"No, he could not have done that," said Mark. "Old Mak shows them all that he considers himself the black boss."

The doctor laughed.

"But I say," said Mark eagerly, "did you notice that little chief?"

"Yes," said the doctor. "I did notice it, and was going to speak about it. He was quite a dandy this morning, with his black ostrich feather and his brass wire band round his forehead. He looked quite smart. He must be the chief."

"But I say, doctor, is that brass wire?"

"Of course; the same as his bangles and the rings about his ankles. What else could it be? One thing's very plain. There are ostriches up here somewhere, and these people set store by their feathers. Now do you see what it means?"

"Yes," said Mark, "that the chief wears one and that none of the others do."

"I didn't mean that," said the doctor. "I meant that they evidently traded with dealers who come up the country here and use coils of brass wire as their current coin to exchange with the natives."

"Coils of brass wire which they cut in lengths, I suppose, to deal with these little blacks."

"That's quite right, my boy; but what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking," said Mark, "that if these traders came right up here and dealt with the pigmies we should have heard about it."

"Might or might not," said the doctor.

"Yes," said Mark, who seemed very thoughtful, "and I might or might not be right if I said that I believe it isn't brass but gold."

"What!" cried the doctor. "Nonsense!"

Mark seemed as if he did not hear the doctor's contemptuous words, while his cousin, startled by Mark's suggestion, now said eagerly, "And there are those two bits like ferrules about the chiefs spear. They are not brass wire."

"No," said the doctor, "but they might be thicker pieces beaten out into ferrules. But really, boys, you have started a curious train of thought. I hardly noticed the bangles; I was so much occupied with the little fellow's wound. It might be what you say. I wish you had spoken before. It is a most interesting suggestion. Well, it isn't worth while to go after them, and we will examine them closely to-morrow morning."

"But you said that we were going away to-day," said Mark.

"Yes," replied the doctor, "but we are not obliged, and—really, this is interesting. It opens up quite a train of thought. Here, we will talk it over with Sir James at breakfast."

It was talked over quietly during the meal, and the party stayed that day, while the next morning both boys were awake before daylight and on the look out, with Mak, for the coming of the little strangers. But there was no sign of the tiny black chief and his men.

"They won't come," said Mark impatiently, "and we have let the chance slip by of finding out something very interesting."

"But we don't want to find out anything about gold," said Dean, with a ring of contempt in his words.

"No," said Mark, "but I should have liked to have found out that it was gold, all the same. Well," continued the boy, "that little chap has done with the doctor, and there will be no more bandaging."

"And no more of those big birds, unless we shoot them ourselves," said Dean.

"Wrong!" cried Mark excitedly. "Here they are!"



CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

A RICH DISCOVERY.

Dean Roche started in his excitement, for as his cousin spoke he saw that Mak, who had been waiting near, stood pointing with his spear at the little party of pigmies who were winding through the bushes and low growth at the forest edge, the little chief at their head, followed by four of his men bearing a couple of little antelopes swinging from spears, while behind them were two pigmies carrying what seemed to be a sort of creel, in which was their wounded fellow.

"I say, look!" cried Dean. "He must be better."

"Go and tell the doctor, Mak," said Mark, and then as Mak strode off, "I am glad they have come," cried Dean.

"Yes. We must tell the doctor to look at the brass bangles," said Mark.

"They are not brass," cried Dean. "I am sure they are gold."

The doctor came out, meeting the messenger, and Dan, who was on the watch, followed him with what was required.

The necessary attention to the wound followed, and the doctor quite excitedly pointed out with what wonderful rapidity the terrible injury was healing up.

"There," he suddenly cried, turning to the little chief, who stood leaning upon his spear, "you need not bring your friend any more, for we are going away."

The little fellow gazed up wonderingly in his eyes, and Mark burst out laughing.

"What does that mean?" cried the doctor sharply, but without moving his eyes from the pale yellow ring that encircled the pigmy's brow. Then lowering his eyes he searchingly looked at the bangles on wrist and arm. "Do you hear what I said? What does that mean?" he asked.

"I was laughing at you for speaking so seriously," said Mark. "He can't understand a word."

"Of course not," said the doctor. "Why, Mark," he cried, "I believe you are right, boy."

