Тарзан, приёмыш обезьян
The Apes
Usinghislongarmsasamanusescrutches,androllinghishugecarcassfromsidetosidewitheachstride,thegreatkingapepacedtoandfro,utteringdeepgrowls,occasionallypunctuatedwiththeear-piercingscream,thanwhichthereisnomoreterrifyingnoiseinallthejungle.
Presentlyhehaltedbeforetherifle.Slowlyheraisedahugehanduntilitalmosttouchedtheshiningbarrel,onlytowithdrawitoncemoreandcontinuehishurriedpacing.
Itwasasthoughthegreatbrutebythisshowoffearlessness,andthroughthemediumofhiswildvoice,wasendeavoringtobolsteruphiscouragetothepointwhichwouldpermithimtotaketherifleinhishand.
Againhestopped,andthistimesucceededinforcinghisreluctanthandtothecoldsteel,onlytosnatchitawayalmostimmediatelyandresumehisrestlessbeat.
Timeaftertimethisstrangeceremonywasrepeated,butoneachoccasionwithincreasedconfidence,until,finally,theriflewastornfromitshookandlayinthegraspofthegreatbrute.
Findingthatitharmedhimnot,Kerchakbegantoexamineitclosely.Hefeltofitfromendtoend,peereddowntheblackdepthsofthemuzzle,fingeredthesights,thebreech,thestock,andfinallythetrigger.
Duringalltheseoperationstheapeswhohadenteredsathuddlednearthedoorwatchingtheirchief,whilethoseoutsidestrainedandcrowdedtocatchaglimpseofwhattranspiredwithin.
