“You are quite sure?”

“Quite,” replied Zulima. “Has anything happened to him?”

“Would you be very sorry if there had?” asked Burt abruptly.

“He was a very kind friend of mine,” said the princess.

“Mr. Stolburst has disappeared, under very suspicious circumstances.”

“Why suspicious?”

Burt made up his mind the girl knew something about the explorer’s disappearance.

“His life has been threatened by one of your countrymen.”

“How do you know my country?”

“You are an Abyssinian.”