Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar

9

The Theft of the Jewels

For two days Werper sought for the party that had accompanied him from the camp to the barrier cliffs; but not until late in the afternoon of the second day did he find clew to its whereabouts, and then in such gruesome form that he was totally unnerved by the sight.

In an open glade he came upon the bodies of three of the blacks, terribly mutilated, nor did it require considerable deductive power to explain their murder.  Of the little party only these three had not been slaves.  The others, evidently tempted to hope for freedom from their cruel Arab master, had taken advantage of their separation from the main camp, to slay the three representatives of the hated power which held them in slavery, and vanish into the jungle.

Cold sweat exuded from Werper’s forehead as he contemplated the fate which chance had permitted him to escape, for had he been present when the conspiracy bore fruit, he, too, must have been of the garnered.

Tarzan showed not the slightest surprise or interest in the discovery.  Inherent in him was a calloused familiarity with violent death.  The refinements of his recent civilization expunged by the force of the sad calamity which had befallen him, left only the primitive sensibilities which his childhood’s training had imprinted indelibly upon the fabric of his mind.

The training of Kala, the examples and precepts of Kerchak, of Tublat, and of Terkoz now formed the basis of his every thought and action.  He retained a mechanical knowledge of French and English speech.  Werper had spoken to him in French, and Tarzan had replied in the same tongue without conscious realization that he had departed from the anthropoidal speech in which he had addressed La.  Had Werper used English, the result would have been the same.

Again, that night, as the two sat before their camp fire, Tarzan played with his shining baubles.  Werper asked him what they were and where he had found them.  The ape-man replied that they were gay-colored stones, with which he purposed fashioning a necklace, and that he had found them far beneath the sacrificial court of the temple of the Flaming God.

Werper was relieved to find that Tarzan had no conception of the value of the gems.  This would make it easier for the Belgian to obtain possession of them.  Possibly the man would give them to him for the asking.  Werper reached out his hand toward the little pile that Tarzan had arranged upon a piece of flat wood before him.

“Let me see them,” said the Belgian.

Tarzan placed a large palm over his treasure.  He bared his fighting fangs, and growled.  Werper withdrew his hand more quickly than he had advanced it.  Tarzan resumed his playing with the gems, and his conversation with Werper as though nothing unusual had occurred.  He had but exhibited the beast’s jealous protective instinct for a possession.  When he killed he shared the meat with Werper; but had Werper ever, by accident, laid a hand upon Tarzan’s share, he would have aroused the same savage, and resentful warning.

From that occurrence dated the beginning of a great fear in the breast of the Belgian for his savage companion.  He had never understood the transformation that had been wrought in Tarzan by the blow upon his head, other than to attribute it to a form of amnesia.  That Tarzan had once been, in truth, a savage, jungle beast, Werper had not known, and so, of course, he could not guess that the man had reverted to the state in which his childhood and young manhood had been spent.

Now Werper saw in the Englishman a dangerous maniac, whom the slightest untoward accident might turn upon him with rending fangs.  Not for a moment did Werper attempt to delude himself into the belief that he could defend himself successfully against an attack by the ape-man.  His one hope lay in eluding him, and making for the far distant camp of Achmet Zek as rapidly as he could; but armed only with the sacrificial knife, Werper shrank from attempting the journey through the jungle.  Tarzan constituted a protection that was by no means despicable, even in the face of the larger carnivora, as Werper had reason to acknowledge from the evidence he had witnessed in the Oparian temple.

Too, Werper had his covetous soul set upon the pouch of gems, and so he was torn between the various emotions of avarice and fear.  But avarice it was that burned most strongly in his breast, to the end that he dared the dangers and suffered the terrors of constant association with him he thought a mad man, rather than give up the hope of obtaining possession of the fortune which the contents of the little pouch represented.

Achmet Zek should know nothing of these—­these would be for Werper alone, and so soon as he could encompass his design he would reach the coast and take passage for America, where he could conceal himself beneath the veil of a new identity and enjoy to some measure the fruits of his theft.  He had it all planned out, did Lieutenant Albert Werper, living in anticipation the luxurious life of the idle rich.  He even found himself regretting that America was so provincial, and that nowhere in the new world was a city that might compare with his beloved Brussels.

It was upon the third day of their progress from Opar that the keen ears of Tarzan caught the sound of men behind them.  Werper heard nothing above the humming of the jungle insects, and the chattering life of the lesser monkeys and the birds.

For a time Tarzan stood in statuesque silence, listening, his sensitive nostrils dilating as he assayed each passing breeze.  Then he withdrew Werper into the concealment of thick brush, and waited.  Presently, along the game trail that Werper and Tarzan had been following, there came in sight a sleek, black warrior, alert and watchful.

