Tahara Among African Tribes

by Harold M. Sherman

  CHAPTER XV

  READY FOR NEW ADVENTURES

  "Quick, Dan, let's get a fire going!"

  Dick Oakwood was taking no chances. He shouted orders to Raal and theother tribesmen and they rushed about getting dead branches and brushfrom the forest. Soon a huge fire was sending up a column of smoke.

  Evidently the pilot was searching for the lost party, for he flew theplane slowly. Dick Oakwood was in a position to sympathize with RexCarter, the anxious father hunting over the jungle for some trace ofhis children. Dick had gone through so many hours of worry lately thathe knew how terrible was the suspense that the unhappy man wassuffering.

  While he felt sure that the wrecked monoplane would be seen, he madedoubly certain of it by sending up a signal that would attract thepilot's attention from miles away.

  With his eyes straining at the cabin plane, he suddenly gave a greatshout:

  "Hurrah! They have seen the fire. Look! Now they're banking again."

  "Oh Dan!" cried Ray. "It's coming straight toward us. I'm so happy!I could almost believe in your old Mahatma now."

  "He's a wise old bird," Dan asserted. "It's coming out just as he saidit would."

  The natives had sighted the cabin plane and expressed their feelings indifferent ways. The Kungoras took to the woods in terror. The Gorols,clutching their weapons, dodged behind rocks and bushes, ready to fightoff the flying demons if they should prove hostile. Only the Taharans,reassured by Raal, stood their ground without fear, believing that theBoy King would protect them. But even they were a little uneasy as thegiant plane flew above the clearing and its shadow swept over them likea great hawk's.

  "Fear nothing!" cried Dick to encourage them. "They are my friends."

  "Tahara hal!" shouted the warriors lustily.

  Professor Oakwood, standing beside the Mahatma, shook the Hindu's hand."You are a good prophet," he said. "It is just an hour since you saidthe plane would be here. And now it comes on the dot."

  Sikandar smiled and sent his warning to the Taharans in the open space."Scatter to the woods, make way for the friendly eagle."

  As the tribesmen scampered to safety, the great plane banked andleveled for a landing, while the pilot searched for a safe spot. Aminute later it was on the ground with its three powerful motors still.The door flew open and Rex Carter leaped out to catch his boy and girlin his arms.

  The big, ruddy-faced business man was almost in tears, so great was hisrelief.

  "I had given you up for lost!" he exclaimed in a choking voice. "Inever expected to see you alive again!"

  "How did you know where to look for us?" asked Ray, hugging and kissingher father.

  "It was Hassam. The fellow knew about the tribes that Jess Slythetraded with and directed us here. But it was a hopeless search, or soit seemed. Why you might have been hidden in that jungle and we couldhave passed close overhead without seeing you."

  "It must have been terrible for you," said Ray, clinging to him.

  "And how you must have suffered!" exclaimed her father. "If ever I layhands on that scoundrel who stole you away, I'll make him wish he hadnever been born."

  "Same here!" Dan clenched his fists and glared about as though heexpected to see the treacherous Slythe lurking near by.

  Rex Carter clapped his son on the shoulder and looked at himaffectionately. "You're a great boy!" he said. "These adventures havehardened your muscles and tanned your skin. I was wrong to let you outof my sight so long, but now that it's over, I feel that it has made aman of you."

  Dan eagerly related all his experiences since he had parted from hisfather and soon Professor Oakwood and Dick came to shake hands andexchange congratulations.

  Later Rex Carter was introduced to the Hindu seer, who received thewealthy business man with quiet dignity. Carter was impressed forthough the Mahatma wore nothing but a saffron-colored loin cloth, hewas as majestic as though he were clad in the robes of a king.

  Dan explained how the wise man had come to Africa in search of anancient crown, on which was the symbol of perfect wisdom.

  At first Rex Carter was inclined to take it lightly, but when helearned that the diadem was probably the same one that Dick Oakwood hadworn in the land of the Taharans, he could hardly restrain hisimpatience.

  "I'll fly you there, today," he said. "By sundown we will all be inthe realm of the Boy King."

  "I accept your offer with thanks," said the Mahatma.

  "And after that I'll take you to India. Any place you want to go!"continued Carter. "You have done more for my children than I can everpay for. Pack up your belongings and we will take off for Tahara now."

  "My belongings are here," said the Mahatma, displaying the square ofblack cloth which contained his crystal.

  "Is that all you own?" The millionaire was startled.

  "That is all. More would be a weight to drag me from the higher planewhere my spirit dwells."

  "That's all right for a Hindu sage, but it would be all wrong for anAmerican business man," Rex Carter answered, thinking of his vastfactory, his town house and country estate, his yacht and automobiles.

