rd until now
the rocky and precipitous sides rose far above them. At different
points natural caves, which appeared to have been eroded by the action
of water in some forgotten age, pitted the side walls at various
heights. Near them was such a cavity at the ground's level--an
arched cavern floored with white sand. Tarzan indicated it with a
gesture of his hand.

"We will lair here tonight," he said, and then with one of his
rare, slow smiles: "We will CAMP here tonight."

Having eaten their meager supper Tarzan bade the girl enter the
cavern.

"You will sleep inside," he said. "The lieutenant and I will lie
outside at the entrance."

Chapter XVI

The Night Attack

As the girl turned to bid them good night, she thought that she
saw a shadowy form moving in the darkness beyond them, and almost
simultaneously she was sure that she heard the sounds of stealthy
movement in the same direction.

"What is that?" she whispered. "There is something out there in
the darkness."

"Yes," replied Tarzan, "it is a lion. It has been there for some
time. Hadn't you noticed it before?"

"Oh!" cried the girl, breathing a sigh of relief, "is it our lion?"

"No," said Tarzan, "it is not our lion; it is another lion and he
is hunting."

"He is stalking us?" asked the girl.

"He is," replied the ape-man. Smith-Oldwick fingered the grip of
his pistol.

Tarzan saw the involuntary movement and shook his head.

"Leave that thing where it is, Lieutenant," he said.

The officer laughed nervously. "I couldn't help it, you know, old
man," he said; "instinct of self-preservation and all that."

"It would prove an instinct of self-destruction," said Tarzan.
"There are at least three hunting lions out there watching us. If
we had a fire or the moon were up you would see their eyes plainly.
Presently they may come after us but the chances are that they will
not. If you are very anxious that they should, fire your pistol
and hit one of them."

"What if they do charge?" asked the girl; "there is no means of
escape."

"Why, we should have to fight them," replied Tarzan.

"What chance would we three have against them?" asked the girl.

The ape-man shrugged his shoulders. "One must die sometime," he
said. "To you doubtless it may seem terrible--such a death; but
Tarzan of the Apes has always expected to go out in some such way.
Few of us die of old age in the jungle, nor should I care to die
thus. Some day Numa will get