“What do you think yourself?” retorted Earle. “What does the capture of us at all mean? Friendly disposed natives don’t do that sort of thing, you know. And why, having captured us, are they taking such extreme care that we shall get no chance to escape? I’m afraid, Dick, it means that they want us for some particular purpose, of which, probably, we shall very strongly disapprove.”
“You mean—?” began Dick.
“Yes,” answered Earle. “Something like that. But say! don’t you take what I’m saying too seriously. I give you credit for being no more afraid of death than I am, therefore I think it only right you should have an inkling of what may possibly be in store for us. But don’t believe that I am going to take lying down what may be coming to us. I shall do everything I know to persuade these savages that they could not do a more unwise thing than hurt either of us. If we should by any chance be brought within earshot of that idol on the opposite side of the compound, I shall try the ventriloquial dodge again, among other things. The worst of it is that I can’t speak these beggars’ language; and for a man’s own idol to address him in a foreign tongue is not altogether convincing, is it?”
“It is not,” admitted Dick, “although it worked away back there, and it may again. Poor Grace! If it were not for her, I should not mind so much.”
“What’s that about Grace?” demanded Earle.
“My sister, you know,” explained Dick. “I have been hoping that, in one way or another, this expedition would enable me to provide for her, so that she would not be compelled to go on very much longer earning her own living. She is all right so long as she can remain with the Mcgregors; but if anything should happen necessitating her leaving them—”
“Say, Dick, don’t you worry about that,” interrupted Earle. “Your sister is all right for three years from the signing of our contract, anyway, for she will have your pay to fall back upon if anything should go wrong during that time. And for the rest, I may as well tell you for your comfort that although, in view of this confounded expedition, I did not think it right to bind Grace to me by a definite engagement, she and I understand each other to the extent that if I should return to England within three years, she will do me the honour to become my wife. And—this of course is strictly between you and me and my lawyer in New York—if I should not turn up in three years, I am to be presumed to be dead, and my will is to be executed forthwith. That will was made on the day before we left New York, and by its provisions your sister inherits everything that I possess.”
“What is that you say?” demanded Dick, utterly bewildered. “My sister—Grace—inherits everything you possess?”
“Guess that’s what I said,” replied Earle, composedly.
“But—but—” stammered Dick, “I can’t understand it. Why should you leave Grace all your property?”