Тарзан, приёмыш обезьян
The Jungle Toll
Whenallweredeadexcepthimself,however,theawfullonelinesssoweigheduponthemindofthesolesurvivorthathecouldendureitnolonger,andchoosingtoriskdeathupontheopensearatherthanmadnessonthelonelyisle,hesetsailinhislittleboatafternearlyayearofsolitude.
Fortunatelyhesailedduenorth,andwithinaweekwasinthetrackoftheSpanishmerchantmenplyingbetweentheWestIndiesandSpain,andwaspickedupbyoneofthesevesselshomewardbound.
Thestoryhetoldwasmerelyoneofshipwreckinwhichallbutafewhadperished,thebalance,excepthimself,dyingaftertheyreachedtheisland.Hedidnotmentionthemutinyorthechestofburiedtreasure.
Themasterofthemerchantmanassuredhimthatfromthepositionatwhichtheyhadpickedhimup,andtheprevailingwindsforthepastweekhecouldhavebeenonnootherislandthanoneoftheCapeVerdegroup,whichlieofftheWestCoastofAfricainabout16degreesor17degreesnorthlatitude.
Hisletterdescribedtheislandminutely,aswellasthelocationofthetreasure,andwasaccompaniedbythecrudest,funniestlittleoldmapyoueversaw;withtreesandrocksallmarkedbyscrawlyX’stoshowtheexactspotwherethetreasurehadbeenburied.
