unaccountable reason had taken a strange dislike to the professor.
"Come," he said, intoning to Frank and Harry, "we go see get
chicken, maybe pork."

"Say, can't we come along, Frank?" asked Billy and Lathrop their
faces falling.

Frank consulted Sikaso who merely said:

"Little fat white boy, with round, glass four-eyes talk too much."

"Well," laughed Frank, "I think I can promise for him that he won't
do any talking that will cause any harm this evening."

"Talk too much, indeed," grumbled Billy highly offended, "why at
home my folks were thinking of having a doctor treat me for
bashfulness I'm so retiring in my disposition."

As soon as the laugh that this remark of the disgruntled reporter
had caused had subsided--even old Sikaso giving a grim smile as he
took in the purport of it--the little party set out down a native
trail toward the village.

As the tom-tom beating increased in loudness as the village drew
near, the boys' hearts began to beat a little faster. At last they
were about to see a real African village--such as they had read
about in Stanley's and Livingstone's books--and other less authentic
volumes. They almost stumbled on the place as they suddenly emerged
into a clearing. It was a strange sight that met their eyes.