Тарзан, приёмыш обезьян
“King of the Apes”
Inithefoundafadedphotographofasmoothfacedyoungman,agoldenlocketstuddedwithdiamonds,linkedtoasmallgoldchain,afewlettersandasmallbook.
Tarzanexaminedtheseallminutely.
Thephotographhelikedmostofall,fortheeyesweresmiling,andthefacewasopenandfrank.Itwashisfather.
Thelocket,too,tookhisfancy,andheplacedthechainabouthisneckinimitationoftheornamentationhehadseentobesocommonamongtheblackmenhehadvisited.Thebrilliantstonesgleamedstrangelyagainsthissmooth,brownhide.
Thelettershecouldscarcelydecipherforhehadlearnedlittleornothingofscript,soheputthembackintheboxwiththephotographandturnedhisattentiontothebook.
Thiswasalmostentirelyfilledwithfinescript,butwhilethelittlebugswereallfamiliartohim,theirarrangementandthecombinationsinwhichtheyoccurredwerestrange,andentirelyincomprehensible.
Tarzanhadlongsincelearnedtheuseofthedictionary,butmuchtohissorrowandperplexityitprovedofnoavailtohiminthisemergency.Notawordofallthatwaswritinthebookcouldhefind,andsoheputitbackinthemetalbox,butwithadeterminationtoworkoutthemysteriesofitlateron.
Littledidheknowthatthisbookheldbetweenitscoversthekeytohisorigin—theanswertothestrangeriddleofhisstrangelife.