"That it is not brass?" said Mark excitedly.

"That it is not brass," replied the doctor. "Where can they obtain it?"

"Not in the woods, surely," said Mark.

"Oh, here's your father," said the doctor, as Sir James came towards them from the waggon.

"Look at these bangles, sir," continued the doctor, "and the band round this little fellow's head. What do you say they are?"

Sir James looked at the yellow objects attentively.

"They cannot be brass," he said decisively, "or in the moisture of that forest they would have tarnished. Why, boys, we didn't come hunting for the precious metal, but we have found it, all the same."

"Yes, there's no doubt of it," said the doctor. "Well, the ancients must have obtained plenty of gold somewhere, and they are supposed to have built a big city in this direction. I feel disposed to put these things together and to say that this city must exist, and that these little fellows must have found their gold ornaments somewhere there. What can we do to find out from them where they obtained the gold?"

"Ask them, sir," said Mark.

"How?"

"I don't know," said Mark; "but I will try."

"Well, go on," said Sir James.

Mark looked doubtfully at his father for a few moments, and then turned his eyes upon his cousin, as if for help; but Dean only shook his head.

"Well, go on," said the doctor.

"It is all very well to say, Go on, sir," retorted Mark, "but it isn't a Latin exercise, and it isn't an equation. I don't know how to begin."

Then as a thought struck him he bent down to the little chief and touched his bangles and armlets, finishing off by placing a finger upon the thin ribbon-like band which bound his forehead.

The little fellow looked at him wonderingly as if he did not understand, and turning to the doctor's patient he said a word or two in a questioning tone.

This was answered in almost a whisper of a couple of monosyllabic words, which resulted in the little chief slipping one wire bangle from his arm and handing it to Mark, the Illaka looking on attentively the while.

Mark shook his head, but the little fellow thrust the bangle into his hand and looked at him enquiringly.

"No, no," said Mark, "I want to know where you get it."

The words had no sooner passed the boy's lips than the pigmy snatched off the fellow bangle from above his elbow, and held them both out.

"No, no, no," replied Mark, "We—want—to—know—where—you—got—them."

The little fellow laughed, stooped quickly, and took off the slender little anklets, holding now the four ornaments as if for the boy's acceptance.

"No, no, I tell you," cried Mark impetuously. "We don't want to rob you;" and leaning forward he touched the slender pieces of gold with his finger and then the ribbon-like band that was half hidden amongst the little fellow's crisp curls.

"Where—where did you get them?" cried Mark.

The pigmy wrinkled up his forehead, with a disappointed look, raised his hands to his head, looking at the boy reproachfully the while, hesitated, and then snatched off the band, held all five ornaments together and thrust them towards Mark, with his face overcast and frowning the while.

"Oh, I do wish I could talk to you," cried Mark. "Here, Mak, can't you say something?"

The tall black shook his head and half turned away.

"He doesn't understand either," said Dean. "Try dumb motions, Mark."

"All right," cried Mark, seizing the set of rings, small and large, and they jingled musically together, while the pigmy with a gloomy look picked up his ostrich feather, which had fallen to the ground, thrust it into his hair, and turned frowningly away.

"No, no; hold hard," cried Mark merrily, and he prisoned the little fellow by the arm and twisted him round, making him look up in angry wonderment, and his eyes flashed resentment as Mark snatched the ostrich feather from out of his hair and stuck the quill end into one of the buttonholes of his flannel Norfolk jacket.

The little dark face before him was lined with creases, and the flashing eyes nearly closed, while as he stood unresistingly Mark replaced the band of gold—for gold it was—about his head, and then taking the ostrich feather from his breast he thrust the quill beneath the band so that it hung over on one side with quite a cock.

"There, he looks splendid now," cried Mark, "only don't look so fierce. Now then—right arm;" and seizing it the boy held it up, thrust one bangle over it and ran it up the pigmy's plump little arm right above the elbow, till it was arrested by the tightened biceps.

He served the left arm in the same way, and then sinking on one knee he caught the sturdy little leg by the ankle, and holding one bangle out before him thrust it over the little fellow's foot. The next minute the ornamentation was completed by the thrusting on of the second anklet, and then Mark sprang up, while the rest looked on, some amused, the little blacks with their eyes full of wonderment and as if not comprehending this scene.

