 A booming of methods, Johns brings Africa to you, Africa, the cradle of nature, where Mother Earth steams in her primeval sleep, sweating under a load of superstition, mystery and witchcraft. Africa is a land of great silences and thunderous upheavals, a land where anything can happen. Those drums bring you a story of Africa. Professor Anton Edwards, while heading a little scientific expedition into French Equatorial Africa, comes into possession of a mummified head that talks. He believes it to speak the language of the lost Atlanteans and will guide them to where a remnant of that race may be found. With the professor are his daughter Lorna, Jack Martin, his assistant, and Nguro, a huge native prince. Lorna was found wandering in a trench, and in affecting her rescue, a sacred snake was killed. The snake worshippers gathered to avenge the killing of one of their gods, but the party hastily broke camp and marched. Now, believing they have thrown off pursuit, they decide to camp again. This open space looks all right, Jack. What do you think? Couldn't be better, sir. But I don't see why we turned off due west for the last 10 miles. There should have been plenty of water on our original course. Don't ever mind that for a moment. I'll explain the move in due time. Are you all right, Lorna? Yes, I'm okay. Is this just another short rest or have you people decided to call the day? We camp right here, my dear. Well, don't get me for that. I thought we were on an enduring hike. It was absolutely necessary, Lorna. You see, those snake worshippers had to be out distant. Yes, Jack, explain it all to me as we came along. Well, we're in another teased territory now, and I don't think they'll cross into it to follow us. But yesterday, you distinctly said that we were going north, and we've been walking west for hours. Oh, so you noticed that, too. You're getting bush wise, young lady. Well, this is as good a time as any to tell you why we turned off our original course. Here. This basket was the talking head down somewhere, Jack. Careful. I've got it, sir. But here comes the keeper. Shall I turn it over to him, Guru? Yes. He knows what to do with it. There you are, Guru. Treat that thing as if it were a baby. It is a baby to him. None of the other natives will go near it. Here. Let's sit down here until the tents are up. Get your diary out, Jack, and make some notes as I go over the day's event, hmm? Just a moment. All set, sir. We left camp about 3.30 a.m. and forced marched up the Bakari. It's one of the tributaries of the Shari River and empties into Lake Shad. Then, as you both observed, we turned west and followed the river. You remember just before leaving our last camp at the talking head kept calling? Do I? Every time that thing tackles, I get cold shivers all over. Yes, I remember, sir. You sent me off to see what Lana was all right. Yes. Well, with the aid of my notebook on the language of Atlantis, I was able to follow some new directions the head was giving. But that isn't all. As far as I was able to decipher it, the head spoke of a small carved snuff box, the property of a witch doctor. The carvings on this box will open the remainder of the country to us like a book. Yes, I've heard of these carvings that work wonders at the chiefs, but they're usually in the form of a stick, aren't they? Yes, they are. Where did you say you would find this snuff box? Well, that's the funny part of it. I didn't really expect to find the place at all. The translation runs something like this. By the little water feeder of the great stream that makes the mirror of the skies flies a fertile mound that rises above the head of a horned horse. Now, a horned horse must be a rhinoceros. The mirror of the skies is Lake Shad. And the Bakari is the first little water we came to. But the rhinoceros head. On the world, can you link that up with it? I've got it. There it is. That huge boner over there. Look at the flat head and the curved horn on the snout. You're right, Lorna. That's just what I thought. And you can imagine the thrill I had when we rounded the bend and I saw that. There's the fertile mound, that wooded hill, and the witch doctor evidently lives at the top. It sounds like the direction to a pirate's treasure. I'm thrilled to death. Where are you going, Jack? I'm going over to that rock and see if it was carved by a hand or not. Maybe there's some writing on it. Well, I'll go with you. Oh, Sergeant Guru? I've worn a tent him already. Plenty water all the time. Shinsi boil them for drink one time. Good. You stay here in camp. I'm going for a walk. Wanna go walk for hill, huh? Yes, I'm going up that hill. Why? Wanna watch him thorn. Him plenty thorn on the hill. Wanna go for catch him sleep. Make him for hill tomorrow, huh? No, we can't wait for tomorrow. I'll go now. Guru, walk for hill along, huh? No, you old scoundrel. You stay here in camp. I'm going for a talk with the witch doctor. Boss, I have spoken. I've worn a him witch doctor. Plenty, plenty thorn in ground. Wanna nend up, holy, holy. It's the way by wind and rain, honor. It's too rough even for native sculptor. It's a funny kind of rock. It seems especially beautiful when the sun shines on it. I guess the sun only hits the directly first thing in the morning. It's a kind of volcanic rock. Must have been here for thousands of years. Believe me, I'll be up early in the morning to see it. It must look marvelous in a sunrise. It does, honor. Oh, hello, sir. This thing is perfectly natural as far as I can see. Yes, here's to