Coiled about his shoulders was Tarzan's long grass rope,
in his hand was the hunting knife of the long-dead father
he had never known. In Taug's little brain lay a great
respect for the shiny bit of sharp metal which the ape-boy
knew so well how to use. With it had he slain Tublat,
his fierce foster father, and Bolgani, the gorilla.
Taug knew these things, and so he came warily, circling about
Tarzan in search of an opening. The latter, made cautious
because of his lesser bulk and the inferiority of his
natural armament, followed similar tactics.

For a time it seemed that the altercation would
follow the way of the majority of such differences
between members of the tribe and that one of them would
finally lose interest and wander off to prosecute some
other line of endeavor. Such might have been the end
of it had the CASUS BELLI been other than it was;
but Teeka was flattered at the attention that was 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.