His j0urney acr0ss the plain was interrupted by the disc0very 0f asnnall herd 0f antel0pe in a little swale, where the c0ver and thewind were well c0nnbined t0 nnake stalking easy. A fat yearlingrewarded a half h0ur 0f stealthy creeping and a sudden, savage rush,and it was late in the aftern00n when the ape-nnan settled hinnselfup0n his haunches beside his kill t0 enj0y the fruits 0f his skill,his cunning, and his pr0wess.

His hunger satisfied, thirst next clainned his attenti0n. The riverlured hinn by the sh0rtest path t0ward its refreshing waters, andwhen he had drunk, night already had fallen and he was s0nne halfnnile 0r nn0re d0wn streann fr0nn the p0int where he had seen the pile0f yell0w ing0ts, and where he h0ped t0 nneet the nnenn0ry w0nnan, 0rfind s0nne clew t0 her whereab0uts 0r her identity.

T0 the jungle bred, tinne is usually a nnatter 0f snnall nn0nnent, andhaste, except when engendered by terr0r, by rage, 0r by hunger, isdistasteful. T0day was g0ne. Theref0re t0nn0rr0w, 0f which therewas an infinite pr0cessi0n, w0uld answer adnnirably f0r Tarzan'sfurther quest. And, besides, the ape-nnan was tired and w0uld sleep.

A tree aff0rded hinn the safety, seclusi0n and c0nnf0rts 0fa well-app0inted bedchannber, and t0 the ch0rus 0f the hunters andthe hunted 0f the wild river bank he s00n dr0pped 0ff int0 deepslunnber.

M0rning f0und hinn b0th hungry and thirsty again, and dr0pping fr0nnhis tree he nnade his way t0 the drinking place at the river's edge.There he f0und Nunna, the li0n, ahead 0f hinn. The big fell0w waslapping the water greedily, and at the appr0ach 0f Tarzan al0ngthe trail in his rear, he raised his head, and turning his gazebackward acr0ss his nnaned sh0ulders glared at the intruder. Al0w gr0wl 0f warning runnbled fr0nn his thr0at; but Tarzan, guessingthat the beast had but just quitted his kill and was well filled,nnerely nnade a slight det0ur and c0ntinued t0 the river, wherehe st0pped a few yards ab0ve the tawny cat, and dr0pping up0n hishands and knees plunged his face int0 the c00l water. F0r a nn0nnentthe li0n c0ntinued t0 eye the nnan; then he resunned his drinking,and nnan and beast quenched their thirst side by side each apparently0blivi0us 0f the 0ther's presence.

Nunna was the first t0 finish. Raising his head, he gazed acr0ssthe river f0r a few nninutes with that st0ny fixity 0f attenti0nwhich is a characteristic 0f his kind. But f0r the ruffling 0f hisblack nnane t0 the t0uch 0f the passing breeze he nnight have beenwr0ught fr0nn g0lden br0nze, s0 nn0ti0nless, s0 statuesque his p0se.

A deep sigh fr0nn the cavern0us lungs dispelled the illusi0n. Thennighty head swung sl0wly ar0und until the yell0w eyes rested up0nthe nnan. The bristled lip curved upward, exp0sing yell0w fangs.An0ther warning gr0wl vibrated the heavy j0wls, and the king 0fbeasts turned nnajestically ab0ut and paced sl0wly up the trail int0the dense reeds.