ed her
spear, throwing her hand far back of her shoulder. Numa roared and
stepped slowly forward. Momaya cast her weapon. It grazed the tawny
shoulder, inflicting a flesh wound which aroused all the terrific
bestiality of the carnivore, and the lion charged.

Momaya tried to close her eyes, but could not. She saw the flashing
swiftness of the huge, oncoming death, and then she saw something else.
She saw a mighty, naked white man drop as from the heavens into the
path of the charging lion. She saw the muscles of a great arm flash in
the light of the equatorial sun as it filtered, dappling, through the
foliage above. She saw a heavy hunting spear hurtle through the air to
meet the lion in midleap.

Numa brought up upon his haunches, roaring terribly and striking at the
spear which protruded from his breast. His great blows bent and
twisted the weapon. Tarzan, crouching and with hunting knife in hand,
circled warily about the frenzied cat. Momaya, wide-eyed, stood rooted
to the spot, watching, fascinated.

In sudden fury Numa hurled himself toward the ape-man, but the wiry
creature eluded the blundering charge, side-stepping quickly only to
rush in upon his foe. Twice the hunting blade flashed in the air.
Twice it fell upon the back of Numa, already weakening from the spear
point so near his heart. The second stroke of the blade pierced far
into the beast's spine, and with a last convulsive sweep of the
fore-paws, in a vain attempt to reach his tormentor, Numa sprawled upon
the ground, paralyzed and dying.

Bukawai, fearful lest he should lose any recompense, followed Momaya
with the intention of persuading her to part with her ornaments of
copper and iron against her return with the price of the medicine--to
pay, as it were, for an option on his services as one pays a retaining
fee to an attorney, for, like an attorney, Bukawai knew the value of
his medicine and that it was well to collect as much as possible in
advance.

The witch-doctor came upon the scene as Tarzan leaped to meet the
lion's charge. He saw it all and marveled, guessing immediately that
this must be the strange white demon concerning whom he had heard vague
rumors before Momaya came to him.

Momaya, now that the lion was past harming her or hers, gazed with new
terror upon Tarzan. It was he who had stolen her Tibo. Doubtless he
would attempt to steal him again. Momaya hugged the boy close to her.
She was determined to die this tim