be. Isn't it a pretty color, Father? Yes. There's a city in Arabia that's built of the same stone. As a matter of fact, I shouldn't say built. I should say carved. That's what they call the rose city, isn't it? Yes, but it's deserted now. Has been for hundreds of years. Oh, uh, Lorna, I brought your camera over. I'd like some pictures of this rock. All right, dear. You want some taken head on? Yes, one that way and one as near profile as you can get. All right. I'm just wondering if the carving on this rock is natural, Jack. Did you find any writing on it? Well, there's something around the side underneath the snout. See up there? Looks as if a bird had walked across what cement. All right, Joe. Yes! Hmm. Hey, this is interesting, Jack. Do you make anything of it, sir? Yes. Yes, I do. Where's that counter-founded notebook of mine? In your top pocket. Hmm? Oh, yes. Yes, to be sure. Now, let me see. Eh? Just as I thought. Seeks. Yes, that's right. Seeks. Write this down as I translated for you. Yes, sir. To him who seeks the key. There's a period there, Jack. Right? The horned horse hath no eyes. Yet, yet he runs or proceeds. Proceeds straight and swift to his ending. No. No, to his destination. Another period. Yes? The way. Yes? The way is open. Hmm. Read that over, please. To him who seeks the horned horse hath no eyes. Yet, he proceeds straight and swiftly to his destination. The way is open. Yes, that's it. Now, what more proof would you want, Jack? What were you two staring up at just now? Your father just deciphered some carvings. No, they are up there. What does it mean, sir? Well, the part that says horned horse hath no eyes. It's plain. The remuneration is very short-sighted. Yet, he runs straight to his destination. That means he has a very finely developed sense of smell. He relies on his nose. The way is open. So, we follow the rhino's nose, see? It points to the top of that hill. Precisely. Did you get the pictures, Laura? Yes, I put the camera back in the store box. Good. Well, children, you feel too worn out for an adventure, eh? Would you mean you're going after that snuff box now, off that hill? Yes. Well, I should say I'm not tired. I'll admit I was until you told me about the little box, but I couldn't rest now until I've seen it. And you, Jack? All set, sir. Whatever you say. You were traveling all day yesterday and you had no sleep last night. I won't blame you on the least if you stay behind the box. Not at all, Professor. If there's anything to be learned, I want to be there. I've only met one witch doctor. Are they all as decrepit as that one? No, Jack, they're not all. But let's start out now. We still have an hour's daylight. No, some of these witch doctors are quite young fellows and well-informed. Those are the dangers, once usually. They've learned quite a few of the white man's vices, and surprisingly little of his virtues. Well, how could they come in contact with white people in such remote parts, Father? The old witch doctor sends his protege down, or up country, as the case may be, to learn all about the white man's magic. The young man usually lands among the worst of our type and combining that knowledge with what the witch doctor teaches him, it mostly makes a bad combination. Are they easy to deal with? Hmm, mostly, yes. I've got something in my pocket that will put this fellow in a trading mood, I think. Well, what is it there? That's the garlighter and a can of fluid. Should they help him make some new magic for quite a while? Well, I hope he doesn't try to drink the fluid and then smoke. He'd start a forest fire in these woods in no time. Is it dark in here? The trees shut out all the life. It's a bit spooky, too. It is dark in here, I thought it would be. Wait a minute. You'd better not go any further. I just remembered something. Something you should have brought, sir? No. No, N'Guro warned me to look out for thorns on this hill. That means danger or a watcher's step. I'd forgotten all about it. Well, what did he say altogether? Well, he said to go softly. N'Guro doesn't usually get his squeamish unless he has some good reason for it. He said the witch doctor plants thorns and for us to poli poli, that means to go slowly. And every time I don't take his advice, I run into trouble. Well, we've got boots on, so what difference does it make if the old witch doctor did plant a few thorns? Thorns is just an expression, my dear. It means danger of any kind. Oh. Jack, do you see that funny-looking branch bent into the pathway from that tree? You mean, Britain? Yes. I don't like the looks of it somehow. I'm going to throw a stone at its base, and if it's a trap, the impact will spring it. But why should there be a trap on the path? Well, that's just what I want to find out. If it is, as I suspect, then we're in the juju grove, which is sacred ground. Oh! Well, what's the matter, Laura? What did you see? Wrong. Don't stand there pointing, child. Who sees the horrible face staring at me out of those bushes? What does it look like? Was it a native? Yes, I think so, but it was all painted or scarred. We'd better get out of this place, sir. Wait a minute. I want to see if that really is a trap. Watch it. See if I can hit the base. Right, stop. Murderous invention. If anybody had touched the thing, it'd have been a spirit a dozen times. Yes. Well, we'd better get out of here and send a message up to this murderous bird by drum talk. Come on, then. I've got a feeling we're being watched. Look out behind you, sir. Come on! Let me out! Let's name him. Oh!