She woke the next morning, relieved to realize she had slept the whole night through with no nightmares or strange noises to disturb her sleep. She hurried to get dressed, anxious to see Hannah. She wondered how the family was doing after their first week at the mission station.
She had just stepped out the back door to go to the Mbati house when she saw Hannah herself running up the path toward her. She looked upset. “Kristi!” she called. “Have you seen Daniel? I cannot find him!”
“No, Hannah. I just got up. Did he go out to play? Maybe he’s with little Ryan Williams.”
“No, Kristi. He was not in bed when I woke up this morning. I’ve looked all over the compound. Ryan was playing outside but he said he has not seen Daniel. I am beginning to be frightened!”
“Don’t worry, Hannah. We’ll find him. He’s too little to have gone far. Have you told the missionaries yet that he is missing?”
Hannah shook her head. “I was afraid they would be angry with us for making trouble. I sent Joel across the road to look at the orphanage and school and hospital. Mary and Martha are watching the baby.”
“Oh, Hannah, I’m sure the missionaries won’t be angry. They will want to help you. But I’ll bet anything Joel will find him at the orphanage! He probably just wanted to play with his little friends over there!” Kristi said, hoping she was right. “I think we need to let the missionaries know, though. You go over to Pastor Phil’s house and tell him, Hannah, and I’ll go back inside here and tell everyone that we all need to start looking for Daniel right away. With that many people searching, I am sure we will find him quickly.”
Hannah turned on her heels and darted off in the direction of the Williams’ house. Kristi went inside and began telling her friends and their chaperones what had happened. Most of them were up already and getting dressed. They quickly pulled on shoes and went out to the back where the mission aries were beginning to gather at the pavilion.
Hannah looked like she’d been crying. Julie Williams stood with her arms around the girl, patting her on the back. Mary and Martha had joined the group and stood huddled close to their big sister. Mary had Isaiah in her arms. Both the little girls looked frightened. Pastor Phil was just about to speak when Joel came running into the compound from across the road. He spotted Hannah and ran toward her. He was shouting something in Swahili.
Kristi saw by the look on Hannah’s face that it was not good news. “No one has seen him,” Hannah translated for her friends, a look of despair on her face.
Steve Cameron asked, “But how would Daniel get out of the compound, anyway? Aren’t the gates kept locked at night?”
Pastor Phil shrugged. “That’s true, but we unlock them around six in the morning. Maybe he left after that. Okay then, we need to start looking all over again,” he went on. “Let’s have a word of prayer, though, first. The Lord knows where he is, and He will help us find him. Father,” he prayed, “we ask your help right now in finding little Daniel. We don’t know where to look, so we ask for Your guidance. We ask that you keep him safe from harm, also, Lord and in the hollow of Your hand. Please give Hannah comfort and peace as we search for her little brother. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
He began directing the people before him as to where to search. “Bob, Mark, Austin, Ken—why don’t you four check up and down the road—two of you in one direction and the other two the opposite way. Check the underbrush on both sides. Diane, Lisa, Andrea, Amy, you go through the hospital. Make sure you check the laundry and kitchen, too. Beth, Sarah…” Pastor Phil went on to divide the large group into teams and send them out to the various areas on and off the station.
They were just about to split up and go their separate ways when Ken Smiley suddenly stopped and said loudly, “Where’s Buddy? Has anyone seen him this morning?”
There was a moment of silence as they all realized it had been unusually quiet in the compound that morning. No bark ing. No Big Galute chasing monkeys or birds through the garden. No one yelling Buddy! as he got into one form of trouble or another.
“Well, that’s a good sign, anyway,” Dr. Bob said. “If Buddy is with Daniel he’ll take care of him—maybe. The question is, did Daniel follow Buddy, or did Buddy follow Daniel?”
“It doesn’t really matter, but I have the feeling where we find one, we’ll find the other. Come on, let’s get going.”
