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As may, be imagined the idea that within a short time they were to be in the country of the mysterious tribe caused a tremendous stir among the boys and when after breakfast their strange friend of the night before, Sikaso, appeared they at once overwhelmed him with questions. But strangely enough Sikaso made no reply to their eager queries.
"Talk too much, indeed," grumbled Billy highly offended, "why at home my folks were thinking of having a doctor treat me for bashfulness I'm so retiring in my disposition." As soon as the laugh that this remark of the disgruntled reporter had caused had subsided even old Sikaso giving a grim smile as he took in the purport of it the little party set out down a native trail toward the village.
Below the flying aeroplane Ben Stubbs and old Sikaso the latter as silent as ever paddled down the river in silence. It was a time for deeds, not talk.
I, Sikaso, I drove them. There were rivers that day; but the rivers were red. They were the rivers of the blood of my enemies; With my war-axe I killed them. This is the song of mighty Sikaso, and his terrible axe of death."
Old Sikaso leant apart on his mighty war-axe. He seemed to regret heartily that he had not had an opportunity of testing its metal on the head of the knavish Portuguese. "What do you say to that plan, Sikaso?" asked Frank, who already placed a high value on the old warrior's judgment. "That it is good, my white brother.
Old Sikaso never moved a muscle but kept on chanting. Into the center of the wonderful smoke picture there had swum a canoe. And in it were seated Billy Barnes and Lathrop! With them, too, was the figure of a venerable white bearded man who seemed to be about to collapse. From time to time he raised himself feebly and gazed ahead. Frank could see Billy at such times stoop forward and speak to him.
Hope had almost died in the boys' hearts at the scene they had witnessed by means of powers that seemed incredible to them, but which several well known travelers have told us are not uncommon among certain natives of West Africa. But old Sikaso was destined to raise their hopes. "We will save Four-Eyes and the Red-Headed one," he exclaimed suddenly. "But how?" chorused the amazed three.
Even Billy scared as he was did not realize how very near to death he actually came to being. Sikaso's shouted words in a native dialect caused the tribesmen to fall back but they still muttered angrily. Stepping swiftly up to the camera Sikaso with a single blow of his axe smashed it to pieces. "Here, that's no way to treat my camera!"
Ben Stubbs and Sikaso, who had arrived late that' afternoon, were on board the little craft and Ben's loud "Ahoy!" brought the Boy Aviators to the rail on the jump waving and shouting greetings. But there were others in the launch, and among them the boys spied several faces of bronzed men who looked thorough seamen.
It was the black face of Sikaso that was gazing down on them and beside it was Ben Stubbs' weather-beaten countenance. Behind them were Billy, Lathrop and the rest. "Hold on there and we'll get you out of that in two shakes of a duck's tail," cheerily hailed the old adventurer. "We guessed you'd be here and we brought a rope as long as a man of war's cable with us. Lucky thing we did."
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