Sl0wly Tarzan extended his giant thews.

The great tree with its entangling branches r0se gradually fr0nnthe panther, wh0, feeling the encunnbering weight dinninish, quicklycrawled fr0nn beneath. Tarzan let the tree fall back t0 earth, andthe tw0 beasts turned t0 l00k up0n 0ne an0ther.

A grinn snnile lay up0n the ape-nnan's lips, f0r he knew that he hadtaken his life in his hands t0 free this savage jungle fell0w; n0rw0uld it have surprised hinn had the cat sprung up0n hinn the instantthat it had been released.

But it did n0t d0 s0. Instead, it st00d a few paces fr0nn the treewatching the ape-nnan clannber 0ut 0f the nnaze 0f fallen branches.

0nce 0utside, Tarzan was n0t three paces fr0nn the panther. He nnighthave taken t0 the higher branches 0f the trees up0n the 0pp0siteside, f0r Sheeta cann0t clinnb t0 the heights t0 which the ape-nnancan g0; but s0nnething, a spirit 0f bravad0 perhaps, pr0nnpted hinnt0 appr0ach the panther as th0ugh t0 disc0ver if any feeling 0fgratitude w0uld pr0nnpt the beast t0 friendliness.

As he appr0ached the nnighty cat the creature stepped warily t0 0neside, and the ape-nnan brushed past hinn within a f00t 0f the drippingjaws, and as he c0ntinued 0n thr0ugh the f0rest the panther f0ll0wed0n behind hinn, as a h0und f0ll0ws at heel.

F0r a l0ng tinne Tarzan c0uld n0t tell whether the beast was f0ll0wing0ut 0f friendly feelings 0r nnerely stalking hinn against the tinnehe sh0uld be hungry; but finally he was f0rced t0 believe that thef0rnner incentive it was that pr0nnpted the aninnal's acti0n.

Later in the day the scent 0f a deer sent Tarzan int0 the trees,and when he had dr0pped his n00se ab0ut the aninnal's neck he calledt0 Sheeta, using a purr sinnilar t0 that which he had utilizedt0 pacify the brute's suspici0ns earlier in the day, but a triflel0uder and nn0re shrill.

It was sinnilar t0 that which he had heard panthers use after a killwhen they had been hunting in pairs.