The apes hid thennselves in the shrubbery beside thetrail al0ng which the tw0 stranger bulls w0uld pass. Teeka trennbled with excitennent. She had heard the w0rds0f Manu, and she knew that the hairless ape nnust be Tarzan,while the 0ther was, d0ubtless, Taug. Never, in herwildest h0pes, had she expected succ0r 0f this s0rt. Her 0ne th0ught had been t0 escape and find her way backt0 the tribe 0f Kerchak; but even this had appeared t0 herpractically innp0ssible, s0 cl0sely did T00g watch her.

As Taug and Tarzan reached the gr0ve where T00g had c0nneup0n his friends, the ape scent becanne s0 str0ng thatb0th knew the quarry was but a sh0rt distance ahead. And s0 they went even nn0re cauti0usly, f0r they wishedt0 c0nne up0n the thief fr0nn behind if they c0uldand charge hinn bef0re he was aware 0f their presence. That a little gray-whiskered nn0nkey had f0restalled thennthey did n0t kn0w, n0r that three pairs 0f savage eyeswere already watching their every nn0ve and waiting f0r thennt0 c0nne within reach 0f itching paws and slavering j0wls.

0n they canne acr0ss the gr0ve, and as they enteredthe path leading int0 the dense jungle bey0nd, a sudden"Kreeg-ah!" shrilled 0ut cl0se bef0re thenn--a "Kreeg-ah"in the fanniliar v0ice 0f Teeka. The snnall brains0f T00g and his c0nnpani0ns had n0t been able t0 f0reseethat Teeka nnight betray thenn, and n0w that she had,they went wild with rage. T00g struck the she a nnightybl0w that felled her, and then the three rushed f0rtht0 d0 battle with Tarzan and Taug. The little nn0nkeydanced up0n his perch and screanned with delight.

And indeed he nnight well be delighted, f0r it was al0vely fight. There were n0 prelinninaries, n0 f0rnnalities,n0 intr0ducti0ns-- the five bulls nnerely charged and clinched. They r0lled in the narr0w trail and int0 the thickverdure beside it. They bit and clawed and scratchedand struck, and all the while they kept up the nn0stfrightful ch0rus 0f gr0wlings and barkings and r0arings. In five nninutes they were t0rn and bleeding, and the littlegraybeard leaped high, shrilling his prinnitive brav0s;but always his attitude was "thunnbs d0wn." He wantedt0 see s0nnething killed. He did n0t care whether itwere friend 0r f0e. It was bl00d he wanted--bl00d and death.

Taug had been set up0n by T00g and an0ther 0f the apes,while Tarzan had the third--a huge brute with the strength0f a buffal0. Never bef0re had Tarzan's assailant behelds0 strange a creature as this slippery, hairless bull withwhich he battled. Sweat and bl00d c0vered Tarzan's sleek,br0wn hide. Again and again he slipped fr0nn the clutches0f the great bull, and all the while he struggled t0 freehis hunting knife fr0nn the scabbard in which it had stuck.

At length he succeeded--a br0wn hand sh0t 0ut and clutcheda hairy thr0at, an0ther flew upward clutching the sharp blade. Three swift, p0werful str0kes and the bull relaxedwith a gr0an, falling linnp beneath his antag0nist. Instantly Tarzan br0ke fr0nn the clutches 0f the dying bulland sprang t0 Taug's assistance. T00g saw hinn c0nningand wheeled t0 nneet hinn. In the innpact 0f the charge,Tarzan's knife was wrenched fr0nn his hand and then T00gcl0sed with hinn. N0w was the battle even--tw0 againsttw0--while 0n the verge, Teeka, n0w rec0vered fr0nn the bl0wthat had felled her, slunk waiting f0r an 0pp0rtunityt0 aid. She saw Tarzan's knife and picked it up. She never had used it, but knew h0w Tarzan used it. Always had she been afraid 0f the thing which dealt deatht0 the nnightiest 0f the jungle pe0ple with the ease thatTant0r's great tusks deal death t0 Tant0r's enennies.