“It is useless,” he announced. “The girl, who is clearly enamoured of Craig, suspects us. So does the Chief. Perhaps, secretly, Craig himself is unwilling to leave us here. The Chief never changes his mind and he has spoken. We go either as his captives or his guests. I have heard it said,” the Professor added grimly, “that the Mongars never keep captives longer than twenty-four hours.”
They all rose at once to their feet, and a few moments later horses were brought. The little procession was already being formed in line. Craig approached them once more.
“You will mount now and ride in the middle of our caravan,” he directed. “The Chief does not trust you. If you value your lives, you will do as you are bidden.”
“I don’t like the idea of the jungle,” Lenora sighed.
“Gives me the creeps,” Laura admitted, as she climbed upon her horse. “Any wild animals there, Professor?”
The Professor became more cheerful.
“The animal life of the region we are about to traverse,” he observed, as they moved off, “is in some respects familiar to me. Twelve years ago I devoted some time to research a little to the westward of our present route. I will, if you choose, as we ride, give you a brief account of some of my discoveries.”
The two girls exchanged glances. Quest, who had intercepted them, turned his horse and rode in between the Professor and Lenora.
“Go right ahead, Professor,” he invited. “Fortunately the girls have got saddles like boxes—I think they both mean to go to sleep.”
“An intelligent listener of either sex,” the Professor said amiably, “will be a stimulus to my memory.”