Here their three companions were awaiting them. Tarzan passed to the left side of the niche and examined the pegs that lay within reach. He looked at them but it was not his eyes that were examining them. Keener than his keen eyes was that marvelously trained sense of scent that had first been developed in him during infancy under the tutorage of his foster mother, Kala, the she-ape, and further sharpened in the grim jungles by that master teacher--the instinct of self-preservation. From the left side of the niche he turned to the right. Om-at was becoming impatient. "Let us be off," he said. "We must search for Pan-at-lee if we would ever find her." "Where shall we search?" asked Tarzan. Om-at scratched his head. "Where?" he repeated. "Why all Pal-ul-don, if necessary." "A large job," said Tarzan. "Come," he added, "she went this way," and he took to the pegs that led aloft toward the summit of the cliff. Here he followed the scent easily since none had passed that way since Pan-at-lee had fled. At the point at which she had left the permanent pegs and resorted to those carried with her Tarzan came to an abrupt halt. "She went this way to the summit," he called back to Om-at who was directly behind him; "but there are no pegs here." "I do not know how you know that she went this way," said Om-at; "but we will get pegs. In-sad, return and fetch climbing pegs for five." The young warrior was soon back and the pegs distributed. Om-at handed five to Tarzan and explained their use. The ape-man returned one. "I need but four," he said. Om-at smiled. "What a wonderful creature you would be if you were not deformed," he said, glancing with pride at his own strong tail. "I admit that I am handicapped," replied Tarzan. "You others go ahead and leave the pegs in place for me. I am afraid that otherwise it will be slow work as I cannot hold the pegs in my toes as you do." "All right," agreed Om-at; "Ta-den, In-sad, and I will go first, you follow and O-dan bring up the rear and collect the pegs--we cannot leave them here for our enemies." "Can't your enemies bring their own pegs?" asked Tarzan. "Yes; but it delays them and makes easier our defense and--they do not know which of all the holes you see are deep enough for pegs--the others are made to confuse our enemies and are too shallow to hold a peg." At the top of the cliff beside the gnarled tree Tarzan again took up the trail. Here the scent was fully as strong as upon the pegs and the ape-man moved rapidly across the ridge in the direction of the Kor-ul-lul. Presently he paused and turned toward Om-at. "Here she moved swiftly, running at top speed, and, Om-at, she was pursued by a lion." "You can read that in the grass?" asked O-dan as the others gathered about the ape-man. Tarzan nodded. "I do not think the lion got her," he added; "but that we shall determine quickly. No, he did not get her--look!" and he pointed toward the southwest, down the ridge.