The Frenchman looked about him. The loneliness and the
horror of the place commenced to get on his nerves--already
weakened by the ordeal of suffering and sickness he had
passed through.
To be left here alone beside this awful jungle--never to
hear a human voice or see a human face--in constant dread
of savage beasts and more terribly savage men--a prey to
solitude and hopelessness. It was awful.
And far to the east Tarzan of the Apes was speeding
through the middle terrace back to his tribe. Never had he
traveled with such reckless speed. He felt that he was running
away from himself--that by hurtling through the forest like
a frightened squirrel he was escaping from his own thoughts.
But no matter how fast he went he found them always with him.
He passed above the sinuous body of Sabor, the lioness, going
in the opposite direction--toward the cabin, thought Tarzan.
What could D'Arnot do against Sabor--or if Bolgani, the gorilla,
should come upon him--or Numa, the lion, or cruel Sheeta?
Tarzan paused in his flight.
"What are you, Tarzan?" he asked aloud. "An ape or a man?"
"If you are an ape you will do as the apes would do--
leave one of your kind to die in the jungle if it suited
your whim to go elsewhere.
"If you are a man, you will return to protect your kind.
You will not run away from one of your own people, because
one of them has run away from you.
Pages:
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289