"Now," cried Mark, "let's have another try;" and touching the gold rings one after the other, he said slowly, "Where—find?"

The little chief looked at him questioningly, then at the rest of the white visitors, and turned to his followers, who looked at him blankly, all but the doctor's patient, who, seated in his basket—as Dean afterwards said, as if he were for sale—whispered faintly a couple of words.

"Can't you understand?" said Mark, and he touched the gold band again and began a very effective pantomime, running here and there, peeping under the bushes, peering in between the trees, looking up, then down, in all directions, dropped upon one knee, to begin scratching up the sandy earth, which he took up in handfuls and turned over in his hands, and then shaking his head sadly he turned to the little black again, crying, "Can't find any; can't find any. The gold—the gold!"

The little party of pigmies stared at him blankly, and then at each other.

"Well done," said the doctor. "Try again. Capital!"

"No, no," said Mark. "They will think I have gone mad."

"Yes," said Dean, grinning.

"Bah! That settles it; I won't," cried Mark. "Oh, I wish I knew what that little chap said!" For the doctor's patient whispered something again, with the result that his little chief bounded towards Mark, touched his gold ornaments again, and then snatched his spear from a companion who had been holding it, and touched the two ferrules that were beneath the blade and at the end. These with almost lightning-like movements he touched with index finger, following up the act by touching the fillet and bangles, and then looking enquiringly in Mark's eyes he uttered one word.

"Yes," cried Mark, at a venture. "Where do you get it?"

The little fellow's face lit up now with a smile, and drawing himself up he raised his spear and stood pointing right into the wood.

"I think he understands now," said the doctor. "Look; what does he mean by that?"

For the little fellow in a series of gazelle-like leaps bounded to first one and then the other waggon, and came running back with his eyes flashing, to stand pointing as before right into the depths of the forest. This done, he made a mark in the sandy earth with the butt of his spear, and then walking backwards he drew a line as straight as he could for about fifty yards, keeping parallel with the edge of the forest, and ending by curving his line round till he reached the first trees.

"What does he mean by that?" said Mark, as the little fellow came running back.

"I think I know," said Dean.

"So do I," cried Mark. "Here, Mak, what does this mean?"

The black faced slowly to them from where he had been leaning against the tree watching as if amused, and raising his spear he walked importantly to the waggons, touching first one and then the other with his spear before turning and pointing right into the forest, and ending by drawing a similar line to that made by the little visitor.

"Well, that's plain enough," said Mark excitedly. "I make it that the pigmy means that if we want to find the gold we must walk right round the other side of the forest; but Mak means that this is the way to find the big stones."

"Big—stones—kopje," cried Mak, nodding his head sharply, and after pointing again with his spear he slowly described a semi-circle upon the earth.

"Yes, I think you are right," said Sir James. "At any rate, doctor, we may as well try."

"Certainly, sir," said the doctor, laughing. "But it's rather a queer way of learning our route. I agree with Mark, though, that both Mark and the pigmy mean the city, only the little fellow tries to tell us that we shall find the gold there, while Mak means the big stones."

"Big stones!" cried Mak sharply, as he caught the words. "Boss—find— big—stones;" and he waved his spear again after pointing towards the forest and then describing the route they must follow in the air.

Mak watched the doctor eagerly, then turned to the little chief, said a word or two, and the little fellow passed on what was evidently an order to his followers, who began to move off, when a thought struck Mark and he caught the little chief by the arm and led him towards the second waggon.

"Here, Dean," he cried, "jump in and get those two new spare knives out of the fore chest. Look sharp. I'm afraid to leave go. This fellow's all of a quiver with fright, and I am afraid he will bolt."

"All right," was the reply, and leaving Mark and his prisoner waiting, the boy sprang up into the waggon, and came back with a couple of strongly made, buckhorn-handled, four-bladed pocket knives, one of which Mark slipped into his pocket, retaining the other in his hand.

"You take my place," he said, "and hold tight. Don't let him go."

Then turning to the little black he began to open slowly first one and then another of the highly polished blades, which glittered in the sun, while without attempting to resist, the little fellow stared at him wildly, and it was easy to read his emotions in his twitching face.