Most of the teenagers had been given the task of covering the grounds of the mission station. The Cameron kids, Robyn, Pete and Anna were supposed to do a thorough search of the housing compound. Hannah had taken Mary and Martha and the baby over to Julie William’s house where Julie would watch all the little MK’s while their parents were looking for Daniel. Hannah joined the other teens in the garden as quickly as she could.
Pete and Anna were searching around the fronts and sides of the duplexes and dorm. There were lawn chairs and porch swings at most of them. Maybe the toddler had fallen asleep in one of them. Skeeter and Robyn were looking around the garden area in back. There were lots of flowering bushes, and tall corn in the large vegetable patches where a small child could hide. Dan and Kristi had decided to check around the tall, thick, thorny hedge that surrounded the entire com pound. Hannah helped them, going in the opposite direction.
Skeeter lifted the lid to look inside one of the trash cans that was behind the pavilion. Robyn gave him a funny look and he said, “What? You don’t think a little kid might crawl into a garbage can?”
“Well, not really! Fall in, maybe—but the lids were on them. How would he fall in? And if he crawled in, how could he put the lid back on himself?”
“Well, I guess you have a point there. But it doesn’t hurt to check!” Skeeter defended himself. “Phew! These stink!” He slammed the lid back on the can in a hurry.
Pete and Anna came around the side of the guest house just then. “Did you find anything yet?” Pete called.
“No, just a mess of rotten banana peels and egg shells,” Skeeter answered, “but I—”
Just then Dan yelled from the hedge behind them, “Hey! I think I found something! Hurry!”
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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Mfalme Wa Wafalme
They rushed to Dan’s side. He was looking at a small hole in the bottom of the hedge. Fresh claw marks in the dirt showed where an animal had dug beneath the hole to make it larger.
“This might be how Daniel got out. And it looks like Buddy went after him,” Dan said.
“Well, if this is it, it means he didn’t leave until after day break,” Pete replied. “He would never have found this hole in the dark.”
“That’s a good thought, Pete,” Kristi said. “He can’t have gone too far then.”
“Maybe he’s just on the other side of the hedge-wall,” Hannah said hopefully. “We have to go look!”
Dan was on his knees trying to look through the hole. “It’s too deep,” he said. “I can’t see a thing. I have a feeling, though, that this is how our baboon friends have been getting in. It’s close to the trash cans.”
“Baboons!” Robyn shuddered. “I hate those things! I don’t want to run into them again.”
“Then you stay here, Robyn. You and Anna, too, Kristi. We guys will go look on the other side,” Skeeter said.
“No way!” all three girls said at once.
“We’ll all go together,” Kristi said firmly. “Besides, we girls have to be there for Hannah. Now, come on—let’s go!”
The teens raced for the gate. The hole was too small for them to crawl through. The only way to the other side of the hedge was for them to go around.
There was no one in sight when they reached the road. They ran along the hedge to the right until they came to the end, and then they turned to follow it along the east side of the compound.
It was forest on the other side of the wall. The underbrush was thick and hard to get through. The thought of snakes and big, nasty spiders and bugs crossed Kristi’s mind but s
he tried not to think about it.
They searched the base of the hedge until Anna finally found what they were looking for. “Look! I think I’ve found it!” she called.
Sure enough. There was the hole, slightly wider on this side of the hedge. And caught on one of the four inch thorns was a tiny piece of red cloth.
Hannah snatched the scrap from the spike and said, “This is from Daniel’s shirt! I put that shirt on him last night before he went to bed!”
“Well, at least we know that this is the way he came. Thank you, Lord!” Dan said. “Let’s fan out and start looking. Stay within sight of each other, though.”
They spread out and began making their way slowly through the bushes and trees. The undergrowth was dense, and they had to push it apart in spots with their feet, or lift the lower branches to check for the toddler. Other than the sound of their voices calling Daniel’s name over and over, and occasion ally Buddy’s name, as well, the forest was strangely quiet. There were no sounds of monkeys, or even birds, in the branches overhead.
