h before
engaging in battle.

Gunto came, stiff-legged, close to Tarzan and sniffed at him, with
bared fangs. Tarzan rumbled forth a low, menacing growl. They might
repeat these tactics a dozen times; but sooner or later one bull would
close with another and then the whole hideous pack would be tearing and
rending at their prey.

Bulabantu, the black man, had stood wide-eyed in wonder from the moment
he had seen Tarzan approaching through the apes. He had heard much of
this devil-god who ran with the hairy tree people; but never before had
he seen him in full daylight. He knew him well enough from the
description of those who had seen him and from the glimpses he had had
of the marauder upon several occasions when the ape-man had entered the
village of Mbonga, the chief, by night, in the perpetration of one of
his numerous ghastly jokes.

Bulabantu could not, of course, understand anything which passed
between Tarzan and the apes; but he saw that the ape-man and one of the
larger bulls were in argument with the others. He saw that these two
were standing with their back toward him and between him and the
balance of the tribe, and he guessed, though it seemed improbable, that
they might be defending him. He knew that Tarzan had once spared the
life of Mbonga, the chief, and that he had succored Tibo, and Tibo's
mother, Momaya. So it was not impossible that he would help Bulabantu;
but how he could accomplish it Bulabantu could not guess; nor as a
matter of fact could Tarzan, for the odds against him were too great.

Gunto and the others were slowly forcing Tarzan and Taug back toward
Bulabantu. The ape-man thought of his words with Tantor just a short
time before: "Yes, Tantor, it is good to live. I should hate to die."
And now he knew that he was about to die, for the temper of the great
bulls was mounting rapidly against him. Always had many of them hated
him, and all were suspicious of him. They knew he was different.
Tarzan knew it too; but he was glad that he was--he was a MAN; that he
had learned from his picture-books, and he was very proud of the
distinction. Presently, though, he would be a dead man.

Gunto was preparing to charge. Tarzan knew the signs. He knew that
the balance of the bulls would charge with Gunto. Then it would soon
be over. Something moved among the verdure at the opposite side of the
clearing. Tarzan saw it just as Gunto, with the terrifying cry of a
challenging ape, s