登陆注册
15483600000030

第30章 Chapter 6(3)

As the six men leaped upon me, an angry growl burst from behind them. I had forgotten Nobs. Like a demon of hate he sprang among those Kro-lu fighting-men, tearing, rending, ripping with his long tusks and his mighty jaws. They had me down in an instant, and it goes without saying that the six of them could have kept me there had it not been for Nobs; but while I was struggling to throw them off, Nobs was springing first upon one and then upon another of them until they were so put to it to preserve their hides and their lives from him that they could give me only a small part of their attention. One of them was assiduously attempting to strike me on the head with his stone hatchet; but I caught his arm and at the same time turned over upon my belly, after which it took but an instant to get my feet under me and rise suddenly.

As I did so, I kept a grip upon the man's arm, carrying it over one shoulder. Then I leaned suddenly forward and hurled my antagonist over my head to a hasty fall at the opposite side of the hut. In the dim light of the interior I saw that Nobs had already accounted for one of the others--one who lay very quiet upon the floor--while the four remaining upon their feet were striking at him with knives and hatchets.

Running to one side of the man I had just put out of the fighting, I seized his hatchet and knife, and in another moment was in the thick of the argument. I was no match for these savage warriors with their own weapons and would soon have gone down to ignominious defeat and death had it not been for Nobs, who alone was a match for the four of them. I never saw any creature so quick upon its feet as was that great Airedale, nor such frightful ferocity as he manifested in his attacks. It was as much the latter as the former which contributed to the undoing of our enemies, who, accustomed though they were to the ferocity of terrible creatures, seemed awed by the sight of this strange beast from another world battling at the side of his equally strange master. Yet they were no cowards, and only by teamwork did Nobs and I overcome them at last. We would rush for a man, simultaneously, and as Nobs leaped for him upon one side, I would strike at his head with the stone hatchet from the other.

As the last man went down, I heard the running of many feet approaching us from the direction of the plaza. To be captured now would mean death; yet I could not attempt to leave the village without first ascertaining the whereabouts of Ajor and releasing her if she were held a captive. That I could escape the village I was not at all sure; but of one thing I was positive; that it would do neither Ajor nor myself any service to remain where I was and be captured; so with Nobs, bloody but happy, following at heel, I turned down the first alley and slunk away in the direction of the northern end of the village.

Friendless and alone, hunted through the dark labyrinths of this savage community, I seldom have felt more helpless than at that moment; yet far transcending any fear which I may have felt for my own safety was my concern for that of Ajor.

What fate had befallen her? Where was she, and in whose power?

That I should live to learn the answers to these queries I doubted; but that I should face death gladly in the attempt--of that I was certain. And why? With all my concern for the welfare of my friends who had accompanied me to Caprona, and of my best friend of all, Bowen J. Tyler, Jr., I never yet had experienced the almost paralyzing fear for the safety of any other creature which now threw me alternately into a fever of despair and into a cold sweat of apprehension as my mind dwelt upon the fate on one bit of half-savage femininity of whose very existence even I had not dreamed a few short weeks before.

What was this hold she had upon me? Was I bewitched, that my mind refused to function sanely, and that judgment and reason were dethroned by some mad sentiment which I steadfastly refused to believe was love? I had never been in love. I was not in love now--the very thought was preposterous. How could I, Thomas Billings, the right-hand man of the late Bowen J.

Tyler, Sr., one of America's foremost captains of industry and the greatest man in California, be in love with a--a--the word stuck in my throat; yet by my own American standards Ajor could be nothing else; at home, for all her beauty, for all her delicately tinted skin, little Ajor by her apparel, by the habits and customs and manners of her people, by her life, would have been classed a squaw. Tom Billings in love with a squaw! I shuddered at the thought.

And then there came to my mind, in a sudden, brilliant flash upon the screen of recollection the picture of Ajor as I had last seen her, and I lived again the delicious moment in which we had clung to one another, lips smothering lips, as I left her to go to the council hall of Al-tan; and I could have kicked myself for the snob and the cad that my thoughts had proven me--me, who had always prided myself that I was neither the one nor the other!

These things ran through my mind as Nobs and I made our way through the dark village, the voices and footsteps of those who sought us still in our ears. These and many other things, nor could I escape the incontrovertible fact that the little figure round which my recollections and my hopes entwined themselves was that of Ajor--beloved barbarian! My reveries were broken in upon by a hoarse whisper from the black interior of a hut past which we were making our way. My name was called in a low voice, and a man stepped out beside me as I halted with raised knife. It was Chal-az.

"Quick!" he warned. "In here! It is my hut, and they will not search it."

I hesitated, recalled his attitude of a few minutes before; and as though he had read my thoughts, he said quickly: "I could not speak to you in the plaza without danger of arousing suspicions which would prevent me aiding you later, for word had gone out that Al-tan had turned against you and would destroy you--this was after Du-seen the Galu arrived."

