"They nearly did it--didn't they," laughed Frank, his good humor
quite restored.




CHAPTIER VII

A TRAITOR IN CAMP


It was a week later, and the launch having towed the expedition as
far up the river as Frank decided was necessary--before they struck
out into the unknown land of the cannibals, winged men, and the
ivory hoard--had returned to civilization several days before,
carrying with it letters from all the adventurers which they felt
might be the last they would write for some time. The spot selected
for the permanent camp was a sort of park-like space covered at its
edges with masses of manioc and banana bushes. Beyond towered huge
tropical trees and beyond these again the blue outlines of the
distant Moon Mountains in which, according to old Barr's map, lay
the ivory cache.

It had been a busy week. The Golden Eagle II had been re-erected
and her own wireless and the field wireless apparatus put in order.
As our readers who have followed this series are familiar with the
manner of setting up the great Chester aeroplane and her fittings,
it would be tedious to repeat the description of the process.
Suffice it to say that thanks to the clever simplicity of the