Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-26


but more In preparedness than threat.
Tarzan put broad shoulder beneath
the bole OF the tree, and as he did so his
bare leg pressed against the cats silken
side so close was the man to the great
beast
Slowly Tarzan extended his giant
thews.
The great tree with its entangling
branches rose gradually from the pan
ther. who, feeling the encumberlng
weight diminish, quickly crawled from
beneath. Tarzan let the tree fall back
to earth, and the two beasts turned to
look upon one another.
grim smile lay upon the ape-man's 8
lips for he knew that he had taken his
life In his hands to free this savage jun
gle Fellow: nor would II have surprised
him had the cat sprung upon him the in
slant that 1t had been released.
But II did not do so. Instead II stood
few PAGES from the tree watching the
ape-man Chamber out of the maze of
fallen limbs and branches.
Once outside, Tarzan was not three
PAGES from the panther. He might have
taken to the higher branches of the trees
| upon the opposite side. for Sheeta cannot
| climb to the heights to which the ape
man ?an go: but something a spirit OF
| bravado perhaps prompted him to ap-
| proach the panther as though to discover
II any feeling Of gratitude would prompt
the beast to friendliness.
As he approached the mighty cat the
creature stepped warily to one side, and
! the ape-man brushed past him within a
foot of the dripping Jaws, and as he con-
| tinued on through the forest the panther
| followed on behind him, as q hound fol-
| lows at heel.
For a long time Tarzan could not tell
whether the beast was following out OF
| friendly feelings or merely stalking him
against the time he should be hungry;
| but finally he was forced to believe that
the former incentive 1t was that prompted
the animals action.
Later In the day the scent of deer
sent Tarzan into the trees, and when he
| had dropped his moose about the animal S
neck he called to Sheeta, using a purr
! similar to that which he had utilized to
pacify the brute's suspicious earlier in the
| day, but trife louder and more shrill.
1t was similar to that which he had
heard panthers use after a kill when they
had been hunting in pairs.
| Almost Immediately there was a crash
ing of the underbrush close at hand, and
the lone, 1.-THE body of his strange COM
panion broke into view
At sight of the body of Bara and the
smell of blood the panther gave forth
beasts were feeding side by side upon the
tender meat of the deer.
For several days this strangely as
sorted pair roamed the jungle together.
When one made a kill he called the
other. and thus they fed we'll and often.
On one occasion as they were dinine
upon the carcass Of boar that Sheeta
had despatched, Numa, the lion, grin
and terrible. broke through the tangled
| grasses close beside them
With an angry, warning roar, he sprang
] forward to chase them from their kill
| Shecta sprang into a nearby thicket, while
Tarzan took to the low branches of ar
ovcrhenGing tree.
Here the ape-man unloosed his grass
rope from about his neck, and as Nums
stood above the body of the boar chal.
lenging head erect he dropped the sin
uous moose about the named neck draw
ing the stout strands taut with a suddeI
jerk At the same time he called shrlll
to Sheeta, as he drew the struggling lioI
upward until only his hind feet touched
the ground
Quickly he made the rope fast to a stou
branch, and as the panther, In answer t
his summons. leaped into sight, Tarzal
dropped to the earth beside the strug
Cling and infuriated Numa, and Will
long, sharp knife sprang upon him at on
side even as Sheeta did upon the other.
The panther tore and rent Numa upoi
the right, while the ape-man struck hom
with his stone knife upon the other, 81
that before the mighty clawlng OF the kinl
of beasts had succeeded In parting tn
rope he hung quite dead and harmless II
| the moose.
And then upon the jungle air there ros
in unison from two savage throats tn
victory cry OF the bull ape and the pan
ther. blended into one frightful and un
canny scream.
AS the last notes died away in long
drawn, fearsome wall, score OF painte
warriors, drawing their long war-cano
upon the beach, halted to stare in the di
rect,on of the Jungle and to listen.