Chapter XXIV. Lost Treasure

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

　　When the expedition returned, following their fruitlessendeavor to succor D'Arnot, Captain Dufranne wasanxious to steam away as quickly as possible, and all saveJane had acquiesced.

　　"No," she said, determinedly, "I shall not go, nor shouldyou, for there are two friends in that jungle who will comeout of it some day expecting to find us awaiting them.

　　"Your officer, Captain Dufranne, is one of them, and theforest man who has saved the lives of every member of myfather's party is the other.

　　"He left me at the edge of the jungle two days ago to hastento the aid of my father and Mr. Clayton, as he thought,and he has stayed to rescue Lieutenant D'Arnot; of that youmay be sure.

　　"Had he been too late to be of service to the lieutenant hewould have been back before now--the fact that he is notback is sufficient proof to me that he is delayed becauseLieutenant D'Arnot is wounded, or he has had to follow hiscaptors further than the village which your sailors attacked."

　　"But poor D'Arnot's uniform and all his belongings werefound in that village, Miss Porter," argued the captain, "andthe natives showed great excitement when questioned as tothe white man's fate."

　　"Yes, Captain, but they did not admit that he was deadand as for his clothes and accouterments being in theirpossession--why more civilized peoples than these poor savagenegroes strip their prisoners of every article of value whetherthey intend killing them or not.

　　"Even the soldiers of my own dear South looted not only theliving but the dead. It is strong circumstantial evidence,I will admit, but it is not positive proof."

　　"Possibly your forest man, himself was captured or killedby the savages," suggested Captain Dufranne.

　　The girl laughed.

　　"You do not know him," she replied, a little thrill of pridesetting her nerves a-tingle at the thought that she spokeof her own.

　　"I admit that he would be worth waiting for, this supermanof yours," laughed the captain. "I most certainly shouldlike to see him."

　　"Then wait for him, my dear captain," urged the girl, "forI intend doing so."

　　The Frenchman would have been a very much surprised mancould he have interpreted the true meaning of the girl's words.

　　They had been walking from the beach toward the cabinas they talked, and now they joined a little group sitting oncamp stools in the shade of a great tree beside the cabin.

　　Professor Porter was there, and Mr. Philander and Clayton,with Lieutenant Charpentier and two of his brotherofficers, while Esmeralda hovered in the background, everand anon venturing opinions and comments with the freedomof an old and much-indulged family servant.

　　The officers arose and saluted as their superior approached,and Clayton surrendered his camp stool to Jane.

　　"We were just discussing poor Paul's fate," said CaptainDufranne. "Miss Porter insists that we have no absoluteproof of his death--nor have we. And on the other hand shemaintains that the continued absence of your omnipotent junglefriend indicates that D'Arnot is still in need of his services,either because he is wounded, or still is a prisoner in amore distant native village."

　　"It has been suggested," ventured Lieutenant Charpentier,"that the wild man may have been a member of the tribe ofblacks who attacked our party--that he was hastening to aidthem--his own people."

　　Jane shot a quick glance at Clayton.

　　"It seems vastly more reasonable," said Professor Porter.

　　"I do not agree with you," objected Mr. Philander. "He hadample opportunity to harm us himself, or to lead his peopleagainst us. Instead, during our long residence here, he hasbeen uniformly consistent in his role of protector and provider."

　　"That is true," interjected Clayton, "yet we must not overlookthe fact that except for himself the only human beingswithin hundreds of miles are savage cannibals. He was armedprecisely as are they, which indicates that he has maintainedrelations of some nature with them, and the fact that he isbut one against possibly thousands suggests that these relationscould scarcely have been other than friendly."

　　"It seems improbable then that he is not connected withthem," remarked the captain; "possibly a member of this tribe."

　　"Otherwise," added another of the officers, "how could hehave lived a sufficient length of time among the savagedenizens of the jungle, brute and human, to have becomeproficient in woodcraft, or in the use of African weapons."

　　"You are judging him according to your own standards,gentlemen," said Jane. "An ordinary white man such as anyof you--pardon me, I did not mean just that--rather, a whiteman above the ordinary in physique and intelligence couldnever, I grant you, have lived a year alone and naked in thistropical jungle; but this man not only surpasses the averagewhite man in strength and agility, but as far transcends ourtrained athletes and `strong men' as they surpass a day-oldbabe; and his courage and ferocity in battle are those of thewild beast."