Kristi did encounter a snake. It slithered away as she looked under a bush. She jumped back with a gasp. She was so glad she’d worn her hiking boots! It took several minutes before she could bring up her courage to reach for another branch, and even then her hands were shaking.
Dan finally called them all back together. They had moved out of sight of the compound and he was reluctant to continue further without letting someone know where they were. “We need more help,” he said. “I think we’d better go back.”
“No! I cannot!” Hannah said. “I must keep looking!”
Dan was about to argue with her when suddenly they heard a noise in the bushes nearby. Hannah cried, “Daniel!” and started to rush forward.
“Wait!” Dan grabbed her arm. The noise came again. This time it sounded like a large animal.
It was only then that Kristi remembered what they had heard the night before about the lion, the King of Kings. She grabbed Hannah’s other arm and took a step backwards, trying to pull her friend with her.
They could see a slight movement in the bushes now. A tawny shape moved in the shadows, slowly, quietly. Kristi’s heart caught in her throat and she froze in her tracks. Suddenly the shape came charging through the branches in a blur! It headed straight for them!
“Buddy!” Skeeter yelled. The big dog came bounding at the boy, practically knocking him over.
“Buddy, you Big Galute! You scared the life out of us!” Kristi scolded. “What are you doing, slinking around in the bushes? Where’s Daniel?”
The dog began to act strangely. His initial excitement at seeing the teens vanished in a flash, and he cowered on the ground, whimpering. The animal was clearly afraid of some thing. He slinked over to Kristi and lay at her feet, looking up at her with his big brown eyes.
“Where’s Daniel?” Hannah repeated, falling to her knees next to the dog. “Where’s Daniel?”
Buddy stood up then and looked directly into Hannah’s face. He turned to look back into the forest, growling softly deep in his throat. His tail was between his legs and his ears were flattened against his head. He looked back at the teens, and then turned to stare through the trees once more, lowering his head and growling.
“I think he knows,” Skeeter said, “but he’s scared. Come on, boy,” he said, going over to the German shepherd. “You have to take us to Daniel. Find Daniel, Buddy!”
The dog started back the way he had come, with the teens following closely behind him. All thoughts of going back for help had disappeared. They eagerly pressed forward, sure they were about to find the little boy.
Hannah, who was closest to Buddy, suddenly stopped and said, “Look!” She pointed to a small patch of dusty ground. Most of the forest floor was covered with old leaves and branches, undergrowth, and vines. This one small spot, how ever, was bare and in the middle of it was a paw print—an enormous paw print!
“Simba!” Hannah cried out in fear. “That is the track of a lion! I am sure of it! It is too big to be a leopard.”
The hairs on the back of Kristi’s neck stood on end. So the rumors were true, after all! She shivered, suddenly anxious to get back to the safety of the compound. The thought of a little three-year-old alone in the forest, though, made her legs of stone move again.
“Come on!” she said urgently, suddenly finding her voice. “We have to find Daniel right now!”
“Wait!” Hannah said. Kristi turned to her in surprise.
“We have to pray,” the Kenyan girl said. “Only God can keep him—and us—safe from the lion. Oh, God,” she cried out in prayer. “We are so afraid! Wherever Daniel is, please protect him. Put your angels around him to guard him. And lead us safely and quickly to him, oh God! Please, Father!” she pleaded. “You are my Father, my only father now. Please, Father, help us! In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“Amen,” the others echoed, their own fervent prayers going up to the Father.
“Go, Buddy!” Skeeter said. “Find Daniel!” The dog started out once again with the rest of them close behind. Even Buddy appeared to feel braver, eager to find the child.
They saw no more tracks, but Buddy seemed confident of the way so they pressed on. They were getting further and further away from the compound. Dan wondered how much further they should go before giving up and going back for help.
