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With utmost deliberation the two backed toward the bush. Numa stood for a

moment, growling, then he followed them, slowly. Tarzan wondered if he would

come beyond his kill or if he would stop there. If he followed them beyond, then

they could look for a charge, and if Numa charged it was very likely that he would

get one of them. When the lion reached the carcass of the horse Tarzan stopped

and so did Numa, as Tarzan had thought that he would and the ape-man waited

to see what the lion would do next. He eyed them for a moment, snarled angrily

and then looked down at the tempting meat. Presently he crouched upon his kill

and resumed feeding.

The girl breathed a deep sigh of relief as she and the ape-man resumed their slow

retreat with only an occasional glance from the lion, and when at last they

reached the bush and had turned and entered it, she felt a sudden giddiness

overwhelm her so that she staggered and would have fallen had Tarzan not

caught her. It was only a moment before she regained control of herself.

"I could not help it," she said, in half apology. "I was so close to death--such a

horrible death--it unnerved me for an instant; but I am all right now. How can I

ever thank you? It was so wonderful--you did not seem to fear the frightful

creature in the least; yet he was afraid of you. Who are you?"

"He knows me," replied Tarzan, grimly--"that is why he fears me."

He was standing facing the girl now and for the first time he had a chance to look

at her squarely and closely. She was very beautiful--that was undeniable; but

Tarzan realized her beauty only in a subconscious way. It was superficial--it did

not color her soul which must be black as sin. She was German--a German spy.

He hated her and desired only to compass her destruction; but he would choose

the manner so that it would work most grievously against the enemy cause.

He saw her naked breasts where Numa had torn her clothing from her and

dangling there against the soft, white flesh he saw that which brought a sudden

scowl of surprise and anger to his face--the diamond-studded, golden locket of

his youth--the love token that had been stolen from the breast of his mate by

Schneider, the Hun. The girl saw the scowl but did not interpret it correctly.

Tarzan grasped her roughly by the arm.

"Where did you get this?" he demanded, as he tore the bauble from her.

The girl drew herself to her full height. "Take your hand from me," she demanded,

but the ape-man paid no attention to her words, only seizing her more forcibly.

"Answer me!" he snapped. "Where did you get this?"

Tarzan the Untamed