Mr. Harold Moore was a bilious-countenanced, studiousyoung man. He took himself very seriously, and life, andhis work, which latter was the tutoring of the young son of aBritish nobleman. He felt that his charge was not making theprogress that his parents had a right to expect, and he was nowconscientiously explaining this fact to the boy's mother.

"It's not that he isn't bright," he was saying; "if that weretrue I should have hopes of succeeding, for then I might bringto bear all my energies in overcoming his obtuseness; but thetrouble is that he is exceptionally intelligent, and learns soquickly that I can find no fault in the matter of the preparationof his lessons. What concerns me, however, is that fact that heevidently takes no interest whatever in the subjects we are studying. He merely accomplishes each lesson as a task to be rid ofas quickly as possible and I am sure that no lesson ever againenters his mind until the hours of study and recitation oncemore arrive. His sole interests seem to be feats of physicalprowess and the reading of everything that he can get hold ofrelative to savage beasts and the lives and customs of uncivilizedpeoples; but particularly do stories of animals appeal to him. He will sit for hours together poring over the work of someAfrican explorer, and upon two occasions I have found him settingup in bed at night reading Carl Hagenbeck's book on men and beasts."

The boy's mother tapped her foot nervously upon the hearth rug.

"You discourage this, of course?" she ventured.

Mr. Moore shuffled embarrassedly.

"I--ah--essayed to take the book from him," he replied, aslight flush mounting his sallow cheek; "but--ah--your son isquite muscular for one so young."

"He wouldn't let you take it?" asked the mother.

"He would not," confessed the tutor. "He was perfectly goodnatured about it; but he insisted upon pretending that he was agorilla and that I was a chimpanzee attempting to steal foodfrom him. He leaped upon me with the most savage growls Iever heard, lifted me completely above his head, hurled meupon his bed, and after going through a pantomime indicativeof choking me to death he stood upon my prostrate form andgave voice to a most fearsome shriek, which he explained wasthe victory cry of a bull ape. Then he carried me to the door,shoved me out into the hall and locked me from his room."

For several minutes neither spoke again. It was the boy'smother who finally broke the silence.

"It is very necessary, Mr. Moore," she said, "that you doeverything in your power to discourage this tendency in Jack,he--"; but she got no further. A loud "Whoop!" from thedirection of the window brought them both to their feet. The room was upon the second floor of the house, and oppositethe window to which their attention had been attracted was alarge tree, a branch of which spread to within a few feet ofthe sill. Upon this branch now they both discovered the subjectof their recent conversation, a tall, well-built boy, balancingwith ease upon the bending limb and uttering loud shouts of gleeas he noted the terrified expressions upon the faces of his audience.

The mother and tutor both rushed toward the window but beforethey had crossed half the room the boy had leaped nimbly to thesill and entered the apartment with them.

"`The wild man from Borneo has just come to town,'" he sang,dancing a species of war dance about his terrified motherand scandalized tutor, and ending up by throwing his arms aboutthe former's neck and kissing her upon either cheek.

"Oh, Mother," he cried, "there's a wonderful, educated apebeing shown at one of the music halls. Willie Grimsby saw itlast night. He says it can do everything but talk. It ridesa bicycle, eats with knife and fork, counts up to ten, and everso many other wonderful things, and can I go and see it too? Oh, please, Mother--please let me."

Patting the boy's cheek affectionately, the mother shook herhead negatively. "No, Jack," she said; "you know I do notapprove of such exhibitions."

"I don't see why not, Mother," replied the boy. "All theother fellows go and they go to the Zoo, too, and you'll neverlet me do even that. Anybody'd think I was a girl--ora mollycoddle. Oh, Father," he exclaimed, as the door openedto admit a tall gray-eyed man. "Oh, Father, can't I go?"

"Go where, my son?" asked the newcomer.

"He wants to go to a music hall to see a trained ape," saidthe mother, looking warningly at her husband.

"Who, Ajax?" questioned the man.

