Chapter 28
CORRIE was sitting with her back against the wall of the cave. Jerry came and sat down beside her. Sarina and Rosetti had wandered out of the cave together, arm in arm.
'Shrimp has become absolutely shameless,' said Jerry. 'Do you know, he really hated women. I think you are the first one he ever tolerated. He is very fond of you now.'
'You weren't particularly keen about us yourself,' Corrie reminded him.
'Well, you see, I'd never known a Dutch girl.'
'That was nice. You're improving. But don't tell me that the finest State in the Union hasn't the finest girls in the world.'
'There is only one 'finest girl in the world,' and she is not from Oklahoma .'
Corrie laughed. 'I know what you're doing?'
'What?'
'You're handing me a line. Isn't that what you Americans call it?'
'I'm not handing you a line, Corrie. You know how I feel about you.'
'I'm not a mind reader.'
'You're the most wonderful thing that has ever come into my life.'
'Now don't tell me that you're making love to me!'
'That is the general idea that I have in mind,' said Jerry, 'but I guess I'm not so hot at it.' He was looking into her eyes. Their misty depths reflected the firelight, but deep below the surface there burned another light, such a light as he had never seen in a woman's eyes before. 'God! but you're wonderful,' he said.
Corrie smiled. 'That's what you said before, but that time you called me a thing. They tell me you're a great pilot, Captain.'
He knew she was making fun of him; but he didn't care—he could still see that light in her eyes. 'I'm not a great pilot. I'm a great coward. I'm so scared of you that I can't say three little words.' Corrie laughed, and she didn't try to help him. 'Listen!' he blurted. 'How do you think you'll like living in Oklahoma ?'
'I shall like it very much,' she said.
'Darling!' said Jerry. 'I've got to kiss you. I've got to kiss you right now—if it weren't for all these people in here.'
'We could go outside,' said Corrie.
Sergeant Rosetti held Sarina in his arms. His mouth covered hers. Her arms about his neck pressed him to her fiercely. Corrie and Jerry, coming from the firelight into the night, nearly bumped into them. Then they walked on to a distance.
'I suppose sergeants aren't supposed to be able to teach their captains anything,' said Corrie; 'but then Sergeant Rosetti is a most unusual sergeant.' She was panting a little a moment later when she gently pushed him away. 'You misogynists!' she gasped.
Sergeant Bubonovitch was sitting by the fire just inside the mouth of the cave. He had seen Shrimp and Sarina go out arm in arm; then Corrie and Jerry had gone out into the darkness. 'I gotta have love,' said Bubonovitch, trying to make friends with little Keta. Little Keta bit him. 'Nobody loves me,' said the sergeant, sorrowfully.
Day after day The Foreign Legion fought with nature for every hard won mile. Often some of them were so exhausted by the time they made camp at the end of a day that they fell asleep without eating. They were too tired even to talk much. But there was no complaining. Corrie and Sarina held their own with the men, who were very proud of them.
'They're lucky they haven't much to carry,' remarked Bubonovitch. 'Add them together and they wouldn't weigh any more than I do. Maybe they could throw in Shrimp, too. After the war I think I'll hire the three of them and start a flea circus.'
'Yeah? Wot you ought to have did,' said Shrimp, 'is went in de Navy. Den you'd a had a battlewagon to haul you around, you big cow.'
'What you should have done; not 'Wot you ought to have did,'' corrected Sarina, who had been laboring to bring Shrimp's English more into line with that which the Catholic sisters had taught her, to the secret amusement of the rest of the company.
Bubonovitch had once said to Jerry: 'The granddaughter of a Borneo head hunter teaching an American English! I have seen everything now.'
Sarina made no effort to spare Shrimp's feelings. She corrected him in front of everybody, and often in the middle of a sentence. And Shrimp never objected. He just grinned and started over. And he was improving. He had almost stopped saying dis and dat, but did and done still troubled him. Douglas said: 'Ain't love wonderful!'
They were nearing Mt. Masoerai , slightly short of which they were to recross the range and start down toward the sea. It had already been a month since they had left the camp of the guerrillas, and they had had only hardships with which to contend. Never had any of them been in great danger, nor had they seen a human being other than themselves. And then, out of a clear sky, disaster struck. Tarzan was captured by the Japs.
They were following a well marked game trail, Tarzan moving through the trees a short distance ahead of them, as usual. Suddenly he came upon a patrol of Japs. They had stopped in the trail to rest. Tarzan moved closer to determine the strength of the detachment. He still had ample time to return and warn his companions and dispose them for whatever might eventuate. Little Keta rode upon his shoulder. Tarzan cautioned him to silence.
The man's attention was riveted upon the Japs. He was unaware of the menace hanging just above him. But Keta saw it and commenced to scream. The Japs looked up. The coils of a huge python encircled the body of the man, galvanizing him to action. His knife flashed. The wounded snake writhed frantically in pain and rage, loosing its hold upon the branch that had supported it, and the two fell into the trail at the feet of the Japs. Keta fled.
The Japs fell upon the snake with bayonets and swords, killing it quickly. And Tarzan was at their mercy. There were too many of them. A dozen bayonets were hovering but inches above his body as he lay in the trail upon his back, helpless.
They took his bow and arrows and knife from him. An officer stepped close and kicked him in the side. 'Get up!' he said, in English. He had been a truck gardener in Culver City . He was short and bandy legged. He had buck teeth, and he wore horn rimmed glasses. He might have stepped out of a Lichty cartoon. His men had nicknamed him 'Whale' on account of his size. He stood a full five feet six in his sandals.
'Who are you?' demanded the officer.
'Col. John Clayton, Royal Air Force.'
'You're an American,' said the Jap. Tarzan did not reply. 'What are you doing here?' was the next question.
'I have told you all that I am required to tell you, and all that I intend telling you.'
'We'll see about that.' He turned to a sergeant and gave instructions in Japanese. The sergeant formed the detachment, half in front of and half behind the prisoner, then they started along the trail in the same direction that the Foreign Legion was travelling. Tarzan saw from indications along the trail that they were retracing their steps from the point at which they had halted. He assumed that whatever their mission had been, they had completed it and were returning to camp.
Little Keta fled through the trees until he sighted the Foreign Legion; then he dropped down and leaped to Shrimp's shoulder. He threw both arms about the man's neck and screamed and jabbered in his ear.
'Something must have happened to Tarzan,' said Jerry. 'Keta is trying to tell us. He wouldn't leave Tarzan if things were all right with him.'
'May I go along the trail and take a look, Cap?' asked Rosetti. 'I can travel faster'n the rest of you.'
'Yes. Get going. We'll follow.'
Shrimp moved at an easy trot. Keta seemed satisfied now; so the man was sure that Jerry had been right. Tarzan was in trouble. Soon Shrimp heard voices ahead and the clank of accouterments. The Japs, apprehending no danger, marched carelessly. Shrimp came closer; and presently, towering above the little pseudo men, he saw the head and shoulders of Tarzan. Tarzan a prisoner of the Japs! It was incredible. Shrimp's heart sank—the heart which, not so long ago, had been filled with hatred of Englishmen.
The news that Rosetti brought back to the others appalled them all. The loss of the Lord of the Jungle would
