they had grasped John's warning an instant sooner! Burt groaned again as
he remembered how the big Liberian had reeled and fallen. And what
would his uncle do? The thought gave him sudden hope. His uncle would
know he had been carried off, surely! But if Captain Mac had failed to
penetrate the jungle even with his "pull," how could he look to his
uncle for rescue?

Suddenly Burt felt himself thrown roughly to the ground. His bonds were
cut and the skin pulled from about his head. As he sat up a strange
sight greeted his startled gaze.

Critch sat beside him, rubbing his inflamed hands grimly. All around
them stood little men hardly four feet tall. They were armed with
knives, spears and bows and were naked save for waist-cloths. Each man
wore a square-shaped headdress and all were chattering away with their
peculiar guttural clicks. Most of them had arm rings and neck rings of
iron or brass.

Beyond them were a number of low huts four feet high arranged in a rough
circle and in the center of this circle were the boys. When Burt glanced
at the faces of the men around him he was surprised to find them not
black but brown, with wide-set eyes and frank expressions. The village
was set in the semi-gloom of the deep jungle.

"Well," grunted Critch, "nice mess, ain't it?"

"What'll they do with us?" queried Burt anxiously. "Golly, my hands are
fierce! S'pose uncle'll find us?"

"Search me," replied Critch. "What happened to John?"

"Don't talk about it. I don't know." Burt shuddered. "Wonder if they
speak French?"

Burt addressed the pigmies in that language. They chattered excitedly in
response but he could make nothing of their words. They seemed to be
perplexed as to what disposition to make of their prisoners, for one
after another chattered angrily while the rest shook their heads.

"Ain't a bad looking lot at that," commented Critch coolly. "High
foreheads and good eyes, most of 'em. Look at their color, Burt! S'pose
they're the white pigmies?"

"No," replied Burt. "Guess they're Wambuti. Cap'n Mac said they looked
like this. By golly! I got it!"

Seizing a stick that lay beside him the boy attracted the attention of
the dwarfs. As they watched him curiously he drew a loop in the ground
with the end of the stick. From the loop he extended an arm and drew
another across. A startled silence fell on the pigmies as they watched.

"Pongo!" shouted Critch suddenly. "Bet she works, old man!"

At sight of the sac