“Why, yes,” said Enola. “This man Sedai was to present the matter before the first party entering the interior, and if we should wish to be the ones to discover this strange land, we must lose no time in getting to Zanzibar. It will not take long to make preparations, will it?”
“Well, no,” said Mr. Graham. “We will take but very little with us from this country, for everything can be obtained in Zanzibar. Let us see,” and he consults a New York paper. “To-day is Friday and the Paris sails from New York next Wednesday. We can leave here on Sunday evening if you wish to, and mother and Nellie can get packed in that time, and arrive in New York Tuesday morning. We can make what few purchases we need, and go on the steamer that same night. Now what do you think of that for quick work?”
“I see you are quite as enthusiastic as myself in this matter,” said Enola. “But where will we leave Auntie and Nellie while we are making our longer journey?”
“Oh, they can stop somewhere in Europe,” said Mr. Graham, “or go on to Zanzibar if they wish, and wait there for our return. I am afraid, Enola, that you will have harder work to convince them of the advisability of this trip, than you have had with me.”
“I am afraid so,” said Enola, “but you must help me.”
“I will do the best I can,” said Mr. Graham.
“But look here,” said Harry, who had kept perfectly quiet up to this time. “Where do I come in?”
“Why, Harry, I supposed you understood that you were to accompany us,” said Enola. “Your father is perfectly willing, I know, and your mother will not object when she learns that I am determined on going. It will be pleasanter to have you with us, for there will be so few of us at the most, and among strangers home faces will be very comforting.”
“It will have to be pleasant or otherwise,” said Harry, “for I intend accompanying you, most certainly. I wouldn’t see you take such a journey without me. There ought to be two of us with you anyway Enola, so that in case anything should happen one of us, you would still have another to protect you. It is a serious thing I should judge, to have to trust wholly to the half savage negroes who will make up your escort. So we must guard against any contingency.”
“Very well,” said Enola, “then it is settled that we start on Sunday night.”