him　whom　he　had　cheated　of　it。
  With　his　crude　stone　knife　he　cut　a　juicy　steak　from　the
  hindquarters；　and　while　the　great　lion　paced；　growling；　back
  and　forth　below　him；　Lord　Greystoke　filled　his　savage　belly；
  nor　ever　in　the　choicest　of　his　exclusive　London　clubs　had　a
  meal　tasted　more　palatable。
  The　warm　blood　of　his　kill　smeared　his　hands　and　face
  and　filled　his　nostrils　with　the　scent　that　the　savage
  carnivora　love　best。
  And　when　he　had　finished　he　left　the　balance　of　the　carcass
  in　a　high　fork　of　the　tree　where　he　had　dined；　and　with　Numa
  trailing　below　him；　still　keen　for　revenge；　he　made　his　way
  back　to　his　tree…top　shelter；　where　he　slept　until　the　sun　was
  high　the　following　morning。
  Chapter　4
  Sheeta
  The　next　few　days　were　occupied　by　Tarzan　in　completing
  his　weapons　and　exploring　the　jungle。　　He　strung　his
  bow　with　tendons　from　the　buck　upon　which　he　had　dined
  his　first　evening　upon　the　new　shore；　and　though　he　would
  have　preferred　the　gut　of　Sheeta　for　the　purpose；　he　was
  content　to　wait　until　opportunity　permitted　him　to　kill
  one　of　the　great　cats。
  He　also　braided　a　long　grass　ropesuch　a　rope　as　he　had
  used　so　many　years　before　to　tantalize　the　ill…natured　Tublat；
  and　which　later　had　developed　into　a　wondrous　effective
  weapon　in　the　practised　hands　of　the　little　ape…boy。
  A　sheath　and　handle　for　his　hunting…knife　he　fashioned；
  and　a　quiver　for　arrows；　and　from　the　hide　of　Bara　a　belt
  and　loin…cloth。　　Then　he　set　out　to　learn　something　of　the
  strange　land　in　which　he　found　himself。　　That　it　was　not　his
  old　familiar　west　coast　of　the　African　continent　he　knew　from
  the　fact　that　it　faced　eastthe　rising　sun　came　up　out　of　the
  sea　before　the　threshold　of　the　jungle。
  But　that　it　was　not　the　east　coast　of　Africa　he　was　equally
  positive；　for　he　felt　satisfied　that　the　Kincaid　had　not
  passed　through　the　Mediterranean；　the　Suez　Canal；　and　the　Red　Sea；
  nor　had　she　had　time　to　round　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　　So　he　was
  quite　at　a　loss　to　know　where　he　might　be。
  Sometimes　he　wondered　if　the　ship　had　crossed　the　broad
  Atlantic　to　deposit　him　upon　some　wild　South　American
  shore；　but　the　presence　of　Numa；　the　lion；　decided　him　that
  such　could　not　be　the　case。
  As　Tarzan　made　his　lonely　way　through　the　jungle　paralleling
  the　shore；　he　felt　strong　upon　him　a　desire　for　companionship；
  so　that　gradually　he　commenced　to　regret　that　he　had　not　cast
  his　lot　with　the　apes。　　He　had　seen　nothing　of　them　since　that
  first　day；　when　the　influences　of　civilization　were　still
  paramount　within　him。
  Now　he　was　more　nearly　returned　to　the　Tarzan　of　old；
  and　though　he　appreciated　the　fact　that　there　could　be
  little　in　common　between　himself　and　the　great　anthropoids；
  still　they　were　better　than　no　company　at　all。
  Moving　leisurely；　sometimes　upon　the　ground　and　again
  among　the　lower　branches　of　the　trees；　gathering　an　occasional
  fruit　or　turning　over　a　fallen　log　in　search　of　the　larger
  bugs；　which　he　still　found　as　palatable　as　of　old；　Tarzan　had
  covered　a　mile　or　more　when　his　attention　was　attracted　by
  the　scent　of　Sheeta　up…wind　ahead　of　him。
  Now　Sheeta；　the　panther；　was　one　of　whom　Tarzan　was　exceptionally
  glad　to　fall　in　with；　for　he　had　it　in　mind　not　only　to　utilize
  the　great　cat's　strong　gut　for　his　bow；　but　also　to　fashion
  a　new　quiver　and　loin…cloth　from　pieces　of　his　hide。
  So；　whereas　the　ape…man　had　gone　carelessly　before；
  he　now　became　the　personification　of　noiseless　stealth。
  Swiftly　and　silently　he　glided　through　the　forest　in　the　wake
  of　the　savage　cat；　nor　was　the　pursuer；　for　all　his　noble　birth；
  one　whit　less　savage　than　the　wild；　fierce　thing　he　stalked。
  As　he　came　closer　to　Sheeta　he　became　aware　that　the　panther
  on　his　part　was　stalking　game　of　his　own；　and　even　as　he　realized
  this　fact　there　came　to　his　nostrils；　wafted　from　his　right　by　a
  vagrant　breeze；　the　strong　odour　of　a　company　of　great　apes。
  The　panther　had　taken　to　a　large　tree　as　Tarzan　came　within
  sight　of　him；　and　beyond　and　below　him　Tarzan　saw　the　tribe
  of　Akut　lolling　in　a　little；　natural　clearing。　　Some　of　them
  were　dozing　against　the　boles　of　trees；　while　others　roamed
  about　turning　over　bits　of　bark　from　beneath　which　they
  transferred　the　luscious　grubs　and　beetles　to　their　mouths。
  Akut　was　the　closest　to　Sheeta。
  The　great　cat　lay　crouched　upon　a　thick　limb；　hidden　from
