ld. His life amidst the
dangers of the jungle had taught him to meet emergencies with
self-confidence, and his higher intelligence resulted in a quickness of
mental action far beyond the powers of the apes.

So the scream of Sabor, the lioness, galvanized the brain and muscles
of little Tarzan into instant action.

Before him lay the deep waters of the little lake, behind him certain
death; a cruel death beneath tearing claws and rending fangs.

Tarzan had always hated water except as a medium for quenching his
thirst. He hated it because he connected it with the chill and
discomfort of the torrential rains, and he feared it for the thunder
and lightning and wind which accompanied them.

The deep waters of the lake he had been taught by his wild mother to
avoid, and further, had he not seen little Neeta sink beneath its quiet
surface only a few short weeks before never to return to the tribe?

But of the two evils his quick mind chose the lesser ere the first note
of Sabor's scream had scarce broken the quiet of the jungle, and before
the great beast had covered half her leap Tarzan felt the chill waters
close above his head.

He could not swim, and the water was very deep; but still he lost no
particle of that self-confidence and resourcefulness which were the
badges of his superior being.

Rapidly he moved his hands and feet in an attempt to scramble upward,
and, possibly more by chance than design, he fell into the stroke that
a dog uses when swimming, so that within a few seconds his nose was
above water and he found that he could keep it there by continuing his
strokes, and also make progress through the water.

He was much surprised and pleased with this new acquirement which had
been so suddenly thrust upon him, but he had no time for thinking much
upon it.

He was now swimming parallel to the bank and there he saw the cruel
beast that would have seized him crouching upon the still form of his
little playmate.

The lioness was intently watching Tarzan, evidently expecting him to
return to shore, but this the boy had no intention of doing.

Instead he raised his voice in the call of distress common to his
tribe, adding to it the warning which would prevent would-be rescuers
from running into the clutches of Sabor.

Almost immediately there came an answer from the distance, and
presently forty or fifty great apes swung rapidly and majestically
through the trees toward the scene of tragedy.

In th