"We are going to the Moon Mountains," whispered Billy to Lathrop,
"at least it looks that way. I overheard Muley-Hassan say to Diego
that we'd have to hurry to get the ivory--"
Lathrop's reply was cut short by a scene that sent the angry blood
to both boys' faces.
Before the camp was abandoned for good and the plunge into the
forest began, Muley-Hassan gave a sharp order and directed several
of his men set about demolishing the camp. Diego himself smashed
the field wireless of which Frank and Harry had been so proud. He
hacked it to atoms with one of the heavy axes. The tents and
provision boxes were next piled in a heap and set in a blaze.
As the column of dark smoke rose from the ruins of the once happy
camp into the clear sky the order to advance was given and the train
once more moved forward.
They had hardly deserted the clearing before, from the river bank,
half a hundred wild figures appeared.
They were similar in appearance--only even more wild-looking than
the savages fought off by Frank, Harry and Ben the previous day.
Like the others their slashed and scarred faces and clay-daubed lips
showed them to belong to one of the fierce cannibal tribes of the
Bambara region.
Their leader, a tall, thin savage of exceptionally repulsive
appearance, motioned with his fingers to his thick lips for absolute
silence among his followers.
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