t effect and before he could reload, the
tribesmen were almost upon him, yelling and brandishing their weapons.
Already arrows were whistling about his ears, as the riders shot from
the saddle and Jess Slythe saw that his only chance for safety was in
flight. Cursing like a madman he waved his empty gun at the riders,
then dashed for his own horse and put spurs to it.

"After him, men!" shouted Dick, and he saw the riders hot in pursuit.
But as for himself, he was not so keen to overtake Jess Slythe as to
hold his father in his arms.

Out of the saddle he leaped and the next instant he was embracing the
old man and laughing, almost crying in excitement.

"Oh, Dad, this is wonderful!"

"My boy! My boy!" the older man exclaimed, and after giving Dick a big
hug he held him off at arm's length and surveyed him.

Dick made a splendid showing in his garb of a savage king, clad in the
skin of a wild beast and carrying primitive weapons, and his father was
proud of him as well as astonished.

"I always trusted you to come out all right!" he exclaimed. "Rex
Carter said I did wrong to let you run loose in Africa, but I told him
you were able to take care of yourself better than most men."

"But at that, you never expected to hear of me crowned with the ancient
diadem of the Taharans and Gorols," laughed Dick. "Say Dad, what do
you think! I found a Hindu wise man who says that crown was once owned
by King Solomon himself."

Professor Oakwood did not try to laugh off this story. Instead he
answered seriously, "There are more strange things in the wilds of
Africa than I ever dreamed of. I must talk to your wise man."

The father and son had much to say to each other. The professor
explained how Jess Slythe had tried to fly with him that morning but
the plane had made a faulty take-off and crashed before it got far from
the ground.

"And Jess had a stiff row with the Arab scoundrel, Abdul," said
Professor Oakwood. "That's why the Arabs left in a huff, and Jess was
trying to patch up the plane."

Dan and Ray had joined the party now, while most of the tribesmen
gathered about, staring at the damaged _Meteorite_. One by one, the
men who had been pursuing Jess Slythe returned. The clever scoundrel
had given them all the slip, and as he was mounted on a fresh horse,
there was little chance of catching up with him.

"Give it up as a bad job!" observed Dan. "Say, I'll meet that crook
some day and, boy! How I'll