human
Do you think anything could have happened to him?
gpt
Oh no, cried the doctor sharply.
human
He's too much at home here in these wild parts for that.
gpt
But I was thinking, uncle--
human
Thinking of what, my boy?
gpt
That there might be some few crocodiles up here in this narrow part of the river, after all.
human
Absurd, Rodney! Don't jump at conclusions like that!
gpt
But they are such horribly fierce creatures, uncle.
human
Don't be absurd, sir! Is it likely that one of those reptiles could have come up out of the river, crawled into the tent, and dragged him out again, without some one knowing it? No; he must have got up early and gone off by himself somewhere, as this is as far as we were to go, meaning to see if he could find the traces of a chimpanzee, so as to show us one or more before we start back.
gpt
Yes, that's possible, uncle, said Rodd.
human
And perhaps he has found one.
gpt
Very likely; and if he has he'll soon be back to take us on the trail.
human
Perhaps so, uncle,
gpt
Why do you speak like that, sir?
human
Because I say he may have found one, uncle.
gpt
Well--and then?
human
The chimpanzee won't let him come back.
gpt
Really, Rodney, you make me very angry sometimes, cried the doctor.
human
If ever there happens to be a little hitch of any kind you immediately clap it under your mental microscope and try to make it as large as you possibly can. That's it for certain, Morny. He wants to keep perfect faith with us, and so he has gone to see whether he can find any signs of these great apes. Well, we won't let the breakfast spoil, and it would be a sort of madness to go hunting about in the forest for his tracks; so come along. I dare say he'll be back long before we have done.