The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-02-13
CHAPTER xlI.-Continued.

pOIiuDilS II pTeSeuteu. OCdiScly h"u
the lion dragged the Arab from one
side, than the Belgian, Selling the POM
mel of the saddle and the horses
name, leaped upon the horses back
from the other.
half hour later a naked giant.
swinging easily through the lower
branches of the trees, paused, and
with raised head. and dilating nostrils
shifted the morning air. The smell or
blood fell strong upon his nose, and
mingled with 1t was the scent of Numa.
the lion. The giant cooked his head
upon one side and listened.
From short distance up the trail
came the unmistakable noises of The
greedy feeding of lion. Tarzan APP
preached the spot, still keeping to the
branches of the trees. He made no
effort TO conceal his approach, and
presently he had evidence that Numa
had heard him, from the ominous,
rumbling warning that broke from
thicket beside the trail.
Hating upon a low branch just
above the lion Tarzan looked down
upon the grisly scene. Could this I'M
recognizable thing be the man he had
been trailing?
He scolded Numa and tried to drive
the great beast away; but only angry
growls rewarded his efforts. He tore
small branches from a nearby limb
and hurled them at his ancient enemy.
Numa looked up with barred fangs,
grinning hideously. but he did not rise
from his kill.
Then Tarzan fitted an arrow to his
bow, and drawing the slim shaft far
back let drive with all the force of the
tough wood that only he could bend.
As the arrow sank deeply into his
side, Numa leaped to his feet with a
roar of mingled rage and pain. He
leaped futilely at the grinning ape
man, tore at the protruding end of the
shaft, and then, springing into the
trail, paced back and forth beneath his
tormentor. Again TarZan loosed a
swift bolt. This time the missile.
aimed with care, lodged in the lions
spine. That great creature halted in its
tracks, and lurched awkwardly for
ward upon its face, paralyzed.
Tarzan dropped to the trail. ran
quickly TO the beasts side. and drove
his spear deep into the fierce heart,
then after recovering his arrows turned
his attention to the mutilated remains
of the animals prey in the nearby
thicket.
The face was gone. The Arab
garments aroused no doubt as to the
mans identity. since he had trailed
him into the Arab camp and out again
where he might easily have acquired
the apparel So sure was Tarzan that
the body was that of he who had
robbed him that he made no effort to
verify his deductions by scent among
the conglomerate odors of the great
carnivore and the fresh blood of the
victim.
He confined his attentions to care.
full search for the pouch. but nowhere
upon or about the corpse was any sign
of the missing article or its contents
| The ape-man was disappointed-pos
| sibly not so much because of the loss
of the colored pebbles as with Numa
for robbing him of the pleasures of re
venge.
Wondering what could have become
| of his possessions, the apeman turned
slowly back along the trail In the di
rection from which he had come TAX
ing to the trees, he moved directly
south in search of prey. that he nigh
satisfy his hunger before midday, anC
then lie up for the afternoon.
Scarcely had he quilted the trai
| when tall, black warrior moving a
a logged trot, passed toward the east
1t was Mugambi, searching for hi.
mistress. He continued along the trail
hating to examine the body of The
| dead lion.
The black looked furtively abou
him. The body was still warm, ant
| from this fact he reasoned that thu
killer was close at hand, yet no sigr
Of living man appeared. Mugamb
shook his head, and continued alon.
the trail, bnt with redoubled caution
All day he travelled, stopping occa
sonally to call aloud the single word
Lady" in the hope that at last sh,
might hear and respond; but In tn,
end his loyal devotion brought him t,
disaster.
From the northeast, for severa
months, Abdul Mourak. In command O
a detachment of Abyssinian soldiers
had been assiduously searching for tn,
Arab raider, Achmet Eek, who, 81,
months previously, had affronted tn,
majesty of Abdul Mourak's empero
by conducting slave raid within tn,
boundaries of Menelek's domain.
And now it happened that Abdu
MOurak had halted for a short rest a
noon upon this very day and alon,
the same trail that Werper and Mu
gambi were following toward the east
II was shortly after the soldiers hat
dismounted that the Belgian. unaware
of their presence, rode his tired noun
almost into their midst. before he hat
discovered them. Instantly he wa
surrounded. and a volley of question
| hurled at him, as he was pulled from
his horse and led toward the presence
of thu commander.
Falling back upon his European ma
tionality Werper assured Abdu
MOurak that he was a Frenchman
hunting in Africa. and that he ha,
been attacked by strangers, his safar
killed or scattered, and himself es
| Gaping only by miracle.
From a chance remark of the Abys