Blind Lion of the Congo

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER XVI

  BURT LEFT ALONE

  "Critch," said Burt suddenly, "that was a blamed good idea while itlasted. But it hasn't lasted. We can't do it."

  "Sure we can!" returned Critch hopefully. "Why not?"

  "It'd take us a year to build a deadfall like that."

  "We don't need to! Ain't Pongo blind? All we have to do is rig up afigure-four trap out o' logs."

  "That'd be a nice easy job, wouldn't it!" retorted Burt. "He may beblind but he ain't foolish. No, sir, it won't work. We just got to killthat lion though. If we don't, Mbopo'll know we've been runnin' a bluffon him."

  "What you goin' to do?" said Critch irritably. "Sit here and let himcome?"

  "Not much. Seems to me that if the lion's blind there ought to be someway of fixing him without any danger. We're safe enough from thepigmies while we're here with Ta-En-User, but not from the lion. Dustyour brain off! Think!"

  "All right," responded Critch briskly. "Here goes for the first thing."Without ceremony he got up and pulled over the mummy-case. "We got tofix Mbopo sure, ain't we? Well, take hold o' this--don't bust it!"

  "What you doing?" exclaimed Burt as his chum began to pry open themummy-case with the edge of the little axe obtained from Mbopo. Critchpaused to reply.

  "It's a pipe, Burt! We'll just upwrap Ta-En-User here, see? I guess heain't in extra good condition but he'll do for a while. Then we'll fillup the case with leaves and the wrappings. These pigmies have never seeninside the case, remember. They don't know a mummy from a goat. Soon'swe get him unwrapped an' laid out in his nightie, out go the lights andyou get back in the corner.

  "When Mbopo comes I'll tell 'em you did this to the ankh." Critch raisedhis axe and cut a deep gash on the cross arm in the soft gold. "ThenI'll say that Pongo dried you up for insulting him. Get the point?That'll scare 'em stiff. We'll take the ankh, the stuffed case and themummy back to the village."

  "Yes you will!" cried Burt hastily. "S'pose I'm going to stay here?"

  "Sure you are!" grinned Critch. "I'd do it only I reckon the mummy won'thave red hair an' it wouldn't work. You've got to do it!"

  "But what for?" persisted Burt. "What's the use? S'pose the lion comes?"

  "If he comes you can throw some blazing oil at him just like Cap'n Mac.That ought to scare him away. Soon's I get to the village I'll see if Ican't locate some o' that poison. The whole tribe'll be scared stiffwhen they see the mummy, 'specially if he's kind of spoiled. You hideout here till morning and then I'll come back with what weapons I canget. I'll warn the dwarfs away from here first. That's the only way Isee of gettin' what we need. We can't make Mbopo understand very well."

  "It wouldn't be a bad idea if you was going to stay here 'stead of me,"assented Burt dubiously. "S'pose we kill the lion. How'll you accountfor me coming back to life?"

  "I'll tote the mummy in here and bury him," returned Critch promptly."Then maybe to-morrow night I'll have them bring the ankh to thedoorway. I'll go through a Latin verb and yell and you walk out. Why,man, I'll be no end sacred! We'll own the whole blamed tribe!"

  "It listens good enough," admitted Burt. "Tell you what you do. Send thestuff on with Mbopo and build a fire right in front of the door beforeyou go. Leave me some sticks--these bones ought to burn too. Mebbe thatfire'll keep the lion out."

  "Hurray!" exclaimed Critch enthusiastically. "Now let's get the old boyunwrapped. It's been pretty damp for him here, I guess. He ought to bepretty well preserved in spite of that. He isn't torn up except at theneck. Off she comes!"

  Critch set to work at the head and Burt at the foot of the case. It didnot take them long to get the gaudily-painted wooden case apart. Then aheavy aromatic odor filled the hut. As Critch had said, the mummy wasunharmed except at the neck. Here the case had been splintered open butwhen the lid was off the boys saw that only a few layers of thewrappings had been torn away. The whole mummy was wrapped in cloths.

