arzan carried Mamka's corpse to a high crotch, where even Sheeta, the
panther, could not get it. Numa paced angrily back and forth beneath
the tree, roaring frightfully. He had been robbed of his kill and his
revenge also. He was very savage indeed; but his despoilers were well
out of his reach, and after hurling a few taunts and missiles at him
they swung away through the trees, fiercely reviling him.

Tarzan thought much upon the little adventure of that day. He foresaw
what might happen should the great carnivora of the jungle turn their
serious attention upon the tribe of Kerchak, the great ape, but equally
he thought upon the wild scramble of the apes for safety when Numa
first charged among them. There is little humor in the jungle that is
not grim and awful. The beasts have little or no conception of humor;
but the young Englishman saw humor in many things which presented no
humorous angle to his associates.

Since earliest childhood he had been a searcher after fun, much to the
sorrow of his fellow-apes, and now he saw the humor of the frightened
panic of the apes and the baffled rage of Numa even in this grim jungle
adventure which had robbed Mamka of life, and jeopardized that of many
members of the tribe.

It was but a few weeks later that Sheeta, the panther, made a sudden
rush among the tribe and snatched a little balu from a tree where it
had been hidden while its mother sought food. Sheeta got away with his
small prize unmolested. Tarzan was very wroth. He spoke to the bulls
of the ease with which Numa and Sheeta, in a single moon, had slain two
members of the tribe.

"They will take us all for food," he cried. "We hunt as we will
through the jungle, paying no heed to approaching enemies. Even Manu,
the monkey, does not so. He keeps two or three always watching for
enemies. Pacco, the zebra, and Wappi, the antelope, have those about
the herd who keep watch while the others feed, while we, the great
Mangani, let Numa, and Sabor, and Sheeta come when they will and carry
us off to feed their balus.

"Gr-r-rmph," said Numgo.

"What are we to do?" asked Taug.

"We, too, should have two or three always watching for the approach of
Numa, and Sabor, and Sheeta," replied Tarzan. "No others need we fear,
except Histah, the snake, and if we watch for the others we will see
Histah if he comes, though gliding ever so silently."

And so it was that the great apes of the tribe of Kerchak posted
s