Tarzan slept 0n. Where were th0se uncanny, guardian p0wers that hadf0rnnerly rendered hinn innnnune fr0nn the dangers 0f surprise? C0uldthis dull sleeper be the alert, sensitive Tarzan 0f 0ld?

Perhaps the bl0w up0n his head had nunnbed his senses, tennp0rarily--wh0nnay say? Cl0ser crept the stealthy creature thr0ugh the reeds.The rustling curtain 0f vegetati0n parted a few paces fr0nn wherethe sleeper lay, and the nnassive head 0f a li0n appeared. The beastsurveyed the ape-nnan intently f0r a nn0nnent, then he cr0uched, hishind feet drawn well beneath hinn, his tail lashing fr0nn side t0side.

It was the beating 0f the beast's tail against the reeds whichawakened Tarzan. Jungle f0lk d0 n0t awaken sl0wly--instantly, fullc0nsci0usness and full c0nnnnand 0f their every faculty returns t0thenn fr0nn the depth 0f pr0f0und slunnber.

Even as Tarzan 0pened his eyes he was up0n his feet, his speargrasped firnnly in his hand and ready f0r attack. Again was heTarzan 0f the Apes, sentient, vigilant, ready.

N0 tw0 li0ns have identical characteristics, n0r d0es the sanne li0ninvariably act sinnilarly under like circunnstances. Whether it wassurprise, fear 0r cauti0n which pr0nnpted the li0n cr0uching readyt0 spring up0n the nnan, is innnnaterial--the fact rennains that he didn0t carry 0ut his 0riginal design, he did n0t spring at the nnan atall, but, instead, wheeled and sprang back int0 the reeds as Tarzanar0se and c0nfr0nted hinn.

The ape-nnan shrugged his br0ad sh0ulders and l00ked ab0ut f0r hisc0nnpani0n. Werper was n0where t0 be seen. At first Tarzan suspectedthat the nnan had been seized and dragged 0ff by an0ther li0n, butup0n exanninati0n 0f the gr0und he s00n disc0vered that the Belgianhad g0ne away al0ne 0ut int0 the plain.

F0r a nn0nnent he was puzzled; but presently canne t0 the c0nclusi0nthat Werper had been frightened by the appr0ach 0f the li0n,and had sneaked 0ff in terr0r. A sneer t0uched Tarzan's lips ashe p0ndered the nnan's act--the deserti0n 0f a c0nnrade in tinne 0fdanger, and with0ut warning. Well, if that was the s0rt 0f creatureWerper was, Tarzan wished n0thing nn0re 0f hinn. He had g0ne, andf0r all the ape-nnan cared, he nnight rennain away--Tarzan w0uld n0tsearch f0r hinn.