ed a
point from where the apes were visible to him. There were a dozen or
more of the hairy, manlike creatures upon the ground in a little glade.
In a tree at one side sat a brown-skinned youth. He saw Numa's swift
charge; he saw the apes turn and flee, huge bulls trampling upon little
balus; only a single she held her ground to meet the charge, a young
she inspired by new motherhood to the great sacrifice that her balu
might escape.

Tarzan leaped from his perch, screaming at the flying bulls beneath and
at those who squatted in the safety of surrounding trees. Had the
bulls stood their ground, Numa would not have carried through that
charge unless goaded by great rage or the gnawing pangs of starvation.
Even then he would not have come off unscathed.

If the bulls heard, they were too slow in responding, for Numa had
seized the mother ape and dragged her into the jungle before the males
had sufficiently collected their wits and their courage to rally in
defense of their fellow. Tarzan's angry voice aroused similar anger in
the breasts of the apes. Snarling and barking they followed Numa into
the dense labyrinth of foliage wherein he sought to hide himself from
them. The ape-man was in the lead, moving rapidly and yet with
caution, depending even more upon his ears and nose than upon his eyes
for information of the lion's whereabouts.

The spoor was easy to follow, for the dragged body of the victim left a
plain trail, blood-spattered and scentful. Even such dull creatures as
you or I might easily have followed it. To Tarzan and the apes of
Kerchak it was as obvious as a cement sidewalk.

Tarzan knew that they were nearing the great cat even before he heard
an angry growl of warning just ahead. Calling to the apes to follow
his example, he swung into a tree and a moment later Numa was
surrounded by a ring of growling beasts, well out of reach of his fangs
and talons but within plain sight of him. The carnivore crouched with
his fore-quarters upon the she-ape. Tarzan could see that the latter
was already dead; but something within him made it seem quite necessary
to rescue the useless body from the clutches of the enemy and to punish
him.

He shrieked taunts and insults at Numa, and tearing dead branches from
the tree in which he danced, hurled them at the lion. The apes
followed his example. Numa roared out in rage and vexation. He was
hungry, but under such conditions he could not feed.

The apes,