They brought knives and forks from their kit and offered one of each to Bomba. But he did not know their use, had never seen them, and ate his meat by plucking it apart with his teeth and fingers, as was his custom, the while he watched with wonder the deft way in which the table utensils were used by his new acquaintances.
He felt that it must be a better way than his. The white men did it, and he himself was white and ought to do it too. Before he was half way through the meal, he shyly reached out for the knife and fork and tried to imitate them. The effort was not very successful, but they sensed his feeling, and be it said to their credit they did not laugh.
The meal was interspersed with questionings, in the course of which the men learned much and gained marked respect for Bomba’s courage and self-reliance. They were aghast at his story of the way he had trapped the cooanaradi, and would not have believed it had not the simple way that Bomba told it carried conviction. He did not boast, merely narrated the incident as though it were not of any particular importance and simply a part of the day’s work in the jungle.
“Why not take the boy along with us, if he’s willing?” suggested Gillis, thoughtfully, to his companion. “It would bring him out to civilization, and at the same time he’d be a mighty valuable addition to our party. We’d be killing two birds with one stone.”
“Right enough,” agreed Dorn. “How would you like to go along with us?” he asked, addressing himself to Bomba.
The boy’s heart leaped and delight shone in his eyes. Oh, how he wanted to go! But the next moment the light faded and his heart sank.
“I could not leave Casson,” he said. “He would die if I left him alone.”
“The boy’s true blue,” said Gillis, “and we mustn’t tempt him. But soon or late we’ll see this Casson and perhaps get them both out of the jungle. The whole thing is the queerest affair I ever came across.”
He struck a match to light his pipe, and Bomba jumped at the sudden spurt of flame.
“Never see one of those before?” asked Dorn, in surprise.