Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
Stealthily he worked his way through the brush. The antelopes fed on,
unsuspecting. The distance separating the lion from his prey was over
great for a successful charge, and so Jad-bal-ja waited, hiding in the
brush, until the antelope should either graze closer to him or turn its
back toward him. No sound came from the four watching the grazing
herbivora, nor did the latter give any indication of a suspicion of the
nearness of danger. The old buck moved slowly closer to Jad-bal-ja.
Almost imperceptibly the lion was gathering for the charge. The only
noticeable movement was the twitching of his tail’s tip, and then, as
lightning from the sky, as an arrow from a bow, he shot from immobility
to tremendous speed in an instant. He was almost upon the buck before
the latter realized the proximity of danger, and then it was too late,
for scarcely had the antelope wheeled than the lion rose upon its hind
legs and seized it, while the balance of the herd broke into precipitate
flight.
“Now,” said Korak, “we shall see.”
“He will bring the antelope to me,” said Tarzan confidently.
The golden lion hesitated a moment, growling over the carcass of his
kill. Then he seized it by the back and with his head turned to one side
dragged it along the ground beside him, as he made his way slowly back
toward Tarzan. Through the brush he dragged the slain antelope until he
had dropped it at the feet of his master, where he stood, looking up at
the face of the ape-man with an expression that could not have been
construed into aught but pride in his achievement and a plea for
commendation.
Tarzan stroked his head and spoke to him in a low voice, praising him,
and then, drawing his hunting knife, he cut the jugular of the antelope
and let the blood from the carcass. Jane and Korak stood close, watching
Jad-bal-ja—what would the lion do with the smell of fresh, hot blood in
his nostrils? He sniffed at it and growled, and with bared fangs he eyed
the three wickedly. The ape-man pushed him away with his open palm and
the lion growled again angrily and snapped at him.
Quick is Numa, quick is Bara, the deer, but Tarzan of the Apes is
lightning. So swiftly did he strike, and so heavily, that Jad-bal-ja was
falling on his back almost in the very instant that he had growled at
his master. Swiftly he came to his feet again and the two stood facing
one another.
“Down!” commanded the ape-man. “Lie down, Jad-bal-ja!” His voice was low
and firm. The lion hesitated but for an instant, and then lay down as
Tarzan of the Apes had taught him to do at the word of command. Tarzan
turned and lifted the carcass of the antelope to his shoulder.
“Come,” he said to Jad-bal-ja. “Heel!” and without another glance at the
carnivore he moved off toward the horses.
“I might have known it,” said Korak, with a laugh, “and saved my hundred
pounds.”
“Of course you might have known it,” said his mother.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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