The Return of Tarzan

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

  Chapter 26

  The Passing of the Ape-Man

  The next morning they set out upon the short journey to Tarzan's cabin.Four Waziri bore the body of the dead Englishman. It had been theape-man's suggestion that Clayton be buried beside the former LordGreystoke near the edge of the jungle against the cabin that the olderman had built.

  Jane Porter was glad that it was to be so, and in her heart of heartsshe wondered at the marvelous fineness of character of this wondrousman, who, though raised by brutes and among brutes, had the truechivalry and tenderness which only associates with the refinements ofthe highest civilization.

  They had proceeded some three miles of the five that had separated themfrom Tarzan's own beach when the Waziri who were ahead stoppedsuddenly, pointing in amazement at a strange figure approaching themalong the beach. It was a man with a shiny silk hat, who walked slowlywith bent head, and hands clasped behind him underneath the tails ofhis long, black coat.

  At sight of him Jane Porter uttered a little cry of surprise and joy,and ran quickly ahead to meet him. At the sound of her voice the oldman looked up, and when he saw who it was confronting him he, too,cried out in relief and happiness. As Professor Archimedes Q. Porterfolded his daughter in his arms tears streamed down his seamed oldface, and it was several minutes before he could control himselfsufficiently to speak.

  When a moment later he recognized Tarzan it was with difficulty thatthey could convince him that his sorrow had not unbalanced his mind,for with the other members of the party he had been so thoroughlyconvinced that the ape-man was dead it was a problem to reconcile theconviction with the very lifelike appearance of Jane's "forest god."The old man was deeply touched at the news of Clayton's death.

  "I cannot understand it," he said. "Monsieur Thuran assured us thatClayton passed away many days ago."

  "Thuran is with you?" asked Tarzan.

  "Yes; he but recently found us and led us to your cabin. We werecamped but a short distance north of it. Bless me, but he will bedelighted to see you both."

  "And surprised," commented Tarzan.

  A short time later the strange party came to the clearing in whichstood the ape-man's cabin. It was filled with people coming and going,and almost the first whom Tarzan saw was D'Arnot.

  "Paul!" he cried. "In the name of sanity what are you doing here? Orare we all insane?"

  It was quickly explained, however, as were many other seemingly strangethings. D'Arnot's ship had been cruising along the coast, on patrolduty, when at the lieutenant's suggestion they had anchored off thelittle landlocked harbor to have another look at the cabin and thejungle in which many of the officers and men had taken part in excitingadventures two years before. On landing they had found LordTennington's party, and arrangements were being made to take them allon board the following morning, and carry them back to civilization.

  Hazel Strong and her mother, Esmeralda, and Mr. Samuel T. Philanderwere almost overcome by happiness at Jane Porter's safe return. Herescape seemed to them little short of miraculous, and it was theconsensus of opinion that it could have been achieved by no other manthan Tarzan of the Apes. They loaded the uncomfortable ape-man witheulogies and attentions until he wished himself back in theamphitheater of the apes.

  All were interested in his savage Waziri, and many were the gifts theblack men received from these friends of their king, but when theylearned that he might sail away from them upon the great canoe that layat anchor a mile off shore they became very sad.

  As yet the newcomers had seen nothing of Lord Tennington and MonsieurThuran. They had gone out for fresh meat early in the day, and had notyet returned.

  "How surprised this man, whose name you say is Rokoff, will be to seeyou," said Jane Porter to Tarzan.

  "His surprise will be short-lived," replied the ape-man grimly, andthere was that in his tone that made her look up into his face inalarm. What she read there evidently confirmed her fears, for she puther hand upon his arm, and pleaded with him to leave the Russian to thelaws of France.

  "In the heart of the jungle, dear," she said, "with no other form ofright or justice to appeal to other than your own mighty muscles, youwould be warranted in executing upon this man the sentence he deserves;but with the strong arm of a civilized government at your disposal itwould be murder to kill him now. Even your friends would have tosubmit to your arrest, or if you resisted it would plunge us all intomisery and unhappiness again. I cannot bear to lose you again, myTarzan. Promise me that you will but turn him over to CaptainDufranne, and let the law take its course--the beast is not worthrisking our happiness for."

  He saw the wisdom of her appeal, and promised. A half hour laterRokoff and Tennington emerged from the jungle. They were walking sideby side. Tennington was the first to note the presence of strangers inthe camp. He saw the black warriors palavering with the sailors fromthe cruiser, and then he saw a lithe, brown giant talking withLieutenant D'Arnot and Captain Dufranne.

