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to action every lion in the hitherto silent circle. A volley of roars shattered the
silence of the forest and simultaneously lions sprang into view upon all sides as
they closed in rapidly upon their quarry. The man who had called them stepped
back, his teeth bared in a mirthless grin.
It was then that Tarzan first noticed that the fellow's upper canines were
unusually long and exceedingly sharp. It was just a flashing glimpse he got of
them as he leaped agilely from the ground and, to the consternation of both the
lions and their master, disappeared in the foliage of the lower terrace, flinging
back over his shoulder as he swung rapidly away: "I am Tarzan of the Apes;
mighty hunter; mighty fighter! None in the jungle more powerful, none more
cunning than Tarzan!"
A short distance beyond the point at which they had surrounded him, Tarzan
came to the trail again and sought for the spoor of Bertha Kircher and Lieutenant
Smith-Oldwick. He found them quickly and continued upon his search for the
two. The spoor lay directly along the trail for another half-mile when the way
suddenly debouched from the forest into open land and there broke upon the
astonished view of the ape-man the domes and minarets of a walled city.
Directly before him in the wall nearest him Tarzan saw a low-arched gateway to
which a well-beaten trail led from that which he had been following. In the open
space between the forest and the city walls, quantities of garden stuff was
growing, while before him at his feet, in an open man-made ditch, ran a stream of
water! The plants in the garden were laid out in well-spaced, symmetrical rows
and appeared to have been given excellent attention and cultivation. Tiny streams
were trickling between the rows from the main ditch before him and at some
distance to his right he could see people at work among the plants.
The city wall appeared to be about thirty feet in height, its plastered expanse
unbroken except by occasional embrasures. Beyond the wall rose the domes of
several structures and numerous minarets dotted the sky line of the city. The
largest and central dome appeared to be gilded, while others were red, or blue, or
yellow. The architecture of the wall itself was of uncompromising simplicity. It
was of a cream shade and appeared to be plastered and painted. At its base was a
line of well-tended shrubs and at some distance towards its eastern extremity it
was vine covered to the top.
As he stood in the shadow of the trail, his keen eyes taking in every detail of the
picture before him, he became aware of the approach of a party in his rear and
there was borne to him the scent of the man and the lions whom he had so
readily escaped. Taking to the trees Tarzan moved a short distance to the west
and, finding a comfortable crotch at the edge of the forest where he could watch
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