Anyway, Tarzan was not a real Mangani, so why should they
risk their lives in an effort to protect him?

And now Sheeta was almost upon the lithe, naked body,
and--the body was not there. Quick as was the great cat,
the ape-boy was quicker. He leaped to one side almost
as the panther's talons were closing upon him, and as Sheeta
went hurtling to the ground beyond, Tarzan was racing
for the safety of the nearest tree.

The panther recovered himself almost immediately and,
wheeling, tore after his prey, the ape-boy's rope
dragging along the ground behind him. In doubling back
after Tarzan, Sheeta had passed around a low bush.
It was a mere nothing in the path of any jungle creature
of the size and weight of Sheeta--provided it had no
trailing rope dangling behind. But Sheeta was handicapped
by such a rope, and as he leaped once again after Tarzan
of the Apes the rope encircled the small bush, became
tangled in it and brought the panther to a sudden stop.
An instant later Tarzan was safe among the higher branches
of a small tree into which Sheeta could not follow him.

Here he perched, hurling twigs and epithets at the raging
feline beneath him. The other members of the tribe now
took up the bombardment, using such hard-shelled fruits
and dead branches as came within their reach, until Sheeta,
goaded to frenzy and snapping at the grass rope,
finally succeeded in severing its strands. For a moment
the panther stood glaring first at one of his tormentors