the boys an' be back in a week."

"No, you won't." Without the least trace of excitement in his voice Mr.
Wallace whipped out his revolver and covered the other. "Keep your hands
on the table, Montenay! Burt, remove the captain's gun."

CHAPTER IX

THE WHITE PIGMIES

As Burt obeyed it seemed to him that the Scotchman was taking the
situation very coolly. The little thin man sat silently with his eyes on
those of Mr. Wallace and only his quivering nostrils denoted the emotion
that must have consumed him.

"Now, Captain Montenay," resumed Mr. Wallace when Burt was again seated,
"let's have a little explanation." Burt saw that his uncle's face looked
as he had seen it on the night when his compass disappeared. "In the
first place you stole our compasses."

"I did not!" Captain Mac gave a harsh little laugh. "Ye have yer own, or
what's left of it. I've got the other two in my pocket. I removed 'em
temporarily so to speak. Be more choice in yer use o' words, man."

"Secondly, you've been leading us astray."

"Aye," retorted Captain Mac, "but I didn't give ye the credit for
findin' it out so quick."

"Now you propose to leave us here, on the edge of the jungle country,"
continued Mr. Wallace. "There are three things that are open to
explanation, Captain Montenay. I am sorry to use this method of
persuasion but it seems to be necessary." The little man's face lost its
look of half-malicious mockery and for a moment he did not answer but
stared over the head of Mr. Wallace at the afternoon sun.

"If I'm not wantin' to tell, man, I'm thinkin' ye'd have a hard job to
make me," was his answer at last.

"If you won't tell," snapped out Mr. Wallace, "I'll tie you up here and
now and carry you back to Boma. You know what you'd get there."

"Aye. Is that yer final deceesion?"

"It is. Explain or go to Boma."

"Vera good. Gi' me the gun, lad." To Burt's vast surprise his uncle
nodded and replaced his weapon. As Captain Mac quietly buckled the
restored revolver about his waist his face broke into a wrinkled smile.

"It'll be a longish yarn, Wallace." There was no trace of animosity in
his tone. "Let's finish eatin' an' when I get the old pipe between my
teeth I'll feel like talkin'."

Their meal was finished in silence. Before Captain Mac gave his
explanation, however, a startling event happened. It seemed that a dozen
men of the village had remained with the bodies of the elephants to
remove more of the meat