Tarzan and the Lion-Man

'And they're calling to us. They're waiting for us. They know that we'll come, and then they'll get us.'

The flap of the tent moved, and Obroski jumped to Ms feet with a nervous start. The girl sat straight up on her cot, wide-eyed. The flap was pulled back, and Rhonda Terry stepped into the light of the lone lantern.

'Hello, there!' she exclaimed cheerily.

'I wish you'd scratch before you come in,' snapped Naomi. 'You gave me a start.'

'If we have to camp this close to the black belt every night we'll all be scratching.' She turned to Obroski. 'Run along home now; it's time all little Lion Men were in bed.'

'I was just going,' said Obroski.'

'You'd better. I just saw Tom Orman reeling in this direction.'

Obroski paled. 'Well, I'll be running along,' he said hurriedly, while making a quick exit.

Naomi Madison looked distinctly worried. 'Did you really see Tom out there?' she demanded.

'Sure. He was wallowing around like the Avalon in a heavy sea.'

'But they said he went to bed.'

'If he did, he took his bottle to bed with him.'

Orman's voice came to them from outside. 'Hey, you! Come back here!'

'Is that you, Mr. Orman?' Obroski's voice quavered noticeably.

'Yes, it's me. What you doin' in the girls' tent? Didn't I give orders that none of you guys was to go into that tent?'

'I was just lookin' for Rhonda. I wanted to ask her something.'

'You're a liar. Rhonda wasn't there. I just saw her go in. You been in there with Naomi. I've got a good mind to bust your jaw.'

'Honestly, Mr. Orman, I was just in there a minute. When I found Rhonda wasn't there I came right out.'

'You came right out after Rhonda went in, you dirty, sneakin' skunk; and now you listen to me. You lay off Naomi. She's my girl. If I ever find you monkeyin' around her again I'll kill you. Do you get that?'

'Yes, sir.'

Rhonda looked at Naomi and winked. 'Papa cross; papa spank,' she said.

'My God! he'll kill me,' shuddered Naomi.

The flap of the tent was thrust violently aside, and Orman burst into the tent. Rhonda wheeled and faced him.

'What do you mean by coming into our tent?' she demanded. 'Get out of here!'

Orman's jaw dropped. He was not accustomed to being talked to like that, and it took him off his feet. He was as surprised as might be a pit bull slapped in the face by a rabbit. He stood swaying at the entrance for a moment, staring at Rhonda as though he had discovered a new species of animal.

'I just wanted to speak to Naomi,' he said. 'I didn't know you were here.'

'You can speak to Naomi in the morning. And you did know that I was here; I heard you tell Stanley.'

At the mention of Obroski's name Orman's anger welled up again. 'That's what I'm goin' to talk to her about.' He took a step in the direction of Naomi's cot. 'Now look here, you dirty little tramp,' he yelled, 'you can't make a monkey of me. If I ever catch you playin' around with that Polack again I'll beat you into a pulp.'

Naomi shrank back, whimpering. 'Don't touch me! I didn't do anything. You got it all wrong, Tom. He didn't come here to see me; he came to see Rhonda. Don't let him get me, Rhonda, for God's sake, don't let him get me.'

Orman hesitated and looked at Rhonda. 'Is that on the level?' he asked.

'Sure,' she replied, 'he came to see me. I asked him to come.'

'Then why didn't he stay after you came in?' Orman thought he had her there.

'I saw you coming, and I told him to beat it.'

'Well, you got to cut it out,' snapped Orman. 'There's to be no more men in this tent—do your visiting outside.'

'That suits me,' said Rhonda. 'Good-night.'

As Orman departed, the Madison sank back on her cot trembling. 'Phew!' she whispered after she thought the man was out of hearing. 'That was a close shave.' She did not thank Rhonda. Her selfish egotism accepted any service as her rightful due.

'Listen,' said the other girl. 'I'm hired to double for you in pictures, not in your love affairs. After this, watch your step.'

Orman saw a light in the tent occupied by West and one of the other cameramen. He walked over to it and went in. West was undressing. 'Hello, Tom!' he said. 'What brings you around? Anything wrong?'

'There ain't now, but there was. I just run that dirty Polack out of the girls' tent. He was over there with Rhonda.'

West paled. 'I don't believe it.'

'You callin' me a liar?' demanded Orman.

'Yes, you and any one else who says that.'

Orman shrugged. 'Well, she told me so herself—said she asked him over and made him scram when she saw me coming. That stuff's got to stop, and I told her so. I told the Polack too—the damn pansy.'

Then he lurched out and headed for his own tent.

Bill West lay awake until almost morning.

Chapter Five Death

While the camp slept, a bronzed white giant, naked but for a loin cloth, surveyed it—sometimes from the branches of overhanging trees, again from the ground inside the circle of the sentries. Then, he moved among the tents of the whites and the shelters of the natives as soundlessly as a shadow. He saw everything, he heard much. With the coming of dawn he melted away into the mist that enveloped the forest.

It was long before dawn that the camp commenced to stir. Major White had snatched a few hours sleep after midnight. He was up early routing out the cooks, getting the whites up so that their tents could be struck for an early start, directing the packing and loading by Kwamudi's men. It was then that he learned that fully twenty-five of the porters had deserted during the night.

He questioned the sentries, but none had seen any one leave the camp during the night. He knew that some of them lied. When Orman came out of his tent he told him what had happened.

The director shrugged. 'We still got more than we need anyway.'

'If we have any more trouble with the Bansutos today, we'll have more desertions tonight,' White warned. 'They may all leave in spite of Kwamudi, and if we're left in this country without porters I wouldn't give a fig for our chances of ever getting out.

'I still think, Mr. Orman, that the sensible thing would be to turn back and make a detour. Our situation is extremely grave.'

'Well, turn back if you want to, and take the rats with you,' growled Orman. 'I'm going on with the trucks and the company.' He turned and walked away.

The whites were gathering at the mess table—a long table that accommodated them all. In the dim light of the coming dawn and the mist rising from the ground, figures at a little distance appeared spectral, and the illusion was accentuated by the silence of the company. Every one was cold and sleepy. They were apprehensive too of what the day held for them. Memory of the black soldiers, pierced by poisoned arrows, writhing on the ground was too starkly present in every mind.

Hot coffee finally thawed them out a bit. It was Pat O'Grady who thawed first. 'Good morning, dear teacher, good morning to you,' he sang in an attempt to reach a childish treble.

'Ain't we got fun!' exclaimed Rhonda Terry. She glanced down the table and saw Bill West. She wondered a little, because he had always sat beside her before. She tried to catch his eye and smile at him, but he did not look