And so
he sought up and down the verge of the stagnant water for traces of
an old spoor that would have been invisible to your eyes or mine,
even had we followed directly in the tracks of its maker.
As Tarzan advanced upon the gryfs he imitated as closely as he could
recall them the methods and mannerisms of the Tor-o-don, but up to
the instant that he stood close beside one of the huge creatures
he realized that his fate still hung in the balance, for the thing
gave forth no sign, either menacing or otherwise. It only stood
there, watching him out of its cold, reptilian eyes and then Tarzan
raised his staff and with a menacing "Whee-oo!" struck the gryf a
vicious blow across the face.
The creature made a sudden side snap in his direction, a snap that
did not reach him, and then turned sullenly away, precisely as it
had when the Tor-o-don commanded it. Walking around to its rear as
he had seen the shaggy first-man do, Tarzan ran up the broad tail
and seated himself upon the creature's back, and then again imitating
the acts of the Tor-o-don he prodded it with the sharpened point of
his staff, and thus goading it forward and guiding it with blows,
first upon one side and then upon the other, he started it down
the gorge in the direction of the valley.
At first it had been in his mind only to determine if he could
successfully assert any authority over the great monsters, realizing
that in this possibility lay his only hope of immediate escape from
his jailers.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141