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After Numa had again breathed normally and was able to roar out his protests

and his rage, his struggles increased to Titanic proportions for a short time; but

as a lion's powers of endurance are in no way proportionate to his size and

strength he soon tired and lay quietly. Amid renewed growling and another futile

attempt to free himself, Numa was finally forced to submit to the further indignity

of having a rope secured about his neck; but this time it was no noose that might

tighten and strangle him; but a bowline knot, which does not tighten or slip

under strain.

The other end of the rope Tarzan fastened to the stem of the tree, then he quickly

cut the bonds securing Numa's legs and leaped aside as the beast sprang to his

feet. For a moment the lion stood with legs far outspread, then he raised first one

paw and then another, shaking them energetically in an effort to dislodge the

strange footgear that Tarzan had fastened upon them. Finally he began to paw at

the bag upon his head. The ape-man, standing with ready spear, watched Numa's

efforts intently. Would the bags hold? He sincerely hoped so. Or would all his

labor prove fruitless?

As the clinging things upon his feet and face resisted his every effort to dislodge

them, Numa became frantic. He rolled upon the ground, fighting, biting,

scratching, and roaring; he leaped to his feet and sprang into the air; he charged

Tarzan, only to be brought to a sudden stop as the rope securing him to the tree

tautened. Then Tarzan stepped in and rapped him smartly on the head with the

shaft of his spear. Numa reared upon his hind feet and struck at the are-man

and in return received a cuff on one ear that sent him reeling sideways. When he

returned to the attack he was again sent sprawling. After the fourth effort it

appeared to dawn upon the king of beasts that he had met his master, his head

and tail dropped and when Tarzan advanced upon him he backed away, though

still growling.

Leaving Numa tied to the tree Tarzan entered the tunnel and removed the

barricade from the opposite end, after which he returned to the gulch and strode

straight for the tree. Numa lay in his path and as Tarzan approached growled

menacingly. The ape-man cuffed him aside and unfastened the rope from the

tree. Then ensued a half-hour of stubbornly fought battle while Tarzan

endeavored to drive Numa through the tunnel ahead of him and Numa

persistently refused to be driven. At last, however, by dint of the unrestricted use

of his spear point, the ape-man succeeded in forcing the lion to move ahead of

him and eventually guided him into the passageway. Once inside, the problem

became simpler since Tarzan followed closely in the rear with his sharp spear

point, an unremitting incentive to forward movement on the part of the lion. If

Numa hesitated he was prodded. If he backed up the result was extremely painful

Tarzan the Untamed