Chapter 24 Rescue Jenny in the deep forest

Since Taishan left the tribe that raised him, the great apes have never stopped fighting and fighting with each other.As it turned out, Terganz was a murderous, volatile fellow.He especially enjoys wreaking havoc on old and infirm apes. Gradually, those apes who couldn't bear the bullying of the ape king took their family members to go deeper into the jungle to find a peaceful and peaceful place to live. In the end, those members who remained in the tribe were driven beyond endurance by Teganz's atrocities, and one of the apes suddenly remembered the "parting message" left by Tarzan.

"Gargo, your king is cruel. Don't fight him with your own strength like the apes in other tribes. Two, or three, or even four apes should fight him together. If you do this, there will be no king." Dare to bully you again. Because the four apes can always kill any king who is better than you." After the ape remembered Tarzan's wise advice, he told it to several of his companions.So on this day Teganz returned to the tribe to find a "warm welcome" awaiting him. There was no greetings or courtesies, and as soon as Teganz arrived home, five hairy great apes rushed at him.

Deep down, Teganz is a coward through and through.In this regard, bullying apes and bullying people have something in common.He didn't dare to fight, and he didn't want to die, but managed to escape from the rebellious "subjects", and ran to the branches deep in the dense forest to hide. He wanted to go back to the tribe twice, but was scared away by those apes who jumped up and beat him up.In the end, he had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​returning to the tribe, turned around and wandered alone in the forest, full of hatred and anger. He walked aimlessly in the forest for several days, trying to find a weak animal to vent his anger and resentment.

Swinging from tree to tree in such a mood, the hideous, humanoid beast suddenly met a woman who was gathering wild fruit in the jungle. When he found them, he was right above their heads.So, just as Jenny Porter felt something move, a huge, hairy thing had jumped at her side, with a hideous face and roaring bloody mouth only a foot away from her. up. The beast grabbed her arm, and Jenny let out a piercing scream.In the blink of an eye, Teganz had dragged her to his face, bared his fangs, trying to bite her throat.But before the sharp teeth touched the girl's fair skin, another thought arose in the giant ape's heart.

The tribe has detained several of his wives, and he must replace them with other apes. This hairless "white ape" can be his first "bride".Thinking of this, he picked up Jenny by the waist, put it on her broad hairy shoulders, and jumped.He ran to the tree and walked away. Esmeralda followed Jenny in screaming, and then fell into the old habit of being in danger——passed out. Jenny didn't lose consciousness right away.The terrible face close to her, and the acrid stench of the animal's breath, did indeed stupefy her. But her mind is very clear, and she can still think about how to deal with the dangerous situation in front of her.

When the giant ape carried her through the forest, Jenny felt the speed was very fast.But she neither cried out nor struggled.Terganz's sudden appearance completely confused her, thinking he was carrying her towards the beach.So she "recharges her batteries" and prepares to yell and get the attention of her eagerly awaited saviors as she approaches the bivouac. She never expected that she would be carried farther and farther into the depths of the dense forest by this giant ape. After hearing Jenny's screams, Clayton and the two old men stumbled through the bushes and ran towards the accident site.Tarzan followed the call and went straight to the place where Esmeralda was lying.However, he was not interested in her, seeing that she was not injured, he ignored her.

He carefully inspected the grass under his feet and the big trees above his head for a while.Long-term training, the ape's agility endowed by the surrounding environment, and the wisdom inherited from his parents enabled him to quickly figure out what happened here, as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes. Then he jumped into the swaying trees, followed the clues that were hard to discern with the naked eye, and followed them. Apes swing from tree to tree, grabbing branches.Most of the marks left by these branches near the top of the tree allow you to see if the tracked object passed by, but it is difficult to see where it went.Because no matter whether he leaves a tree or climbs a tree, the pressure on the branches is always downward, towards the direction of the treetop, while the place close to the trunk, although the traces of passing by are not obvious, the direction can be clearer. displayed.