　　"He has certainly won a loyal champion, Miss Porter,"said Captain Dufranne, laughing. "I am sure that there benone of us here but would willingly face death a hundredtimes in its most terrifying forms to deserve the tributesof one even half so loyal--or so beautiful."

　　"You would not wonder that I defend him," said the girl,"could you have seen him as I saw him, battling in my behalfwith that huge hairy brute.

　　"Could you have seen him charge the monster as a bullmight charge a grizzly--absolutely without sign of fear orhesitation--you would have believed him more than human.

　　"Could you have seen those mighty muscles knotting underthe brown skin--could you have seen them force back thoseawful fangs--you too would have thought him invincible.

　　"And could you have seen the chivalrous treatment whichhe accorded a strange girl of a strange race, you wouldfeel the same absolute confidence in him that I feel."

　　"You have won your suit, my fair pleader," cried the captain."This court finds the defendant not guilty, and thecruiser shall wait a few days longer that he may have anopportunity to come and thank the divine Portia."

　　"For the Lord's sake honey," cried Esmeralda. "You all don'tmean to tell me that you're going to stay right here in thishere land of carnivable animals when you all got the opportunityto escapade on that boat? Don't you tell me that, honey."

　　"Why, Esmeralda! You should be ashamed of yourself,"cried Jane. "Is this any way to show your gratitude to theman who saved your life twice?"

　　"Well, Miss Jane, that's all jest as you say; but that thereforest man never did save us to stay here. He done save us sowe all could get away from here. I expect he be mightypeevish when he find we ain't got no more sense than to stayright here after he done give us the chance to get away.

　　"I hoped I'd never have to sleep in this here geological gardenanother night and listen to all them lonesome noises thatcome out of that jumble after dark."

　　"I don't blame you a bit, Esmeralda," said Clayton, "and youcertainly did hit it off right when you called them `lonesome'noises. I never have been able to find the right word forthem but that's it, don't you know, lonesome noises."

　　"You and Esmeralda had better go and live on the cruiser,"said Jane, in fine scorn. "What would you think if youhad to live all of your life in that jungle as our forestman has done?"

　　"I'm afraid I'd be a blooming bounder as a wild man,"laughed Clayton, ruefully. "Those noises at night make thehair on my head bristle. I suppose that I should be ashamedto admit it, but it's the truth."

　　"I don't know about that," said Lieutenant Charpentier. "Inever thought much about fear and that sort of thing--nevertried to determine whether I was a coward or brave man; butthe other night as we lay in the jungle there after poorD'Arnot was taken, and those jungle noises rose and fellaround us I began to think that I was a coward indeed. Itwas not the roaring and growling of the big beasts thataffected me so much as it was the stealthy noises--the onesthat you heard suddenly close by and then listened vainly fora repetition of--the unaccountable sounds as of a great bodymoving almost noiselessly, and the knowledge that you didn'tknow how close it was, or whether it were creeping closerafter you ceased to hear it? It was those noises--and the eyes.

　　"Mon Dieu! I shall see them in the dark forever--the eyesthat you see, and those that you don't see, but feel--ah, theyare the worst."

　　All were silent for a moment, and then Jane spoke.

　　"And he is out there," she said, in an awe-hushed whisper."Those eyes will be glaring at him to-night, and at yourcomrade Lieutenant D'Arnot. Can you leave them, gentlemen,without at least rendering them the passive succor whichremaining here a few days longer might insure them?"

　　"Tut, tut, child," said Professor Porter. "Captain Dufranneis willing to remain, and for my part I am perfectly willing,perfectly willing--as I always have been to humor yourchildish whims."

　　"We can utilize the morrow in recovering the chest,Professor," suggested Mr. Philander.

　　"Quite so, quite so, Mr. Philander, I had almost forgottenthe treasure," exclaimed Professor Porter. "Possibly we canborrow some men from Captain Dufranne to assist us, andone of the prisoners to point out the location of the chest."

　　"Most assuredly, my dear Professor, we are all yours tocommand," said the captain.

