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Again Numa fell to feeding. The girl's nerves were at the breaking point. She

wondered that she had not fainted under the strain of terror and shock. She

recalled that she often had wished she might see a lion, close to, make a kill and

feed upon it. God! how realistically her wish had been granted.

Again she bethought herself of her pistol. As she had fallen, the holster had

slipped around so that the weapon now lay beneath her. Very slowly she reached

for it; but in so doing she was forced to raise her body from the ground. Instantly

the lion was aroused. With the swiftness of a cat he reached across the carcass of

the horse and placed a heavy, taloned paw upon her breast, crushing her back to

earth, and all the time he growled and snarled horribly. His face was a picture of

frightful rage incarnate. For a moment neither moved and then from behind her

the girl heard a human voice uttering bestial sounds.

Numa suddenly looked up from the girl's face at the thing beyond her. His growls

increased to roars as he drew back, ripping the front of the girl's waist almost

from her body with his long talons, exposing her white bosom, which through

some miracle of chance the great claws did not touch.

Tarzan of the Apes had witnessed the entire encounter from the moment that

Numa had leaped upon his prey. For some time before, he had been watching the

girl, and after the lion attacked her he had at first been minded to let Numa have

his way with her. What was she but a hated German and a spy besides? He had

seen her at General Kraut's headquarters, in conference with the German staff

and again he had seen her within the British lines masquerading as a British

officer. It was the latter thought that prompted him to interfere. Doubtless

General Jan Smuts would be glad to meet and question her. She might be forced

to divulge information of value to the British commander before Smuts had her

shot.

Tarzan had recognized not only the girl, but the lion as well. All lions may look

alike to you and me; but not so to their intimates of the jungle. Each has his

individual characteristics of face and form and gait as well defined as those that

differentiate members of the human family, and besides these the creatures of the

jungle have a still more positive test-that of scent. Each of us, man or beast, has

his own peculiar odor, and it is mostly by this that the beasts of the jungle,

endowed with miraculous powers of scent, recognize individuals.

It is the final proof. You have seen it demonstrated a thousand times--a dog

recognizes your voice and looks at you. He knows your face and figure. Good,

there can be no doubt in his mind but that it is you; but is he satisfied? No, sir-

he must come up and smell of you. All his other senses may be fallible, but not

his sense of smell, and so he makes assurance positive by the final test.

Tarzan the Untamed