“My daughter!” cried Mr. Duncan. “Is she alive--was she one of those carried off? Oh, tell me quickly!” “I’d better tell you the whole story as I heard it,” said the former soldier. “Happy One, tell him to come to the camp and eat. He must be half starved.” And from the manner in which the messenger ate it would seem that this was so. “He was one of the natives living in the mission settlement,” explained the sergeant to those gathered about him in that portion of the camp set aside for the use of the whites. “He was one of the Christian natives and everything was going well, when this party of Africans, who belong to one of the worst tribes of the whole continent, came along and made the raid, burning the place and carrying off all whom they did not kill.” “And--and my daughter--Jessie?” exclaimed Mr. Duncan. “She and Mr. and Mrs. Brown were carried off, together with some men, women and children of the natives,” said Mr. Hotchkiss. “They were intended for slaves. After many hardships the captives were brought into the village where their captors lived. There they were treated meanly, but none of them was killed. “Finally the whites managed to get word to this young man, urging him to try to escape and take word of their plight to friendly natives, asking to be rescued. “Chako, for that is his name, watched his chance and did succeed in getting away. He got a spear and a club and managed to sneak off in this boat. A week ago he started to paddle up stream. He was afraid to move, except at night, and his progress was slow. Once he was thrown overboard by a hippo ramming his craft, and again a crocodile nearly got him. But he kept on, and when he saw us he had just started out on his night trip. He did not know whether or not to trust us, but when he heard the friendly words of Happy One he decided to appeal to us.” “And he comes from Jessie?” asked Joe. “Yes, she is one of the white captives, though Mr. and Mrs. Brown were the ones who directly sent the message.” “How--how is she?” faltered Mr. Duncan. “How is Jessie?” “Unhappy and much frightened, as you may suppose,” said the sergeant; “but she was in no immediate danger when Chako left.” “How far is it to their camp?” demanded C. C. Piper, as he looked at his elephant gun. “About two full days’ journey down the river, and then one day into the jungle.” “Then let’s start at once!” cried Jessie’s father. “I must get to my daughter.” “It will be better to wait until morning,” suggested the former soldier. “It isn’t altogether safe to travel at night; and then, too, we can make better time by daylight.” “Oh, and to think that this native has lately seen my little girl, whom I have not beheld in so long!” exclaimed the father. “Ask him how she was--tell me all about her!”