But his constant jabbering not only annoyed Tarzan, who worked in silence, but suggested that later the black might raise his voice in cries for succor, so he stepped out of the cage, gathered a handful of grass and a small stick and returning, jammed the grass into Rabba Kega's mouth, laid the stick crosswise between his teeth and fastened it there with the thong from Rabba Kega's loin cloth.
Long before they reached the cage, they heard the roaring of a great lion and guessed that they had made a successful bag, so it was with shouts of joy that they approached the spot where they should find their captive.
"Say nae mair, say nae mair," said Cluny, and pointed me to a bed of heather in a corner of the Cage. For all that he was displeased enough, looked at me askance, and grumbled when he looked.
What with the brandy and the venison, a strange heaviness had come over me; and I had scarce lain down upon the bed before I fell into a kind of trance, in which I continued almost the whole time of our stay in the Cage. Sometimes I was broad awake and understood what passed; sometimes I only heard voices, or men snoring, like the voice of a silly river; and the plaids upon the wall dwindled down and swelled out again, like firelight shadows on the roof.
For an instant silence reigned in the great amphitheatre, then a wild shout arose from the
cages of the doomed.
And then, when his back was turned as he went down the
cage, Collins stepped directly in the way of his return path and stood still.
He wasn't there, but directly in front of me was King Wallace, in tights, waiting for his turn to go on with his
cage of performing lions.
A moment later a limp form crumpled to the floor of the
cage.
Hold, Master Olivier; I desire to see that
cage myself.
Will you be quiet!" screamed the lady of the house, covering the
cage with an embroidered white pocket handkerchief.
"My ship," began the captain, waving his hand unsteadily towards the
cages, "was a clean ship.
Kantos Kan and I were confined together in one of the
cages. In the others were wild calots, thoats, mad zitidars, green warriors, and women of other hordes, and many strange and ferocious wild beasts of Barsoom which I had never before seen.
