Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-26

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feeling that resembled nothing more
closely than an attempt upon the
part of the fragments of elephant
meat reposing there to come out into
the night and search for their ele-
phant; but Tarzan was adamant
He gritted his teeth and held them
back. He was not to be robbed of
his meal after waiting so long to
obtain it.
He had succeeded in doing when
the roaring Of lion awoke him. He
sat up to discover that it was broad
daylight. Tarzan rubbed his eyes.
Could it be that he had really slept :?
He did not feel particularly re-
freshed as he should have after a
good sleep. A noise attracted his
attention, and he looked down to see
the lion standing at the foot of the
tree gazing hungrily at him. Tar
zan made a face at the king of
beasts, whereat Numa, greatly to
the ape-man's surprise, started to
climb up into the branches toward
him. Now, never before had Tarzan
seen a lion climb a tree, yet, for
some unaccountable reason, ne was
not greatly surprised that this par
ticular lion should do so.
As the lion climbed slowly to-
ward him, Tarzan sought higher
branches; but to his chagrin, he dis
covered that it was with the utmost
difficulty that he could climb at all.
Again and again he slipped back,
losing all that he had gained, while
the lion kept steadily at his climb
ing. coming ever closer and closer
to the ape-man. Tarzan could see
the hungry light in the yellow
green eyes. He could see the SLAYER
on the dropping jowls, and the great
fangs agape to seize and destroy
him. Clawing desperately, the ape
man at last succeeded in gaining a
little upon his pursuer. He reached
the more slender branches far aloft
where he we'll knew no lion could
follow, yet on and on came devil
faced Numa. 1t was Incredible; but
it was true. Yet what most amazed
Tarzan was that though he realized
the incredibility of it all, he at the
same time accepted it as matter of
course, first that lion should climb
at all and second that he should
enter the upper terraces where even
Sheeta, the panther, dared not
venture.
To the very top of a tall tree the
ape-man clawed his awkward way
and after him came Numa, the lion,
dismally. At last Tarzan
stood balanced upon the very ut
most pinnacle of swaying branch.
high above the forest. He could go
no farther. Below him the lion
came steadily upward, and Tarzan
of the Apes realized that at last the
end had come. He could not do
battle upon a tiny branch with
Numa, the lion, especially with such
a Numa, to which swaying branches
two hundred feet above the ground
provided as substantial footing as
the ground itself.
Nearer and nearer came the lion.
Another moment and he could reach
up with one great paw and drag the
ape-man downward to those awful
Jaws. A whirring noise above his
head caused Tarzan to glance appre-
hensively upward. A great bird was
close above him. He never
had seen so large a bird in all his
life, yet he recognized it imme-
diately, for had he not seen it hun
dreds of times in one of the books
in the little cabin by the land-locked
bay-the moss-grown cabin that
with its contents was the sole heri-
tage left by his dead and unknown
father to the young Lord Grey
stoke?
In the picture-book the great bird
was shown flying far above the
ground with a small child in its
talons while, beneath, a distracted
mother stood with uplifted hands.
The lion was already reaching forth
a taloned paw to seize him when the
bird swooped and buried no less
formidable talons in Tarzan's back.
The pain was numbing; bnt it was
with a sense of relief that the ape
man felt himself snatched from the
clutches of Numa.
With a great whirring of wings
the bird rose rapidly until the for
est lay far below 1t made Tarzan
sick and dizzy to look down upon it
from so great height, so he closed
his eyes and held his breath. Higher
and higher climbed the huge bird.
Tarzan opened his eyes. The Jungle
was so far away that he could see
only dim, green blur below him,
but just above and quite close was
the sun. Tarzan reached out his
hands and warmed them, for they
were very cold. Then a sudden
madness seized him. Where was the
bird taking him? Was he to sub
nit thus passively to a feathered
creature however enormous? Was
he, Tarzan of the Apes, mighty
fighter, to die without striking a
blow in his own defense? Never!
He snatched the hunting blade
from his gee-string and thrusting