The boy nodded.

"Well, I don't know that I blame you, my son," said the father,"I wouldn't mind seeing him myself. They say he is verywonderful, and that for an anthropoid he is unusually large.Let's all go, Jane--what do you say?" And he turned toward hiswife, but that lady only shook her head in a most positivemanner, and turning to Mr. Moore asked him if it was not timethat he and Jack were in the study for the morning recitations. When the two had left she turned toward her husband.

"John," she said, "something must be done to discourage Jack'stendency toward anything that may excite the cravings for thesavage life which I fear he has inherited from you. You knowfrom your own experience how strong is the call of the wildat times. You know that often it has necessitated a sternstruggle on your part to resist the almost insane desire whichoccasionally overwhelms you to plunge once again into the junglelife that claimed you for so many years, and at the same time youknow, better than any other, how frightful a fate it would be forJack, were the trail to the savage jungle made either alluring oreasy to him."

"I doubt if there is any danger of his inheriting a taste forjungle life from me," replied the man, "for I cannot conceivethat such a thing may be transmitted from father to son. And sometimes, Jane, I think that in your solicitude for hisfuture you go a bit too far in your restrictive measures. His love for animals--his desire, for example, to see thistrained ape--is only natural in a healthy, normal boy of his age. Just because he wants to see Ajax is no indication that he wouldwish to marry an ape, and even should he, far be it from you Janeto have the right to cry `shame!'" and John Clayton, LordGreystoke, put an arm about his wife, laughing good-naturedlydown into her upturned face before he bent his head and kissed her. Then, more seriously, he continued: "You have never told Jackanything concerning my early life, nor have you permitted me to,and in this I think that you have made a mistake. Had I beenable to tell him of the experiences of Tarzan of the Apes I coulddoubtless have taken much of the glamour and romance fromjungle life that naturally surrounds it in the minds of those whohave had no experience of it. He might then have profited by myexperience, but now, should the jungle lust ever claim him, hewill have nothing to guide him but his own impulses, and I knowhow powerful these may be in the wrong direction at times."

But Lady Greystoke only shook her head as she had a hundredother times when the subject had claimed her attention in the past.

"No, John," she insisted, "I shall never give my consent tothe implanting in Jack's mind of any suggestion of the savagelife which we both wish to preserve him from."

It was evening before the subject was again referred to andthen it was raised by Jack himself. He had been sitting, curledin a large chair, reading, when he suddenly looked up andaddressed his father.

"Why," he asked, coming directly to the point, "can't I goand see Ajax?"

"Your mother does not approve," replied his father.

"Do you?"

"That is not the question," evaded Lord Greystoke. "It isenough that your mother objects."

"I am going to see him," announced the boy, after a fewmoments of thoughtful silence. "I am not different from WillieGrimsby, or any other of the fellows who have been to see him. It did not harm them and it will not harm me. I could go withouttelling you; but I would not do that. So I tell you now,beforehand, that I am going to see Ajax."

There was nothing disrespectful or defiant in the boy's toneor manner. His was merely a dispassionate statement of facts.His father could scarce repress either a smile or a show of theadmiration he felt for the manly course his son had pursued.

"I admire your candor, Jack," he said. "Permit me to be candid,as well. If you go to see Ajax without permission, I shallpunish you. I have never inflicted corporal punishment uponyou, but I warn you that should you disobey your mother's wishesin this instance, I shall."

"Yes, sir," replied the boy; and then: "I shall tell you, sir,when I have been to see Ajax."

Mr. Moore's room was next to that of his youthful charge,and it was the tutor's custom to have a look into the boy's eachevening as the former was about to retire. This evening he wasparticularly careful not to neglect his duty, for he had just comefrom a conference with the boy's father and mother in which ithad been impressed upon him that he must exercise the greatestcare to prevent Jack visiting the music hall where Ajax wasbeing shown. So, when he opened the boy's door at about halfafter nine, he was greatly excited, though not entirely surprisedto find the future Lord Greystoke fully dressed for the street andabout to crawl from his open bed room window.