In single file behind him, there followed, one after another, near fifty others, each burdened with two dull-yellow ingots lashed upon his back.  Werper recognized the party immediately as that which had accompanied Tarzan on his journey to Opar.  He glanced at the ape-man; but in the savage, watchful eyes he saw no recognition of Basuli and those other loyal Waziri.

When all had passed, Tarzan rose and emerged from concealment.  He looked down the trail in the direction the party had gone.  Then he turned to Werper.

“We will follow and slay them,” he said.

“Why?” asked the Belgian.

“They are black,” explained Tarzan.  “It was a black who killed Kala.  They are the enemies of the Manganis.”

Werper did not relish the idea of engaging in a battle with Basuli and his fierce fighting men.  And, again, he had welcomed the sight of them returning toward the Greystoke bungalow, for he had begun to have doubts as to his ability to retrace his steps to the Waziri country.  Tarzan, he knew, had not the remotest idea of whither they were going.  By keeping at a safe distance behind the laden warriors, they would have no difficulty in following them home.  Once at the bungalow, Werper knew the way to the camp of Achmet Zek.  There was still another reason why he did not wish to interfere with the Waziri—­they were bearing the great burden of treasure in the direction he wished it borne.  The farther they took it, the less the distance that he and Achmet Zek would have to transport it.

He argued with the ape-man therefore, against the latter’s desire to exterminate the blacks, and at last he prevailed upon Tarzan to follow them in peace, saying that he was sure they would lead them out of the forest into a rich country, teeming with game.

It was many marches from Opar to the Waziri country; but at last came the hour when Tarzan and the Belgian, following the trail of the warriors, topped the last rise, and saw before them the broad Waziri plain, the winding river, and the distant forests to the north and west.

A mile or more ahead of them, the line of warriors was creeping like a giant caterpillar through the tall grasses of the plain.  Beyond, grazing herds of zebra, hartebeest, and topi dotted the level landscape, while closer to the river a bull buffalo, his head and shoulders protruding from the reeds watched the advancing blacks for a moment, only to turn at last and disappear into the safety of his dank and gloomy retreat.

Tarzan looked out across the familiar vista with no faintest gleam of recognition in his eyes.  He saw the game animals, and his mouth watered; but he did not look in the direction of his bungalow.  Werper, however, did.  A puzzled expression entered the Belgian’s eyes.  He shaded them with his palms and gazed long and earnestly toward the spot where the bungalow had stood.  He could not credit the testimony of his eyes—­there was no bungalow—­no barns—­no out-houses.  The corrals, the hay stacks—­all were gone.  What could it mean?

And then, slowly there filtered into Werper’s consciousness an explanation of the havoc that had been wrought in that peaceful valley since last his eyes had rested upon it—­Achmet Zek had been there!

Basuli and his warriors had noted the devastation the moment they had come in sight of the farm.  Now they hastened on toward it talking excitedly among themselves in animated speculation upon the cause and meaning of the catastrophe.

When, at last they crossed the trampled garden and stood before the charred ruins of their master’s bungalow, their greatest fears became convictions in the light of the evidence about them.

Remnants of human dead, half devoured by prowling hyenas and others of the carnivora which infested the region, lay rotting upon the ground, and among the corpses remained sufficient remnants of their clothing and ornaments to make clear to Basuli the frightful story of the disaster that had befallen his master’s house.

“The Arabs,” he said, as his men clustered about him.

The Waziri gazed about in mute rage for several minutes.  Everywhere they encountered only further evidence of the ruthlessness of the cruel enemy that had come during the Great Bwana’s absence and laid waste his property.

“What did they with ’Lady’?” asked one of the blacks.

They had always called Lady Greystoke thus.

“The women they would have taken with them,” said Basuli.  “Our women and his.”

A giant black raised his spear above his head, and gave voice to a savage cry of rage and hate.  The others followed his example.  Basuli silenced them with a gesture.

“This is no time for useless noises of the mouth,” he said.  “The Great Bwana has taught us that it is acts by which things are done, not words.  Let us save our breath—­we shall need it all to follow up the Arabs and slay them.  If ‘Lady’ and our women live the greater the need of haste, and warriors cannot travel fast upon empty lungs.”

From the shelter of the reeds along the river, Werper and Tarzan watched the blacks.  They saw them dig a trench with their knives and fingers.  They saw them lay their yellow burdens in it and scoop the overturned earth back over the tops of the ingots.

Tarzan seemed little interested, after Werper had assured him that that which they buried was not good to eat; but Werper was intensely interested.  He would have given much had he had his own followers with him, that he might take away the treasure as soon as the blacks left, for he was sure that they would leave this scene of desolation and death as soon as possible.

