Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction; Tarzan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
It made no difference now that they had no safari, no askari, nor any
presents. The villagers were vying with one another to do them honor.
Even before the chief came many had already brought presents of food and
ornaments. Presently Umanga appeared. He was an old man who had been a
chief even before Tarzan of the Apes was born. His manner was
patriarchal and dignified and he greeted his guest as one great man
might greet another, yet he was undeniably pleased that the Lord of the
Jungle had honored his village with a visit.
When Tarzan explained his wishes and exhibited the lion cub Umanga
assured him that there would be milk a-plenty so long as Tarzan honored
them with his presence—warm milk, fresh from the chief’s own goats. As
they palavered the ape-man’s keen eyes took in every detail of the
village and its people, and presently they alighted upon a large bitch
among the numerous curs that overran the huts and the street. Her udder
was swollen with milk and the sight of it suggested a plan to Tarzan. He
jerked a thumb in the direction of the animal. “I would buy her,” he
said to Umanga.
“She is yours, Bwana, without payment,” replied the chief. “She whelped
two days since and last night her pups were all stolen from her nest,
doubtless by a great snake; but if you will accept them I will give you
instead as many younger and fatter dogs as you wish, for I am sure that
this one would prove poor eating.”
“I do not wish to eat her,” replied Tarzan. “I will take her along with
me to furnish milk for the cub. Have her brought to me.”
Some boys then caught the animal and tying a thong about its neck
dragged it to the ape-man. Like the lion, the dog was at first afraid,
for the scent of the Tarmangani was not as the scent of the blacks, and
it snarled and snapped at its new master; but at length he won the
animal’s confidence so that it lay quietly beside him while he stroked
its head. To get the lion close to it was, however, another matter, for
here both were terrified by the enemy scent of the other—the lion
snarling and spitting and the dog bare-fanged and growling. It required
patience—infinite patience—but at last the thing was an accomplished
fact and the cur bitch suckled the son of Numa. Hunger had succeeded in
overcoming the natural suspicion of the lion, while the firm yet kindly
attitude of the ape-man had won the confidence of the canine, which had
been accustomed through life to more of cuffs and kicks than kindness.
That night Tarzan had the dog tied in the hut he occupied, and twice
before morning he made her lie while the cub fed. The next day they took
leave of Umanga and his people and with the dog still upon a leash
trotting beside them they set off once more toward home, the young lion
cuddled in the hollow of one of Tarzan’s arms or carried in a sack slung
across his shoulder.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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