"I have two pair of low-heeled shoes," said the girl.
"Then throw them things away and take the low-heeled ones."
"All right," she said; "I'll go and get my things together. While I am gone, you might like to look at this," and she touched the piece of burned fabric with the stick she was holding.
Brown picked the thing up and looked at it; then he whistled as he raised his eyes to the person of Prince Alexis Sborov. Annette walked away to make up her bundle. Tibbs was still busy packing. Jane was seated on a rotting log, deep in thought. Brown was whistling; he seemed very much pleased about something. Presently he looked up at the others.
"Come and get it," he called.
"Beg pardon," said Tibbs, "come and get what?"
"Chuck," explained Brown.
"'Chuck'!" sneered Sborov.
Jane rose. "I guess we eat," she said, "and after all, I am hungry. I didn't think I should be."
They all gathered around the fire where Brown had laid strips of cooked meat on a little bed of clean twigs close beside the coals.
"Come ahead folks; pitch in," said Brown.
"Tibbs," said Alexis, "you may fetch me a piece not too rare nor too well done—about medium."
Brown looked up in undisguised disgust. He jabbed a stick into a piece of meat and tossed it at Alexis. "Here, Napoleon," he said, "we are sorry we ain't got no gold platters; but the keeper of the imperial pantry ran out on us and no one else ain't got no key."
Alexis gave Brown a venomous look, but he picked up the sorry-looking piece of meat and took a bite of it.
"This is terrible," he said; "it's burned on the outside and raw on the inside. My stomach will never be able to stand such cooking as this. I shall not eat it."
"Well, ain't that just too bad!" said Brown. "Let's all cry."
"You better eat it, Alexis," said Jane. "You'll get awfully hungry before night."
"Tibbs will prepare my food hereafter," said Alexis haughtily. "I shall eat apart."
"That will suit me," Brown assured him, "and the farther apart, the better."
"Come, come," said Jane, "don't start that all over again; we've had enough of it."
"O.K. Miss," assented Brown; "but there is something I'd like to ask the grand duke. I notice that he's changed his coat. That was a mighty nice coat he was wearing last night, and I thought if he wasn't going to use it no more, I'd like to buy it from him—that is, if nothing ain't happened to it."
Alexis looked up quickly, his face paling. "I do not sell my old clothes," he said. "When I am through with it, I'll give it to you."
"That's mighty nice of you," said Brown. "May I see it now? I'd like to find out if it fits me."
"Not now, my man; it's packed with my other things."
"All of it?" demanded Brown.
"All of it? What do you mean? Of course it's all packed."
"Well, here's one piece 'you forgot, Mister," and Brown held up the charred remnant of the sleeve with the three buttons still remaining on it.
Sborov's face took on a ghastly hue; his eyes stared wildly at the bit of cloth, but almost as quickly he regained his self-possession.
"Some more American humor?" he asked. "That thing doesn't belong to me."
"It looks a powerful like the coat you was wearing last night," said Brown. "Annette thinks so, too; but Tibbs ought to know; he's your valet. Ever see this before, Tibbs?"
The valet coughed. "I—er—"
"Come over and take a good look at it," said Brown.
Tibbs approached and examined the piece of fabric carefully, turning it over and wiping the ashes from the buttons.
"When did you see that last, Tibbs?" demanded Brown.
"I—really—" He glanced apprehensively at Sborov.
"You're a liar, Tibbs," shouted the prince. "I never had a coat like that; I never saw it before. It's not mine, I tell you."
"Tibbs didn't say nothing," Brown reminded him; "he ain't opened his trap except to say 'I—er.' He never said it was off your coat; but you're going to, ain't you, Tibbs?"
"It looks very much like it, sir," replied the Englishman. "Of course, I couldn't exactly take oath to it, seeing as how it's so badly burned."
Brown turned his gaze upon Alexis. "The blood must have spattered some when you hit her."
"Don't!" screamed Alexis; "my God! don't. I never touched her, I tell you."
"Tell it to the judge," said Brown. "You'd better hang on to that evidence, Annette," he added; "the judge might like to know about that, too."
Alexis had quickly gained control of himself. "It was my coat," he said; "someone stole it out of my luggage; it's what you call in America a frame."
"Let's leave this whole terrible matter to the courts," said Jane; "it's not for us to try to decide, and constantly harping on it only makes our situation all the more bitter."
Brown nodded. "I guess you're right, Miss, as usual."
"Very well, then. If you have all finished eating, we'll start. I've left a note stuck up in the shelter telling about our accident and the direction we are taking, and giving the names of all in the party, just on the chance, the very remote chance, that someone might pass this way some day—some white hunter who could take our message out in case we never get out ourselves. Are you all ready?"
"All ready," said Alexis. "Tibbs, my luggage."
Tibbs walked over to where his small handbag, a large Gladstone , and two suitcases were stacked.
"Where's your luggage, Jane?" asked Alexis. "Brown could carry that."
"I'm carrying my own," replied Jane, "what little I'm taking."
"But you haven't any," said the prince.
"I am carrying all that I am going to take. We are not travelling de luxe."
They were all standing silently watching Tibbs trying to gather up the four pieces of baggage so that he could carry them.
"Beg pardon, sir," he said, "but if I may make so bold as to say so, I don't think that I can carry them all."
"Well, let Annette carry that small bag of yours, then. You certainly ought to be able to manage three pieces. I've seen porters carry twice that much."
"Not across Africa ," said Jane.
"Well," said Alexis, "I've only brought along what I actually need; I've left nearly all of my stuff behind. Tibbs will have to manage somehow. If Brown were the right sort he'd help Mm."
Only by the exercise of all his will-power had Brown remained silent; but now he exploded. "Listen, mister," he said, "I ain't going to carry none of your stuff, and neither is Annette, and if Tibbs does, he's a damned fool."
"I fancy I rather agree with you, Mr. Brown," said Tibbs, and dropped all three of the pieces of baggage.
"What?" demanded Alexis. "You refuse to carry my lug gage? Why, you impudent upstart, I'll—"
"No you won't, sir," said Tibbs; "I know just what you are going to say, sir, if I may make so bold as to say so; but it won't be necessary, sir." He drew himself up haughtily. "I am giving notice, sir; I am leaving your employ now, immediately."
"Lady Greystoke," said Alexis, with great dignity, "you have assumed command here. I demand that you compel these people to carry my luggage."
"Nonsense," said Jane. "Take an extra pair of shoes and some socks and whatever else you can carry, and come along. We can't waste any more time here."
And thus the unhappy party started upon the trail toward the east. They had had but two guesses; and they had guessed wrong, but fortunately they could not know the dangers and the terrors that lay ahead of them on the trail toward the east.
Chapter 16 The Message
THE three Bukena warriors crept into the hut where Tarzan and the ten Waziri warriors lay waiting for them in silence.