I am quite ready to go, but you are less likely to be noticed
than I am. There is no hurry, for we don't wish to move until
within an hour of sunset, or perhaps two hours. There is no fear of
our meeting with any interruption until we get back to the point
where we started this morning, and it would be as well, therefore,
to be back there just before dark."

"Me go, sar. Me strip. Dat best; not seen so easy among de trees."

"Quite right, Dominique. What we want to find out is the exact
position of the camp and the hut, for no doubt they built a hut of
some sort, where Miss Greendale is; and see how we can best get as
close to it as possible. Then it would be as well to find out what
sort of village this Obi man has got, and how many men it probably
contains. But don't risk anything to do this. Our object is to
surprise Carthew's camp, and we must take our chance as to the
blacks. If you were seen, and an alarm given, Carthew might carry
Miss Greendale off again. So don't mind about the Obi village,
unless you are sure that you can obtain a view of it without risk
of being seen."

"Me manage dat, sar," the negro said, confidently. "Dey not on de
lookout. Me crawl up among de trees and see eberyting; no fear
whatsomeber."

Dominique stripped and started down the path, while the rest
retired into the shelter of the trees. An anxious two hours passed,
the party listening intently for any sound that might tell of
Dominique's being discovered. All, however, remained quiet, except
that they were once or twice startled by the loud beating of a
drum, and the deep blasts from the fetish horn. At the end of that
time there was a general exclamation of relief as Dominique stepped
in from among the trees.

"Well, Dominique, what have you found?" Frank exclaimed as he
started to his feet.

"Me found eberyting, sar. First come to village. Not bery big,
twenty or thirty men dere. Den a hundred yards furder tree huts
stand. Dey new huts, but not built last night, leaves all dead,
built eight or ten days ago. Me crawl on tomack among de trees, and
lay and watch. In de furder hut two white lady. Dey come in and
out, dey talk togeder, de oders not go near them. Next hut to them,
twenty, thirty yards away, two white men. Dey sit on log and smoke
cigar. In de next hut four white sailor. Den a little distance
away, twelve black fellows sit round fire and cook food. Plenty of
goats down in valley, good gardens and lots of bananas."