Then, squatting upon his haunches,
he proceeded to eat, first motioning Clayton to join him.
The strong white teeth sank into the raw and dripping flesh
in apparent relish of the meal, but Clayton could not bring
himself to share the uncooked meat with his strange host;
instead he watched him, and presently there dawned upon him
the conviction that this was Tarzan of the Apes, whose notice
he had seen posted upon the cabin door that morning.
If so he must speak English.
Again Clayton attempted speech with the ape-man; but the
replies, now vocal, were in a strange tongue, which resembled
the chattering of monkeys mingled with the growling of some
wild beast.
No, this could not be Tarzan of the Apes, for it was very
evident that he was an utter stranger to English.
When Tarzan had completed his repast he rose and, pointing
a very different direction from that which Clayton had
been pursuing, started off through the jungle toward the point
he had indicated.
Clayton, bewildered and confused, hesitated to follow him,
for he thought he was but being led more deeply into the
mazes of the forest; but the ape-man, seeing him disinclined
to follow, returned, and, grasping him by the coat, dragged
him along until he was convinced that Clayton understood what
was required of him. Then he left him to follow voluntarily.
The Englishman, finally concluding that he was a prisoner,
saw no alternative open but to accompany his captor, and
thus they traveled slowly through the jungle while the sable
mantle of the impenetrable forest night fell about them, and
the stealthy footfalls of padded paws mingled with the breaking
of twigs and the wild calls of the savage life that Clayton
felt closing in upon him.
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