  "Who is that, I wonder," said Tennington to Rokoff, and as the Russianraised his eyes and met those of the ape-man full upon him, hestaggered and went white.

  "SAPRISTI!" he cried, and before Tennington realized what he intendedhe had thrown his gun to his shoulder, and aiming point-blank at Tarzanpulled the trigger. But the Englishman was close to him--so close thathis hand reached the leveled barrel a fraction of a second before thehammer fell upon the cartridge, and the bullet that was intended forTarzan's heart whirred harmlessly above his head.

  Before the Russian could fire again the ape-man was upon him and hadwrested the firearm from his grasp. Captain Dufranne, LieutenantD'Arnot, and a dozen sailors had rushed up at the sound of the shot,and now Tarzan turned the Russian over to them without a word. He hadexplained the matter to the French commander before Rokoff arrived, andthe officer gave immediate orders to place the Russian in irons andconfine him on board the cruiser.

  Just before the guard escorted the prisoner into the small boat thatwas to transport him to his temporary prison Tarzan asked permission tosearch him, and to his delight found the stolen papers concealed uponhis person.

  The shot had brought Jane Porter and the others from the cabin, and amoment after the excitement had died down she greeted the surprisedLord Tennington. Tarzan joined them after he had taken the papers fromRokoff, and, as he approached, Jane Porter introduced him to Tennington.

  "John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, my lord," she said.

  The Englishman looked his astonishment in spite of his most herculeanefforts to appear courteous, and it required many repetitions of thestrange story of the ape-man as told by himself, Jane Porter, andLieutenant D'Arnot to convince Lord Tennington that they were not allquite mad.

  At sunset they buried William Cecil Clayton beside the jungle graves ofhis uncle and his aunt, the former Lord and Lady Greystoke. And it wasat Tarzan's request that three volleys were fired over the last restingplace of "a brave man, who met his death bravely."

  Professor Porter, who in his younger days had been ordained a minister,conducted the simple services for the dead. About the grave, withbowed heads, stood as strange a company of mourners as the sun everlooked down upon. There were French officers and sailors, two Englishlords, Americans, and a score of savage African braves.

  Following the funeral Tarzan asked Captain Dufranne to delay thesailing of the cruiser a couple of days while he went inland a fewmiles to fetch his "belongings," and the officer gladly granted thefavor.

  Late the next afternoon Tarzan and his Waziri returned with the firstload of "belongings," and when the party saw the ancient ingots ofvirgin gold they swarmed upon the ape-man with a thousand questions;but he was smilingly obdurate to their appeals--he declined to givethem the slightest clew as to the source of his immense treasure."There are a thousand that I left behind," he explained, "for every onethat I brought away, and when these are spent I may wish to return formore."

  The next day he returned to camp with the balance of his ingots,
andwhen they were stored on board the cruiser Captain Dufranne said hefelt like the commander of an old-time Spanish galleon returning fromthe treasure cities of the Aztecs. "I don't know what minute my crewwill cut my throat, and take over the ship," he added.

  The next morning, as they were preparing to embark upon the cruiser,Tarzan ventured a suggestion to Jane Porter.

  "Wild beasts are supposed to be devoid of sentiment," he said, "butnevertheless I should like to be married in the cabin where I was born,beside the graves of my mother and my father, and surrounded by thesavage jungle that always has been my home."

  "Would it be quite regular, dear?" she asked. "For if it would I knowof no other place in which I should rather be married to my forest godthan beneath the shade of his primeval forest."

  And when they spoke of it to the others they were assured that it wouldbe quite regular, and a most splendid termination of a remarkableromance. So the entire party assembled within the little cabin andabout the door to witness the second ceremony that Professor Porter wasto solemnize within three days.

  D'Arnot was to be best man, and Hazel Strong bridesmaid, untilTennington upset all the arrangements by another of his marvelous"ideas."

  "If Mrs. Strong is agreeable," he said, taking the bridesmaid's hand inhis, "Hazel and I think it would be ripping to make it a doublewedding."

  The next day they sailed, and as the cruiser steamed slowly out to seaa tall man, immaculate in white flannel, and a graceful girl leanedagainst her rail to watch the receding shore line upon which dancedtwenty naked, black warriors of the Waziri, waving their war spearsabove their savage heads, and shouting farewells to their departingking.

  "I should hate to think that I am looking upon the jungle for the lasttime, dear," he said, "were it not that I know that I am going to a newworld of happiness with you forever," and, bending down, Tarzan of theApes kissed his mate upon her lips.