"That it is good, my white brother. Sikaso will stay with the
four-eyed one and the ruddy-haired one and we will see that no harm
comes to the camp of the young white warriors."

"It is well," replied Frank, who was falling into a trick of
addressing the stately Krooman in the same grandiloquent fashion as
the latter was in the habit of using, "I place my trust in you."

"Hum," snorted Billy, "four-eyes and red-top that's a nice
combination for you! I'd like to do something to show that old chap
that we can do just as much as anyone else when it comes to a
show-down."

This remark, however, was made sotto voce to Lathrop, as Billy
really stood in great awe of the six foot-two of ebony flesh and
muscle that was Sikaso.

But Stubbs was delighted at his selection to accompany the boys in
their aerial dash for the ivory cache. He spent half the night by
lantern light pottering about the great craft and stocking her up
with provisions and equipment for the journey. By the time he had
finished it was almost midnight and he turned in to join the boys in
the land of dreams where Frank and Harry, and doubtless the others,
too, were already busy shooting down Diegos and hippopotami and
flitting through the air above the great African forest and
performing all sorts of wonderful feats.

At dawn everybody was up and about and after farewells had been said
the Chester boys and their sturdy old companion clambered into the
chassis of their craft. Frank had already laid out his course,