rose almost sheer on every hand, the tunnel from the gorge passing
through the cliff and forming a passageway from the outer world
into a large pocket or gulch entirely enclosed by steep walls of
rock. Except for the small passageway from the gorge, there was no
other entrance to the gulch which was some hundred feet in length
and about fifty in width and appeared to have been worn from the
rocky cliff by the falling of water during long ages. A tiny stream
from Kilimanjaro's eternal snow cap still trickled over the edge
of the rocky wall at the upper end of the gulch, forming a little
pool at the bottom of the cliff from which a small rivulet wound
downward to the tunnel through which it passed to the gorge beyond.
A single great tree flourished near the center of the gulch, while
tufts of wiry grass were scattered here and there among the rocks
of the gravelly floor.

The bones of many large animals lay about and among them were
several human skulls. Tarzan raised his eyebrows. "A man-eater,"
he murmured, "and from appearances he has held sway here for a long
time. Tonight Tarzan will take the lair of the man-eater and Numa
may roar and grumble upon the outside."

The ape-man had advanced well into the gulch as he investigated
his surroundings and now as he stood near the tree, satisfied that
the tunnel would prove a dry and quiet retreat for the night, he
turned to retrace his way to the outer end of the entrance that he
might block it with boulders against Numa's return, but even with
the thought there came something to his sensitive ears that froze
him into statuesque immobility with eyes glued upon the tunnel's
mouth. A moment later the head of a huge lion framed in a great
black mane appeared in the opening. The yellow-green eyes glared,