ully over the edge; but was about to essay
the attempt when Tarzan halted him. "I am Lord Greystoke," he
said. "It was my wife you murdered in the Waziri country. You will
understand now why I came for you. Descend."
The German fell upon his knees. "I did not murder your wife,"
he cried. "Have mercy! I did not murder your wife. I do not know
anything about--"
"Descend!" snapped Tarzan, raising the point of his spear. He knew
that the man lied and was not surprised that he did. A man who
would murder for no cause would lie for less. Schneider still
hesitated and pled. The ape-man jabbed him with the spear and Schneider
slid fearfully over the top and began the perilous descent. Tarzan
accompanied and assisted him over the worst places until at last
they were within a few feet of the bottom.
"Be quiet now," cautioned the ape-man. He pointed at the entrance
to what appeared to be a cave at the far end of the gulch. "There
is a hungry lion in there. If you can reach that tree before
he discovers you, you will have several days longer in which to
enjoy life and then--when you are too weak to cling longer to the
branches of the tree Numa, the man-eater, will feed again for the
last time." He pushed Schneider from his foothold to the ground
below. "Now run," he said.
The German trembling in terror started for the tree. He had almost
reached it when a horrid roar broke from the mouth of the cave and
almost simultaneously a gaunt, hunger mad lion leaped into the
daylight of the gulch. Schneider had but a few yards to cover;
but the lion flew over the ground to circumvent him while Tarzan
watched the race with a slight smile upon his lips.
Schneider won by a slender margin, and as Tarzan scaled the cliff
to the summit, he heard behind him mingled with the roaring of the
baffled cat, the gibbering of a human voice that was at the same
time more bestial than the beast's.
Upon the brink of the cliff the ape-man turned and looked back
into the gulch. High in the tree the German clung frantically to
a branch across which his body lay. Beneath him was Numa--waiting.
The ape-man raised his face to Kudu, the sun, and from his mighty
chest rose the savage victory cry of the bull ape.
Chapter III
In the German Lines
Tarzan was not yet fully revenged. There were many millions of
Germans yet alive--enough to keep Tarzan pleasantly occupied the
balance of his life, and yet not enough, should he kill them a
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