Page:The Cave Girl - Edgar Rice Burroughs.pdf/53

 Presently Waldo saw that she was laughing quietly to herself.

A great fear rose in his breast. Could it be that she was less gullible than she had appeared? Did she, after all, penetrate the bombast with which he had sought to cloak his cowardice?

He finally mustered sufficient courage to ask: "Why do you laugh?”

“I think of the surprise that awaits old Flatfoot and Korth and the others when I lead you to them.”

“Why will they be surprised?” asked Waldo.

“At the way you will crack their heads.”

Waldo shuddered.

“Why should I crack their heads?” he asked.

“Why should you crack their heads!” It was apparently incredible to the girl that he should not understand.

“How little you know,” she said. “You cannot swim, you do not know the language which men may understand, you would be lost in the woods were I to leave you, and now you say that you do not know that when you come to a strange tribe they will try to kill you, and only take you as one of them when you have proven your worth by killing at least one of their strongest men.”

“At least one!” said Waldo, half to himself.

He was dazed by this information. He had expected to be welcomed with open arms into the best