Tarzan smiled. Even here was the racial distinction between white
man and black man--Ho-don and Waz-don. Not even the fact that
they appeared to be equals in the matter of intelligence made any
difference--one was white and one was black, and it was easy to
see that the white considered himself superior to the other--one
could see it in his quiet smile.

"Where is A-lur?" Tarzan asked again. "You are returning to it?"

"It is beyond the mountains," replied Ta-den. "I do not return to
it--not yet. Not until Ko-tan is no more."

"Ko-tan?" queried Tarzan.

"Ko-tan is king," explained the pithecanthropus. "He rules this
land. I was one of his warriors. I lived in the palace of Ko-tan
and there I met O-lo-a, his daughter. We loved, Likestar-light,
and I; but Ko-tan would have none of me. He sent me away to fight
with the men of the village of Dak-at, who had refused to pay his
tribute to the king, thinking that I would be killed, for Dak-at is
famous for his many fine warriors. And I was not killed. Instead
I returned victorious with the tribute and with Dak-at himself my
prisoner; but Ko-tan was not pleased because he saw that O-lo-a
loved me even more than before, her love being strengthened and
fortified by pride in my achievement.

"Powerful is my father, Ja-don, the Lion-man, chief of the largest
village outside of A-lur. Him Ko-tan hesitated to affront and so
he could not but praise me for my success, though he did it with
half a smile. But you do not understand! It is what we call a smile