"Now, you see this?" said Mark, as holding out the knife close to their prisoner he snapped back first one and then two more of the shining blades, which went back into the haft with sharp snaps. Then taking a step to the nearest bush, with one sharp cut he took off a good-sized bough, returning to where the pigmy was watching him, trimming the piece of wood as he walked, and leaving the twigs besprinkling the ground.

"There," said Mark, as he closed the remaining blade, after wiping it carefully where it was moistened with sap, "I didn't want to rob you of your gold rings, and you have been a very good little fellow, so that's for you."

As he finished speaking he thrust the closed knife into the little chiefs hand, and then walked back with him to where the weak-looking little patient sat watching all that had gone on with wide open eyes.

"Now," cried Mark, patting him on the back; "make haste and get well. I don't suppose I shall ever see you again. Be a good boy, and don't go near lions. There's a knife for you too. So toddle."

"What nonsense!" cried Dean. "Poor little chap! Doesn't he wish he could!"

The little fellow's eyes twinkled as he took the knife which Mark held out to him and then good-naturedly opened all the blades and closed them again so that the receiver might fully understand the management of the wonderful instrument he had never seen before.

"Now, Mak, start them off, and I hope we shall never see them again," continued the boy, "for somehow or other I quite like that little fellow. He's been so patient all through his suffering, and never hardly winced, when the doctor must have hurt him no end. I don't mean like him as one would another boy, but as one would a good dog that had been hurt and which we had nursed back again to getting all right—that is, I mean," continued the boy confusedly—"Oh, bother! Here, I don't quite know what I do mean. Ah, there they go. I say, Dean, did you ever see such a rum little chap in your life, with his gold ornaments and ostrich feather? Shouldn't you like to take him back with us to the manor?"

"Yes—no—I don't know," said Dean. "Here, come on. They have all gone now, and there's Dan waving his hand for us to come to breakfast."

"That's right," said Mark thoughtfully. "We understand; you needn't shout. I say, Dean, we might as well have brought the old gong out of the hall. It would have done for dinner-bell if we had hung it outside the waggon, and been splendid to have scared the lions away."



CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

BUILDING THE ZAREBA.

"Compasses are fine things," said Mark. "See, here we are with that little needle ready to spin one way or the other till it stands still without being shaken, and here it shows us exactly how we have been travelling along first to the south, then due west, and now here we are steadily going on to the north-west."

"That's all very well at sea," said Dean, "but here we are on land. Suppose that compass isn't correct?"

"There's a sceptic!" cried Mark. "Why, doesn't the sun rising and setting prove it to be all right? The needle always is correct unless it's near iron."

"Or there is some natural cause to produce a variation," said the doctor, who was listening to the boys' remarks upon the pocket compass which he always carried. "We needn't doubt it here."

"Then according to what you are showing, sir, in the fourteen days' since those pigmies left us—"

"No, we left them," said Dean.

"That's not correct," said Mark. "We stood still and saw them go into the forest, so they must have left us."

"But we left our camp directly afterwards," said Dean, "and we have been travelling along by the edge of the forest ever since."

"There, don't argue, boys," said the doctor. "It's quite evident that we have passed right round the forest and left it behind us, and I make it out that if instead of following the edge so as to be in the open where the bullocks could trek we could have walked straight through between the trees, we should have have been here long enough ago. Why, we are now about opposite to the pigmy settlement."

"What!" cried Mark. "Oh, I say, let's stop and go in amongst the trees, and shout or cooey till we make them hear, and they will come and join us."

"That's a likely idea," said Dean derisively. "What a fellow he is, isn't he, doctor? He's been grumbling ever since he lost his pet pig."

"Well, I don't care. I did like the little chap."

"Yes, just because you were nursing him and getting him better. Why, Mark, you are just like a great girl with a pet lamb."

"Oh, am I?" said Mark sourly.

"Yes, that you are. She's so fond of it because it's so white and skips after her, and she ties blue ribbons round its neck and is as pleased as Punch to have it running after her, and crying ma-a-a-a-a!"

"You just wait till the doctor's gone off with father, and I'll punch your head," whispered Mark, as the doctor walked towards the waggon which they were following.

