of being ivory hunters?"

"Suspected persons--not known to the government--something rather
stronger than rumor to your discredit, and nothing known in your favor."

"What recourse have we?" Fred demanded.

"Well--what proof can you offer that you are bona fide travelers or
intending settlers? Are you ivory hunters or not?"

"I'll answer that," said Fred--dexterously I thought, "when I've seen a
copy of the game laws. We're law-abiding men."

The collector handed us a well thumbed copy of the Red Book.

"They're all in that," he said. "I'll lend it to you, or you can buy
one almost anywhere in town. If you decide after reading that to go
farther up country I'm willing to issue provisional game licenses,
subject to confirmation after I've looked into any evidence you care to
submit on your own behalf. You can have your guns against a cash
deposit--"

"How big?"

"Two hundred rupees for each gun!"

Fred laughed. The demand was intended to be away over our heads. The
collector bridled.

"But no ammunition," he went on, "until your claim to respectability
has been confirmed. By the way, the only claim you've made to me is
for the guns. You've told me nothing about yourselves."

"Two hundred a gun?" said Fred. "Counting a pistol or revolver as
one? Three guns apiece--nine guns--eighteen hundred rupees' deposit?"

The collector nodded with a sort of grim pleasure in his own
unreasonableness. Fred drew out our new check book.

"You fellows agreeable?" he asked, and we nodded.

"Here's a check on the Mombasa Bank for ten thousand, and your
government can have as much more again if it wants it," he said. "Make
me out a receipt please, and write on it what it's for."

The collector wrote. He was confused, for he had to tear up more than
one blank.

"I suppose we get interest on the money at the legal local rate?" asked
Fred maliciously.

"I'll inquire about that," said the collector.

"Excuse me," said Fred, "but I'm going to give you some advice. While
you're inquiring, look into the antecedents of Lady Isobel Saffren
Waldon! It's she who gave out the tip against us. Her tip's a bad
one. So is she."

"She hasn't applied for guns or a license," the collector answered
tartly. "It's people who want to carry firearms--people able
and likely to make trouble whom we keep an eye on."

"She's more likely to make trouble for you than a burning house!" put
in Will Yerkes. "If my partner