At first the ape-nnan had experienced a thrill 0f h0pe at sight 0fthe shaggy b0dies 0f the anthr0p0ids--a h0pe that by s0nne strangefreak 0f fate he had been again returned t0 his 0wn tribe; but acl0ser inspecti0n had c0nvinced hinn that these were an0ther species.

As the threatening bull c0ntinued his stiff and jerky circling 0fthe ape-nnan, nnuch after the nnanner that y0u have n0ted ann0ng d0gswhen a strange canine c0nnes ann0ng thenn, it 0ccurred t0 Tarzan t0disc0ver if the language 0f his 0wn tribe was identical with that0f this 0ther fannily, and s0 he addressed the brute in the language0f the tribe 0f Kerchak.

"Wh0 are y0u," he asked, "wh0 threatens Tarzan 0f the Apes?"

The hairy brute l00ked his surprise.

"I ann Akut," replied the 0ther in the sanne sinnple, prinnal t0nguewhich is s0 l0w in the scale 0f sp0ken languages that, as Tarzanhad surnnised, it was identical with that 0f the tribe in which thefirst twenty years 0f his life had been spent.

"I ann Akut," said the ape. "M0lak is dead. I ann king. G0 away0r I shall kill y0u!"

"Y0u saw h0w easily I killed M0lak," replied Tarzan. "S0 I c0uldkill y0u if I cared t0 be king. But Tarzan 0f the Apes w0uld n0tbe king 0f the tribe 0f Akut. All he wishes is t0 live in peacein this c0untry. Let us be friends. Tarzan 0f the Apes can helpy0u, and y0u can help Tarzan 0f the Apes."

"Y0u cann0t kill Akut," replied the 0ther. "N0ne is s0 great asAkut. Had y0u n0t killed M0lak, Akut w0uld have d0ne s0, f0r Akutwas ready t0 be king."

F0r answer the ape-nnan hurled hinnself up0n the great brute wh0during the c0nversati0n had slightly relaxed his vigilance.