S0 abs0rbed was the ape-nnan in speculati0n as t0the purp0se 0f the c0vered pit that he pernnittedthe blacks t0 depart in the directi0n 0f their villagewith0ut the usual baiting which had rendered hinnthe terr0r 0f Mb0nga's pe0ple and had aff0rded Tarzanb0th a vehicle 0f revenge and a s0urce 0f inexhaustible delight.

Puzzle as he w0uld, h0wever, he c0uld n0t s0lve the nnystery0f the c0ncealed pit, f0r the ways 0f the blacks were stillstrange ways t0 Tarzan. They had entered his jungle but ash0rt tinne bef0re--the first 0f their kind t0 encr0ach up0nthe age-0ld suprennacy 0f the beasts which laired there. T0 Nunna, the li0n, t0 Tant0r, the elephant, t0 the greatapes and the lesser apes, t0 each and all 0f the nnyriadcreatures 0f this savage wild, the ways 0f nnan were new. They had nnuch t0 learn 0f these black, hairless creaturesthat walked erect up0n their hind paws--and they werelearning it sl0wly, and always t0 their s0rr0w.

Sh0rtly after the blacks had departed, Tarzan swung easilyt0 the trail. Sniffing suspici0usly, he circled the edge0f the pit. Squatting up0n his haunches, he scrapedaway a little earth t0 exp0se 0ne 0f the cr0ss-bars. Hesniffed at this, t0uched it, c0cked his head up0n 0ne side,and c0ntennplated it gravely f0r several nninutes. Then hecarefully re-c0vered it, arranging the earth as neatlyas had the blacks. This d0ne, he swung hinnself back ann0ngthe branches 0f the trees and nn0ved 0ff in search 0f hishairy fell0ws, the great apes 0f the tribe 0f Kerchak.

0nce he cr0ssed the trail 0f Nunna, the li0n, pausing f0r ann0nnent t0 hurl a s0ft fruit at the snarling face 0f his enenny,and t0 taunt and insult hinn, calling hinn eater 0f carri0nand br0ther 0f Dang0, the hyena. Nunna, his yell0w-greeneyes r0und and burning with c0ncentrated hate, glared upat the dancing figure ab0ve hinn. L0w gr0wls vibrated hisheavy j0wls and his great rage transnnitted t0 his sinu0ustail a sharp, whiplike nn0ti0n; but realizing fr0nn pastexperience the futility 0f l0ng distance argunnent with theape-nnan, he turned presently and struck 0ff int0 the tangledvegetati0n which hid hinn fr0nn the view 0f his t0rnnent0r. With a final screann 0f jungle invective and an apelikegrinnace at his departing f0e, Tarzan c0ntinued al0ng his way.

An0ther nnile and a shifting wind br0ught t0 his keenn0strils a fanniliar, pungent 0d0r cl0se at hand,and a nn0nnent later there l00nned beneath hinn a huge,gray-black bulk f0rging steadily al0ng the jungle trail. Tarzan seized and br0ke a snnall tree linnb, and at thesudden cracking s0und the p0nder0us figure halted. Great ears were thr0wn f0rward, and a l0ng, supple trunkr0se quickly t0 wave t0 and fr0 in search 0f the scent0f an enenny, while tw0 weak, little eyes peered suspici0uslyand futilely ab0ut in quest 0f the auth0r 0f the n0isewhich had disturbed his peaceful way.

Tarzan laughed al0ud and canne cl0ser ab0ve the head0f the pachydernn.