ee!" he
added suddenly. "You mean that this river out here runs up to the
Makua?"

"Brilliant!" exclaimed Critch sarcastically. "Why, it's got to, Burt!
That is, unless it switches off an' goes south. I don't believe it does,
though."

"That won't do us much good either," responded Burt. "These dwarfs don't
use boats, or Cap'n Mac would have gotten off that way."

"What do we want of boats?" demanded Critch. "After you're resurrected
I'll be the boss of this tribe for fair. I'll set them to work on a
raft, and away we go! If we hit the Makua we're bound to strike your
uncle and Cap'n Mac sooner or latter."

"Good for you!" cried Burt, staring at the other in wide-eyed
comprehension. "And we can carry off this whole blamed zareba that way,
with the _ankh_ too!"

"Not much we can't," and Critch shook his head. "We could get off with
the ivory, I s'pose, if Mbopo helps us. But not the _ankh_. That's their
real god, you know. I don't believe we'd dare try that."

"Well, it's getting on toward sunset," and Burt glanced at the sun, just
above the western tree tops. "You'd better chase back and get ready to
resurrect me. I ain't anxious to be around here after dark. What's the
program?"

"Why," replied Critch thoughtfully, "you keep hid till dark. As soon's
it gets good and dark, say eight o'clock, I'll lead out the mob. I don't
know just yet what I'll do, but I'll bring the mummy in here. You get a
hole dug to bury him in. Then I'll lead you out and can shake hands
with Pongo."

"With which?" exclaimed Burt.

"With the _ankh_--just lay your hand on him like Mbopo did," explained
Critch, laughing. "Stick that book of Cap'n Mac's in your pocket. If we
get out o' here he'd like to see it again, I reckon. So long."

"So long," answered Burt. "Don't keep me waitin' all night, now."

So Critch departed on his mission, while Burt lay back to think things
over. If it was true that the river near the village ran northwest, then
it almost certainly ran into the Makua, or a tributary of the Makua. In
that case they would be perfectly safe in floating down. There would be
dangers on the way, but by taking a few of the white dwarfs along Burt
realized that these would be greatly lessened. On the other hand, should
the river prove to turn and flow back toward the Aruwimi country, they
would probably miss the caravan altogether. In any case, their whole
future depended upon the issue of that night's "performance," as Burt
men