behind a back-laid ear.

Strange friendships are often formed between the lower animals
of different species, but less often between man and the savage
felidae, because of the former's inherent fear of the great cats.
And so after all, therefore, the friendship so suddenly developed
between the savage lion and the savage man was not inexplicable.

As Tarzan approached the plane Numa walked at his side, and when
Tarzan stopped and looked up at the girl and the man Numa stopped
also.

"I had about given up hope of finding you," said the ape-man, "and
it is evident that I found you just in time."

"But how did you know we were in trouble?" asked the English officer.

"I saw your plane fall," replied Tarzan. "I was watching you from
a tree beside the clearing where you took off. I didn't have much
to locate you by other than the general direction, but it seems
that you volplaned a considerable distance toward the south after
you disappeared from my view behind the hills. I have been looking
for you further toward the north. I was just about to turn back
when I heard your pistol shot. Is your ship beyond repair?"

"Yes," replied Smith-Oldwick, "it is hopeless."

"What are your plans, then? What do you wish to do?" Tarzan directed
his question to the girl.

"We want to reach the coast," she said, "but it seems impossible
now."

"I should have thought so a little while ago," replied the ape-man,
"but if Numa is here there must be water within a reasonable
distance. I ran across this lion two days ago in the Wamabo country.
I liberated him from one of their pits. To have reached this spot
he must have come by some trail unknown to me--at least I crossed
no game trail and no spoor of any animal after I came over the hills
out of the fertile country. From which direction did he come upon
you?"

"It was from the south," replied the girl. "We thought, too, that
there must be water in that direction."

"Let's find out then," said Tarzan.

"But how about the lion?" asked Smith-Oldwick.

"That we will have to discover," replied the ape-man, "and we can
only do so if you will come down from your perch."

The officer shrugged his shoulders. The girl turned her gaze upon
him to note the effect of Tarzan's proposal. The Englishman grew
suddenly very white, but there was a smile upon his lips as without
a word he slipped over the edge of the plane and clambered to the
ground behind Tarzan.

Bertha Kircher realized tha