“They shall have part of my share of food,” said Bella.
“And mine and mine,” added Leo and Natty.
“I would rather leave Chico behind,” said Leo, “though I am afraid those dreadful savages would eat him.”
“Oh, we must carry him too,” said Natty; “for I am sure when we stop at night he will be able to forage for himself; he will find out roots and fruit when very often we are not able to discover them.”
We did not spend much more time in talking. It was arranged that we should start immediately on the return of Timbo. We therefore at once set to work to pack up our goods and to collect all the provisions we had in store to carry with us. As we could not tell into what regions the river might carry us it was important to kill some game and to collect as many plantains as we could carry off from the deserted village. Chickango and the two boys undertook to set off for the latter object, while Stanley and I went out with our guns into the woods. We were unusually successful, and in an hour had bagged as many pigeons and other birds as we could carry. We found, as we neared the Castle, Natty and Leo staggering on under a load of plantains.
“We shall have no fear of starving now, at all events!” cried Leo, “for Chickango has got as many more. As we came along, however, he started off to the top of the hill, where we understood him to say he could get a sight of the Bakelés village, and I suppose that he will be soon with us.”
We were disappointed on our arrival at finding that Timbo had not returned.
“I am afraid that some accident has happened to the poor fellow,” said Stanley; “or he may have been incautious, and fallen into the hands of the savages.”
David and Jack had been so well employed, that, with the assistance of the young ladies, everything was prepared for a start.
“I wish that we could be off,” said David; “but we must not leave our faithful Timbo behind.”