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Updated: August 7, 2024
Frank laid his finger on the spot and exclaimed enthusiastically: "There it is, Harry, and we are not so far from it now. In a few days we shall know whether we are on a wild-goose chase or not." "Why, no doubt has ever entered your head that the ivory is there?" questioned Harry. "Well, old fellow, you know there are others interested in this ivory beside ourselves Muley-Hassan for instance."
Lathrop's reply was cut short by a scene that sent the angry blood to both boys' faces. Before the camp was abandoned for good and the plunge into the forest began, Muley-Hassan gave a sharp order and directed several of his men set about demolishing the camp. Diego himself smashed the field wireless of which Frank and Harry had been so proud. He hacked it to atoms with one of the heavy axes.
"That ivory belongs to my master Muley-Hassan now," he sneered; "did you think for a minute that we would ever let you white fools get it back again." It was well for the Portuguese that Frank's hands were not free then. Had they been the dark-skinned traitor would have had a fight on his hands in a few seconds. But suddenly events took a strange turn.
To his surprise, for he more than half expected an outbreak, Professor Wiseman did not appear particularly concerned at the news that Diego, and Muley-Hassan were as the boys had every reason to believe at that moment advancing on the camp. "I will dress myself with all alacrity," he said, "and join you in your tent, but I must say I don't believe in all this witchcraft."
Throwing himself on his face and lying as motionless as a fallen log, the Krooman watched as Muley-Hassan and his followers almost worn out and sadly diminished in numbers since their fight with the boys and with the cannibals appeared.
"He was bitten by an adder as we were vainly searching for the ivory," said the Arab sadly, "he died almost instantly." Of course the boys felt no sorrow for the death of the treacherous scamp and did not pretend to. They had no great reason to love Muley-Hassan either, so Frank said coldly: "What is it you want?" "Permission to take my canoes and leave this cursed country forever."
But the lieutenant of Muley-Hassan apparently was satisfied, for after a few minutes' scrutiny he turned to go Billy could hear his feet scrape as he swung around. At almost the same instant the night was filled with savage cries and the camp was thrown into confusion by an onrush of wild figures before whose spears the half-awakened Arabs were slaughtered like sheep.
Billy and Lathrop, half inclined to accuse the old black in their minds of base desertion, did him a gross injustice. After he had seen the two boys taken prisoners, the old warrior had realized that he could be of far more use to them at liberty than he would be if made captive by Muley-Hassan.
At the spot which they had halted, the stream swollen apparently by rains in the mountains roared between its banks, in a dark chocolate-colored flood. Muley-Hassan himself was the only one of his band provided with a tent, or anything resembling one, and the boys shared the common bed of the rest of the party which was the ground.
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