to it
all a sinister suggestion was added by the long slim knife that
always rested at his waist； slipped through the greasy cord
that supported his soiled apron。 Ostensibly it was but an
implement of his calling； but the girl could never free herself
of the conviction that it would require less provocation to
witness it put to other and less harmless uses。
His manner toward her was surly； yet she never failed to
meet him with a pleasant smile and a word of thanks when
he brought her food to her； though more often than not she
hurled the bulk of it through the tiny cabin port the moment
that the door closed behind him。
During the days of anguish that followed Jane Clayton's
imprisonment； but two questions were uppermost in her
mindthe whereabouts of her husband and her son。 She fully
believed that the baby was aboard the Kincaid； provided that
he still lived； but whether Tarzan had been permitted to live
after having been lured aboard the evil craft she could not guess。
She knew； of course； the deep hatred that the Russian felt
for the Englishman； and she could think of but one reason
for having him brought aboard the shipto dispatch him in
comparative safety in revenge for his having thwarted
Rokoff's pet schemes； and for having been at last the
means of landing him in a French prison。
Tarzan； on his part； lay in the darkness of his cell； ignorant
of the fact that his wife was a prisoner in the cabin almost
above his head。
The same Swede that served Jane brought his meals to him；
but； though on several occasions Tarzan had tried to
draw the man into conversation； he had been unsuccessful。
He had hoped to learn through this fellow whether his little
son was aboard the Kincaid； but to every question upon this
or kindred subjects the fellow returned but one reply；
〃Ay tank it blow purty soon purty hard。〃 So after several
attempts Tarzan gave it up。
For weeks that seemed months to the two prisoners the little
steamer forged on they knew not where。 Once the Kincaid
stopped to coal； only immediately to take up the seemingly
interminable voyage。
Rokoff had visited Jane Clayton but once since he had locked
her in the tiny cabin。 He had come gaunt and hollow…eyed
from a long siege of sea…sickness。 The object of his visit
was to obtain from her her personal cheque for a large sum in
return for a guarantee of her personal safety and return to England。
〃When you set me down safely in any civilized port；
together with my son and my husband；〃 she replied； 〃I will
pay you in gold twice the amount you ask； but until then you
shall not have a cent； nor the promise of a cent under any
other conditions。〃
〃You will give me the cheque I ask；〃 he replied with a snarl；
〃or neither you nor your child nor your husband will ever
again set foot within any port； civilized or otherwise。〃
〃I would not trust you；〃 she replied。 〃What guarantee
have I that you would not take my money and then do as you
pleased with me and mine regardless of your promise？〃
〃I think you will do as I bid；〃 he said； turning to leave
the cabin。 〃Remember that I have your sonif you chance
to hear the agonized wail of a tortured child it may console
you to reflect that it is because of your stubbornness that
the baby suffersand that it is your baby。〃
〃You would not do it！〃 cried the girl。 〃You would not
could not be so fiendishly cruel！〃
〃It is not I that am cruel； but you；〃 he returned；
〃for you permit a paltry sum of money to stand between
your baby and immunity from suffering。〃
The end of it was that Jane Clayton wrote out a cheque
of large denomination and handed it to Nikolas Rokoff；
who left her cabin with a grin of satisfaction upon his lips。
The following day the hatch was removed from Tarzan's cell；
and as he looked up he saw Paulvitch's head framed in
the square of light above him。
〃Come up；〃 commanded the Russian。 〃But bear in mind
that you will be shot if you make a single move to attack me
or any other aboard the ship。〃
The ape…man swung himself lightly to the deck。 About him；
but at a respectful distance； stood a half…dozen sailors
armed with rifles and revolvers。 Facing him was Paulvitch。
Tarzan looked about for Rokoff； who he felt sure must be
aboard； but there was no sign of him。
〃Lord Greystoke；〃 commenced the Russian； 〃by your continued
and wanton interference with M。 Rokoff and his plans
you have at last brought yourself and your family to