Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs Read Free Book Online

the cabin and discovered that he still held the rifle, he dropped it as he might have dropped a red hot iron, nor did he again essay to recover it—the noise was too much for his brute nerves; but he was now quite convinced that the terrible stick was quite harmless by itself if left alone.
    It was an hour before the apes could again bring themselves to approach the cabin to continue their investigations, and when they finally did so, they found to their chagrin that the door was closed and so securely fastened that they could not force it.
    The cleverly constructed latch which Clayton had made for the door had sprung as Kerchak passed out; nor could the apes find means of ingress through the heavily barred windows.
    After roaming about the vicinity for a short time, they started back for the deeper forests and the higher land from whence they had come.
    Kala had not once come to earth with her little adopted
babe, but now Kerchak called to her to descend with the rest, and as there was no note of anger in his voice she dropped lightly from branch to branch and joined the others on their homeward march.
    Those of the apes who attempted to examine Kala’s strange baby were repulsed with bared fangs and low menacing growls, accompanied by words of warning from Kala.
    When they assured her that they meant the child no harm she permitted them to come close, but would not allow them to touch her charge.
    It was as though she knew that her baby was frail and delicate and feared lest the rough hands of her fellows might injure the little thing.
    Another thing she did, and which made traveling an onerous trial for her. Remembering the death of her own little one, she clung desperately to the new babe, with one hand, whenever they were upon the march.
    The other young rode upon their mothers’ backs; their little arms tightly clasping the hairy necks before them, while their legs were locked beneath their mothers’ arm pits.
    Not so with Kala; she held the small form of the little Lord Greystoke tightly to her breast, where the dainty hands clutched the long black hair which covered that portion of her body. She had seen one child fall from her back to a terrible death, and she would take no further chances with this.

CHAPTER V
    The White Ape
    TENDERLY KALA NURSED HER LITTLE WAIF, WONDERING silently why it did not gain strength 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