"I don't care; so you are," said Dean; "and by-and-by the pretty little lamb grows up into a great, big, ugly, stupid-looking sheep good for nothing."

"Yes, it is—mutton."

"And that's how it would be," continued Dean, "with your pet savage. It would grow old and ugly, and a perfect nuisance, and be not so good as a sheep, because you could eat that, and even you wouldn't care to turn into an anthropop—what's his name?"

"There, that's just like you, Dean; you are always trying to use big ugly words that you can't recollect the whole of. Anthropop what's his name! Why can't you say cannibal? Here, I will help you," cried the boy mockingly. "Say anthropo-phagistically inclined."

"Oh, I say, don't, Mark!" said Dean, laughing. "I am sure that's given you a twist at the corners of your jaws."

Quite involuntarily Mark clapped his index fingers just beneath his ears as if his cousin's words were true and he had felt a twinge, with the result that Dean burst out laughing.

"There, go on. I don't care about your grinning. All this travelling out here makes a fellow feel so jolly and happy. One goes to roost tired out, and is fast asleep directly, so that one wakes rested in the morning, with the air making one ready to dance and sing."

"Makes you hungry," said Dean banteringly. "But why don't you dance and sing? I should like to see you. Only tell me when you are going to begin and I will call our fellows up to look at you. I say, what a pity it is that we could not get the herd of little pigs to form a ring. I believe it would make the solemn-looking little chaps grin for once in their lives."

"Oh, go on," cried Mark. "I'll pocket all this and give it you back in some shape or another one of these days. It pleases you and it doesn't hurt me; but all the same if we do come back this way I mean to stop when we get to our old camp, and then give the pigmies a call."

"No, don't," said Dean, "because if you do you will want me to go and take care of you, and no more forest, if you please."

Oddly enough that very evening when the compass said they were travelling due west, that is to say, right across the plain that now opened before them in the direction that Mak had pointed out as being the way to the big stones, and when the great forest lay looking as if sinking into a golden cloud far behind, something occurred.

They had seen that they were now passing into the open country, for twice over a drove of antelopes had taken fright where they were grazing and dashed away, but the second time by means of careful stalking and taking advantage of the screen offered by scattered clumps of trees, the doctor and Sir James had both made a good addition to their larder.

This change in the country, though it fully proved that they could secure an ample supply of provisions, and though their black guide when questioned had pointed to one of the kopjes or clumps of granite which sprinkled the plain as being where they would find water—brought with it a suggestion of danger.

"Yes, gentlemen," said Buck; "we shall have to be careful now, what my messmate Dan calls look out for squalls."

"Roaring squalls?" said Mark, laughing. "Yes, Mr Mark, sir, roaring squallers, who as soon as they scent us out will be full of the idee that we have come here on purpose to bring them a change of wittles."

"Oh, you mean that they are rather tired of venison and want to have beef."

"That's right, Mr Mark, sir; and we can't pay them out, because though they can eat my bullocks we can't eat them."

"No, Buck, but we can pepper their hides and salt their skins."

"Pepper 'em, sir? We want to give them something stronger than that— some of the hard bullets you have got in the waggon. I have been having it over with black Mak, and he's quite at home here and is on the look out for a place where we can build up what they calls a zareba of bushes and rock with a good fire inside. We mustn't have another night like that last."

Just then Peter Dance and Bob Bacon came into sight, laden with a pretty good faggot of dry wood that they had hacked off, and which they secured to the tail of the second waggon ready for starting the cooking fire when they made camp.

The men were intent upon their work; and each had a light billhook stuck behind him in his belt, and while Dance was readjusting his faggot his chopping tool nearly slipped out of where it was slightly stuck, while in trying to save it from falling, the keeper, who had quite forgotten his bruises, glanced for a moment in their direction.

"I say, young gentlemen," said the big driver, speaking from behind his hand, "warn't it rum? It was just as if Peter felt that we were talking about him."

"What, about his letting the fire out?" said Mark. "Oh, we must forget that. I don't believe he would ever do it again."

"I hope not, sir," said Buck, and he swung himself along to overtake the waggon, giving his big whip a crack or two and his span of bullocks a few verbal admonitions to trek.

