The bribe taker naturally inferred that Werper had slain his fellow and dared not admit that he had permitted him to enter the hut, fearing as he did, the anger of Achmet Zek.So, as chance directed that he should be the one to discover the body of the sentry when the first alarm had been given following Achmet Zek's discovery that Werper had outwitted him, the crafty black had dragged the dead body to the interior of a nearby tent, and himself resumed his station before the doorway of the hut in which he still believed the woman to be.
With the discovery of the Arab close behind him, the Belgian hid in the foliage of a leafy bush.Here the trail ran straight for a considerable distance, and down the shady forest aisle, beneath the overarching branches of the trees, rode the white-robed figure of the pursuer.
Nearer and nearer he came.Werper crouched closer to the ground behind the leaves of his hiding place.
Across the trail a vine moved.Werper's eyes instantly centered upon the spot.There was no wind to stir the foliage in the depths of the jungle.Again the vine moved.In the mind of the Belgian only the presence of a sinister and malevolent force could account for the phenomenon.
The man's eyes bored steadily into the screen of leaves upon the opposite side of the trail.Gradually a form took shape beyond them--a tawny form, grim and terrible, with yellow-green eyes glaring fearsomely across the narrow trail straight into his.
Werper could have screamed in fright, but up the trail was coming the messenger of another death, equally sure and no less terrible.He remained silent, almost paralyzed by fear.The Arab approached.Across the trail from Werper the lion crouched for the spring, when suddenly his attention was attracted toward the horseman.
The Belgian saw the massive head turn in the direction of the raider and his heart all but ceased its beating as he awaited the result of this interruption.At a walk the horseman approached.Would the nervous animal he rode take fright at the odor of the carnivore, and, bolting, leave Werper still to the mercies of the king of beasts?
But he seemed unmindful of the near presence of the great cat.On he came, his neck arched, champing at the bit between his teeth.The Belgian turned his eyes again toward the lion.The beast's whole attention now seemed riveted upon the horseman.They were abreast the lion now, and still the brute did not spring.
Could he be but waiting for them to pass before returning his attention to the original prey? Werper shuddered and half rose.At the same instant the lion sprang from his place of concealment, full upon the mounted man.The horse, with a shrill neigh of terror, shrank sideways almost upon the Belgian, the lion dragged the helpless Arab from his saddle, and the horse leaped back into the trail and fled away toward the west.
But he did not flee alone.As the frightened beast had pressed in upon him, Werper had not been slow to note the quickly emptied saddle and the opportunity it presented.Scarcely had the lion dragged the Arab down from one side, than the Belgian, seizing the pommel of the saddle and the horse's mane, leaped upon the horse's back from the other.
A half hour later a naked giant, swinging easily through the lower branches of the trees, paused, and with raised head, and dilating nostrils sniffed the morning air.The smell of blood fell strong upon his senses, and mingled with it was the scent of Numa, the lion.The giant cocked his head upon one side and listened.
From a short distance up the trail came the unmistakable noises of the greedy feeding of a lion.
The crunching of bones, the gulping of great pieces, the contented growling, all attested the nearness of the king at table.
Tarzan approached the spot, still keeping to the branches of the trees.He made no effort to conceal his approach, and presently he had evidence that Numa had heard him, from the ominous, rumbling warning that broke from a thicket beside the trail.
Halting upon a low branch just above the lion Tarzan looked down upon the grisly scene.Could this unrecognizable thing be the man he had been trailing?
The ape-man wondered.From time to time he had descended to the trail and verified his judgment by the evidence of his scent that the Belgian had followed this game trail toward the east.
Now he proceeded beyond the lion and his feast, again descended and examined the ground with his nose.
There was no scent spoor here of the man he had been trailing.Tarzan returned to the tree.With keen eyes he searched the ground about the mutilated corpse for a sign of the missing pouch of pretty pebbles; but naught could he see of it.
He scolded Numa and tried to drive the great beast away; but only angry growls rewarded his efforts.
He tore small branches from a nearby limb and hurled them at his ancient enemy.Numa looked up with bared fangs, grinning hideously, but he did not rise from his kill.
Then Tarzan fitted an arrow to his bow, and drawing the slim shaft far back let drive with all the force of the tough wood that only he could bend.As the arrow sank deeply into his side, Numa leaped to his feet with a roar of mingled rage and pain.He leaped futilely at the grinning ape-man, tore at the protruding end of the shaft, and then, springing into the trail, paced back and forth beneath his tormentor.Again Tarzan loosed a swift bolt.This time the missile, aimed with care, lodged in the lion's spine.The great creature halted in its tracks, and lurched awkwardly forward upon its face, paralyzed.
Tarzan dropped to the trail, ran quickly to the beast's side, and drove his spear deep into the fierce heart, then after recovering his arrows turned his attention to the mutilated remains of the animal's prey in the nearby thicket.