"King Susko has the key," explained Anderson Rover. "You will
have to break the chain," And this was at last done, although not
without great difficulty.
In the meantime the natives were ordered to prepare a meal for
Anderson Rover and all of the others, and Cujo was called that he
might question the Africans in their own language.
The meal was soon forthcoming, the Bumwo women fearing that they
would be slaughtered if they did not comply with the demands of
the whites. To make sure that the food had not been poisoned,
Dick made several of the natives eat portions of each dish. This
made Cujo grin. "Um know a good deal," he remarked.
"Cujo was goin' to tell Dick to do dat."
"I am glad the women and children are here," said Randolph Rover.
"We can take them with us when we leave and warn King Susko that
if he attacks us we will kill them. I think he will rather let us
go than see all of the women and children slaughtered."
While they ate, Anderson Rover told his story, which is far too
long to insert here. He had found a gold mine further up the
country and also this mountain of gold, but had been unable to do
anything since King Susko had made him and the sailor prisoners.
During his captivity he had suffered untold cruelties, but all
this was now forgotten in the joy of the reunion with his brother
and his three sons.
It was decided that the party should leave the mountain without
delay, and Cujo told the female natives to get ready to move.
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