gth and agility as did the little apes of other mothers. It
was nearly a year from the time the little fellow came into her
possession before he would walk alone, and as for climbing--my, but how
stupid he was!

Kala sometimes talked with the older females about her young hopeful,
but none of them could understand how a child could be so slow and
backward in learning to care for itself. Why, it could not even find
food alone, and more than twelve moons had passed since Kala had come
upon it.

Had they known that the child had seen thirteen moons before it had
come into Kala's possession they would have considered its case as
absolutely hopeless, for the little apes of their own tribe were as far
advanced in two or three moons as was this little stranger after
twenty-five.

Tublat, Kala's husband, was sorely vexed, and but for the female's
careful watching would have put the child out of the way.

"He will never be a great ape," he argued. "Always will you have to
carry him and protect him. What good will he be to the tribe? None;
only a burden.

"Let us leave him quietly sleeping among the tall grasses, that you may
bear other and stronger apes to guard us in our old age."

"Never, Broken Nose," replied Kala. "If I must carry him forever, so
be it."

And then Tublat went to Kerchak to urge him to use his authority with
Kala, and force her to give up little Tarzan, which was the name they
had given to the tiny Lord Greystoke, and which meant "White-Skin."

But when Kerchak spoke to her about it Kala threatened to run away from
the tribe if they did not leave her in peace with the child; and as
this is one of the inalienable rights of the jungle folk, if they be
dissatisfied among their own people, they bothered her no more, for
Kala was a fine clean-limbed young female, and they did not wish to
lose her.

As Tarzan grew he made more rapid strides, so that by the time he was
ten years old he was an excellent climber, and on the ground could do
many wonderful things which were beyond the powers of his little
brothers and sisters.

In many ways did he differ from them, and they often marveled at his
superior cunning, but in strength and size he was deficient; for at ten
the great anthropoids were fully grown, some of them towering over six
feet in height, while little Tarzan was still but a half-grown boy.

Yet such a boy!

From early childhood he had used his hands to swing from branch to
branch afte