The ape-man had but a brief glimpse of them but it was sufficient
indication that there were Waz-don with them, doubtless prisoners
taken in one of the raids upon the Waz-don villages of which Ta-den
and Om-at had told him.
At the sound of their voices the gryf had bellowed terrifically
and started in pursuit even though a river intervened, but by dint
of much prodding and beating, Tarzan had succeeded in heading the
animal back into the path though thereafter for a long time it was
sullen and more intractable than ever.
As the sun dropped nearer the summit of the western hills Tarzan
became aware that his plan to enter A-lur upon the back of a gryf
was likely doomed to failure, since the stubbornness of the great
beast was increasing momentarily, doubtless due to the fact that
its huge belly was crying out for food. The ape-man wondered if the
Tor-o-dons had any means of picketing their beasts for the night,
but as he did not know and as no plan suggested itself, he determined
that he should have to trust to the chance of finding it again in
the morning.
There now arose in his mind a question as to what would be their
relationship when Tarzan had dismounted. Would it again revert to
that of hunter and quarry or would fear of the goad continue to hold
its supremacy over the natural instinct of the hunting flesh-eater?
Tarzan wondered but as he could not remain upon the gryf forever,
and as he preferred dismounting and putting the matter to a final
test while it was still light, he decided to act at once.
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