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chunk of skull flying before a stream of blood and gray matter.
The remaining warriors let out yells of surprise, fear, and anger.
Clutching their spears, they charged Tarzan.
Tarzan turned sideways, went into a shallow crouch. As the first of his
assailants reached him, the warrior leapt high into the air and tossed the
spear. Tarzan dodged. The spear slammed deep into the earth beside the ape-
man, and as the warrior landed on his feet an tried to draw his sword, Tarzan
sprang forward, grabbed the back of the warrior's head with one hand, and
slammed his other into the warrior's chin. The motion of jerking and striking
broke the man's neck. The bone snapped like a pottery shard beneath a
jackboot.
The two remaining warriors attacked simultaneously. They were fast,
trained, and very good. But they were not as good as Tarzan. He moved to the
outside, letting them run past him. He stuck out his foot and tripped one. The
other raced past, perplexed. Where had the man gone? How could he move
that fast? Nothing moved that fast.
Tarzan was suddenly behind the confused warrior. His arms locked
around the man's throat, and by dropping to one knee, jerking, he snapped
the man's neck and back as easily as an ordinary man might snap a pencil.
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r r
The warrior he had tripped was on his feet now, and even though he had
not lost his spear, he broke off running. He ran toward the old shed. Tarzan
picked up on the warrior's spears, took a deep breath, and tossed the weapon.
It was a good toss, but Tarzan's target stumbled slightly, and was saved
by luck The spear soared just over his head and smote the ground in front of
him. The warrior regained his footing, reached one of the upright shed posts
just as Tarzan took hold of another spear.
The warrior peeked out from behind the post. Nearby, the zebras grazed
He thought if he could reach one of them he might escape bareback, using his
heels to guide the animal.
He paused to consider his plan a moment more, and that was his
undoing. Tarzan launched the spear. The warrior, looking around the post,
saw the launch, and ducked back out of sight.
The spear struck the post with such impact it shook and split, and the
blade passed through the post and the warrior. This was done as neat and
clean as if the spear were a hot knife cutting through butter. The man's knees
folded and he hung there against the post, supported by the blade of the
spear.
Tarzan dragged the bodies out of sight, chose one of the warriors'
spears, recovered the bow and arrows from his first assailant, and set about
nabbing one of the zebras.
In short time this was done. Using his knees to guide the beast,
clutching the mane which he had plaited for a makeshift bridle, Tarzan
started off down the road toward Ur, and Jean.
From his perch in the tree, Small could see much of the countryside by
the dying red light of the afternoon sun, but he could not see Tarzan. He
heard something down below, but he doubted it was Tarzan. Too much noise.
It sounded like a hippo coming through the jungle. Birds took to the sky in a
flurry, and in the distance monkeys fled through the trees.
Small climbed higher and looked out. Now and then he glimpsed the
author of the noise, but couldn't quite make it out. It was moving through the
bush and he could see it now and then, but never quite clearly. Whatever it
was, it was moving in his direction.
Moments later, he realized what it was. Men. Four of them. The two in
front were side by side, the two in back were side by side. He watched
carefully. Soon he recognized one of the men. His boss, Hanson. A moment
later, he recognized the other two.
"Uh-oh," Small said softly.
Small watched with amazement as the four men came directly toward
his tree. It was obvious that Hanson and the black man- probably one of
Hanson's bearers- were captive.
Wilson and Cannon had rifles and they were walking with that
overbearing manner he had noticed the moment they first stepped into his
and Hunt's camp. Self-righteous anger surged through him.
Small concluded that if they kept on the path- and at was likely as
everywhere else the jungle was thick with undergrowth- within a few minutes
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r r
they would ass beneath his tree. He could remain calm, let them go, wait on
Tarzan for aid, or he could do something now.
What if Tarzan didn't come back? And there was another thing. If he let
these four pass on, and something happened to Tarzan, he wouldn't have any
chance, not out here by himself without a gun and supplies. He would be
better off to stop Wilson and Cannon, kill them even, toss his lot with Hanson
and the other.
And maybe, Small thought, I can borrow some pants here might be
some clean clothes in one of the packs, and if not, well, one of the renegades
could do without his.
But how could he take two armed men?
Small observed that neither Hanson nor the bearer was tied. Wilson
and Cannon obviously felt their rifles were all were needed to keep Hanson
and the other in line.
But what if he surprised Wilson and Cannon? They wouldn't expect an
attack from above. What if, for a moment their guns were put out of
commission? He fell certain that if this were so, if he could provide enough
time, a distraction, Hanson and his partner would turn on
Wilson and Cannon and help him dispose of them. That would make it three
against two, odds in their favor. Add in the element of surprise. . . well, that
was like a whole other person.
Four against two. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]