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
热门推荐
  • 明卒

    明卒

    1640,捍我大明!大明不会亡,大明会变强!残垣断壁的大明,如何面对倭寇的再三纠缠?如何面对李自成的百万大军?如何面对皇太极的满清八旗?如何面对全新的世界形势?如何面对荷兰、莫卧儿、俄罗斯、奥斯曼、法兰西、英格兰、神圣罗马帝国、葡萄牙、西班牙诸多强权?如何面对全世界反明联盟?答案,就在本书中主人公张举会一一告诉你
  • 天才乱世妃

    天才乱世妃

    第二次的魂穿!是别有用意?还是命中注定?她,夜墨然,带着前世的神戒,废物?待她回归,昔日弃她,整她的人,亮瞎你们的眼!“小墨儿!你的家人,便是我的家人,你所在乎的,就是我所在乎的!”
  • 这个老头不是人

    这个老头不是人

    当你走在路上,一个老头突然拉住你跟你说你有血光之灾时,你会怎么想?当你正在疑惑时,这个老头又从怀里凭空变出一块金砖递到了你手里的时候,你又会怎么想?我想我一定是疯了,居然跟一个素不相识的神棍老头跑去捉鬼,抓龙,炼丹……
  • 天下医绝

    天下医绝

    身怀绝世医术的许天,一朝出山来到都市,本没有追逐名利的心思,却不曾想他的到来竟在都市里惹起了一波又一波的风暴。
  • 桂海苍茫

    桂海苍茫

    一个人的体验,一位作家的眼光,穿越千年广西,穿越地理桂海。于是,赤子之心发现了一份份被遗落的时空形态,一片片人们应该拾捡的文明碎片。本书是著名散文家、广西作家协会主席冯艺关于广西的人文地理笔记。笔记里有许多广西史书上不该忘却的背影,许多或伟大或平凡的人文墓碑。作者以本土作家的高度责任感和一腔人文情怀,描述了广西这方水土浓密的阳光和水气背后的苍茫的人文地理。丰沛而智性,详实而诗意,融文化积淀与个体体验于一体,意境苍凉。于是,从本书您也许会看到另一个人文的广西。
  • 匪影溃灭记

    匪影溃灭记

    一条运河流经古老的济宁,商贾也因此汇聚与此,使此地繁华一时。在民国时期那里也流传着许多绿林豪杰,土匪响马的故事,作为济宁市的一个传奇人多小梁子(陈德山)是怎样由一个普通人变为了土匪,而共产党又怎样一步步消灭以小梁子,刘本功为主体的国民党?而在这期间共产党的为民族谋生存的人文主义也深深的感动着老百姓,使工农团结在以毛主席为首的共产党的领导下,红日永远照亮山河
  • 神灵修界

    神灵修界

    主人公昊天从小在父亲的教导下比别人早些踏上修炼之路,可有一天昊天知道父亲因为与魔神大战后中了魔皇毒必须离开昊天和妻子的身边,并告诉昊天只有成为真正的强者才能将他解救······就这样一个为了救父亲的少年开始了成为强者的路!
  • 忘不了的青春,放不下的你

    忘不了的青春,放不下的你

    陆雨霏一直暗暗崇拜的“青梅竹马”林京帆告白了他们清晟高中的校花后,陆雨霏心情极差,与隔壁班的梁浩昌发生摩擦,正因为如此,两人得以相识,并成为知己。但毕业之际两人因为一些纠纷与对方疏远,陆雨霏默认接受了林京帆的告白。梁浩昌则对陆雨霏的闺蜜孙茜刮目相看。
  • 拒爱豪门:首席的隐秘星妻

    拒爱豪门:首席的隐秘星妻

    那一年宋家破产,父母不堪重负双双自杀,为了生存,她和一个男人做了承诺。那一年她年满十八,为走进娱乐圈,她兑现了承诺。然后,她演了她人生的第一部电影,女一号,却成绩平平。他是曼城家世显赫的陆家嫡孙,是商界惊才绝艳的风云传奇,他有与之匹配的世家女友。她是曼城半红不紫的嫩模女星,是演艺圈没有票房却片约不断的‘传奇’人物,她是他金屋藏娇的唯一情人。他们的关系,限定于情,却无爱。有一种习惯,叫做宠你,然后渐渐的,上了瘾。陆湛东说,我这一生,只走错过两步。第一步,我让那个叫宋欢沁的女孩走进了我的世界。第二步,我把那个叫宋欢沁的女人推出了我的世界。
  • 沦魔传

    沦魔传

    悟道罢,红尘劫,仙如何,终也沦为魔