“Did he?” Mr. Holton smiled happily. “He shot several creatures that were previously unknown to civilized man.”
“It seems that Thompson’s expedition penetrated a region that has been invaded by very few whites,” explained Joe’s father. “Oh, it was worth their while, all right.”
“Sounds interesting,” grinned Joe. “Go on.”
Mr. Holton looked up suddenly.
“What do you mean, ‘go on’?” he asked suspiciously.
“Oh, nothing.” Joe made an attempt to be casual.
The naturalists chuckled.
“Nothing, huh?” laughed Mr. Holton, who at the start had grasped the hidden meaning in Joe’s words. “You weren’t by any chance thinking of another expedition going to Africa, were you?”
Joe started. He wondered how his chum’s father had caught on so quickly.