made since the
rain, and Tarzan knew that it would not be long before they came upon
the thief and his loot. Above them, as they crept stealthily forward,
chattered Manu, the monkey, and his thousand fellows; squawked and
screamed the brazen-throated birds of plumage; buzzed and hummed the
countless insects amid the rustling of the forest leaves, and, as they
passed, a little gray-beard, squeaking and scolding upon a swaying
branch, looked down and saw them. Instantly the scolding and squeaking
ceased, and off tore the long-tailed mite as though Sheeta, the
panther, had been endowed with wings and was in close pursuit of him.
To all appearances he was only a very much frightened little monkey,
fleeing for his life--there seemed nothing sinister about him.

And what of Teeka during all this time? Was she at last resigned to her
fate and accompanying her new mate in the proper humility of a loving
and tractable spouse? A single glance at the pair would have answered
these questions to the utter satisfaction of the most captious. She
was torn and bleeding from many wounds, inflicted by the sullen Toog in
his vain efforts to subdue her to his will, and Toog too was disfigured
and mutilated; but with stubborn ferocity, he still clung to his now
useless prize.

On through the jungle he forced his way in the direction of the
stamping ground of his tribe. He hoped that his king would have
forgotten his treason; but if not he was still resigned to his
fate--any fate would be better than suffering longer the sole
companionship of this frightful she, and then, too, he wished to
exhibit his captive to his fellows. Maybe he could wish her on the
king--it is possible that such a thought urged him on.

At last they came upon two bulls feeding in a parklike grove--a
beautiful grove dotted with huge boulders half embedded in the rich
loam--mute monuments, possibly, to a forgotten age when mighty glaciers
rolled their slow course where now a torrid sun beats down upon a
tropic jungle.

The two bulls looked up, baring long fighting fangs, as Toog appeared
in the distance. The latter recognized the two as friends. "It is
Toog," he growled. "Toog has come back with a new she."

The apes waited his nearer approach. Teeka turned a snarling, fanged
face toward them. She was not pretty to look upon, yet through the
blood and hatred upon her countenance they realized that she was
beautiful, and they envied Toog--alas! they did