"That will be a horrible bother," said Dean, as the boys, rifle over shoulder, strode off a little to the right of the straight course so as to take their chance of anything that might spring up from one of the clumps of dwarf trees which were being avoided by the waggon drivers. For these carefully kept away from anything that might impede their progress, which was towards the first rocky eminence of any size they had seen, save on more distant hunting excursions, since they had left the forest behind.

"What, building up a kraal, or zareba, as he called it?" said Mark.

"Yes. You see, we shall be tired enough without having that to do. But it must be done."

But just at sundown the spot at which Mak had been aiming was reached. It was one of the regular kopjes of the African plains, but fairly verdant, being well furnished with dwarf trees and loose, rugged patches of rock that offered themselves for protection, while a gurgling source of water gushed out at the foot of the largest mass of granite, foamed away amongst the stones for about a hundred yards, forming several clear pools, and lost itself in a muddy, trampled little swamp which showed plenty of signs of being visited by the herds of antelope which roamed the veldt.

One of the first things done was the making of a hurried survey of the kopje, Mak at once bending to his task of leading the travellers, rifle in hand, to the examination of every spot that suggested the possibility of its being used as a lair by any dangerous cat-like beast. But no lion sprang out, and there was nothing suggestive of danger till Mak led the searchers to where the stream spread out for a while before it sank down into the sand.

Here there were plenty of traces of antelope of various kinds, their footprints showing out distinctly and indicating the ease with which a watcher could get a shot. But the next minute the thoughts of all were occupied by their guide stopping short and pointing out the plainly marked spoor of a lion.

This, however, proved to be evidently of some days' standing, but it was enough to add energy to the efforts made in having the waggons dragged up close to a mass of rock where they could form part of the protection needed and lessen the necessary labour in shutting in the beasts.

Every man had his own work to do, and even with the extra toil of strengthening their camp it was not long before the fire was blazing well, the cattle grazing upon the rich grass in the neighbourhood of the pools, and their guide, being satisfied that they had no unpleasant neighbours, now beckoned to the boys and pointed to the highest portion of the granite kopje, suggesting that they should follow him and have a climb.

The mass of granite, formed of huge, tumbled together blocks, was easily accessible, and the doctor followed them when they began to ascend, till the highest point was reached and they stood sweeping the vast expanse around which now lay plain in the beautifully limpid air.

During the day a soft, hot haze had shut off the more distant objects, but now everything showed up refracted, so that the distant hillocks and clumps of trees seemed quite near, lit up by the soft glow left by the sun that was now below the horizon.

Look in whatever direction they would, every object was in the fleeting minutes wonderfully clear. There lay in the direction from which they had come as far as their vision extended, the vast forest which they had skirted; in another direction all was plain; right and left open diversified land presenting easy passage for the waggons; and when in obedience to a sign from Mak they turned to gaze to the north-west, the black raised his spear and pointed in one direction, where the beautiful landscape seemed to come to an end in mass after mass of tumbled together rock, showing with vivid distinctness patches of woodland, deeply marked ravine that was filling fast with velvety purple shadow, and heaped up mass that as they gazed began gradually to grow less and less distinct, till that which at the first glance had stood out sharply clear and marked against the pale, golden sky began to die away till nothing was left, not even a shadow.

The boys and the doctor had somehow been so impressed by the beauty of the scene that they spoke in whispers, Mark finding words just to say, "Oh, I wish father were here! I did ask him to come, but he wanted to rest."

"Yes," said the doctor; "we have had a very long day. But how beautiful! How grand! We ought to stay up here till the stars come out.—Eh, what do you say, Mak?" as the man touched his shoulder and pointed again right away into the west.

"All gone," he said.

"Yes, all gone," said the doctor, using the black's simple words.

"Sunshine come again, 'morrow morning."

"Yes," said the doctor thoughtfully, as he stood trying to pierce the soft transparent limpidity of the coming night. "Boys, we shall never forget this."

"Ah," said the black, thumping down the haft of his spear upon the massive block where he had perched himself some two hundred feet above the plain. "Mak knows Mak's big stones."

"What!" cried Mark excitedly. "Is that where the old city lies?"

"Umps, yes," said the black. "Mak big stones."



CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

"DON'T SHOOT, FATHER!"

