Part 38 (1/2)
”Father!” came from the three Rover boys, and they rushed off in all haste toward the nut from which the welcome cry had proceeded
Anderson Rover was found in the center of the hut, bound fast by a heavy iron chain to a post set deeply into the ground His face was haggard and thin and his beard was all of a foot and a half long, while his hair fell thickly over his shoulders He was dressed in the s, and had evidently suffered much from starvation and froasped, as the boys appeared ”Do I see aright, or is it only another of those wild dreams that have entered my brain lately?”
”Father; poor father!” burst out dick, and hugged his parent around the neck
”It's no dreaht one of the slender hands, while Saht the other
”How thin you are!” said Saood care of you, noe have found you”
”And Randolph!” murmured Anderson Rover, as the brother came up
”Oh, thank God! Thank God, for this!” and the tears began to flon his cheeks ”How long I have waited! Many a tiive up in despair!”
”We cae you sent,” answered dick
”But that was long after you had sent it”
”And is the sailor, Converse, safe?”
”No; the sailor is dead”
”Too bad--he was the one friend I had here”
”And King Susko has kept you a prisoner all this while?” asked Randolph Rover
”Yes; and he has treated ined I knew all of the secrets of this reat riches, and he would not letthe supposed secret from me by torture”
”We will settle accounts with him some day,” muttered dick ”It's a pity Tom didn't kill hi in at the doorway curiously, not knohat to say or do Turning swiftly, dick caught one by the ar to the lock on the iron chain which bound Anderson Rover ”Give it to me”
But the woman shook her head, and pointed off in the distance
”King Susko has the key,” explained Anderson Rover ”You will have to break the chain,” And this was at last done, although not without great difficulty
In the meantime the natives were ordered to prepare a meal for Anderson Rover and all of the others, and Cujo was called that he e
Thethat they would be slaughtered if they did not comply with the demands of the whites To make sure that the food had not been poisoned, dick made several of the natives eat portions of each dish This ood deal,” he reoin' to tell dick to do dat”
”I alad the women and children are here,” said Randolph Rover
”We can take the Susko that if he attacks us ill kill theo than see all of the wohtered”