Tarzan let go of the vine they were swinging on, dropped rapidly through the brush. Limbs touched her, tore at her clothes, and just as it looked as if they might dash themselves to pieces at her father's feet, Tarzan snatched at a supple branch, swung way out, twisted, grabbed another, then dropped them to the ground next to her father.

When they landed, Hanson leapt back, bringing up both hands to fight. Then he saw who it was. Jean stepped into his arms and Hanson held her. Over her shoulder he spoke to Tarzan. "Thank you ... Whoever you are."

"They call me Tarzan," the ape-man said.

"My God," Hanson said. "I thought you were a legend."

Jean turned from her father then, smiled at her rescuer. 'Thank you, Tarzan."

"Can you believe this, Jean?" Hanson said. "I came to Africa to prove the existence of the man-apes, and they kidnapped you. Then you were rescued by a legend I didn't believe existed. Tarzan, the ape-man."

"Will the apes come after us?" Jean asked Tarzan.

"No," Tarzan said. "There are rifles here. They know what rifles do. They lose interest rather quickly, as well. They will be fighting amongst themselves to establish a new king."

Jean considered what Tarzan had said. She began to understand what all the fighting had been about. One ruler had been usurped, only to be defeated by Tarzan.

At that moment, Jad-bal-ja entered the campsite. He padded over to Tarzan and lay down at his feet, and put his great head between his paws.

"He looks mopey," Jean said.

"He wanted to fight the great apes," Tarzan said. "That and eat one. He is hungry."

"Then it would not be a good idea to pet him right now," Jean said.

"It is never a good idea," Tarzan said. "He is a lion, and a lion is always a lion."

"I've never seen anything like it," Jean said. "You were actually communicating with those apes, weren't you?"

"Yes," said Tarzan. "I was raised by a tribe not unlike them."

"You're kidding," said Hanson.

"No," said Tarzan. "I am not kidding."

Hanson studied Tarzan a moment. "No. I can see you aren't.

"You communicate with the lion, too," Jean said. "Do you think he fully understands you?"

"I know he does," Tarzan said. "I speak to him in the language of the great apes. My first language."

Hanson thought that explained Tarzan's stiff almost formal use of English.