  Burt and Critch lifted out the mass of wrappings to the mud floor of thehut. As they did so something tinkled and fell against the case. Theireyes fell on the remainder of the scarab necklace of which Montenay hadobtained a part. Evidently it had been placed around the neck after themummy was wrapped. Burt hurriedly stuffed it into his pocket.

  "Got that anyhow," he remarked. "Hope Mbopo don't show up before we getthrough. Here we go!"

  With the help of the keen-edged axe the mummy was soon unwrapped andlaid on the floor. Intertwined with the wrappings the boys found sixnecklaces, each formed of gold beads of different shapes. The largestwas formed of half amber and half gold beads, and held a large pendantin the shape of the ankh. This was left on the mummy, while Critchstuffed the others into his pocket. As he did so he gave a cry.

  "Hello!" He picked up a tight roll of parchment, welded into a solidmass by the wrappings. "Wonder what this is? Well, we can't waste timeon her now. Go slow--that's all right. Now we got to hustle, Burt."

  "Lay him here this way--right beside the ankh," replied Burt. "Stickyour axe in his hand. Can't do that either. Liable to bust off. Well,lay it handy here. I'd better keep it, so don't carry it off."

  The boys then hurriedly stuffed the pile of wrappings back into the caseand put the lid on as before. It had formerly been cemented with somekind of strong pitch and now the gaping seam at the side showed plainly.

  "That won't do," cried Burt as they inspected it. "How'll we fix that,Critch?"

  "Search me," replied his chum, puzzled. "They'd see that in a minute,'cause we busted up that cement considerable."

  "Cement!" exclaimed Burt. "Looks a whole lot like tar to me, Critch.Mebbe a little heat would fix her up fine!"

  "That's the candy!" returned Critch. Each boy took a brand from thelittle fire and ran this along the seam. The black pitch-like stuffsmoked, bubbled, and set them coughing, but to their delight itcoalesced and it only remained to allow the cement to harden.

  "Golly, I'm glad that's over!" sighed Burt as he wiped his streamingface and threw his brand back into the fire. No sound had broken in ontheir labor except a throbbing beat of tom-toms from the village,mingled once more with the shrill, steady chanting of the pigmywarriors. The boys had grown too accustomed to the night-noises of thejungle to heed the flickering far-off howls and cries that formed afaint background to the nearer sounds.

  "We'd better carry all the stuff near the door," said Critch. "We'llleave one light going so's they can see things right."

  Between them they dragged the heavy ankh over the floor to the entrance.Then the mummy was set beside it leaning against the wall, two of thelamps were blown out and Burt lay down in the far corner. Critch threwsome dead leaves over him and then sat down to wait with his head on hisknees.

  "Say, Critch!" grunted Burt suddenly. "Wonder what Uncle George'd say ifhe could see us? Do you s'pose he an' Cap'n Mac are on their way home bynow?"

  "Don't you believe it!" replied Critch grimly. "I'll bet a milliondollars that they'll be hunting for us pretty quick in the jungle. Youruncle ain't goin' to shoot for home and leave us back here. He ain'tthat kind and neither's Cap'n Mac."

  "Guess you're right," agreed Burt hopefully. "I wouldn't be s'prised ifUncle George ducked in here all by his lonely. He wouldn't have muchchance against them poison affairs of the black dwarfs, though," headded more gloomily.

  "You got to remember that we've only been gone a few days," repliedCritch. "Cap'n Mac had to get well, too. Tell you what, pard, we'repowerful lucky not to be in his fix just about now."

  "Well, mebbe you're enjoying yourself a whole lot," retorted Burt, "butI ain't. Golly, don't this ol' place smell like all get out? You oughtto be over here, Critch, with the bones and things. I wish Mbopo--"

  "S-sh!" came a mutter from the other. "I hear something down the line.Here's my box of matches." An object fell near Burt's hand. "I'll beback just as soon--lay low!"

