"Lat me see. I have been vandering avay all dis time. Now, I have not'ing to do but right-about-face and vander back."
Could reasoning be clearer or more conclusive? He acted on it at once, but, after wandering back a long time, he did not arrive at any place or object that he had recognised on the outward journey.
Meanwhile, as had been appointed, the rest of the party met a short time before dark at the rendezvous where they had lunched.
"Where is the professor, Baso?" asked Van der Kemp as he came up.
Baso did not know, and looked at Grogo, who also professed ignorance, but both said they thought the professor had gone with Nigel.
"I thought he was with you," said the latter, looking anxiously at the hermit.
"He's goed an' lost hisself!" cried Moses with a look of concern.
Van der Kemp was a man of action. "Not a moment to lose," he said, and organised the band into several smaller parties, each led by a native familiar with the jungle.
"Let this be our meeting-place," he said, as they were on the point of starting off together; "and let those of us who have fire-arms discharge them occasionally."
Meanwhile, the professor was walking at full speed in what he supposed to be—and in truth was—"back."