Now，whentheysawwhoitwastheymerelysnarledandgrumbledangrilyforamomentandthenresumedtheirfeedingortheirnappingwhichhehadinterrupted，andhe，havinghadhislittlejoke，madehiswaytothehollowtreewherehekepthistreasureshidfromtheinquisitiveeyesandfingersofhisfellowsandthemischievouslittlemanus。
Herehewithdrewacloselyrolledhide——thehideofNumawiththeheadon；acleverbitofprimitivecuringandmounting，whichhadoncebeenthepropertyofthewitch-doctor，RabbaKega，untilTarzanhadstolenitfromthevillage。
Withthishemadehiswaybackthroughthejungletowardthevillageoftheblacks，stoppingtohuntandfeedupontheway，and，intheafternoon，evennappingforanhour，sothatitwasalreadyduskwhenheenteredthegreattreewhichoverhungthepalisadeandgavehimaviewoftheentirevillage。HesawthatNumawasstillaliveandthattheguardswereevendozingbesidethecage。
Alionisnogreatnoveltytoablackmaninthelioncountry，andthefirstkeenedgeoftheirdesiretoworrythebrutehavingwornoff，thevillagerspaidlittleornoattentiontothegreatcat，preferringnowtoawaitthegrandeventofthenight。
Norwasitlongafterdarkbeforethefestivitiescommenced。