The treasure buried, the blacks removed themselves a short distance up wind from the fetid corpses, where they made camp, that they might rest before setting out in pursuit of the Arabs.  It was already dusk.  Werper and Tarzan sat devouring some pieces of meat they had brought from their last camp.  The Belgian was occupied with his plans for the immediate future.  He was positive that the Waziri would pursue Achmet Zek, for he knew enough of savage warfare, and of the characteristics of the Arabs and their degraded followers to guess that they had carried the Waziri women off into slavery.  This alone would assure immediate pursuit by so warlike a people as the Waziri.

Werper felt that he should find the means and the opportunity to push on ahead, that he might warn Achmet Zek of the coming of Basuli, and also of the location of the buried treasure.  What the Arab would now do with Lady Greystoke, in view of the mental affliction of her husband, Werper neither knew nor cared.  It was enough that the golden treasure buried upon the site of the burned bungalow was infinitely more valuable than any ransom that would have occurred even to the avaricious mind of the Arab, and if Werper could persuade the raider to share even a portion of it with him he would be well satisfied.

But by far the most important consideration, to Werper, at least, was the incalculably valuable treasure in the little leathern pouch at Tarzan’s side.  If he could but obtain possession of this!  He must!  He would!

His eyes wandered to the object of his greed.  They measured Tarzan’s giant frame, and rested upon the rounded muscles of his arms.  It was hopeless.  What could he, Werper, hope to accomplish, other than his own death, by an attempt to wrest the gems from their savage owner?

Disconsolate, Werper threw himself upon his side.  His head was pillowed on one arm, the other rested across his face in such a way that his eyes were hidden from the ape-man, though one of them was fastened upon him from beneath the shadow of the Belgian’s forearm.  For a time he lay thus, glowering at Tarzan, and originating schemes for plundering him of his treasure—­schemes that were discarded as futile as rapidly as they were born.

Tarzan presently let his own eyes rest upon Werper.  The Belgian saw that he was being watched, and lay very still.  After a few moments he simulated the regular breathing of deep slumber.

Tarzan had been thinking.  He had seen the Waziri bury their belongings.  Werper had told him that they were hiding them lest some one find them and take them away.  This seemed to Tarzan a splendid plan for safeguarding valuables.  Since Werper had evinced a desire to possess his glittering pebbles, Tarzan, with the suspicions of a savage, had guarded the baubles, of whose worth he was entirely ignorant, as zealously as though they spelled life or death to him.

For a long time the ape-man sat watching his companion.  At last, convinced that he slept, Tarzan withdrew his hunting knife and commenced to dig a hole in the ground before him.  With the blade he loosened up the earth, and with his hands he scooped it out until he had excavated a little cavity a few inches in diameter, and five or six inches in depth.  Into this he placed the pouch of jewels.  Werper almost forgot to breathe after the fashion of a sleeper as he saw what the ape-man was doing—­he scarce repressed an ejaculation of satisfaction.

Tarzan become suddenly rigid as his keen ears noted the cessation of the regular inspirations and expirations of his companion.  His narrowed eyes bored straight down upon the Belgian.  Werper felt that he was lost—­he must risk all on his ability to carry on the deception.  He sighed, threw both arms outward, and turned over on his back mumbling as though in the throes of a bad dream.  A moment later he resumed the regular breathing.

Now he could not watch Tarzan, but he was sure that the man sat for a long time looking at him.  Then, faintly, Werper heard the other’s hands scraping dirt, and later patting it down.  He knew then that the jewels were buried.

It was an hour before Werper moved again, then he rolled over facing Tarzan and opened his eyes.  The ape-man slept.  By reaching out his hand Werper could touch the spot where the pouch was buried.

For a long time he lay watching and listening.  He moved about, making more noise than necessary, yet Tarzan did not awaken.  He drew the sacrificial knife from his belt, and plunged it into the ground.  Tarzan did not move.  Cautiously the Belgian pushed the blade downward through the loose earth above the pouch.  He felt the point touch the soft, tough fabric of the leather.  Then he pried down upon the handle.  Slowly the little mound of loose earth rose and parted.  An instant later a corner of the pouch came into view.  Werper pulled it from its hiding place, and tucked it in his shirt.  Then he refilled the hole and pressed the dirt carefully down as it had been before.

Greed had prompted him to an act, the discovery of which by his companion could lead only to the most frightful consequences for Werper.  Already he could almost feel those strong, white fangs burying themselves in his neck.  He shuddered.  Far out across the plain a leopard screamed, and in the dense reeds behind him some great beast moved on padded feet.

Werper feared these prowlers of the night; but infinitely more he feared the just wrath of the human beast sleeping at his side.  With utmost caution the Belgian arose.  Tarzan did not move.  Werper took a few steps toward the plain and the distant forest to the northwest, then he paused and fingered the hilt of the long knife in his belt.  He turned and looked down upon the sleeper.

“Why not?” he mused.  “Then I should be safe.”

He returned and bent above the ape-man.  Clutched tightly in his hand was the sacrificial knife of the High Priestess of the Flaming God!