"
"You did not come to Africa alone, did you?"
"To be sure I did not. I have a large party with me."
"In this vicinity?"
"Yes, within calling distance. I tell you that -- and it's the
truth -- so that you won't try any underhand game on me."
"You - you --" Josiah Crabtree broke off and suddenly grew
nervous. "See here, Rover, let us be friends," he said abruptly.
"Let us drop the past and be friends-at least, so long as we are
so far away from home and in the country of the enemy."
This sudden change in manner astonished Dick. Was Crabtree
serious? Certainly the man's manner would indicate as much.
"Well, I'm willing to let past matters, drop -- just for the
present," he answered, hardly knowing what to say. "I wish to pay
all my attention to finding my father."
"Exactly, Richard - and - er - you -- who is with you? Anybody I
know?"
"Sam and Dick and Alexander Pop."
"Is it possible! And that black, how is it be came along?"
"He joined us by accident. But what of your party?"
"They are a set of rich young students from Yale in their senior
year who engaged me to bring them hither for study and - er --
recreation. And that puts me in mind. You will not -- ahem -- say
anything about the past to them, will you?"
CHAPTER XXIV
JOSIAH CRABTREE MAKES A MOVE
As quick as a flash of lightning Dick saw through Josiah Crabtree's
scheme for, letting matters Of the past drop. The former teacher
of Putnam Hall was afraid the youth would hunt up the college
students from Yale and expose him to them.
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