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the night he aided her to escape was the only one that had
been aboard the Kincaid since she lay at Dover。
Chapter 18
Paulvitch Plots Revenge
As Jane and Tarzan stood upon the vessel's deck recounting
to one another the details of the various adventures
through which each had passed since they had parted in their
London home； there glared at them from beneath scowling
brows a hidden watcher upon the shore。
Through the man's brain passed plan after plan whereby
he might thwart the escape of the Englishman and his wife；
for so long as the vital spark remained within the vindictive
brain of Alexander Paulvitch none who had aroused the enmity
of the Russian might be entirely safe。
Plan after plan he formed only to discard each either as
impracticable； or unworthy the vengeance his wrongs demanded。
So warped by faulty reasoning was the criminal mind of
Rokoff's lieutenant that he could not grasp the real
truth of that which lay between himself and the ape…man and
see that always the fault had been； not with the English lord；
but with himself and his confederate。
And at the rejection of each new scheme Paulvitch arrived
always at the same conclusionthat he could accomplish
naught while half the breadth of the Ugambi separated him
from the object of his hatred。
But how was he to span the crocodile…infested waters？
There was no canoe nearer than the Mosula village； and
Paulvitch was none too sure that the Kincaid would still be
at anchor in the river when he returned should he take the
time to traverse the jungle to the distant village and return
with a canoe。 Yet there was no other way； and so； convinced
that thus alone might he hope to reach his prey； Paulvitch；
with a parting scowl at the two figures upon the Kincaid's
deck； turned away from the river。
Hastening through the dense jungle； his mind centred upon
his one fetichrevengethe Russian forgot even his terror
of the savage world through which he moved。
Baffled and beaten at every turn of Fortune's wheel；
reacted upon time after time by his own malign plotting；
the principal victim of his own criminality； Paulvitch
was yet so blind as to imagine that his greatest happiness
lay in a continuation of the plottings and schemings which
had ever brought him and Rokoff to disaster； and the latter
finally to a hideous death。
As the Russian stumbled on through the jungle toward the Mosula
village there presently crystallized within his brain a plan
which seemed more feasible than any that he had as yet considered。
He would come by night to the side of the Kincaid； and
once aboard； would search out the members of the ship's
original crew who had survived the terrors of this frightful
expedition； and enlist them in an attempt to wrest the vessel
from Tarzan and his beasts。
In the cabin were arms and ammunition； and hidden in a
secret receptacle in the cabin table was one of those infernal
machines； the construction of which had occupied much of
Paulvitch's spare time when he had stood high in the
confidence of the Nihilists of his native land。
That was before he had sold them out for immunity and
gold to the police of Petrograd。 Paulvitch winced as he
recalled the denunciation of him that had fallen from the lips
of one of his former comrades ere the poor devil expiated his
political sins at the end of a hempen rope。
But the infernal machine was the thing to think of now。
He could do much with that if he could but get his hands
upon it。 Within the little hardwood case hidden in the cabin
table rested sufficient potential destructiveness to wipe out
in the fraction of a second every enemy aboard the Kincaid。
Paulvitch licked his lips in anticipatory joy； and urged his
tired legs to greater speed that he might not be too late to the
ship's anchorage to carry out his designs。
All depended； of course； upon when the Kincaid departed。
The Russian realized that nothing could be accomplished
beneath the light of day。 Darkness must shroud his approach
to the ship's side； for should he be sighted by Tarzan or Lady
Greystoke he would have no chance to board the vessel。
The gale that was blowing was； he believed； the cause of
the delay in getting the Kincaid under way； and if it
continued to blow until night then the chances were all in
his favour； for he knew that there was little likelihood
of the ape…man attempting to navigate the tortuous channel
of the Ugambi while darkness lay upon the surface of the water；
hiding the many bars and the numerous small islands which are
scattered over the expanse of the river's mouth。
It was well after noon when Paulvitch came to the Mosula
village upon the bank of the tributary of the Ugambi。
Here he was received with suspicion and unfriendliness by the
native chief； who； like all those who came in contact with
Rokoff or Paulvitch； had suffered in some manner from the
greed； the cruelty； or the lust of the two Muscovites。
When Paulvitch demanded the use of a canoe the chief
grumbled a surly refusal and ordered the white man from
the village。 Surrounded by angry； muttering warriors who
seemed to be but waiting some slight pretext to transfix him
with their menacing spears the Russian could do naught else
than withdraw。
A dozen fighting men led him to the edge of the clearing；
leaving him with a warning never to show himself again in
the vicinity of their village。
Stifling his anger； Paulvitch slunk into the jungle； but once
beyond the sight of the warriors he paused and listened intently。
He could hear the voices of his escort as the men returned
to the village； and when he was sure that they were
not following him he wormed his way through the bushes to
the edge of the river； still determined some way to obtain a canoe。
Life itself depended upon his reaching the Kincaid and
enlisting the survivors of the ship's crew in his service；
for to be abandoned here amidst the dangers of the African jungle
where he had won the enmity of the natives was； he well knew；
practically equivalent to a sentence of death。
A desire for revenge acted as an almost equally powerful
incentive to spur him into the face of danger to accomplish
his design； so that it was a desperate man that lay hidden in
the foliage beside the little river searching with eager eyes
for some sign of a small canoe which might be easily handled
by a single paddle。
Nor had the Russian long to wait before one of the awkward
little skiffs which the Mosula fashion came in sight
upon the bosom of the river。 A youth was paddling lazily out
into midstream from a point beside the village。 When he
reached the channel he allowed the sluggish current to carry
him slowly along while he lolled indolently in the bottom of
his crude canoe。
All ignorant of the unseen enemy upon the river's bank
the lad floated slowly down the s