  Burt, lying in the shadow cast by his chum, heard a light shuffle offeet and then Mbopo appeared in the doorway, holding another littlefigur
e by the hand, while a third followed reluctantly.

  "Him bruder," grinned the dwarf happily. "Him scared. T'ink Pongo kill.Kill lion--where bruder gone?"

  The three dwarfs were standing within the entrance now, gazing fearfullyat Critch and the dim surroundings.

  "My brother very bad," answered the boy slowly, pointing to the ankh."Him take axe, hit Pongo. Pongo hit him with fire, burn him up," and hemoved the single lamp a trifle so that the light fell full on the mummybeside him.

  Had the situation not been so serious Burt could have laughed at thesickly gray look which overspread the features of the pigmies as theyfell to their knees. With one frightened groan all three buried theirfaces in the dirt. Critch knew it was time to act and rose to his feet.

  "Get up!" commanded the boy sternly. He took the dwarfs by the hand andraised them up one by one. "Pongo him mad. Him say no kill lion yet. Himsay take to village." Critch pointed at the village and the pigmiescomprehended. Then he patted them on the back and smiled and little bylittle their fears were overcome. Taking a spear from Mbopo he passed itthrough the loop of the golden ankh and signed to the two brothers toraise it.

  They obeyed after some hesitation, with frightened looks at the grinningmummy. Then Critch picked up the mummy and laid him in the tremblingarms of Mbopo and made shift to get the case on his own shoulder. He ledthe way out and a moment later Burt was alone.

  He could hear the four stop outside while Critch lit a small fire infront of the entrance. Then the latter re-entered with an armful oflarge sticks and flung them down.

  "So long," he muttered. "I'll put some logs up against the door insidethe fire. If the lion gets through the smoke he'll stop at the logsmebbe. See you later."

  "So long," murmured Burt and the other vanished. He heard a few sharporders transmitted through Mbopo and then after five minutes three orfour small logs were piled against the door. This was a decidedimprovement on his own plan of the fire, for now the opening was nearlyblocked.

  Burt waited for a few moments and then rolled over and sat up. Thesingle wick was still burning dimly and he picked up the box of matchesand stowed them away beside his own. As he listened he could hear thedeep throb-throb of the larger drums from the village mingled with thesharper and more staccato notes of the tom-toms. Over all rose theshrill monotonous chant.

  Suddenly there came a change. The tom-toms ceased abruptly with one ortwo scattered notes. The chanting died away an instant later. Then arosea low, mournful wail of absolute fear that made the listening boyshudder. This was followed by silence for a brief space and then cametwo bark-like notes such as had answered the young chief earlier in theevening. Critch had triumphed! Otherwise, Burt well knew that he wouldhave heard only one shrill yell.

  Burt still had his watch in its safety-pocket and had kept it woundpretty regularly. He now drew it out and held it close to the blueflame. Two o'clock; the boy stared at the hands incredulously. Had allthese events only occupied five or six hours? He had been sure it wasnearly morning. As it was, there were still three hours until daylight.Three hours before Critch would come!

  For one moment Burt felt an insane impulse to rush from the hut and seekthe village. The horror of the place rushed over him. The combined odorsof the mummy, the burning oil, and the filth on the floor sickened himand he made a step forward. Then he paused abruptly. Critch was countingon him to fulfill his share of the task. His chum was doing his ownshare--it was no easy matter to face that village of pigmies. Was he toendanger everything at the last moment?

  With a little sigh Burt drew back. He settled down among the dry leaves,leaving the light for companionship's sake. As he leaned back his eyesclosed and a feeling of delicious rest stole on him, for he was veryweary and tired. In another minute he was sound asleep.

  He was awakened by something scratching and sniffing at the thatchbehind him.