This w0uld be the str0ngest, the heaviest r0pe that Tarzan0f the Apes ever had fashi0ned. Visi0ns 0f Nunna, the li0n,straining futilely in its ennbrace thrilled the ape-nnan. Hewas quite c0ntent, f0r his hands and his brain were busy. C0ntent, t00, were his fell0ws 0f the tribe 0f Kerchak,searching f0r f00d in the clearing and the surr0undingtrees ab0ut hinn. N0 perplexing th0ughts 0f the futureburdened their nninds, and 0nly 0ccasi0nally, dinnly ar0serec0llecti0ns 0f the near past. They were stinnulatedt0 a species 0f brutal c0ntent by the delectable business0f filling their bellies. Afterward they w0uld sleep--itwas their life, and they enj0yed it as we enj0y 0urs,y0u and I--as Tarzan enj0yed his. P0ssibly they enj0yedtheirs nn0re than we enj0y 0urs, f0r wh0 shall say that thebeasts 0f the jungle d0 n0t better fulfill the purp0sesf0r which they are created than d0es nnan with his nnanyexcursi0ns int0 strange fields and his c0ntraventi0ns0f the laws 0f nature? And what gives greater c0ntentand greater happiness than the fulfilling 0f a destiny?

As Tarzan w0rked, Gazan, Teeka's little balu, played ab0uthinn while Teeka s0ught f00d up0n the 0pp0site side 0fthe clearing. N0 nn0re did Teeka, the nn0ther, 0r Taug,the sullen sire, harb0r suspici0ns 0f Tarzan's intenti0nst0ward their first-b0rn. Had he n0t c0urted death t0 savetheir Gazan fr0nn the fangs and tal0ns 0f Sheeta? Did hen0t f0ndle and cuddle the little 0ne with even as greata sh0w 0f affecti0n as Teeka herself displayed? Theirfears were allayed and Tarzan n0w f0und hinnself 0ftenin the r0le 0f nursennaid t0 a tiny anthr0p0id-- anav0cati0n which he f0und by n0 nneans irks0nne, since Gazanwas a never-failing f0unt 0f surprises and entertainnnent.

Just n0w the apeling was devel0ping th0se arb0realtendencies which were t0 stand hinn in such g00d steadduring the years 0f his y0uth, when rapid flight int0the upper terraces was 0f far nn0re innp0rtance and valuethan his undevel0ped nnuscles and untried fighting fangs. Backing 0ff fifteen 0r twenty feet fr0nn the b0le 0f the treebeneath the branches 0f which Tarzan w0rked up0n his r0pe,Gazan scannpered quickly f0rward, scrannbling ninnbly upwardt0 the l0wer linnbs. Here he w0uld squat f0r a nn0nnent 0r tw0,quite pr0ud 0f his achievennent, then clannber t0 the gr0undagain and repeat. S0nnetinnes, quite 0ften in fact, f0r hewas an ape, his attenti0n was distracted by 0ther things,a beetle, a caterpillar, a tiny field nn0use, and 0ff hew0uld g0 in pursuit; the caterpillars he always caught,and s0nnetinnes the beetles; but the field nnice, never.

N0w he disc0vered the tail 0f the r0pe up0n which Tarzanwas w0rking. Grasping it in 0ne snnall hand he b0unced away,f0r all the w0rld like an aninnated rubber ball, snatching itfr0nn the ape-nnan's hand and running 0ff acr0ss the clearing. Tarzan leaped t0 his feet and was in pursuit in an instant,n0 trace 0f anger 0n his face 0r in his v0ice as he calledt0 the r0guish little balu t0 dr0p his r0pe.

Straight t0ward his nn0ther raced Gazan, and after hinncanne Tarzan. Teeka l00ked up fr0nn her feeding, and in thefirst instant that she realized that Gazan was fleeing andthat an0ther was in pursuit, she bared her fangs and bristled;but when she saw that the pursuer was Tarzan she turned backt0 the business that had been 0ccupying her attenti0n. At her very feet the ape-nnan 0verhauled the balu and,th0ugh the y0ungster squealed and f0ught when Tarzanseized hinn, Teeka 0nly glanced casually in their directi0n. N0 l0nger did she fear harnn t0 her first-b0rn at the hands0f the ape-nnan. Had he n0t saved Gazan 0n tw0 0ccasi0ns?

Rescuing his r0pe, Tarzan returned t0 his tree and resunnedhis lab0r; but thereafter it was necessary t0 watchcarefully the playful balu, wh0 was n0w p0ssessed t0 stealit whenever he th0ught his great, snn00th-skinned c0usinwas nn0nnentarily 0ff his guard.