Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-23

| able nights repose. u am Iarzan
of the Apes, Lord of the Jungle. To-
night l lair here-goW
But Numa did not go. Instead he
rumbled forth menacing roar and
took few steps in Tarzan's direc-
tion. The ape-man picked up a rock
and hurled it at the snarling face.
One can never be sure of lion. This
one might turn tail and run at the
first intimation of attack-Tarzan
had bluffed many in his time-but
not now. The missile struck Numa
full upon the snout-a tender part
of a cats anatomy-and instead of
causing him to flee, it made him an
infuriated engine of wrath and de-
struction.
Up went his tail, stiff and erect,
and with series of frightful roars
he bore down upon the Tarmangani
at the speed of an express train.
Not an instant too soon did Tarzan
reach the tree and swing himself
into its branches, and there he
squatted, hurling insults, while
Numa paced beneath, roaring in
rage.
1t was raining now in earnest,
adding to the ape-mans discomfort
and disappointment. He was very
angry; but as only direst necessity
had ever led him to close in mortal
combat with lion, knowing as he
did that he had only luck and agility
to pit against the frightful odds of
muscle, weight, fangs and talons, he
did not even consider descending
and engaging. in so unequal and use-
less duel for the mere reward OF
a little added creature comfort. And
so he sat perched in the tree while
the rain fell steadily and the lion
padded round and round beneath.
Tarzan scanned the precipitous
walls for an avenue of escape. They
would have baffled an ordinary man:
but the ape-man, accustomed to
climbing, saw several places where
he might gain a foothold-precari-
Gus possibly, but enough to give
him reasonable assurance of escape
if Numa would but 5etake himself
to the far end of the gulch for a
moment. Numa, however, notwith-
standing the rain, gave no evidence
of quitting his post, so that at last
Tarzan really began to consider
seriously if it might not be as we'll
to take the chance of a battle with
him.
E1VEN as he turned the matter
- over in his mind, Numa turned
and walked majestically toward the
tunnel without even backward
glance. The instant that he disap-
peared, Tarzan dropped lightly to
the ground upon the far side of the
tree and was away at top speed for
the cliff. The lion had no sooner
entered the tunnel than he backed
Immediately out again, and pivoting
like flash, was off across the gulch
in full charge after the flying ape
man; but Tarzan's lead was too
great. =
With the agility of cat, Tarzan
ran up the. .cliff-face for thirty feet
before he paused, and there finding
secure footing, he stopped and
looked down upon Numa; who was
leaping upward in a. wild and futile
attempt to scale the rocky wall to
his prey. Fifteen or twenty feet
from the ground the lion would
scramble, only to fall backward
again defeated. Tarzan eyed him
for a moment and then commenced
slow and cautious ascent toward
the summit. Several times he had
difficulty in finding holds, but at
last he drew himself over the edge
and strobe away.
Finding an easy descent to the
gorge, he was about to pursue his
,, , journey in the direction of the still
booming guns, when a sudden
; thought caused him to halt and a
half smile to play about his lips.
,, Turning, he trotted quickly back to
: the outer opening of Numa's tun-
.. mel. Close beside it he listened for
moment, and then began rapidly
to gather large rocks and pile them
within the entrance. He had almost
. : closed the aperture when the lion
appeared upon the inside-a very
ferocious and angry lion that paved
! and clawed at the rocks and uttered
' !, mighty roars that caused the earth
! to tremble; but roars did not frighten
Tarzan of the Apes.
. Numa could not reach him, and
. Iarzan knew it; so he continued de-
. hberately to choke the entrance until
there was no possibility of Numa's
getting out again. When he was
quite through he made grimace al
the hidden lion beyond the barrier
i and resumed his way toward the
S east. "A man-eater who will eat no
more men," he soliloquized.
i. THAT night Tarzan lay up under
an overhanging shelf of rock.
The next morning he resumed his
journey, stopping only to make a
! kill and satisfy his hunger. The
d firing ahead rosa and, foI1 H..