"Why, we are as snug here as can be," said Dean.

"Should be," said Mark, "if it wasn't for that fire."

For the night set in dark—a night which would have been of intense blackness but for the brilliant points of light that shone down like effulgent jewels spread upon a sky of the deepest purple dye.

But it was light enough within the enclosure formed by the perpendicular patch of granite rock, the two waggons, and the dense mass of thorny faggots which had been gathered and built up so as to hedge them in.

A goodly portion of the fourth opening into the little kraal was filled up by the large fire which was burning for the protection of the bullocks and ponies, and thoroughly lit up the camping place, but in return for its protection extorted the suffering from the heat, not only in front but reflected down from the rocks behind.

"Yes," said Dean, "it is rather a roaster. Couldn't we let it out now?"

"No," said the doctor decisively. "I have just been outside to have a look round with Mak. We were only out for a few minutes, and the black caught me twice by the arm to listen."

"Well, did you hear anything?" said Mark.

"Yes; lions."

The boy made a movement as if to reach his rifle.

"You need not do that," said the doctor, "for the sounds were distant. Still, lions travel fast, and we might have a visit at any time; so you see that you have an answer to your proposal about letting the fire out."

"Yes," said Dean; "that settles it."

"Besides," said the doctor, "we should not be any cooler if there were no fire."

"Oh-h-h!" said Mark, in a tone that suggested doubt.

"Don't be too sceptical, my boy," said the doctor. "Let me prove it to you. Come a little nearer the fire."

The doctor had led the way, and together they stood so near to the glowing flames that they looked to those whom they left behind like a pair of figures cut out of black cloth.

"Now," said the doctor, "how do you feel?"

"As if my face would be scorched if I stopped here."

"Nothing more?"

"Oh, yes," said Mark; "I feel quite a cool wind blowing into my neck."

"Exactly," said the doctor. "As the heated air rises from the fire the cool air from the veldt rushes in to take its place. Why, don't you remember when the haystack was on fire at the farm at home how we went to see it, walked close up, and felt the cold wind rushing towards the flames so that you had a stiff neck the next day?"

"Of course! I had forgotten that," said Mark, laughing. "Well, we must put up with the fire, I suppose."

The watch was set that night, and fell to the lot of Sir James, who took up his post near the fire, rifle in hand, while every man lay down with his piece by his side, for three times by sounds much nearer, the animals were made uneasy. The bullocks couched close to the trek-tow and the ponies stamped restlessly again and again from where they were haltered to one of the wheels inside the enclosure and close up to the granite wall.

But in one case a deep growl from Buck Denham seemed to comfort the great sleek beasts, and a word or two in his highly pitched voice from Dunn Brown turned the ponies' stamping into a gentle whinny.

At last the only sounds within the walls of the kraal were the low whispering of the two boys.

"How far is it to black Mak's big stones, do you think?" said Mark.

"Eh?" was the reply. "You heard what I said."

"That I didn't!"

"Then you were asleep. I thought you were."

"Nonsense!" said Dean indignantly. "I had only just lain down. What was it you said?"

Mark laughed, to his cousin's great annoyance. "I said, How far is it to black Mak's big stones?"

"A whole day's journey."

"Nonsense! Why, this evening they looked quite near."

"Yes, but the doctor said that was the refraction."

"Well, I hope it will refract some of the gold when we get there," said Mark. "I want to see what the place is like."

"We don't want the gold," said Dean. "Yes, we do. We should like to get some of it as curiosities. But oh, I say, doesn't it seem like all pother about what the doctor said? There's none of the cool air from the veldt coming in here under the waggon tilt." Dean made no reply.

"I shall never go to sleep in here like this. My hair's getting quite wet. Isn't yours?"

Burrrr!

"I say, Dean, don't be so horribly wide awake. I can't go to sleep if you are. Can you?"

"Eh?"

"Feel sleepy?" said Mark mockingly. "That I wasn't. I wish you wouldn't be so fond of trying to make jokes when we come to bed."

"Well, you can do as you like," said Mark, laughing, "but I'm going to lie with my head outside in the air."

"Eh? Yes, it is hot," said Dean, turning over. "I say, what are you doing?"

"Getting up."

