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Tarzan walked to Smith-Oldwick's side Numa accompanied him, nor did he offer

to molest the officer.

What did you say to him?" asked the girl.

Tarzan smiled. "I told him," he replied, "that I am Tarzan of the Apes, mighty

hunter, killer of beasts, lord of the jungle, and that you are my friends. I have

never been sure that all of the other beasts understand the language of the

Mangani. I know that Manu, the monkey, speaks nearly the same tongue and I

am sure that Tantor, the elephant, understands all that I say to him. We of the

jungle are great boasters. In our speech, in our carriage, in every detail of our

demeanor we must impress others with our physical power and our ferocity.

That is why we growl at our enemies. We are telling them to beware or we shall

fall upon them and tear them to pieces. Perhaps Numa does not understand the

words that I use but I believe that my tones and my manner carry the impression

that I wish them to convey. Now you may come down and be introduced."

It required all the courage that Bertha Kircher possessed to lower herself to the

ground within reach of the talons and fangs of this untamed forest beast, but she

did it. Nor did Numa do more than bare his teeth and growl a little as she came

close to the ape-man.

"I think you are safe from him as long as I am present," said the ape-man. "The

best thing to do is simply to ignore him. Make no advances, but be sure to give

no indication of fear and, if possible always keep me between you and him. He

will go away presently I am sure and the chances are that we shall not see him

again."

At Tarzan's suggestion Smith-Oldwick removed the remaining water and

provisions from the plane and, distributing the burden among them, they set off

toward the south. Numa did not follow them, but stood by the plane watching

until they finally disappeared from view around a bend in the gorge.

Tarzan had picked up Numa's trail with the intention of following it southward in

the belief that it would lead to water. In the sand that floored the bottom of the

gorge tracks were plain and easily followed. At first only the fresh tracks of Numa

were visible, but later in the day the ape-man discovered the older tracks of other

lions and just before dark he stopped suddenly in evident surprise. His two

companions looked at him questioningly, and in answer to their implied

interrogations he pointed at the ground directly in front of him.

"Look at those," he exclaimed.

154

Tarzan the Untamed