"Oh?" said the collector, eying us strangely.

"Yes!" said Fred.

"That is so," said I.

"Entirely so," said Will.

"I have information," said the collector, tapping with a pencil on his
blotter, "that you men are ivory hunters. That you left Portuguese
territory because the German consul there had to request the Portuguese
government to expel you."

"All easily disproved," said Fred. "Confront us, please, with our
accusers."

"And that Lord Montdidier, with whom you have been traveling, became so
disgusted with your conduct that he refused to land with you at this
port as he at first intended!"

We all three gasped. The first thing that occurred to me, and I
suppose to all of us, was to send for Monty. His steamer was not
supposed to sail for an hour yet. But the thought had hardly flashed
in mind when we heard the roar of steam and clanking as the anchor
chain came home. The sound traveled over water and across roofs like
the knell of good luck--the clanking of the fetters of ill fate.

"Where's her next stop?" said I.

"Suez," Fred answered.