hadn't paid you that check I'd be all
for having this business out! I'm going to let them know in the States
what sort of welcome people receive at this port!"

"You came of your own accord. You weren't invited," the collector
answered.

"That's a straight-out lie!" snapped Will. "You know it's a lie! Why,
there isn't a newspaper in South Africa that hasn't been carrying ads
of this country for months past. Even papers I've had sent me from the
States have carried press-agent dope about it. Why, you've been
yelling for settlers like a kid squalling for milk--and you say we're
not invited now we've come here! I'm going to write and tell the U. S.
papers what that dope is worth!"

"Ivory hunters are not settlers," the collector interjected.

"Who said we're ivory hunters?" Will was in a fine rage, and Fred and
I leaned back to enjoy the official's discomfort. "Besides, your ads
bragged about the big game as one of the chief attractions! All the
information you can possibly have against us must have come from a
female crook in the pay of the German government! You're not behaving
the way gentlemen do where I was raised!"

"There is no intention to offend," said the collector.

"Intention is good!" said Will, laughing in spite of himself. "There's
another thing I want to know. What about ammunition? We're to have
our guns. They're useless without cartridges. What about it?"

"The guns shall be sent to your hotel tonight. The provisional
sporting licenses--if you want them--will be ready tomorrow
morning--seven hundred and fifty rupees apiece--I'll charge them
against your deposit. If the licenses should be confirmed after
inquiry, I will send you permits through the post for fifty rounds of
ammunition each."

Will snorted. Fred Oakes yelled with laughter, and I gaped with
indignation.

"I'm going into this to the hilt!" spluttered Fred. "I wouldn't have
missed it for a fortune! We three are going to constitute ourselves a
committee of inspection. We're going to wander the country over and
report home to the newspapers--South African--British--U. S. A.--and
any other part of the world that's interested! We won't worry about
ammunition. Send us permits for whatever quantity seems to you proper,
and we'll note it all down in our diaries!"

We all stood up, the collector obviously uncomfortable and we, if not
at ease, at least happier than we had been.

Fred nodded to the collector genially,