"What is _à la Wanderobbo_?" asked Helen. "I don’t know," replied John. "That little old man you saw just now is one of the Wanderobbo tribe." "Good gracious! I hope he had nothing to do with the soup. He looked--well, not scrupulously clean." "No, no," said John, laughing. "He had no more to do with the soup than Lulu had with the cauliflowers--unless she cut them. Talking of Bill, Mr. Gillespie, what are we to do about his ivory? It has been his dream for years to recover it, but when we got back he made me a present of it." "Just like a man," said Mrs. Burtenshaw. "You’ll struggle all your life and wear yourselves out for some ridiculous thing, and when you get it don’t know what to do with it." "It’s what you do that counts, not what you get," remarked Mr. Halliday: "or as our failed B.A. said when we met him first, it is work that ennobles. But about the ivory?" "Well," said Mr. Gillespie judicially, "I’m not sure but it belongs to the Government." "I don’t see that," said Joe Browne. "The Government did nothing for it. Didn’t do anything for you, either. I’d stick to it if I were you, John. What will it fetch?" "Five or six hundred pounds, I should think," said Mr. Gillespie. "I wish it were mine," said Oliver. "Mother keeps me plaguey short." "I’d thought of a scheme that would be pretty fair all round," said John. "Bill was the owner, and he gave it to me. He wants to stay on the farm. Well, I propose to build him a new hut and set him up with new weapons: that will make him comfortable for life. Then old Sobersides has been very decent. His men behaved like bricks, and we certainly couldn’t have got it without their help. We might give them some bushels of beads and loads of wire and blankets and other things they value. They may seem trumpery to us, but they’re untold wealth to the natives." "And then?" said Mrs. Burtenshaw. "Well, perhaps Charley and I might share the rest." "Nonsense!" said Ferrier. "It’s yours." "And we’ll share it. We shared everything else. Don’t be selfish, Charley." Everybody laughed, and it was ultimately settled that the ivory should be sent to Nairobi, where Mr. Gillespie promised to get the best possible price for it. Here Said Mohammed came in with coffee. When he had handed round the cups he lingered. "Don’t wait, khansaman," said John. "We’ll manage now. Every one was delighted with your dinner." "I am repaid a thousandfold, sir. Not to intrude, sir, I have trifling communication to make." "What is it?" "Native chief, sir, did me honour to request I would convey thanks of self and co. for immense and colossal benefits conferred." "Oh, that’s all right. He thanked me himself, long ago."