同类推荐
  • 马首农言

    马首农言

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 六十种曲琴心记

    六十种曲琴心记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 吴郡二科志

    吴郡二科志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 观心食法

    观心食法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 辋川集二十首·文杏

    辋川集二十首·文杏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 帝阵

    帝阵

    一身逆天的体质,一套逆天的功法,加一个逆天的“爷爷”,且看一个蛮域穷小子,如何一步步踏上天宇大陆的巅峰。
  • 混也是一种无奈

    混也是一种无奈

    他是武功奇才,用毒高手!唐青为探身世之谜误入花都,可接踵而至的绝色校花、俏皮萝莉、火辣女徒、警花御姐…却一个个和他搞起了暧昧…“可以叫我混蛋,但是要记住,我是个有原则的混蛋!”
  • 诸天万界我独行

    诸天万界我独行

    诸天万界,我自独行。新人新书,不喜勿喷。保证不太监。
  • 我想继续活下去

    我想继续活下去

    真人真事改编,没有利害的功法,没有花俏的语言。走心。
  • 猎魔诡记

    猎魔诡记

    炼尸豢魔,断命祭火,花女草鬼,山海遗族,黎民九异……在普通的人类世界背后,藏着一个更为神秘的失落世界!猎魔人和妖魔之间世代无法根除的仇恨,在今时今日,仍然在这个世界延续。少年楚迟为追寻身世,卷入其中,游迹于都市乡野,面对无数妖魔诡事,无处逃生。
  • 魔道之我欲成魔

    魔道之我欲成魔

    我欲为良善你逼我入魔,你毁我天堂我还你地狱。正邪,谁人能定?善恶,任你评说。所谓的正邪能如何?善恶又如何?所作所为,不过为了活下去而已。我是龙宇前世我为孤儿,无人关心无人怜,既然又给了我一次重活的机会,那我必定不枉此生。为了保护自己所关心的人入魔又如何?我欲成魔
  • 帝君封真记

    帝君封真记

    问道感天意,参禅悟玄机,看不透这生死,修甚麽寿与天齐?每个人心中都有属于自己的仙侠,静下心来写一个自己想要的故事
  • 魔武篇章

    魔武篇章

    当怀揣着誓不回头的决心奋战至鲜血流尽,当血肉堆积成的长桥将要跨过黎明,法师放下了手中的魔杖,武者收回了手中的利剑,强大的骑士安抚着身下瑟瑟发抖的巨龙,平凡的人们相拥着彼此精疲力竭的身躯,活着的人们抬头望向了东方,期待着那破晓的曙光穿透阴云,就如同光明战胜黑暗,然而黎明过后,却是更加让人绝望的阴霾。---魔武篇章,最后传记。
  • 王者英雄传

    王者英雄传

    本书以乱世纷争的各路英雄好汉,世外高人,浪漫侠客为主题写的故事,各有各的结局,各有各的情节,以历史为载体,添加魔幻,仙侠色彩,每个角色都有自己的特点。例如书中李白特立独行,浪漫风趣,最后却牺牲小我。程咬金勇冠三军,憨厚耿直,最后战死家乡。狄仁杰,李元芳断案无双,为人正直,结果却被小人陷害,李元芳自刎,狄仁杰最后退隐山林,吕布在人魔两重天无法自拔,究竟是选择爱情还是力量,本书每个角色都有属于自己的独立章节,不太会出番外篇,书中的角色有些原型来自《王者荣耀》手游,或者是其他网络游戏,甚至是作者自己构思的世界观,角色设定大多为正面,基本是每两三天更新一节,首发五节,每节字数为1000字~2000字
  • 沙与沫(纪伯伦全集)

    沙与沫(纪伯伦全集)

    《纪伯伦全集:沙与沫?散文集》是纪伯伦久负盛名的散文诗,那一串串珍珠一样的文字,多一颗嫌其多,少一颗不完整,犹如一件无缝天衣,若不是抵达智慧堂奥的心灵绝然写不出这样滴水见海的文字。《人子耶稣》是纪伯伦思想的另一高峰,成就绝不在《先知》之下,长期以来这部高峰之作被披上宗教的面纱,实际上在纪伯伦的笔下,耶稣早已不是十字架上熠熠生辉供信徒朝拜的基督。他只是一个平常的“人之子”,他痛苦又无奈,有悲欢有笑泪。他是一个顶天立地的大写的人,他的最大的神迹就是告诉人们:一个普通的人也能尊严地活在皇皇市井之中。纪伯伦写的耶稣,就像我们的邻居,绝不是教堂和圣经里的耶稣,这耶稣好亲切,就像是纪伯伦自己。