  With only a bow for reply, the Mahatma went a little way off, where hesummoned his faithful Kungoras and took leave of them.

  Mutaba threw himself on the ground and howled with grief and the otherswailed in unison. They had lived in peace and happiness under thiswise man's rule, and though they had sometimes been impatient to go onthe warpath, they now realized that they were losing their best friendand adviser. They begged him to change his mind and stay with them butthe Mahatma assured them that the time had come to say goodbye andurged them to follow the ways of peace and kindness as he had taughtthem.

  Meanwhile Dick was instructing Raal, as leader of the tribesmen, toreturn to the Kungora village, recover their ponies and begin the longtrek home across the desert. The plane could carry only a limitednumber.

  "I'll be glad to take the Princess Veena in the plane," said RexCarter. "And of course, Ray, Dan and Dick, besides the Mahatma."

  But Veena would not consent to parting from Raal, whom she regarded asher chosen mate, and Raal was equally certain that he would never trustthe girl to the demon bird.

  With great difficulty Kurt and Kurul were induced to go along in theplane. Until the last minute the Stone-Age men hung back, fearful of astrong magic that might destroy them, yet curious to experience thesensation of flying through the air.

  "Plane good!" said Dick giving Kurt a push toward the cabin door.

  "Sure! Big bird good!" Dan laughed. "Come on, Ray, show them you'renot afraid to go in. Then they will be ashamed to be scared."

  Finally with a grunt of desperation Kurt took one leap that landed himinside the cabin. Kurul followed, helped by a shove from Dick and aminute later the motors roared, the big plane taxied with many bumpsover the clearing and finally took off.

  "Tahara hal!" gasped Kurt.

  "Tahara hal!" echoed Kurul feebly. And the two husky savages clung toeach other like scared children as they saw the jungle far, far below.

  That same evening the pilot of the cabin plane sighted the cliffs ofGorol Land and before sunset had made a safe landing near the BigSpring.

  Queen Vanga and Chief Wabiti came out to receive the visitors but Kulkiwalked between them and showed that he was having difficulty in keepingthe former rulers from flying at each others' throats.

  Since the failure of their plot with Cimbula, each had blamed theother, and their friendship had turned sour.

  Now they joined in greeting the Boy King with due reverence and ordereda feast that promised to tax even Dan Carter's powers. Dick assuredthem that Raal and the other warriors were on their way home and thatthe search for the Princess Veena had been successful.

  The following days were busy ones for the Boy King. Accompanied by hisfather and friends, he set out on a tour of inspection to see that allwas in order in the land he ruled. Proudly he pointed out to hisfather the industries h
e had started going.

  "Just think," he said, "these people lived like Stone-Age tribes. Theydid not know how to build houses or weave cloth or make tools out ofmetal. It is going to be interesting to watch them advance incivilization."

  "I can send out motor trucks with machinery," said Rex Carter, "andstart you off right. And I'll send a few guards with repeating riflesto keep the natives from starting trouble. I'll even send you amachine gun or two."

  "No thanks, Mr. Carter! I don't want _that_ brand of civilization. Wehave enough factory towns and machine guns elsewhere. I'd like tostart something better here."

  "In that case I advise you to blot out that big sign on the desert,"said his father. "That word 'Gold' will attract some greedyadventurer, and before long your whole population will be wiped out."

  "You're right, Dad! It's a word that spells trouble."

  Dick gave orders to the Taharans and the Gorols to scatter the rocksthat formed the letters and destroy every trace of the sign, and thenled the party to the cave where Umba had painted the walls withpictures of animals.

  "These are marvelous!" cried Professor Oakwood. "Just as fine as thepaintings in the caves of Spain and France. I could spend a whole dayhere."

  Leaving the rest of the party with Umba, the crippled painter, DickOakwood and Mahatma Sikandar proceeded to the cave of the Great Gorol,where he had left the ancient crown. The entrance to the cavern wasguarded by tribesmen, stationed there for that purpose, and when Dickand the Mahatma approached, they bowed low and cried, "Tahar Tahara,hal! Welcome, O Master."

  Taking a couple of pitch pine torches, Dick led the way through thepassages of the prehistoric mine, pointing out the seams ofgold-bearing quartz.

  But the Hindu paid no attention to the rich ore.

  "Make haste, Dick Sahib," he said. "I would feast my eyes upon theancient diadem and its magic inscriptions."

  "Patience, O Mahatma! Patience!" laughed Dick. "One more turn and thepassage ends in the temple of the Ape-god."

  Soon they reached the small, square room where, upon the block ofstone, reposed the crown of the two tribes.

  Mahatma Sikandar prostrated himself before it, murmuring a chant ofthanksgiving, then held his torch close to the massive circlet of softgold and gems. His keen, dark eyes were gleaming with excitement as hestudied every detail of the relic engraved with symbols.

