“How come?”
“If that were true, this monkey must have belonged to the natives. The theory would be that they saved the tag and put it round the monkey’s neck.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Just this. Monkeys are very particular about the company they keep. If this one belonged to the natives he’d never make friends with a couple of plane-wrecked white men.”
“All right then, he belonged to the nurse. The monkey escaped, but the nurse was eaten.”
“I still think you’re wrong,” Jack insisted. “It will be dark in a short time,” he added. “We’ll just wander over for a look at the natives. Then perhaps we’ll know what to think.”
“And perhaps we won’t,” Stew laughed softly. “Anyway, it’s worth trying.”
CHAPTER X
“HIST THERE! YOU!”
Two hours later, peering from a thicket of tall ferns and sprouting palms, the two boys were witnessing one of the most fascinating moving pictures from real life that they had ever chanced upon. About a broad fire of coals was a group of thirty or forty natives. Some were seated on palm logs, and some were standing. All were talking and laughing.
“Um-m-m! Lead me to it!” Stew whispered.