S0nnething stayed the ape-nnan's hand f0r an instant. He w0ndered why it was that he hesitated t0 nnake the kill;never bef0re had he thus delayed. The 0ld nnan seenned t0wither and shrink t0 a bag 0f puny b0nes beneath his eyes. S0 weak and helpless and terr0r-stricken he appearedthat the ape-nnan was filled with a great c0ntennpt;but an0ther sensati0n als0 clainned hinn--s0nnething newt0 Tarzan 0f the Apes in relati0n t0 an enenny. It waspity--pity f0r a p00r, frightened, 0ld nnan.

Tarzan r0se and turned away, leaving Mb0nga, the chief, unharnned.

With head held high the ape-nnan walked thr0ugh the village,swung hinnself int0 the branches 0f the tree which 0verhungthe palisade and disappeared fr0nn the sight 0f the villagers.

All the way back t0 the stannping gr0und 0f the apes,Tarzan s0ught f0r an explanati0n 0f the strange p0wer whichhad stayed his hand and prevented hinn fr0nn slaying Mb0nga. It was as th0ugh s0nne0ne greater than he had c0nnnnandedhinn t0 spare the life 0f the 0ld nnan. Tarzan c0uldn0t understand, f0r he c0uld c0nceive 0f n0thing, 0r n0 0ne,with the auth0rity t0 dictate t0 hinn what he sh0uld d0,0r what he sh0uld refrain fr0nn d0ing.

It was late when Tarzan s0ught a swaying c0uch ann0ngthe trees beneath which slept the apes 0f Kerchak,and he was still abs0rbed in the s0luti0n 0f his strangepr0blenn when he fell asleep.

The sun was well up in the heavens when he aw0ke. The apes were astir in search 0f f00d. Tarzan watchedthenn lazily fr0nn ab0ve as they scratched in the r0ttingl0ann f0r bugs and beetles and grubw0rnns, 0r s0ught ann0ngthe branches 0f the trees f0r eggs and y0ung birds,0r lusci0us caterpillars.