Page:Harris Dickson--Old Reliable in Africa.djvu/202

 temper of the mob. Durham stood like an iron man until Lyttleton caught his arm—"Come, General. It's all over. Don't you see they're beginning to smile?"

The mass of Arabs began to melt away, singly, in groups of twos and threes. The two Nigerines looked amazed; they stood apart and whispered. Of the others some shook their heads; some even laughed and showed their teeth.

"Cunnel, I don't ax you to believe me widout you seen it—but dat catfish wuz more longer dan what I is."

Before Colonel Spottiswoode drove him from the river to get some dry clothes, Zack stopped for one last long, regretful look at the bubbly waters where the prize catfish had disappeared.

"General," observed Lyttleton, "there'll be no more trouble. It's all right. Their Prophet has slipped. The Arabs have laughed at him. We'll take Zack up the river with us to-morrow."