she said. “I never would have made that good shot myself.”
The young people and their guides walked back to the bus and climbed in. No more stops were made. Soon Butubu turned into an area which had no visible road, merely very tall grass and here and there some trees.
Wary of lions, Butubu ordered the group to stay in the Land Rover. Slowly he wound his way along, then finally drew to a halt.
He pointed ahead to the shelter of some trees. “Over there is where I saw Tizam and the lioness,” he said.
At that moment six blacks rose up from the tall grass. They held spears ready to throw and advanced toward the Land Rover.
CHAPTER XV
Native’s Help
IN an instant the whole Emerson group dropped to the floor of the bus. Would the native warriors try to break in upon them?
“This is terrible!” came Bess’s muffled wail.
The Americans could hear Butubu calling out in Swahili to the oncoming men. There was a long conversation, which did not sound hostile to Nancy. In fact, she heard a couple of the spearmen laugh.
Cautiously she raised her head and looked out the window. The tribesmen stood with their spears pointed toward the ground and did not appear at all menacing now. Finally Nancy stood up and spoke to Butubu.
“Everything is all right,” he said. “No danger.”
Somewhat sheepishly the young people got up from the floor and took their seats. Butubu explained that these men were stalking a roving lioness. She was reported to have killed a child in one of the villages.
“How horrible!” Bess exclaimed.
Butubu nodded. “These men were amused that you thought they meant to harm you.”
“It wasn’t so funny,” Bess complained.
Nancy asked the guide to find out if the natives knew or had heard of Tizam. He questioned the men, then translated the answer.
“A year ago a man dragged himself into their tribe’s village. He had been mauled by a lioness but had survived the attack.”
“Did they find out who he was?” George asked.
Butubu shook his head. “The man had lost his memory. He had developed fever and it took a long time for the medicine man to make him well. After a while his body was all right, but he could not remember who he was or where he came from.”
“Is he still at their village?” Nancy queried.
Butubu questioned the natives, but the answer was No. The stranger had disappeared one night and they had no idea where he had gone.
Nancy and her friends were dismayed and alarmed to hear this. If the man was Tizam, there was no telling where he might have wandered. He might even have lost his life. In any case, it would account for his never having communicated with his sister or Mr. Foster’s agency.
George said in disappointment, “Just when we were getting within reach of solving the mystery, it slips right through our fingers!”
Nancy continued to ask questions, hoping to elicit some clue to Tizam’s whereabouts. She learned that several times, in somewhat lucid moments, Tizam had said in Swahili, “I must get to Mombasa and report those thieves to the police.”
“What do you think he meant?” Dave queried. “Something to do with the spider sapphire?”
Nancy requested Butubu to ask the tribesmen if Tizam had carried any gems with him.
“No, he had nothing in his pockets and no identification.”
Burt spoke up. “I doubt that we can learn any more. Don’t you think we should start back for Nairobi?”
Butubu nodded, but when he told this to the spearmen, they objected. The guide translated that the men insisted the visitors come to their village for a meal and a ceremonial dance.
“I am afraid you cannot deny them this pleasure,” Butubu said.
The natives started their trek to the village and the bus followed slowly. No one saw any lions, but Butubu pointed out graceful elands and kudus. They resembled American deer but their horns were quite different. Those of the elands were long and straight and pointed slightly backwards. The kudus’ rose
The young people and their guides walked back to the bus and climbed in. No more stops were made. Soon Butubu turned into an area which had no visible road, merely very tall grass and here and there some trees.
Wary of lions, Butubu ordered the group to stay in the Land Rover. Slowly he wound his way along, then finally drew to a halt.
He pointed ahead to the shelter of some trees. “Over there is where I saw Tizam and the lioness,” he said.
At that moment six blacks rose up from the tall grass. They held spears ready to throw and advanced toward the Land Rover.
CHAPTER XV
Native’s Help
IN an instant the whole Emerson group dropped to the floor of the bus. Would the native warriors try to break in upon them?
“This is terrible!” came Bess’s muffled wail.
The Americans could hear Butubu calling out in Swahili to the oncoming men. There was a long conversation, which did not sound hostile to Nancy. In fact, she heard a couple of the spearmen laugh.
Cautiously she raised her head and looked out the window. The tribesmen stood with their spears pointed toward the ground and did not appear at all menacing now. Finally Nancy stood up and spoke to Butubu.
“Everything is all right,” he said. “No danger.”
Somewhat sheepishly the young people got up from the floor and took their seats. Butubu explained that these men were stalking a roving lioness. She was reported to have killed a child in one of the villages.
“How horrible!” Bess exclaimed.
Butubu nodded. “These men were amused that you thought they meant to harm you.”
“It wasn’t so funny,” Bess complained.
Nancy asked the guide to find out if the natives knew or had heard of Tizam. He questioned the men, then translated the answer.
“A year ago a man dragged himself into their tribe’s village. He had been mauled by a lioness but had survived the attack.”
“Did they find out who he was?” George asked.
Butubu shook his head. “The man had lost his memory. He had developed fever and it took a long time for the medicine man to make him well. After a while his body was all right, but he could not remember who he was or where he came from.”
“Is he still at their village?” Nancy queried.
Butubu questioned the natives, but the answer was No. The stranger had disappeared one night and they had no idea where he had gone.
Nancy and her friends were dismayed and alarmed to hear this. If the man was Tizam, there was no telling where he might have wandered. He might even have lost his life. In any case, it would account for his never having communicated with his sister or Mr. Foster’s agency.
George said in disappointment, “Just when we were getting within reach of solving the mystery, it slips right through our fingers!”
Nancy continued to ask questions, hoping to elicit some clue to Tizam’s whereabouts. She learned that several times, in somewhat lucid moments, Tizam had said in Swahili, “I must get to Mombasa and report those thieves to the police.”
“What do you think he meant?” Dave queried. “Something to do with the spider sapphire?”
Nancy requested Butubu to ask the tribesmen if Tizam had carried any gems with him.
“No, he had nothing in his pockets and no identification.”
Burt spoke up. “I doubt that we can learn any more. Don’t you think we should start back for Nairobi?”
Butubu nodded, but when he told this to the spearmen, they objected. The guide translated that the men insisted the visitors come to their village for a meal and a ceremonial dance.
“I am afraid you cannot deny them this pleasure,” Butubu said.
The natives started their trek to the village and the bus followed slowly. No one saw any lions, but Butubu pointed out graceful elands and kudus. They resembled American deer but their horns were quite different. Those of the elands were long and straight and pointed slightly backwards. The kudus’ rose
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