"True. Juma told us. Juma probably told them that we told him.
Natives often put the cart before the horse without the slightest
intention of lying."

"All the same, why should they believe him?"

"Why not? Zanzibar's agog with the story--after all these years. The
ivory must have been buried more than a quarter of a century ago. Some
one's been stirring the mud. We arrive, unexpectedly from nowhere, ask
questions about the ivory, make plans for British East Africa--and
there you are! The people who were merely determined to get the stuff
jump to the false conclusion that we really know where it is.''

"Q. E. D.!" said Fred, finishing his drink.

"Not at all," said Monty. "There are two things yet to be
demonstrated. They're true, but not proven. The German government is
after the staff. And the German government has very special reasons
for secrecy and tricks."

"We four against the German government looks like longish odds," said
I.

"Remains to be seen," said Monty. "If the German government's very
special reasons were legal or righteous they'd be announced with a
fanfare of trumpets."

"Where's all this leading us?" demanded Fred.

"To a slight change of plan," said Monty.