A month passed before the head man returned--a month that had
transformed the savage, half-naked little tarmangani into a daintily
frocked girl of at least outward civilization. Meriem had progressed
rapidly with the intricacies of the English language, for Bwana
and My Dear had persistently refused to speak Arabic from the time
they had decided that Meriem must learn English, which had been a
day or two after her introduction into their home.
The report of the head man plunged Meriem into a period of despondency,
for he had found the village of Kovudoo deserted nor, search as he
would, could he discover a single native anywhere in the vicinity.
For some time he had camped near the village, spending the days in
a systematic search of the environs for traces of Meriem's Korak;
but in this quest, too, had he failed. He had seen neither apes
nor ape-man. Meriem at first insisted upon setting forth herself
in search of Korak, but Bwana prevailed upon her to wait. He would
go himself, he assured her, as soon as he could find the time, and
at last Meriem consented to abide by his wishes; but it was months
before she ceased to mourn almost hourly for her Korak.
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