Mr. Moore made a rapid spring across the apartment; but thewaste of energy was unnecessary, for when the boy heard himwithin the chamber and realized that he had been discovered heturned back as though to relinquish his planned adventure.

"Where were you going?" panted the excited Mr. Moore.

"I am going to see Ajax," replied the boy, quietly.

"I am astonished," cried Mr. Moore; but a moment later hewas infinitely more astonished, for the boy, approaching closeto him, suddenly seized him about the waist, lifted him fromhis feet and threw him face downward upon the bed, shovinghis face deep into a soft pillow.

"Be quiet," admonished the victor, "or I'll choke you."

Mr. Moore struggled; but his efforts were in vain. Whatever elseTarzan of the Apes may or may not have handed down to his sonhe had at least bequeathed him almost as marvelous a physiqueas he himself had possessed at the same age. The tutor was asputty in the boy's hands. Kneeling upon him, Jack tore stripsfrom a sheet and bound the man's hands behind his back. Then herolled him over and stuffed a gag of the same material betweenhis teeth, securing it with a strip wound about the back of hisvictim's head. All the while he talked in a low, conversational tone.

"I am Waja, chief of the Waji," he explained, "and you areMohammed Dubn, the Arab sheik, who would murder my people andsteal my ivory," and he dexterously trussed Mr. Moore's hobbledankles up behind to meet his hobbled wrists. "Ah--ha! Villain! I have you in me power at last. I go; but I shall return!" And the son of Tarzan skipped across the room, slipped throughthe open window, and slid to liberty by way of the down spoutfrom an eaves trough.

Mr. Moore wriggled and struggled about the bed. He wassure that he should suffocate unless aid came quickly. In hisfrenzy of terror he managed to roll off the bed. The pain andshock of the fall jolted him back to something like saneconsideration of his plight. Where before he had been unableto think intelligently because of the hysterical fear that hadclaimed him he now lay quietly searching for some means of escapefrom his dilemma. It finally occurred to him that the room inwhich Lord and Lady Greystoke had been sitting when he left themwas directly beneath that in which he lay upon the floor. He knewthat some time had elapsed since he had come up stairs and thatthey might be gone by this time, for it seemed to him that hehad struggled about the bed, in his efforts to free himself, foran eternity. But the best that he could do was to attempt to attractattention from below, and so, after many failures, he managedto work himself into a position in which he could tap the toe ofhis boot against the floor. This he proceeded to do at shortintervals, until, after what seemed a very long time, he wasrewarded by hearing footsteps ascending the stairs, and presentlya knock upon the door. Mr. Moore tapped vigorously withhis toe--he could not reply in any other way. The knock wasrepeated after a moment's silence. Again Mr. Moore tapped. Would they never open the door! Laboriously he rolled in thedirection of succor. If he could get his back against the doorhe could then tap upon its base, when surely he must be heard. The knocking was repeated a little louder, and finally a voicecalled: "Mr. Jack!"

It was one of the house men--Mr. Moore recognized thefellow's voice. He came near to bursting a blood vessel in anendeavor to scream "come in" through the stifling gag. After amoment the man knocked again, quite loudly and again calledthe boy's name. Receiving no reply he turned the knob, and atthe same instant a sudden recollection filled the tutor anew withnumbing terror--he had, himself, locked the door behind himwhen he had entered the room.

He heard the servant try the door several times and then depart. Upon which Mr. Moore swooned.

In the meantime Jack was enjoying to the full the stolenpleasures of the music hall. He had reached the temple of mirthjust as Ajax's act was commencing, and having purchased a box seatwas now leaning breathlessly over the rail watching every moveof the great ape, his eyes wide in wonder. The trainer was notslow to note the boy's handsome, eager face, and as one ofAjax's biggest hits consisted in an entry to one or more boxesduring his performance, ostensibly in search of a long-lostrelative, as the trainer explained, the man realized theeffectiveness of sending him into the box with the handsomeboy, who, doubtless, would be terror stricken by proximityto the shaggy, powerful beast.

