Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-14
THE FTGHT FOR THE BALU The n 7 !

Tarzan of the Apes was intensely
Interested, much more so, in fact,
than Taug, the father. Tarzan was
very fond of Teeka. Even the cares
Of prospective motherhood had not
entirely quenched the fires of care
free youth, and Teeka had remained
good-natured playmate even at an
age when other shes of the tribe of
Z Kerchak had assumed the sullen
dignity of maturity. She yet re-
tained her childish delight in the
primitive games of tag and hide-and-
go-seek which Tarzan's fertile man
mind had evolved.
To play tag through the tree tops
is an exciting and inspiring pastime.
Tarzan delighted in it, but the bulls
'sof his childhood had long since aban-
doned such childish practices. Teeka,
though, had been keen for it always
until shortly before the baby came;
but with the advent of her first-born,
even Teeka changed.
The evidence of the change sur
prised and hurt Tarzan immeas-
urably. One morning he saw Teeka
squatted upon low branch hugging
something close to her hairy breast
Ia wee something that squirmed
and wriggled. Tarzan approached
filed with curiosity which is common
to all creatures endowed with brains
which have progressed beyond the
+ microscopic stage.
Teeka rolled her eyes in his direc-
7 tom and strained the squirming
mite still closer to her. Tarzan came
nearer. Teeka drew away and barred
her fangs. Tarzan was nonplussed.
In all his experiences with Teeka
never before had she barred fangs at
him other than in play, but today she
did not look playful. .Tarzan ran his
brown fingers through his thick,
black hair, cooked his head upon one
side, and stared. Then he edged a
bit nearer, craning his neck to have
better look at the thing which
Teeka cruddled.
Again Teeka drew back her upper
lip in a warning snarl. Tarzan
reached forth b hand, cautiously, to
touch the thing which Teeka held,
and Teeka, with a hideous growl,
turned suddenly upon him. Her
teeth sank into the flesh of his fore
arm before the ape-man could snatch
it away, and she pursued him for a
short distance as he retreated in
continently through the trees, but
Teeka, carrying her baby, could not
overtake him. At a safe distance
Tarzan stopped and turued to regard
his erstwhile play-fellow in uncon-
cealed astonishment. What had hap
pened to so alter the gentle Teeka ?
She had SO covered the thing in her
4 arms that Tarzan had not yet been
able to recognize it for what it was,
but now, as she turned from the pur-
suit of him, he saw it. Through his
pain and chagrin he smiled, for Tar
zan had seen young ape mothers be-
fore. In few days she would be
less suspicious. Still Tarzan was
hurt; it was not right that Teeka,
of all others, should fear him. Why,
(. not for the world would he harm
her, or her balu, which is the ape
word for baby.
And now, above the pain of his in
jured arm and the hurt to his pride,
rose still stronger desire to come
close and inspect the newborn son
Of Taug. Possibly you will wonder
what Tarzan of the Apes, mighty
fighter that he was, should have fled
! before the irritable attack of she,
or that he should hesitate to return
( for the satisfaction of his curiosity
when with ease he might have van
quished the weakened mother of the
newborn cub, but you Iced not won
der. Were you an ape you would
know that only bull in the throes
Of madness will turn upon female
other than to gently chastise her
with the occasional. exception of the
individual whom we find exemplified
among our own kind, and who de-
\ lights in beating up his better hall
because she happens to be smaller
and weaker than he.
Tarzan again came toward the
young mother--warily and with his
line of retreat safely open. Agar
Teeka growled ferociously. Tarzar
expostulated.
"Tarzan of the Apes will not harm
Teeka's balu ?" he said. "Let me see
f."
go away" commanded Teeka
"Go away, or l will kill you"
"Let me see it," urged Tarzan.
go away" reiterated the she-ape
4 "Here comes Taug. He will make
you go away Taug will kill you
This is Tau balu."
A savage gfowl close behind hin
s. apprised Tarzan of the nearness Of
Taug, and the fact that the bull hac
heard the warnings and threats OF
his mate and was coming to hel
succor.
"NtI. -