eceding nor too
prominent. His neck sat on his shoulders with the air of full
responsibility, unsought but not refused. And his eyes looked straight
into those of each of us in turn with a frank challenge no honest
fellow could resent.

"Take seats, won't you," he said. "Your names, please?"

We told him, and he wrote them down.

"My clerk tells me you tried to bribe the askari. You shouldn't do
that. We are at great pains to keep the police dependable. It's too
bad to put temptation in their way."

Will, with cold precision, told him the exact facts. He listened to
the end, and then laughed.

"One more Goanese mistake!" he said. "We have to employ them. They
mean well. The country has no money to spend on European office
assistants. Well--what can I do for you?"

At that Fred cut loose.

"We want our guns before dark!" he said. "It's the first time my
character has been questioned by any government, and I say the same for
my friends!"

"Oh?" said the collector, eying us strangely.

"Yes!" said Fred.

"That is so," said I.

"Entirely so," said Will.

"I have information," said the collector, tapping with a pencil on his
blotter, "that you men are ivory hunters. That you left Portuguese
territory because the German consul there had to request the Portuguese
government to expel you."

"All easily disproved," said Fred. "Confront us, please, with our
accusers."

"And that Lord Montdidier, with whom you have been traveling, became so
disgusted with your conduct that he refused to land with you at this
port as he at first intended!"

We all three gasped. The first thing that occurred to me, and I
suppose to all of us, was to send for Monty. His steamer was not
supposed to sail for an hour yet. But the thought had hardly flashed
in mind when we heard the roar of steam and clanking as the anchor
chain came home. The sound traveled over water and across roofs like
the knell of good luck--the clanking of the fetters of ill fate.

"Where's her next stop?" said I.

"Suez," Fred answered.

Simultaneously then to all three the thought came too that this
interpretation of Monty's remaining on board was exactly what we
wanted. The more people suspected us of acting independently of him
the better.

"Confront us with our accusers!" Fred insisted.

"You are not accused--at least not legally," said the collector. "You
are refused rifle and ammunition permits, that is all."

"On the ground