Part 24 (1/2)
”Read it over again,” suggested Critch with a grin Burt did so, and once otat, anyhow?”
”Don't you see?” cried his chu northwest!”
”Well, what about it?” demanded Burt
”Why, which way does the Makua run?”
”If I remember the i, and o on the way south Oh, I see!” he added suddenly ”You mean that this river out here runs up to the Makua?”
”Brilliant!” exclaiot to, Burt!
That is, unless it switches off an' goes south I don't believe it does, though”
”That won't do us ood either,” responded Burt ”These dwarfs don't use boats, or Cap'n Mac would have gotten off that way”
”What do ant of boats?” demanded Critch ”After you're resurrected I'll be the boss of this tribe for fair I'll set theo! If we hit the Makua we're bound to strike your uncle and Cap'n Mac sooner or latter”
”Good for you!” cried Burt, staring at the other in wide-eyed comprehension ”And we can carry off this whole blamed zareba that ith the _ankh_ too!”
”Not et off with the ivory, I s'pose, if Mbopo helps us But not the _ankh_ That's their real God, you know I don't believe we'd dare try that”
”Well, it's getting on toward sunset,” and Burt glanced at the sun, just above the western tree tops ”You'd better chase back and get ready to resurrect me I ain't anxious to be around here after dark What's the prograhtfully, ”you keep hid till dark As soon's it gets good and dark, say eight o'clock, I'll lead out thetheto bury hio”
”With which?” exclaimed Burt
”With the _ankh_--just lay your hand on hi ”Stick that book of Cap'n Mac's in your pocket If we get out o' here he'd like to see it again, I reckon So long”
”So long,” answered Burt ”Don't keep ht, now”
So Critch departed on his s over If it was true that the river near the village ran northwest, then it almost certainly ran into the Makua, or a tributary of the Makua In that case they would be perfectly safe in floating down There would be dangers on the way, but by taking a few of the white dwarfs along Burt realized that these would be greatly lessened On the other hand, should the river prove to turn and flow back toward the Aruwiether In any case, their whole future depended upon the issue of that night's ”perfor to life
The disappearance of the sun roused hi a spear and a broad-bladed sword from the weapons Critch had left, Burt went inside the hut Here he set to work energetically digging the hole for the final resting place of Ta-En-User, the High Priest of Maat The tramped earthen floor was easily broken up by means of the spear, and as the dusk settled down over the forest Burt finished a shallow hole sufficient to hold thehis dripping face as he returned outside ”Here old Ta rapped up carefully three thousand years back, et co come the white dwarfs to rouse him up, and they carry him clear over here Then he settles down onceand finish hiht in the first place--why, if they'd done things different three thousand years back there wouldn't be any Pongo!”
Burt was roused froedisposed of the insect, Burt daubed his face and hands hat rerass at a spot where he could see between two of the tusks and settled down to wait He was uneasy at the idea that the lion htest teht settled down over the forest, and soon Burt could e fires After what seeled with the throb of the tom-toms
This continued for half an hour, then ceased A few ate, followed by others Burt guessed that these were torches, and knew that the time was at hand
More and ht Burt could make out fairly well all that took place It seee At the head of the procession stalked Mbopo, with Critch beside hi wrapped in a skin, and knew this was the olden _ankh_ between them on a spear, while a third uard of the chief, the rest of the tribe following in a mob
At the point where the boys had been left for the lion, halfway between village and hut, the tribe was halted Mbopo arranged thethe orders of Critch The ”drureater part of the torches were extinguished, and Critch, Mbopo and the bearers of the relics moved forward Burt saw his chum stop at a point distant about a hundred feet froateway