On this branch was a caterpillar trampled to death by the "runaway". Based on this little clue, Tai Shan could easily guess where his next foot would be. He looked for the trampled larva again, and often found nothing more than a small wet spot. Occasionally a small piece of bark is found that has been picked up by hand.The direction in which the bark rises is the direction in which the prey flees.Sometimes the thick branches and trunks are brushed by the hairy body, leaving a strand of hair on the bark.Taishan can judge whether the tracking is correct from which side the strand of hair is hung on.

Nor did he need to increase his speed in order to follow the elusive trail left by the fleeing beast. For Tarzan, the traces left by the beast he was after on this leafy "path" could become "lifelike" among the innumerable tracks left by other beasts.And the hardest thing to escape Tarzan's attention was the smell it left behind.Because Tarzan was chasing against the wind, his long-trained nose was as sensitive as a pig dog. Some people believe that lower animals are born with well-developed olfactory organs.In fact, this ability can also be cultivated. The survival of human beings is no longer dependent on the development and perfection of sensory organs.

Mindfulness relieves them of many physical responsibilities.Therefore, in a sense, the human organ degenerates.For example, the muscles that move the scalp and ears almost completely lose their previous functions because they are not used. Muscles grow under the scalp from around the ears, and are also covered with nerves that send various sensations to the brain.They are underdeveloped simply because they are rarely used. The situation with Tarzan is different.From the moment he was born, his survival depended entirely on his keen senses of hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste, rather than on his slow-developed thinking ability.

