“What did you see?” asked Ben.
“Savages!” answered Jimmie.
“They got us, too!” Carl put in.
“They did?” demanded Glenn. “Then how did you get away?”
“Ran away!” answered Jimmie scornfully. “You don’t suppose we flew, do you? I guess we’ve been going some!”
“Where are the savages now?” demanded Glenn.
“I don’t know!” Jimmie answered. “I don’t want to know where they are. I want to know where they ain’t!”
“Come on!” Carl urged. “Let’s get back to the machines!”
Glenn and Ben did not seem to take the incident as seriously as did their chums. In fact, they were rather inclined to make facetious remarks about little boys being frightened at black men in the woods. Ben was even in favor of advancing into the thicket on a tour of investigation, but Jimmie argued him out of the idea.
“They’re savages, all right!” the latter insisted. “They’re naked, and they’re armed with spears. Look to me like head-hunters from the Amazon valley! If you go into the thicket you’re likely to get a couple of spears into your frame!”