noon
Twice they were approached by forest lions , but upon both occasions the deep growls of Numa of the pit drove off their assailants . Several times they were compelled to rest , for Smith-Oldwick was constantly upon the verge of exhaustion , and toward morning Tarzan was forced to carry him on the steep ascent from the bed of the valley . The Tommies Daylight overtook them after they had entered the gorge , but , tired as they all were with the exception of Tarzan , they realized that they must keep on at all costs until they found a spot where they might ascend the precipitous side of the gorge to the floor of the plateau above . Tarzan and Otobu were both equally confident that the Xujans would not follow them beyond the gorge , but though they scanned every inch of the frowning cliffs upon either hand noon came and there was still no indication of any avenue of escape to right or left . There were places where the ape-man alone might have negotiated the ascent but none where the others could hope successfully to reach the plateau , nor where Tarzan , powerful and agile as he was , could have ventured safely to carry them aloft . For half a day the ape-man had been either carrying or supporting Smith-Oldwick and now , to his chagrin , he saw that the girl was faltering . He had realized well how much she had undergone and how greatly the hardships and dangers and the fatigue of the past weeks must have told upon her vitality .