Of all the senses, taste is probably the most underdeveloped.With the same interest, he tasted fresh or stale wild fruits and animal meat.However, this does not seem to be much different from the more civilized "foodie". And so, like a breath of wind, Tarzan followed Teganz and his prey soundlessly.But the sound that he was approaching them was still heard by the fleeing beast.Teganz picked up speed immediately. Tarzan had another three miles to catch up with Terganz.Seeing that it was useless to run, Teganz jumped down in a clearing.This enables him to turn around and fight to protect his prey from being snatched away.If you see that you are not an opponent of the tracker, you can also put down the "White Ape" you grabbed and run away. Jenny was still cradled in Teganz's thick arm when Tarzan leaped like a leopard into the arena that nature had provided for the fight. When Teganz saw that it was Taishan who was chasing the ground, he immediately came to a conclusion: this "white ape" was Taishan's wife.Because they are the same kind - all white skin.No hair.He was very happy to have this opportunity to redouble his revenge on an enemy he had already hated to the bone. For Jenny, the sudden appearance of this god-like man was like a glass of strong wine that lifted her spirits. Through the descriptions of Clayton, her father, and Mr. Philander, she has understood that he must be the weirdo who saved them.Therefore, he is also her protector and friend naturally. Teganz shoved her roughly aside to meet Tarzan.He has iron-like muscles all over his body, and his mouth is full of terrifying fangs, forming a strong contrast with Taishan.Jenny's heart couldn't help sinking: how could he defeat such a powerful opponent? They rushed together like two bulls fighting, like two wolves, waiting for an opportunity to bite each other's throats.Rival to the fangs of the apes are the sharp blades created by man. The slender and beautiful Jenny is leaning on a big tree, with both hands tightly pressing her heaving chest, her eyes are watching the desperate struggle between a male ape and a primitive man in the primeval forest for her—a woman, her eyes A mixture of horror, fascination and admiration. When the muscles on the man's shoulders and back swelled like pieces of pig iron due to force, when his sinewy forearms and hilly biceps strangled the neck of the great ape, and tried to avoid the jagged teeth At that time, the veil of civilization and culture woven by thousands of years disappeared from the blurred eyes of this Baltimore girl. Taishan raised his long hunting knife and pointed it at Teganz's heart, stabbing it more than a dozen times. The huge body fell to the ground motionless.At this time, Jenny seemed like a primitive woman, she opened her arms, and rushed towards the primitive man who fought for her and won her. What about Tarzan? He held his woman tightly in his arms and kissed her longing, ruddy lips.After all, he is a self-taught flesh and blood body! Jenny snuggled into Tarzan's arms with her eyes half closed.In an instant, the young girl seemed to understand for the first time the meaning of love. But the veil of civilization and culture seemed to disappear from her eyes suddenly, and suddenly blocked her sight.So, she returned to the woman who was bound by modern civilization, her face flushed with shame, she broke free from Taishan's arms, and put her face in a pair of slender hands. Tarzan was startled to find that the girl he had been in love with in an indistinct, abstract way could be submissively nestled in his arms.Now she suddenly became so cold, which puzzled him even more. He walked up to her again and took her arm.But she was like a tigress, raising two slender hands to hit his broad chest. Taishan couldn't understand what was going on. Just now he wanted to send Jenny back to her relatives as soon as possible.Now, after that hazy, remote moment that seemed impossible to happen again, he relented.At the same time, his kindness has become something that will never happen again. From that moment on, Tarzan the Ape felt that there was a warm and soft body clinging to him.The warm, sweet breath caressed his cheeks and lips. Thus, the girl ignited a new fire of life in his heart.Her plump lips kissed him passionately, leaving a deep mark in the depths of his soul—a mark that marked the birth of a new Taishan! He reached out to take her arm again, but she refused again coldly.Therefore, Tarzan the ape had no choice but to follow the example of his ancestors. He picked up his woman and walked deep into the jungle. Early the next morning, the four people in the hut on the beach were awakened by the loud bang of a cannon.Clayton was the first to rush out of the hut, and saw two anchored ships outside the harbor. One is the "Arrow", and the other is a small French cruiser.Many people stood on the cruiser, all looking towards the beach.Clayton and several other partners who had already run over understood that the cannon was obviously fired to attract their attention. Both boats were so far from shore that it was difficult to imagine that their telescopes would have been able to see these men standing on the criss-crossing sea, with their hats waving in their hands. Esmeralda took off her red apron and waved it wildly above her head.Clayton was afraid that the other party would not see the signal, so he hurried to the headland to the north. There he had already prepared a signaling pyre. It seemed to Clayton and his companions who waited anxiously, breathlessly, for a long time before he reached the mass of dry branches and shrubs. When he rushed out of the dense forest and saw the two ships again, he was horrified to find that the "Aro" was raising its sails and the cruiser had already set sail. He quickly lit the pile of firewood in more than a dozen places at the same time, and hurriedly climbed to the highest rock in the sea, tied his shirt to a branch, and shook it desperately above his head. But the two boats continued on to the sea.Just when Clayton was disappointed, a plume of smoke rose straight from the forest, attracting the attention of the cruiser watchtower.Immediately, a dozen telescopes were aimed at the beach. Presently Clayton saw both boats turn round. "Arrow" Quietly parked on the sea, the cruiser steamed slowly towards the coast. The ship stopped not far from the shore.They lowered a small boat and rowed straight for the beach. The boat docked, and a young officer came over. "I suppose you are Mr. Clayton," said he. "Thank God you're here at last!" Clayton said. "Maybe it's not too late." "What do you mean, sir?" asked the officer. Clayton recounted the story of Jenny Potter's abduction and the need for armed soldiers to help find it. "My God!" exclaimed the officer sadly. "Yesterday, perhaps, it