When the time came, therefore, for the ape to return from thewings in reply to an encore the trainer directed its attention tothe boy who chanced to be the sole occupant of the box in whichhe sat. With a spring the huge anthropoid leaped from the stageto the boy's side; but if the trainer had looked for a laughablescene of fright he was mistaken. A broad smile lighted the boy'sfeatures as he laid his hand upon the shaggy arm of his visitor. The ape, grasping the boy by either shoulder, peered long andearnestly into his face, while the latter stroked his head andtalked to him in a low voice.

Never had Ajax devoted so long a time to an examination ofanother as he did in this instance. He seemed troubled and nota little excited, jabbering and mumbling to the boy, and nowcaressing him, as the trainer had never seen him caress a humanbeing before. Presently he clambered over into the box with himand snuggled down close to the boy's side. The audience wasdelighted; but they were still more delighted when the trainer,the period of his act having elapsed, attempted to persuade Ajaxto leave the box. The ape would not budge. The manager,becoming excited at the delay, urged the trainer to greater haste,but when the latter entered the box to drag away the reluctantAjax he was met by bared fangs and menacing growls.

The audience was delirious with joy. They cheered the ape. They cheered the boy, and they hooted and jeered at the trainerand the manager, which luckless individual had inadvertentlyshown himself and attempted to assist the trainer.

Finally, reduced to desperation and realizing that this showof mutiny upon the part of his valuable possession might renderthe animal worthless for exhibition purposes in the future if notimmediately subdued, the trainer had hastened to his dressingroom and procured a heavy whip. With this he now returned tothe box; but when he had threatened Ajax with it but once hefound himself facing two infuriated enemies instead of one, forthe boy had leaped to his feet, and seizing a chair was standingready at the ape's side to defend his new found friend. There wasno longer a smile upon his handsome face. In his gray eyes wasan expression which gave the trainer pause, and beside him stoodthe giant anthropoid growling and ready.

What might have happened, but for a timely interruption, mayonly be surmised; but that the trainer would have received asevere mauling, if nothing more, was clearly indicated by theattitudes of the two who faced him.

* * *

It was a pale-faced man who rushed into the Greystoke libraryto announce that he had found Jack's door locked and had beenable to obtain no response to his repeated knocking and callingother than a strange tapping and the sound of what might havebeen a body moving about upon the floor.

Four steps at a time John Clayton took the stairs that led tothe floor above. His wife and the servant hurried after him. Once he called his son's name in a loud voice; but receiving noreply he launched his great weight, backed by all the undiminishedpower of his giant muscles, against the heavy door. With a snappingof iron butts and a splintering of wood the obstacle burst inward.

At its foot lay the body of the unconscious Mr. Moore, acrosswhom it fell with a resounding thud. Through the opening leapedTarzan, and a moment later the room was flooded with lightfrom a dozen electric bulbs.

It was several minutes before the tutor was discovered, socompletely had the door covered him; but finally he was draggedforth, his gag and bonds cut away, and a liberal application ofcold water had hastened returning consciousness.

"Where is Jack?" was John Clayton's first question, and then;"Who did this?" as the memory of Rokoff and the fear of asecond abduction seized him.

Slowly Mr. Moore staggered to his feet. His gaze wanderedabout the room. Gradually he collected his scattered wits. The details of his recent harrowing experience returned to him.

"I tender my resignation, sir, to take effect at once," werehis first words. "You do not need a tutor for your son--what heneeds is a wild animal trainer."

"But where is he?" cried Lady Greystoke.

"He has gone to see Ajax."

It was with difficulty that Tarzan restrained a smile, and aftersatisfying himself that the tutor was more scared than injured,he ordered his closed car around and departed in the directionof a certain well-known music hall.