h of
vegetation that carpeted its floor from the rocky cliffs upon the
north to the mountains on the south.

Over the edge of the cliffs from which the ape-man viewed the valley
a trail had been hewn that led downward to the base. Preceded by
the lion Tarzan descended into the valley, which, at this point,
was forested with large trees. Before him the trail wound onward
toward the center of the valley. Raucous-voiced birds of brilliant
plumage screamed among the branches while innumerable monkeys
chattered and scolded above him.

The forest teemed with life, and yet there was borne in upon the
ape-man a sense of unutterable loneliness, a sensation that he
never before had felt in his beloved jungles. There was unreality
in everything about him--in the valley itself, lying hidden
and forgotten in what was supposed to be an arid waste. The birds
and the monkeys, while similar in type to many with which he was
familiar, were identical with none, nor was the vegetation without
its idiosyncrasies. It was as though he had been suddenly transported
to another world and he felt a strange restlessness that might
easily have been a premonition of danger.

Fruits were growing among the trees and some of these he saw that
Manu, the monkey, ate. Being hungry he swung to the lower branches
and, amidst a great chattering of the monkeys, proceeded to eat
such of the fruit as he saw the monkeys ate in safety. When he had
partially satisfied his hunger, for meat alone could fully do so,
he looked about him for Numa of the pit to discover that the lion
had gone.

Chapter XVII

The Walled City

Dropping to the ground once more he picked up the trail of the girl
and her captors, which he followed easily along what appeared to
be a well-beaten trail. It was not long before he came to a small
stream, where he quenched his thirst, and thereafter he saw that
the trail followed in the general direction of the stream, which
ran southwesterly. Here and there were cross trails and others
which joined the main avenue, and always upon each of them were the
tracks and scent of the great cats, of Numa, the lion, and Sheeta,
the panther.

With the exception of a few small rodents there appeared to be no
other wild life on the surface of the valley. There was no indication
of Bara, the deer, or Horta, the boar, or of Gorgo, the buffalo,
Buto, Tantor, or Duro. Histah, the snake, was there. He saw him in
the trees in greater numbers th