Jungle Tales of Tarzan | Page 5

being drawn to her and by the fact that these two
young bulls were contemplating battle on her account. Such a thing
never before had occurred in Teeka's brief life. She had seen other bulls
battling for other and older shes, and in the depth of her wild little heart
she had longed for the day when the jungle grasses would be reddened
with the blood of mortal combat for her fair sake.

So now she squatted upon her haunches and insulted both her admirers
impartially. She hurled taunts at them for their cowardice, and called
them vile names, such as Histah, the snake, and Dango, the hyena. She
threatened to call Mumga to chastise them with a stick--Mumga, who
was so old that she could no longer climb and so toothless that she was
forced to confine her diet almost exclusively to bananas and
grub-worms.
The apes who were watching heard and laughed. Taug was infuriated.
He made a sudden lunge for Tarzan, but the ape-boy leaped nimbly to
one side, eluding him, and with the quickness of a cat wheeled and
leaped back again to close quarters. His hunting knife was raised above
his head as he came in, and he aimed a vicious blow at Taug's neck.
The ape wheeled to dodge the weapon so that the keen blade struck him
but a glancing blow upon the shoulder.
The spurt of red blood brought a shrill cry of delight from Teeka. Ah,
but this was something worth while! She glanced about to see if others
had witnessed this evidence of her popularity. Helen of Troy was never
one whit more proud than was Teeka at that moment.
If Teeka had not been so absorbed in her own vaingloriousness she
might have noted the rustling of leaves in the tree above her--a rustling
which was not caused by any movement of the wind, since there was
no wind. And had she looked up she might have seen a sleek body
crouching almost directly over her and wicked yellow eyes glaring
hungrily down upon her, but Teeka did not look up.
With his wound Taug had backed off growling horribly. Tarzan had
followed him, screaming insults at him, and menacing him with his
brandishing blade. Teeka moved from beneath the tree in an effort to
keep close to the duelists.
The branch above Teeka bent and swayed a trifle with the movement of
the body of the watcher stretched along it. Taug had halted now and
was preparing to make a new stand. His lips were flecked with foam,
and saliva drooled from his jowls. He stood with head lowered and
arms outstretched, preparing for a sudden charge to close quarters.

Could he but lay his mighty hands upon that soft, brown skin the battle
would be his. Taug considered Tarzan's manner of fighting unfair. He
would not close. Instead, he leaped nimbly just beyond the reach of
Taug's muscular fingers.
The ape-boy had as yet never come to a real trial of strength with a bull
ape, other than in play, and so he was not at all sure that it would be
safe to put his muscles to the test in a life and death struggle. Not that
he was afraid, for Tarzan knew nothing of fear. The instinct of
self-preservation gave him caution--that was all. He took risks only
when it seemed necessary, and then he would hesitate at nothing.
His own method of fighting seemed best fitted to his build and to his
armament. His teeth, while strong and sharp, were, as weapons of
offense, pitifully inadequate by comparison with the mighty fighting
fangs of the anthropoids. By dancing about, just out of reach of an
antagonist, Tarzan could do infinite injury with his long, sharp hunting
knife, and at the same time escape many of the painful and dangerous
wounds which would be sure to follow his falling into the clutches of a
bull ape.
And so Taug charged and bellowed like a bull, and Tarzan of the Apes
danced lightly to this side and that, hurling jungle billingsgate at his foe,
the while he nicked him now and again with his knife.
There were lulls in the fighting when the two would stand panting for
breath, facing each other, mustering their wits and their forces for a
new onslaught. It was during a pause such as this that Taug chanced to
let his eyes rove beyond his foeman. Instantly the entire aspect of the
ape altered. Rage left his countenance to be supplanted by an
expression of fear.
With a cry that every ape there recognized, Taug turned and fled. No
need to question him--his warning proclaimed the near presence of
their ancient enemy.
Tarzan started to seek safety, as did the other members of