blouse pocket."

"I'm going to rush them," said Tarzan. "Otobu, you stay at the side
of the woman. Oldwick, you and I will go ahead, you upon my left.
I think we need not try to tell Numa what to do," for even then
the great lion was baring his fangs and growling ferociously at the
guardsmen, who appeared uneasy in the face of this creature which,
above all others, they feared.

"As we advance, Oldwick," said the ape-man, "fire one shot. It
may frighten them, and after that fire only when necessary. All
ready? Let's go!" and he moved forward toward the gate. At the
same time, Smith-Oldwick discharged his weapon and a yellow-coated
warrior screamed and crumpled forward upon his face. For a minute
the others showed symptoms of panic but one, who seemed to be an
officer, rallied them. "Now," said Tarzan, "all together!" and he
started at a run for the gate. Simultaneously the lion, evidently
scenting the purpose of the Tarmangani, broke into a full charge
toward the guard.

Shaken by the report of the unfamiliar weapon, the ranks of the
guardsmen broke before the furious assault of the great beast.
The officer screamed forth a volley of commands in a mad fury of
uncontrolled rage but the guardsmen, obeying the first law of nature
as well as actuated by their inherent fear of the black denizen of
the forest scattered to right and left to elude the monster. With
ferocious growls Numa wheeled to the right, and with raking talons
struck right and left among a little handful of terrified guardsmen
who were endeavoring to elude him, and then Tarzan and Smith-Oldwick
closed with the others.

For a moment their most formidable antagonist was the officer in
command. He wielded his curved saber as only an adept might as he
faced Tarzan, to whom the similar weapon in his own hand was most
unfamiliar. Smith-Oldwick could not fire for fear of hitting the
ape-man when suddenly to his dismay he saw Tarzan's weapon fly from
his grasp as the Xujan warrior neatly disarmed his opponent. With
a scream the fellow raised his saber for the final cut that would
terminate the earthly career of Tarzan of the Apes when, to the
astonishment of both the ape-man and Smith-Oldwick, the fellow
stiffened rigidly, his weapon dropped from the nerveless fingers
of his upraised hand, his mad eyes rolled upward and foam flecked
his bared lip. Gasping as though in the throes of strangulation
the fellow pitched forward at Tarzan's feet.

Tarzan stoop