Тарзан, приёмыш обезьян
Man and Man
Ittoldhimofastrange,hairless,blackapewithfeathersgrowinguponitshead,wholauncheddeathfromaslenderbranch,andthenran,withthefleetnessofBara,thedeer,towardtherisingsun.
Tarzanwaitednolonger,butleapingintothebranchesofthetreesspedrapidlythroughtheforest.HeknewthewindingsoftheelephanttrailalongwhichKala’smurdererhadflown,andsohecutstraightthroughthejungletointercepttheblackwarriorwhowasevidentlyfollowingthetortuousdetoursofthetrail.
Athissidewasthehuntingknifeofhisunknownsire,andacrosshisshouldersthecoilsofhisownlongrope.Inanhourhestruckthetrailagain,andcomingtoearthexaminedthesoilminutely.
Inthesoftmudonthebankofatinyrivulethefoundfootprintssuchashealoneinallthejunglehadevermade,butmuchlargerthanhis.Hisheartbeatfast.CoulditbethathewastrailingaMAN—oneofhisownrace?
Thereweretwosetsofimprintspointinginoppositedirections.Sohisquarryhadalreadypassedonhisreturnalongthetrail.Asheexaminedthenewerspooratinyparticleofearthtoppledfromtheouteredgeofoneofthefootprintstothebottomofitsshallowdepression—ah,thetrailwasveryfresh,hispreymusthavebutscarcelypassed.
Tarzanswunghimselftothetreesoncemore,andwithswiftnoiselessnessspedalonghighabovethetrail.