Buddy pushed through the brush and under trees, not caring, of course, about low branches or tripping over tree roots. The teens had a rougher time of it, often being slapped in the face by a branch, or scratched by thorns. They passed beneath a tree that was draped in spider webs. Before they realized it, the sticky stuff was clinging to their hair and clothes and they were sputtering and brushing it wildly from their faces. Robyn felt a spider drop onto her hair and freaked out until Skeeter finally was able to knock it off of her.
On and on they went, deeper into the forest. Where is he? Where is he? was the thought going through everyone’s minds as they stumbled along. Finally they broke out of the woods and into a small clearing.
There, on the other side, was Daniel, curled up under a tree. And not ten feet away from the toddler sat Mfalme wa wafalme—the King of Kings!
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CHAPTER TWELVE
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Daniel in the Lion’s Den
Pete clapped a hand over Hannah’s mouth before she could cry out. He could feel her trembling—or was that his own hand shaking? He couldn’t tell.
The teenagers stood frozen in fear. Even Buddy stood silently, his sides quivering. They could not take their eyes away from the great beast, although they were well aware of the tiny form on the ground beneath the tree.
The lion lifted its massive head and sniffed the air. A shaft of sunlight came through the trees around the small clearing and fell on its tawny mane, turning it to gold. If they hadn’t been so frightened, it would have been a beautiful sight. Instead, it was terrifying.
The lion was between them and Daniel. How could they reach the little boy, let alone get away with him? From where they stood, it appeared that the child was only sleeping, untouched by the wild beast. But if that were true, why hadn’t the creature attacked the child already? It was the lion’s nature to go after the weak, and small, and young. Just finding Daniel like this was a miracle in itself. Dare they hope for another miracle—his rescue?
Yes! Our God is a God of miracles, Kristi thought. They were witnessing a miracle right now. Please send us another one, Lord, she prayed.
Dan and Pete were looking at one another, somehow com municating a plan. The minutes were ticking by and they felt desperate. Dan whispered something to Pete and then put his mouth up to Kristi’s ear. “Pete and I are going to create a distraction for the lion. When he goes after us, you and Hannah grab Daniel and get out of here fast. The others will follow you. Go to the station and get help.”
“No! No!” Kristi whispered back in a panic. “Are you crazy? He’ll eat you! You won’t be a distract
ion—you’ll be lunch! You can’t do this!”
“Kristi, shh! Just pass the word—” Dan didn’t finish his sentence, for just then the Lord provided a distraction of His own.
They heard a snarl. The young people looked up hastily and saw the lion leap to its feet. Their hearts stopped beating until they saw that the lion was not looking at them, or even at little Daniel. Its eyes were focused on the treetops. They looked to see what the lion was staring at—and what they saw hor rified them.
The snarl had not come from the lion. A leopard was poised in the branches of the tree next to Daniel, snarling and ready to leap at the little boy below. Its shoulders and legs were taut and tense, ready to spring, and its fangs were bared.
Time seemed to stand still as they stood frozen in fear until Hannah suddenly cried out in terror. Her cry was unheard by either the lion or the leopard, however, for the mighty beast had sprung at the leopard first, knocking it from the tree.
The air was filled with roaring and snarling, growling and the screams of the leopard until the young people wanted to cover their ears and their heads, and fling themselves to the ground in terror. Instead, Hannah and Dan rushed across the clearing, past the slashing, clawing, fighting cats, and to Daniel’s side.
The child had finally woken with the awful noise of the fight. He sat up and began to cry. His eyes were on the two beasts, not even aware that his sister and the wanzungu were there until Hannah snatched him into her arms and they made another wild dash across the clearing.
The cats did not seem to be aware of their presence, either, in the heat of the fight. Just as Dan and Hannah reached the others, though, the lion swiped at the leopard with a mighty paw and flung the smaller cat against a tree. The leopard lay on the ground unmoving. The lion was still king.
Silence fell over the clearing. The startled teenagers stopped for a split second. Was their escape too late? Would the lion come after them next? They didn’t wait to find out.
The Mystery of the Kenyan King (Kristi Cameron Book 4) Page 8