Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-26
CHAPTER x1-tcontlnuedl.


1t was during this period that the young
English lord found hidden in the back
of one Of the cupboards in the cabin
small metal box. The key was in the
lock. and few moments investigation
and experimentation were rewarded with
the successful opening of the receptacle.
In 1t he found a faded photograph of n
smooth-faced young man, golden locket
studded with diamonds linked to a small
gold chain, a few letters and a small book.
Tarzan examined these all minutely.
The photograph he liked most of all, for
the eyes were smiling and the face was
open and frank. 1t was his father
The locket, too, took his fancy, and ne
placed the chain about his neck In imita-
ton of the ornamentation he had seen to
be so common among the black men he
had visited. The brilliant stones cleaned
strangely against his smooth, brown hide.
The letters he could scarcely decipher,
for he had learned little or nothing Of
script, so he put them back in the box
with the photograph and turned his at
tention to the book.
This was almost entirely filled with fine
script, but while the little bugs were Ill
familiar to him, their arrangement and
the combinations in which they occurre
were strange, and entirely Incompetent
sible.
Tarzan had long since learned the use
of the dictionary, but much to his sorrow
and perpleXity 1t proved of no avail to
him in this emergency. Not word of all
that was writ in the book could he find,
and so he put 1t back in the metal box,
but with a determination to work out the
mysteries of it later on
Poor little ape-man! Had he but known
it that tiny, battling mystery held be-
lee o1 ba lay n his origin :
the answer to the strange riddle of his
strange life.
It was the diary of John Clayton, Lord
Greystoke-kept in French, as had always
been his custom.
Tarzan replaced the box in the cup
board, but always thereafter he carried
the features of the strong, smiling face
of his father in his heart and In his
head a fixed determination to solve the
mystery of the strange words in the little
black book.
At present he had more important busi-
ness in hand, for his supply of arrows
was exhausted, and he must needs
Journey to the black mems village and
renew IT,
Early the following morning he set out,
and travelling rapidly, he came before
midday to the clearing. Once more he
took up his position in the great tree, and,
as before. ne saw tne women III IHe HeluS
and the village street, and the cauldron
of bubblng poison directly beneath him.
For hours he lay awaiting his oppor-
tunlty to drop down unseen and gather
up the arrows for which he had come;
but nothing now occurred to call the
villagers away from their homes. Tile
day wore on. and still Tarzan of the
Apes crouched above the unsuspecting
woman at the cauldron.
Presently the workers in the fields re-
turned The hunting warriors emerged
from the forest, and when all were within
the pallsade the gates were closed and
barred.
Many cooking pots were now in evidence
about the village. Before each hut a
woman presided over a boiling stew,
while little cakes of plantain. and cassava
puddings were to be seen on every hand.
Suddenly there came a hall from the
edge of the clearing.
Tarzan looked.
II was a party of belated hunters re-
turning from the north, and among them
they half led, half carried a struggling
animal
AS they approached the village the gates
were thrown open to admit them, and
then, as the people saw the victim of the