  the　ape's　view　by　dense　foliage；　waiting　patiently　until　the
  anthropoid　should　come　within　range　of　his　spring。
  Tarzan　cautiously　gained　a　position　in　the　same　tree　with　the
  panther　and　a　little　above　him。　　In　his　left　hand　he　grasped
  his　slim　stone　blade。　　He　would　have　preferred　to　use　his　noose；
  but　the　foliage　surrounding　the　huge　cat　precluded　the　possibility
  of　an　accurate　throw　with　the　rope。
  Akut　had　now　wandered　quite　close　beneath　the　tree　wherein
  lay　the　waiting　death。　　Sheeta　slowly　edged　his　hind　paws
  along　the　branch　still　further　beneath　him；　and　then　with
  a　hideous　shriek　he　launched　himself　toward　the　great　ape。
  The　barest　fraction　of　a　second　before　his　spring　another
  beast　of　prey　above　him　leaped；　its　weird　and　savage　cry
  mingling　with　his。
  As　the　startled　Akut　looked　up　he　saw　the　panther　almost
  above　him；　and　already　upon　the　panther's　back　the　white
  ape　that　had　bested　him　that　day　near　the　great　water。
  The　teeth　of　the　ape…man　were　buried　in　the　back　of　Sheeta's
  neck　and　his　right　arm　was　round　the　fierce　throat；　while
  the　left　hand；　grasping　a　slender　piece　of　stone；　rose　and　fell
  in　mighty　blows　upon　the　panther's　side　behind　the　left　shoulder。
  Akut　had　just　time　to　leap　to　one　side　to　avoid　being
  pinioned　beneath　these　battling　monsters　of　the　jungle。
  With　a　crash　they　came　to　earth　at　his　feet。　　Sheeta　was　screaming；
  snarling；　and　roaring　horribly；　but　the　white　ape　clung
  tenaciously　and　in　silence　to　the　thrashing　body　of　his　quarry。
  Steadily　and　remorselessly　the　stone　knife　was　driven　home
  through　the　glossy　hidetime　and　again　it　drank　deep；　until
  with　a　final　agonized　lunge　and　shriek　the　great　feline　rolled
  over　upon　its　side　and；　save　for　the　spasmodic　jerking　of　its
  muscles；　lay　quiet　and　still　in　death。
  Then　the　ape…man　raised　his　head；　as　he　stood　over　the
  carcass　of　his　kill；　and　once　again　through　the　jungle　rang
  his　wild　and　savage　victory　challenge。
  Akut　and　the　apes　of　Akut　stood　looking　in　startled　wonder
  at　the　dead　body　of　Sheeta　and　the　lithe；　straight　figure　of
  the　man　who　had　slain　him。
  Tarzan　was　the　first　to　speak。
  He　had　saved　Akut's　life　for　a　purpose；　and；　knowing　the
  limitations　of　the　ape　intellect；　he　also　knew　that　he　must
  make　this　purpose　plain　to　the　anthropoid　if　it　were　to　serve
  him　in　the　way　he　hoped。
  〃I　am　Tarzan　of　the　Apes；〃　he　said；　〃Mighty　hunter。　　Mighty　fighter。
  By　the　great　water　I　spared　Akut's　life　when　I　might　have　taken　it
  and　become　king　of　the　tribe　of　Akut。　　Now　I　have　saved　Akut　from
  death　beneath　the　rending　fangs　of　Sheeta。
  〃When　Akut　or　the　tribe　of　Akut　is　in　danger；　let　them
  call　to　Tarzan　thus〃and　the　ape…man　raised　the　hideous
  cry　with　which　the　tribe　of　Kerchak　had　been　wont　to　summon
  its　absent　members　in　times　of　peril。
  〃And；〃　he　continued；　〃when　they　hear　Tarzan　call　to　them；
  let　them　remember　what　he　has　done　for　Akut　and　come　to　him
  with　great　speed。　　Shall　it　be　as　Tarzan　says？〃
  〃Huh！〃　assented　Akut；　and　from　the　members　of　his　tribe
  there　rose　a　unanimous　〃Huh。〃
  Then；　presently；　they　went　to　feeding　again　as　though
  nothing　had　happened；　and　with　them　fed　John　Clayton；
  Lord　Greystoke。
  He　noticed；　however；　that　Akut　kept　always　close　to　him；
  and　was　often　looking　at　him　with　a　strange　wonder　in　his
  little　bloodshot　eyes；　and　once　he　did　a　thing　that　Tarzan
  during　all　his　long　years　among　the　apes　had　never　before
  seen　an　ape　dohe　found　a　particularly　tender　morsel　and
  handed　it　to　Tarzan。
  As　the　tribe　hunted；　the　glistening　body　of　the　ape…man
  mingled　with　the　brown；　shaggy　hides　of　his　companions。
  Oftentimes　they　brushed　together　in　passing；　but　the　apes
  had　already　taken　his　presence　for　granted；　so　that　he　was
  as　much　one　of　them　as　Akut　himself。
  If　he　came　too　close　to　a　she　with　a　young　baby；　the　former
  would　bare　her　great　fighting　fangs　and　growl　ominously；
  and　occasionally　a　truculent　young　bull　would　snarl　a　warning
  if　Tarzan　approached　while　the　former　was　eating。　　But　in
  those　things　the　treatment　was　no　different　from　that　which
  they　accorded　any　other　member　of　the　tribe。
  Tarzan　on　his　part　felt　very　much　at　home　with　these　fierce；
  hairy　progenitors　of　primitive　man。　　He　skipped　nimbly　out
  of　reach　of　each　threatening　femalefor　such　is　the　way　of
  apes；　if　they　be　not　in　one　of　their　occasional　fits　of　bestial
  rageand　he　growled　back　at　the　truculent　young　bul