away the animals.”
Bess, looking nervously at the rifle, asked him, “Do you have to use that very often?”
“Not often.” The hunter held out the rifle to show that it was larger than the type usually carried by hunters. “This is the only rifle,” he said, “which can pierce the hide of a rhino or an elephant.”
“You mean they attack sometimes?” Bess queried.
“Sometimes. Keep your eyes open, and again I ask all of you not to talk. When we reach the inn, you are to go up the stairway and remain inside the building until tomorrow morning. It would be too dangerous for you to be on the grounds.”
George glanced at Gwen Taylor. Hal had hold of her arm and was whispering into her ear. No doubt he was reassuring her and warning the girl to do exactly as she had been told.
The hunter turned and the Emersonians followed him in silence. Their eyes darted to the partly grassy, partly wooded area on either side of the path. They saw nothing scary—merely timid gazelles.
Treetops Inn was the most unusual hotel Nancy and her friends had ever seen. There were extra supports besides the tree trunks to hold the weight of the large building. A small wooden stairway led to the first floor, leaving the ground area free for the animals to wander beneath.
The visitors were amazed at the size of the place. There was a center section containing a lobby, a lounge, and a large dining room. To left and right were corridors and here and there a tree branch blocked the path, forcing guests to climb over it to continue down the hallway. The inn had two stories, with long porches on both levels and an observation roof.
As soon as the girls had been assigned rooms, they took their cameras and went to the lower porch. In front of it was a large water hole. Professor Stanley, walking by, told them it was saline and this was one reason the animals came there to drink. The girls chose front-row seats a little distance from one end of the porch.
“Look who’s here,” George whispered.
Seated in a wicker chair at the very end of the porch was Gwen Taylor. Next to her was a wooden partition which separated the porch from the front bedroom area. She was alone and was reading a book which lay on her lap. Apparently Gwen had no interest in the animals that came to the water hole.
The baboon snatched off Gwen’s wig
“She’s probably sulking because Hal scolded her,” George guessed.
At that moment two warthogs appeared from among the trees. They went directly toward the water, but instead of drinking it and retreating, they waddled in.
“Ugh!” Bess said.
“That’s how they clean themselves,” George said in a whisper.
Nancy was amazed at the silence of the place. Not only the people on the porches, but the beasts that came to the water hole were very quiet. Each breed of animal waited until the ones already there had finished drinking or bathing.
A group of wildebeest had just left, when Nancy said in a low voice, “Get your cameras ready! Here come some water buffalo.”
George grinned. “They have bowed hind legs!”
The girls’ attention was distracted by a baboon which scampered along the railing in front of them. It stopped briefly to grab candy from Bess’s hand.
Then it went on to where Gwen still sat reading. He gazed at her a moment, then Nancy saw one of his great arms suddenly reach out. In a moment he had snatched off Gwen’s wig!
“Oh!” she screamed.
Gwen tried to grab the hair piece but the baboon drew back and slapped her arm. The next moment he scooted up the side of the building, carrying the wig with him.
Nancy leaned out to look up and saw that the animal was seated on the railing of the flat roof. She jumped out of her chair, dashed through the lobby of the inn, and up an outside stairway that led to the top of the building. No one was there. The baboon was swishing the wig back and forth across the floor.
“He’ll ruin it!” Nancy thought.
She hurried forward, but just before
Bess, looking nervously at the rifle, asked him, “Do you have to use that very often?”
“Not often.” The hunter held out the rifle to show that it was larger than the type usually carried by hunters. “This is the only rifle,” he said, “which can pierce the hide of a rhino or an elephant.”
“You mean they attack sometimes?” Bess queried.
“Sometimes. Keep your eyes open, and again I ask all of you not to talk. When we reach the inn, you are to go up the stairway and remain inside the building until tomorrow morning. It would be too dangerous for you to be on the grounds.”
George glanced at Gwen Taylor. Hal had hold of her arm and was whispering into her ear. No doubt he was reassuring her and warning the girl to do exactly as she had been told.
The hunter turned and the Emersonians followed him in silence. Their eyes darted to the partly grassy, partly wooded area on either side of the path. They saw nothing scary—merely timid gazelles.
Treetops Inn was the most unusual hotel Nancy and her friends had ever seen. There were extra supports besides the tree trunks to hold the weight of the large building. A small wooden stairway led to the first floor, leaving the ground area free for the animals to wander beneath.
The visitors were amazed at the size of the place. There was a center section containing a lobby, a lounge, and a large dining room. To left and right were corridors and here and there a tree branch blocked the path, forcing guests to climb over it to continue down the hallway. The inn had two stories, with long porches on both levels and an observation roof.
As soon as the girls had been assigned rooms, they took their cameras and went to the lower porch. In front of it was a large water hole. Professor Stanley, walking by, told them it was saline and this was one reason the animals came there to drink. The girls chose front-row seats a little distance from one end of the porch.
“Look who’s here,” George whispered.
Seated in a wicker chair at the very end of the porch was Gwen Taylor. Next to her was a wooden partition which separated the porch from the front bedroom area. She was alone and was reading a book which lay on her lap. Apparently Gwen had no interest in the animals that came to the water hole.
The baboon snatched off Gwen’s wig
“She’s probably sulking because Hal scolded her,” George guessed.
At that moment two warthogs appeared from among the trees. They went directly toward the water, but instead of drinking it and retreating, they waddled in.
“Ugh!” Bess said.
“That’s how they clean themselves,” George said in a whisper.
Nancy was amazed at the silence of the place. Not only the people on the porches, but the beasts that came to the water hole were very quiet. Each breed of animal waited until the ones already there had finished drinking or bathing.
A group of wildebeest had just left, when Nancy said in a low voice, “Get your cameras ready! Here come some water buffalo.”
George grinned. “They have bowed hind legs!”
The girls’ attention was distracted by a baboon which scampered along the railing in front of them. It stopped briefly to grab candy from Bess’s hand.
Then it went on to where Gwen still sat reading. He gazed at her a moment, then Nancy saw one of his great arms suddenly reach out. In a moment he had snatched off Gwen’s wig!
“Oh!” she screamed.
Gwen tried to grab the hair piece but the baboon drew back and slapped her arm. The next moment he scooted up the side of the building, carrying the wig with him.
Nancy leaned out to look up and saw that the animal was seated on the railing of the flat roof. She jumped out of her chair, dashed through the lobby of the inn, and up an outside stairway that led to the top of the building. No one was there. The baboon was swishing the wig back and forth across the floor.
“He’ll ruin it!” Nancy thought.
She hurried forward, but just before
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