　　And so it was arranged that on the next day LieutenantCharpentier was to take a detail of ten men, and one of themutineers of the Arrow as a guide, and unearth the treasure;and that the cruiser would remain for a full week in the littleharbor. At the end of that time it was to be assumed thatD'Arnot was truly dead, and that the forest man would notreturn while they remained. Then the two vessels were toleave with all the party.

　　Professor Porter did not accompany the treasure-seekerson the following day, but when he saw them returningempty-handed toward noon, he hastened forward to meet them--his usual preoccupied indifference entirely vanished, and inits place a nervous and excited manner.

　　"Where is the treasure?" he cried to Clayton, while yet ahundred feet separated them.

　　Clayton shook his head.

　　"Gone," he said, as he neared the professor.

　　"Gone! It cannot be. Who could have taken it?" criedProfessor Porter.

　　"God only knows, Professor," replied Clayton. "We mighthave thought the fellow who guided us was lying about thelocation, but his surprise and consternation on finding nochest beneath the body of the murdered Snipes were too realto be feigned. And then our spades showed us that somethinghad been buried beneath the corpse, for a hole had beenthere and it had been filled with loose earth."

　　"But who could have taken it?" repeated Professor Porter.

　　"Suspicion might naturally fall on the men of the cruiser,"said Lieutenant Charpentier, "but for the fact that sub-lieutenantJanviers here assures me that no men have had shoreleave--that none has been on shore since we anchored hereexcept under command of an officer. I do not know that youwould suspect our men, but I am glad that there is now nochance for suspicion to fall on them," he concluded.

　　"It would never have occurred to me to suspect the men towhom we owe so much," replied Professor Porter, graciously."I would as soon suspect my dear Clayton here, orMr. Philander."

　　The Frenchmen smiled, both officers and sailors. It wasplain to see that a burden had been lifted from their minds.

　　"The treasure has been gone for some time," continued Clayton."In fact the body fell apart as we lifted it, which indicatesthat whoever removed the treasure did so while the corpse wasstill fresh, for it was intact when we first uncovered it."

　　"There must have been several in the party," said Jane,who had joined them. "You remember that it took four mento carry it."

　　"By jove!" cried Clayton. "That's right. It must have beendone by a party of blacks. Probably one of them saw the menbury the chest and then returned immediately after with aparty of his friends, and carried it off."

　　"Speculation is futile," said Professor Porter sadly. "Thechest is gone. We shall never see it again, nor the treasurethat was in it."

　　Only Jane knew what the loss meant to her father, andnone there knew what it meant to her.

　　Six days later Captain Dufranne announced that theywould sail early on the morrow.

　　Jane would have begged for a further reprieve, had it notbeen that she too had begun to believe that her forest loverwould return no more.

　　In spite of herself she began to entertain doubts and fears.The reasonableness of the arguments of these disinterestedFrench officers commenced to convince her against her will.

　　That he was a cannibal she would not believe, but that hewas an adopted member of some savage tribe at lengthseemed possible to her.

　　She would not admit that he could be dead. It was impossibleto believe that that perfect body, so filled with triumphantlife, could ever cease to harbor the vital spark--as soonbelieve that immortality were dust.

　　As Jane permitted herself to harbor these thoughts, othersequally unwelcome forced themselves upon her.

　　If he belonged to some savage tribe he had a savage wife--a dozen of them perhaps--and wild, half-caste children.The girl shuddered, and when they told her that the cruiserwould sail on the morrow she was almost glad.

　　It was she, though, who suggested that arms, ammunition,supplies and comforts be left behind in the cabin, ostensiblyfor that intangible personality who had signed himself Tarzanof the Apes, and for D'Arnot should he still be living, butreally, she hoped, for her forest god--even though his feetshould prove of clay.

　　And at the last minute she left a message for him, to betransmitted by Tarzan of the Apes.

　　She was the last to leave the cabin, returning on some trivialpretext after the others had started for the boat.

　　She kneeled down beside the bed in which she had spent somany nights, and offered up a prayer for the safety of herprimeval man, and crushing his locket to her lips she murmured:

　　"I love you, and because I love you I believe in you. But ifI did not believe, still should I love. Had you come back forme, and had there been no other way, I would have gone intothe jungle with you--forever."