  Dick Oakwood picked it up and held it so that the inner surface couldbe seen and the Mahatma gave an exclamation of delight.

  "These are the magic signs!" he cried. "Behold the wisdom of the agesengraved by seers many thousand years ago!"

  "Do you understand it, Mahatma?"

  "_I_ understand it? Not I! Only a glimpse of its profound wisdom hasreached my soul."

  "Then what good will it do you?"

  "I have recorded every detail of the inscription _here_." The old mantapped his forehead. "The picture of that crown is in my brain like aphotograph. Soon I shall go to Holy India and there in the remotecaves and temples, I shall speak to the masters who are far wiser thanI."

  "And will those wise men tell you what it all means?"

  "Little by little! Bit by bit!" replied the Mahatma. "Each of theseholy men will be able to interpret a part of the meaning. I shallvisit the cave hermits in the Himalayas and the devotees in thetemples, who recline on beds of spikes. I shall even go to thefastness of Tibet, where the lamas spend their lives in the search fortruth."

  "The temples of India! The Himalayas, with Everest the highestmountain in the world! The forbidden land of Tibet! What wonderfulsights you will see!"

  "Would you like to see Holy India, my son?"

  "Would I? Say, I'd like nothing better than to be there with you!"exclaimed Dick. "It would be a real adventure to visit that land ofmystery."

  "The crystal has told me that you shall accompany me," said the Hindu."And that before many moons."

  "Do you mean it?"

  "I have spoken."

  "But what about my kingdom? How can I leave these people? They trustme. They need me."

  "Raal is a strong warrior," said the Mahatma. "He can rule while youare gone, and Kulki, the clever Gorol can be his chief adviser."

  "I hate to go away and leave them to the mercy of Arab slave raiders,"said Dick. "After all, being a king, means responsibility. SupposeJess Slythe should start another raid while I am gone. He could wipeout the whole population."

  "That evil man will not trouble your land. Certainly not for a longtime. Perhaps never. So you are free to fly in the great plane andsee the wonders of Holy India."

  "Great!" exclaimed Dick. "And what about Ray and Dan? Will they cometoo?"

  "My crystal says they will be with us. Also your father and RexCarter."

  "I'd like to take Kurt and Kurul along," said Dick. "It would beinteresting to have Stone-Age men in the party. I'd like to know whatthey would do in the great world beyond the desert and the jungle."

  "What will be, will be," answered the Mahatma quietly. "And now, myson, this is my request to you: say no more to me about the ancientcrown and the symbols engraved on it. The image is clear in my mind.By talking about it, the sharp outline will become dim and cloudy.Promise!"

  "Yes, Mahatma, I promise. Until you speak of it, I remain silent."

  "Come then. Let us go!"

  With this future of travel and fresh adventure to occupy his mind, theBoy King could hardly wait until Raal and his warriors returned.Meanwhile preparations were made for the flight to India. Rex Carterhad to return with Professor Oakwood to the Pomegranate Oasis to windup the affairs of the solar eclipse expedition.

  "I'm taking Ray and Dan along," he said. "I'll feel safer to have themin sight."

  "But let's work fast, Dad," cried Ray. "I want to set out for India assoon as we can."

  "Patience, kid sister! Patience!" laughed Dan.

  "Don't talk like the Mahatma. It gives me the jitters," Ray exclaimed."Something tells me that I'll be sorry I ever met that man. It's onethrill after another when he is in the picture. I like it--but itmakes me nervous."

  A few weeks later the big cabin plane returned to the land of the BoyKing to find all in readiness for the take-off to India. Raal had beenappointed viceroy, with Princess Veena sharing the honors as his wife.Professor Oakwood had been hard at work collecting material for a bookand specimens for museums, and was reluctant to leave the Stone-Agetribes.

  "Don't worry, Dad. We are all coming back some day," Dick promised himas the party took off on its search for adventure among the mystics ofIndia.

  Far below on the desert the whole population was gathered to wavegoodbye to Tahara as the great wings bore their Boy King away. "Taharahal!" came their farewell shout, growing fainter and fainter in thedistance as the plane headed eastward toward the home of mystery andromance.

  THE END

  Books by

  HAROLD M. SHERMAN

  IT'S A PASS INTERFERENCE DOWN THE ICE OVER THE LINE STRIKE HIM OUT UNDER THE BASKET THE TENNIS TERROR CAPTAIN OF THE ELEVEN TAHARA--BOY MYSTIC OF INDIA TAHARA--AMONG AFRICAN TRIBES TAHARA--BOY KING OF THE DESERT TAHARA--IN THE LAND OF YUCATAN THE FUN LOVING GANG--IN WRONG RIGHT THE FUN LOVING GANG--ALWAYS UP TO SOMETHING