In the meantime Professor Gunn had met and told Colonel Stringer, and the colonel had carried the story to his English friend, Coddington. These men were eager to join in the pursuit of Nadia’s captors. They were on hand when Dick and Brad appeared and announced the securing of the steamer.
“My dear Coddington,” said the colonel, “the prospect of a little fighting makes my blood stir. Are yo’ armed, suh?”
“I have my pistol, don’t you know,” answered the Englishman.
“Very good, suh. I have two pistols, and I can use them both. We’ll make it red-hot fo’ this Spaniard and his Turkish friend, if we evah catch them.”
“But I’m afraid we’ll never catch them,” said Coddington. “This steamer the boy has secured is a slow old tub.”
“We’ll overtake them if we have to pursue them clean up to Lake Victoria Nyanza,” declared Dick grimly. “I don’t see why they turned up the river, if they wish to get away.”
“That’s what puzzled me up a plenty, pard,” put in Buckhart. “Mebbe Budthorne made a mistake; mebbe the Turk’s yacht went down the river.”
But Budthorne insisted that he had made no mistake, and so, when they had boarded the excursion steamer and found everything ready for the start, they headed toward the upper waters of the Nile.
“Look there!”
“Where?”