Mr. Hampton groaned. “I had expressly forbidden Mabele to let the men depart,” he said. “The rascal violated my orders in order to have a clear field for his operations.”
Passing inside the tent, Mr. Hampton and Niellsen took their turn at staring at the spot where the radio apparatus had stood, as if by the mere fact of their glances they could conjure it back into place.
“Then you, too, believe it was Mabele, Mr. Hampton?” asked Bob.
The older man nodded.
“I hardly knew what I suspected when he appeared at the tent today and it seemed likely he had overheard what was being said. But this has clarified my suspicions. He’s a shrewd one, a man as I said of superior parts. I am of the opinion now that he’s in the pay of the trouble-makers in this part of the world, be they German or what. Doubtless he thought that by taking the radio apparatus he could cut us oft from communication with Ransome.”
“And at the same time, perhaps, communicate with his confederates,” suggested Frank.
“It’s a serious loss, all right enough,” said Mr. Hampton. “And, furthermore, by allowing the bearers to attend the village celebration he increases his opportunity for escape. The villagers will be pretty loggy in the morning, and in no condition to help us pick up Mabele’s trail. And now the bearers will be the same. He will be able to get a good start.”
Sinking into a camp chair, he stared contemplatively at the ground, and the others respected his silence.
“Moreover,” he resumed, “we have no means now of notifying Ransome that Mabele stands betrayed in his true light. The rascal can get to Entebbe ahead of us in the assurance that we have no way of informing on him. And he may be able to cause no end of trouble.”
Frank stepped forward eagerly.