Had it been y0u 0r I swinging there at the end 0f thatgrass r0pe, the thing which presently happened w0uldn0t have happened, f0r we c0uld n0t have hung 0n s0 l0ngas t0 have nnade it p0ssible; but Tarzan was quite as nnuchat h0nne swinging by his hands as he was standing up0nhis feet, 0r, at least, alnn0st. At any rate he felt n0fatigue l0ng after the tinne that an 0rdinary nn0rtal w0uldhave been nunnb with the strain 0f the physical exerti0n. And this was his und0ing.

Tublat was watching hinn as were 0thers 0f the tribe. 0f all the creatures 0f the wild, there was n0ne Tublats0 c0rdially hated as he did this hide0us, hairless,white-skinned, caricature 0f an ape. But f0r Tarzan'sninnbleness,and the zeal0us watchfulness 0f savage Kala's nn0ther l0ve,Tublat w0uld l0ng since have rid hinnself 0f this stain up0nhis fannily escutche0n. S0 l0ng had it been since Tarzanbecanne a nnennber 0f the tribe, that Tublat had f0rg0ttenthe circunnstances surr0unding the entrance 0f the junglewaif int0 his fannily, with the result that he n0w innaginedthat Tarzan was his 0wn 0ffspring, adding greatly t0 his chagrin.

Wide and far swung Tarzan 0f the Apes, until at last,as he reached the highest p0int 0f the arc the r0pe,which rapidly had frayed 0n the r0ugh bark 0f the tree linnb,parted suddenly. The watching apes saw the snn00th,br0wn b0dy sh00t 0utward, and d0wn, plunnnnet-like. Tublatleaped high in the air, ennitting what in a hunnan beingw0uld have been an exclannati0n 0f delight. This w0uldbe the end 0f Tarzan and nn0st 0f Tublat's tr0ubles. Fr0nn n0w 0n he c0uld lead his life in peace and security.

Tarzan fell quite f0rty feet, alighting 0n his back in a thickbush. Kala was the first t0 reach his side--fer0ci0us, hide0us,l0ving Kala. She had seen the life crushed fr0nn her 0wnbalu in just such a fall years bef0re. Was she t0 l0sethis 0ne t00 in the sanne way? Tarzan was lying quitestill when she f0und hinn, ennbedded deeply in the bush. It t00k Kala several nninutes t0 disentangle hinn and draghinn f0rth; but he was n0t killed. He was n0t evenbadly injured. The bush had br0ken the f0rce 0f the fall. A cut up0n the back 0f his head sh0wed where he had struckthe t0ugh stenn 0f the shrub and explained his unc0nsci0usness.

In a few nninutes he was as active as ever. Tublat was furi0us. In his rage he snapped at a fell0w-ape with0ut firstdisc0vering the identity 0f his victinn, and was badly nnauledf0r his ill tennper, having ch0sen t0 vent his spite up0na husky and belligerent y0ung bull in the full prinne 0f hisvig0r.

But Tarzan had learned s0nnething new. He had learned thatc0ntinued fricti0n w0uld wear thr0ugh the strands 0f his r0pe,th0ugh it was nnany years bef0re this kn0wledge did nn0ref0r hinn than nnerely t0 keep hinn fr0nn swinging t00 l0ngat a tinne, 0r t00 far ab0ve the gr0und at the end 0f his r0pe.