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froze him into statuesque immobility with eyes glued upon the tunnel's mouth. A

moment later the head of a huge lion framed in a great black mane appeared in

the opening. The yellow-green eyes glared, round and unblinking, straight at the

trespassing Tarmangani, a low growl rumbled from the deep chest, and lips

curled back to expose the mighty fangs.

"Brother of Dango!" shouted Tarzan, angered that Numa's return should have

been so timed as to frustrate his plans for a comfortable night's repose. "I am

Tarzan of the Apes, Lord of the Jungle. Tonight I lair here--go!"

But Numa did not go. Instead he rumbled forth a menacing roar and took a few

steps in Tarzan's direction. The ape-man picked up a rock and hurled it at the

snarling face. One can never be sure of a lion. This one might turn tail and run at

the first intimation of attack--Tarzan had bluffed many in his time--but not now.

The missile struck Numa full upon the snout--a tender part of a cat's anatomy--

and instead of causing him to flee it transformed him into an infuriated engine of

wrath and destruction.

Up went his tail, stiff and erect, and with a series of frightful roars he bore down

upon the Tarmangani at the speed of an express train. Not an instant too soon

did Tarzan reach the tree and swing himself into its branches and there he

squatted, hurling insults at the king of beasts while Numa paced a circle beneath

him, growling and roaring in rage.

It was raining now in earnest adding to the ape-man's discomfort and

disappointment. He was very angry; but as only direct necessity had ever led him

to close in mortal combat with a lion, knowing as he did that he had only luck

and agility to pit against the frightful odds of muscle, weight, fangs, and talons,

he did not now even consider descending and engaging in so unequal and useless

a duel for the mere reward of a little added creature comfort. And so he sat

perched in the tree while the rain fell steadily and the lion padded round and

round beneath, casting a baleful eye upward after every few steps.

Tarzan scanned the precipitous walls for an avenue of escape. They would have

baffled an ordinary man; but the ape-man, accustomed to climbing, saw several

places where he might gain a foothold, precarious possibly; but enough to give

him reasonable assurance of escape if Numa would but betake himself to the far

end of the gulch for a moment. Numa, however, notwithstanding the rain, gave

no evidence of quitting his post so that at last Tarzan really began to consider

seriously if it might not be as well to take the chance of a battle with him rather

than remain longer cold and wet and humiliated in the tree.

Tarzan the Untamed