“You’ll be surprised, Johnny,” he said as an amused smile played about the corners of his mouth. “Perhaps you won’t believe what I tell you—but I’ve got to finish that thing I was telling you.”
“Go on,” Johnny urged.
“Well, we went into that cave, that mysterious girl that may have been white. I don’t know about that—
“We hadn’t been in there ten minutes when we heard a shuffling sound by the cave’s entrance and what do you think?” Pant paused to stare at a spot on the wall. “What could you expect? Almost anything. What was it but that troop of giant baboons!” Once again Pant paused.
Involuntarily Johnny allowed his eyes to stray to the window shade. No shadow there tonight. Even the tree branches were still.
“Well, sir,” Pant gave vent to a low chuckle, “there we were, that girl and I crowded way back in the cave. And there were the baboons. They came shuffling in, like thirty or forty boys playing hooky from school. And silent! Say! I didn’t suppose any wild creature except maybe a tiger could be that quiet.
“The girl was scared. Plumb scared to death. As she crowded close to me, I could feel her heart beat madly like it might burst. Surprised me that did, because these natives all know a baboon won’t hurt you. Made me think she was all white. Suppose she was, Johnny?”
“Don’t you know? Didn’t you find out?” Johnny asked in surprise.
“No—I—but where was I?” Pant broke off. “Oh, yes! That wasn’t all, not half, Johnny. You won’t believe it but I’m going to tell you just the same. The baboons hadn’t much more than got good and settled, when there came another quick shuffle outside the cave and in popped—who do you think?” Pant drew in a quick breath. “That whole band of wild men.”
“Must have been a large cave.”