"That I don"t like the looks of that Portuguese fellow. If he got wind of what we are doing he would be likely to ruin the whole object of our expedition."
"That"s so. We"ll have to get rid of him."
"Well, we are going to, and if he won"t go for gentle means we"ll try rough ones."
"Hullo, what"s that?" exclaimed Harry suddenly.
The flap at the end of the tent toward which both of their backs had been turned had been suddenly drawn aside and in one quick, backward glance Harry made out the smiling figure of de Barros standing in the doorway. It might have been fancy, but he thought for a minute that the Portuguese had a peculiarly villainous expression on his dark, handsome features.
"Ah, senors," he said, as Frank, with a quick movement swept the map off the table--but not before de Barros"s quick eyes had spied it.
Fearing to replace the precious chart in the strong box, while the Portuguese lingered, Frank tucked it into his pocket.
"Ah, senors, good afternoon," grinned the unwelcome visitor. "I have come to say "adios." I am going up the river to-night and may not see you again for a long time."
"I am sorry to have you leave," said Frank with a heartfelt wish that de Barros would hasten his departure.
"I knew you would be," smiled the Portuguese, "but it is the lot of man to meet and part. Adios, senors, I go to make ready."
He vanished as suddenly as he had come upon the scene.
"What do you make of that?" inquired Harry.
"I don"t know what to think. I have an idea that he was listening to every word of our conversation just now and that he saw the map before I had time to sweep it off the table."
Harry looked vexed.
"That"s tough luck," he said. "If he overheard even a part of our talk he must realize the object of our presence in Africa. And," he went on, "I don"t know a man on the Dark Continent whom I would trust less than Diego de Barros, even the little we"ve seen of him."
"It can"t be helped now," said Frank briefly; "come on, let"s go and put the finishing touches on the good old Eagle."
They worked the rest of the afternoon putting the big aeroplane in shape for her flight to the Moon Mountains which it had been determined to make the next day. It was almost dusk when Harry, who was working over the engines, asked Frank for the reserve park-plug box.
"It"s in one of the canoes. I"ll go and get it," said Frank, and at once set off toward the river bank for that purpose. His path led through a thick grove of bamboos which hid him from the view of the camp after he had traversed a short distance. As he merged on the river bank, whistling softly to himself, the young leader suddenly felt himself pinioned by arms that seemed of enormous strength-- though, as the attack had come from behind, he could not see the faces of his a.s.sailants. The next minute he was lying flat on his back, bound and helpless with a bit of greasy cloth shoved in his mouth for a gag.
"Keep still, senor, and you shall not be hurt;" said a quiet voice near at hand, and Frank saw bending above him the sallow features of the smiling Portuguese.
"I just have to trouble you for that map I saw you put in your pocket, that is all," went on his captor, while the two huge negroes who had made Frank prisoner stood to one side immovable as carved figures,
"It is lucky for me that you came down to the river bank," grinned the Portuguese as he ran his hand over Frank"s clothes, to ascertain the hiding-place of the precious map of the ivory cache, "otherwise I should have had to delay my departure till to-night, and possibly have cut your throat while you slept."
Frank felt as if his heart would burst with rage and mortification as the greasy, smiling Portuguese deliberately drew out the priceless doc.u.ment and gazed at it in triumph. He laid it on the ground beside him while lie resumed his search for other clues.
"That ivory belongs to my master--Muley-Ha.s.san--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.
The two blacks uttered a sharp cry of warning as the bushes parted and a huge form dashed out, whirling about its head a glistening axe.
It was Sikaso!
The next minute would have been Diego"s last but that his two followers lifted him to his feet and, picking him up like a child, ran for his canoe with him. With a few rapid strokes they were in midstream and paddling up the river with powerful strokes while Sikaso raged impotently on the sh.o.r.e.
"Oh for one of the white men"s fire-tubes!" he sighed, and even as he spoke a sharp reminder of the efficiency of these same "fire-tubes" whizzed past his ear in the shape of a bullet from Diego"s revolver.
In a few steps the old black was beside his young leader and with a couple of strokes of his keen blade had set him free.
"Quick, Sikaso; the canoes--we must pursue him. Call the boys and Ben while I cast off the canoes. Quick, we have not a minute to lose."
Although Diego in his hurry had not carried off the map but left it lying on the ground, still Frank realized that the Portuguese had not actually needed the doc.u.ment to aid Muley-Ha.s.san to find the cache. The Arab was no doubt familiar with the location anyway, but to head off all danger of the boys getting there first, it was vital to stop Diego at all costs. In a few bounds Frank reached the little indentation in the bank where the canoes were kept.
As he gained it he fell back with a groan and, brave boy as he was, he leaned weakly against a tree for support as the true extent of the crushing disaster that had occurred was borne in on him.
The canoes were gone!
The cunning rascal, Diego, had devised his plan well.
The painters of all the craft had been cut, and by this time they were doubtless miles down the stream.
CHAPTER VIII
A BATTLE IN THE AIR
The consternation with which the news of the loss of the canoes was received by the young adventurers may be imagined. It meant that they were cut off from communication with the coast entirely unless some unforeseen circ.u.mstances arose. But in spite of the oppression that naturally affected them at the first news of their serious loss, Frank"s confident manner had its effect in restoring some sort of hope. Like the born leader that he was, Frank, the minute he recovered from the first effects of his bitter dismay, set about cheering up the others.
"We"ve always got the Golden Eagle," he comforted, "and anyway it"s likely if no one stops them, that some at least of the canoes will drift down the river to the coast. M. Desplaines will no doubt be able to surmise something serious has happened when he hears of their arrival and will send aid. In the meantime we have to consider what we are to do about the ivory cache."
As a matter of fact, as the boys learned later, none of the canoes ever reached the coast, being intercepted by river-tribes.
"I vote for going ahead," cried Harry, catching the optimistic note that his brother"s words conveyed.
"That"s the stuff," cried the young leader, "that is exactly what I was going to propose."
"How about you, red-top?" asked Billy turning to Lathrop.
"Of course I"m on," was the reply.
"I hate to dash your enthusiasm," said Frank, "but you fellows must see that it is impossible for all of us to go. My plan is to take Ben Stubbs along and leave you fellows and Sikaso here to guard the camp. Then, too, there is the possibility of a relief expedition arriving as soon as they discover that we have lost our canoes."
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. Sikaso will stay with the four-eyed one and the ruddy-haired one and we will see that no harm comes to the camp of the young white warriors."
"It is well," replied Frank, who was falling into a trick of addressing the stately Krooman in the same grandiloquent fashion as the latter was in the habit of using, "I place my trust in you."