Just as the lion disappeared among the trees beyond the
clearing Tarzan caught upon the down-coming wind the explanation of his new interest--the scent spoor of man was wafted strongly to the sensitive nostrils.
And while Teeka guarded suspiciously against harm, where there was no harm, she failed to note two baleful, yellow-green eyes staring fixedly at her from behind a clump of bushes at the opposite side of the
clearing.
Moti Guj paid the white man the compliment of charging him nearly a quarter of a mile across the
clearing and "Hrrumphing" him into his veranda.
To her consternation she saw that the apes were pausing in the centre of the
clearing. They came together in a little knot, where they stood looking backward, as though in expectation of the coming of others of their tribe.
They had barely time to hasten away farther into the forest before the first of the raiders had crossed the
clearing and entered it in pursuit of them.
A long time he waited, when, with thirst unslaked, he crept back to his horse, rode slowly across the sun-washed
clearing, and passed into the shelter of the woods beyond.
Walking and leading his horse, Daylight followed the quick-stepping eager little man through the green tunnel and emerged abruptly upon the
clearing, if
clearing it might be called, where wild nature and man's earth-scratching were inextricably blended.
"Stand back!" cried the Captain, sternly, and he led his captives through the curious throng until they came before a big range that stood in the center of the
clearing. Beside this range was a butcher block upon which lay a great cleaver with a keen edge.
Armed men rushed from the interior of many a hut and raced madly across the
clearing toward the excited sentry.
Even now, as they walked across the
clearing toward the boma, they were in utter ignorance of the presence of Tarzan near them.
An angry correspondence took place, in which he complained bitterly of the time wasted in "smoking and sporting parties," as he termed the reconnoitering expeditions, and in
clearing and preparing meadow ground and turnip patches, instead of despatching his ship.
Every day I was up at dawn,
clearing, planting, working on my house, and at night when I threw myself on my bed it was to sleep like a log till morning.