me, or Sheeta, or a black warrior.
These or some of the others. What difference does it make which
it is, or whether it comes tonight or next year or in ten years?
After it is over it will be all the same."

The girl shuddered. "Yes," she said in a dull, hopeless voice,
"after it is over it will be all the same."

Then she went into the cavern and lay down upon the sand. Smith-Oldwick
sat in the entrance and leaned against the cliff. Tarzan squatted
on the opposite side.

"May I smoke?" questioned the officer of Tarzan. "I have been
hoarding a few cigarettes and if it won't attract those bouncers
out there I would like to have one last smoke before I cash in.
Will you join me?" and he proffered the ape-man a cigarette.

"No, thanks," said Tarzan, "but it will be all right if you smoke.
No wild animal is particularly fond of the fumes of tobacco so it
certainly won't entice them any closer."

Smith-Oldwick lighted his cigarette and sat puffing slowly upon
it. He had proffered one to the girl but she had refused, and thus
they sat in silence for some time, the silence of the night ruffled
occasionally by the faint crunching of padded feet upon the soft
sands of the gorge's floor.

It was Smith-Oldwick who broke the silence. "Aren't they unusually
quiet for lions?" he asked.

"No," replied the ape-man; "the lion that goes roaring around the
jungle does not do it to attract prey. They are very quiet when
they are stalking their quarry."

"I wish they would roar," said the officer. "I wish they would
do anything, even charge. Just knowing that they are there and
occasionally seeing something like a shadow in the darkness and the
faint sounds that come to us from them are getting on my nerves.
But I hope," he said, "that all three don't charge at once."

"Three?" said Tarzan. "There are seven of them out there now."

"Good Lord! exclaimed Smith-Oldwick.

"Couldn't we build a fire," asked the girl, "and frighten them
away?"

"I don't know that it would do any good," said Tarzan, "as I have
an idea that these lions are a little different from any that we
are familiar with and possibly for the same reason which at first
puzzled me a little--I refer to the apparent docility in the
presence of a man of the lion who was with us today. A man is out
there now with those lions."

"It is impossible!" exclaimed Smith-Oldwick. "They would tear him
to pieces."

"What makes you think there is a man there?" asked the g