on his part never lost an opportunity to show that he fully
reciprocated his foster father's sentiments, and whenever he could
safely annoy him or make faces at him or hurl insults upon him from the
safety of his mother's arms, or the slender branches of the higher
trees, he did so.

His superior intelligence and cunning permitted him to invent a
thousand diabolical tricks to add to the burdens of Tublat's life.

Early in his boyhood he had learned to form ropes by twisting and tying
long grasses together, and with these he was forever tripping Tublat or
attempting to hang him from some overhanging branch.

By constant playing and experimenting with these he learned to tie rude
knots, and make sliding nooses; and with these he and the younger apes
amused themselves. What Tarzan did they tried to do also, but he alone
originated and became proficient.

One day while playing thus Tarzan had thrown his rope at one of his
fleeing companions, retaining the other end in his grasp. By accident
the noose fell squarely about the running ape's neck, bringing him to a
sudden and surprising halt.

Ah, here was a new game, a fine game, thought Tarzan, and immediately
he attempted to repeat the trick. And thus, by painstaking and
continued practice, he learned the art of roping.

Now, indeed, was the life of Tublat a living nightmare. In sleep, upon
the march, night or day, he never knew when that quiet noose would slip
about his neck and nearly choke the life out of him.

Kala punished, Tublat swore dire vengeance, and old Kerchak took notice
and warned and threatened; but all to no avail.

Tarzan defied them all, and the thin, strong noose continued to settle
about Tublat's neck whenever he least expected it.

The other apes derived unlimited amusement from Tublat's discomfiture,
for Broken Nose was a disagreeable old fellow, whom no one liked,
anyway.

In Tarzan's clever little mind many thoughts revolved, and back of
these was his divine power of reason.

If he could catch his fellow apes with his long arm of many grasses,
why not Sabor, the lioness?

It was the germ of a thought, which, however, was destined to mull
around in his conscious and subconscious mind until it resulted in
magnificent achievement.

But that came in later years.

Chapter VI

Jungle Battles

The wanderings of the tribe brought them often near the closed and
silent cabin by the little land-locked harbor. To Tarzan this wa