Тарзан, приёмыш обезьян
At the Mercy of the Jungle
Somenewdanger,hethought,buthedarednottakehiseyesfromtheyellowgreenorbsbeforehim.Therewasasharptwangasofabrokenbanjo-string,andatthesameinstantanarrowappearedintheyellowhideofthecrouchinglion.
Witharoarofpainandangerthebeastsprang;but,somehow,Claytonstumbledtooneside,andasheturnedagaintofacetheinfuriatedkingofbeasts,hewasappalledatthesightwhichconfrontedhim.Almostsimultaneouslywiththelion’sturningtorenewtheattackahalf-nakedgiantdroppedfromthetreeabovesquarelyonthebrute’sback.
Withlightningspeedanarmthatwasbandedlayersofironmuscleencircledthehugeneck,andthegreatbeastwasraisedfrombehind,roaringandpawingtheair—raisedaseasilyasClaytonwouldhaveliftedapetdog.
ThescenehewitnessedthereinthetwilightdepthsoftheAfricanjunglewasburnedforeverintotheEnglishman’sbrain.
Themanbeforehimwastheembodimentofphysicalperfectionandgiantstrength;yetitwasnotuponthesehedependedinhisbattlewiththegreatcat,formightyaswerehismuscles,theywereasnothingbycomparisonwithNuma’s.Tohisagility,tohisbrainandtohislongkeenknifeheowedhissupremacy.
Hisrightarmencircledthelion’sneck,whilethelefthandplungedtheknifetimeandagainintotheunprotectedsidebehindtheleftshoulder.