would not be too late. I'm afraid it will be very difficult to find the poor lady today. Terrible, sir, terrific!" A few more boats were put down from the cruiser.After Clayton pointed out the entrance and exit of the harbor to the young officer, he jumped into the boat, turned the bow and sailed towards the small harbor blocked by rocks.The few boats that had just been let down also came in an endless stream. Soon, everyone went ashore and met Professor Potter, Mr. Philander and Esmeralda who was crying alone. One of the officers who landed in the last boat was the captain of the cruiser.After hearing about Jenny's abduction, he immediately made a generous speech, calling on the soldiers to report voluntarily and assist Professor Potter and Clayton to find Jenny. These brave and compassionate Frenchmen, both officers and soldiers, actively asked to stay as part of the "expedition". The captain selected twenty soldiers, two officers, Lieutenants D'Arnot and Lieutenants Carpenter, and sent another boat to the cruiser for provisions, ammunition, and carbines.In addition, each of them is equipped with a pistol. When Clayton asked how they happened to drop anchor and fire near here, Captain Dufferin said that a month ago they had seen the "Arrow" with many sails, sailing to the southwest.The cruiser signaled them to come, but instead of ignoring them, they hoisted all sails and made off at full speed. The cruiser chased until sunset, but because it was dark, they had to fire a few shots indiscriminately, so they gave up for the time being.But the next morning it was gone.They patrolled up and down the coast for a few more weeks, and gradually everyone forgot about the incident.But one morning a few days ago, the lookout post suddenly reported that a boat was bumping up and down on the rough sea, and it seemed that it had completely lost control. The cruiser approached the unowned abandoned ship, and was surprised to find that it was the same sailboat that slipped away from their noses a few weeks ago.The jib and sternsail on the staystays of this boat were still attached.It looked like it had managed to ride against the wind. But the wind snapped the sheet and the sail was in rags. On the high seas, it is difficult and dangerous to put one's crew on board an unowned ship.Therefore, seeing that there was no movement on the deck of that ship, the cruiser decided to stop there until the wind and waves calmed down.At this moment, a person was lying on the railing and waved the signal flag feebly, sending a signal for emergency help to them. The captain immediately ordered the sailors to take a small boat to the rescue, and successfully boarded the "Aro". After these Frenchmen got on the boat, what they saw was horrible. On the deck that swayed back and forth, there were more than a dozen dead and dying people lying in a haphazard manner.The living and the dead are mixed together.There were two corpses that looked as if they had been eaten by wolves. The sailors of the cruiser quickly adjusted the sails of the ship, and carried the few survivors of the unfortunate gang into the cabin and placed them on their hammocks. The dead bodies were wrapped in oil, parked on the deck, and after their companions "identified" them, they were thrown into the Great Regret. When the French boarded the "Arrow", the living crew members were all unconscious. Even the poor man with the signal flag lost consciousness before he could see whether his signal had any effect. The French officers soon understood the cause of the miserable appearance on board. When they went looking for water and brandy for the unconscious men, they found that there was not even anything that could be called food, let alone drink. They immediately signaled the cruiser for water, medicine and food.The wind was rough, but the cruiser still lowered a small boat to rescue the "Arrow" at the risk of danger. After feeding the "nutrition", several crew members regained consciousness and told the French what happened to them.We already know the previous part: the "Arrow" set sail after killing Snappers and burying his body on top of the chest of wealth. The pursuit of the cruiser aroused great fear among the rebels.So, after throwing off the tail, they crossed the Atlantic again for several days.Later, it was found that there was not much water and food on board, so it turned around and sailed eastward. Because no one on board knew how to sail, they kept arguing about the position of the ship.They sailed eastward for three days without seeing land, so they turned around and sailed north again, thinking that the previous strong north winds must have blown them to the southernmost tip of the African continent. They sailed north-east for another two days, and encountered a loud and clear day with no wind at all, which delayed the voyage for about a week.I ran out of water. The next day, there was nothing to eat. Things went from bad to worse, and one of the crew members went mad and jumped into the sea.Not long after, another guy cut a vein and drank his own blood. When he died, they threw him into the sea, though some tried to leave his body on board.Hunger turned them from men into beasts. Two days before encountering the cruiser, they were already unable to fiddle with the ship. On the same day, three people died.The next morning, it was found that a corpse had been cut up and eaten by someone. All day, the crew lay on deck, staring at each other like beasts of prey.On the third morning, the flesh of the other two corpses was also cut off one by one. This "feast" of ghouls restored their strength somewhat.As for the need for water, of course, it is also the greatest pain.Just then, the cruiser arrived. In this way, the recovered crew told the French captain all about their terrible experience.But they were too ignorant to tell him where he had left the professor and his entourage.Therefore, the cruiser had to drive slowly along the coastline, firing a few guns from time to time, and searching every inch of the beach with binoculars. They dropped anchor at night, so as not to miss a single target on the coast.The night before, it happened to come to the beach they were looking for. In fact, they fired several shots that afternoon, but no one on the coast heard them.They were presumably busy looking for Jenny Potter in the jungle at that time, and the sound of their own walking in the bushes drowned out the sound of distant gunshots. When they had both finished their "adventures," the cruiser's boat returned with provisions and arms for the expedition. In a few minutes, this small force of twenty sailors and two officers, together with Professor Porter and Clayton, marched towards the untouched jungle, and began this hopeless and ill-fated journey. exploration.