he did, he knew that
there was no assurance as to just what the newcomers would do.
The lioness was young and sleek, and the four males were in their
prime--as handsome lions as he ever had seen. Three of the males
were scantily maned but one, the foremost, carried a splendid,
black mane that rippled in the breeze as he trotted majestically
forward. The lioness halted a hundred feet from Tarzan, while the
lions came on past her and stopped a few feet nearer. Their ears
were upstanding and their eyes filled with curiosity. Tarzan could
not even guess what they might do. The lion at his side faced them
fully, standing silent now and watchful.
Suddenly the lioness gave vent to another little whine, at which
Tarzan's lion voiced a terrific roar and leaped forward straight
toward the beast of the black mane. The sight of this awesome
creature with the strange face was too much for the lion toward
which he leaped, dragging Tarzan after him, and with a growl the
lion turned and fled, followed by his companions and the she.
Numa attempted to follow them; Tarzan held him in leash and when
he turned upon him in rage, beat him unmercifully across the head
with his spear. Shaking his head and growling, the lion at last moved
off again in the direction they had been traveling; but it was an
hour before he ceased to sulk. He was very hungry--half famished
in fact--and consequently of an ugly temper, yet so thoroughly
subdued by Tarzan's heroic methods of lion taming that he was
presently pacing along at the ape-man's side like some huge St.
Bernard.
It was dark when the two approached the British right, after a
slight delay farther back because of a German patrol it had been
necessary to elude. A short distance from the British line of
out-guard sentinels Tarzan tied Numa to a tree and continued on
alone. He evaded a sentinel, passed the out-guard and support, and
by devious ways came again to Colonel Capell's headquarters, where
he appeared before the officers gathered there as a disembodied
spirit materializing out of thin air.
When they saw who it was that came thus unannounced they smiled
and the colonel scratched his head in perplexity.
"Someone should be shot for this," he said. "I might just as well
not establish an out-post if a man can filter through whenever he
pleases."
Tarzan smiled. "Do not blame them," he said, "for I am not a man.
I am Tarmangani. Any Mangani who wished to, could enter your camp
almo
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