"What for? Can't be morning yet."

"Oh, no," said Mark, laughing; "not quite. Oh, what a fellow you are! There, rouse up and let me throw a blanket over the big chest, and when I have tied back the tilt we will lie with our heads out there, and perhaps we shall be able to breathe the cool air."

This proved to be the case, with the result that Dean went off to sleep instantly, while Mark kept dozing off and waking again with a start.

At last, tired of the uneasy feeling that troubled him, he crept out from the tail end of the waggon and stood looking about the enclosure, where all was still save the heavy breathing of one of the ponies or that of the bullocks.

"Phew!" sighed Mark. "What a hot night! Here, I know; I'll go and see how the dad is getting on."

A few steps took him to where he could see his father's face, the glow from the fire throwing it up and flashing from his eyes.

"He is getting sunburnt," thought the boy, and then, stepping out of the shadow cast by the waggon, he walked quickly towards the sentry of the night and began speaking aloud:

"Don't shoot, father!"

"Why, Mark, my boy, what are you doing here? Have you heard anything?"

"No, father; but I couldn't sleep. Have you?"

"I heard a lion once, with his deep barking roar, and there are several of those wretched jackals about. I am afraid we shall hear a good deal more of these noises out in the plain than we did close in the shelter of the forest. But don't stop talking. Go back to sleep."

"But I can't sleep, father," said the boy reproachfully.

"Nonsense! Try again. I daresay you will be able to go off now, after coming out and talking to me."

"But can't I stay with you, father?" protested the boy.

"No. You must have sleep, and if you don't you will be uneasy to-morrow. What makes you so wakeful? Not going to be ill, are you?"

"Oh, no, father; I'm quite well."

"Then go back to the waggon and lie down."

"Good-night, father."

"Good-night," was the reply. "Ah, there's another of those jackals. What a miserable note it is!"

"Yes, father; but I think the hyaenas are worse," said Mark eagerly.

"Didn't I tell you to go back to bed, sir!"

"Yes, father, but—"

"Then go."

"Bother!" muttered the boy, as he went off. "He might as well have let me stay. It would have been company for him."

Mark stepped on towards the dark side of the waggon, and continued muttering to himself till he raised his hand to the side of the great clumsy vehicle, placed a foot on one of the spokes, and was in the act of drawing himself up to climb in, but suddenly let himself drop back, for something leaped out of the interior of the waggon right over his cousin, reaching the earth with a dull thud, and darting away.

"Whatever can that be?" said the boy excitedly, and with a catching of the breath.

He felt his heart begin to pump heavily in his excitement.

"It must have been one of those leopards, but it gave me no time to see what it was like. Here, Dean," he whispered, as he climbed up and bent over his sleeping cousin. "Dean!"

"Oh, bother!"

"Don't make a noise," whispered Mark. "Wake up."

"Eh? Is it lions?"

"No, no. Speak lower, or you will alarm the camp."

"Well, what do you want? You are always making me wake up when I have just dropped off to sleep. What is it?"

"Hush! I have just been out to talk to father."

"Have you?" said Dean, half asleep again. "Wha'd he say?"

"Never mind what he said," whispered Mark, with his face close to his cousin's ear.

"I don't."

"No, you don't, of course, you sleepy head! Wake up."

Mark seized his cousin by the shoulders, raised his head, and let it fall down again with a bump on the blanket-covered box lid.

"Oh, you brute!" began Dean, wide awake now.

"Well, I didn't mean to do it so hard; but do you want to lie here with wild things coming at you?"

"Eh? No," cried Dean, half rising up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I went out to talk to father—"

"Well, yes, you said so before," cried the boy pettishly; and he made as if to lay his head down again.

"No, you don't!" cried Mark, checking him. "Listen."

"I—can't—lis'—I am so slee—"

"Do you want to be eaten up by wild beasts?"

"Eh? No," cried Dean, fully awake now.

"I came back to the waggon, and was just getting in when something came from behind you."

"What was it? Not a big snake?"

"No, no. I thought it was a leopard, but I don't think so now. I only just had a glimpse of it as it jumped out and dropped down at the end there, and scuttled off."

"Oh!" cried Dean excitedly. "A leopard?"

"No," whispered Mark. "It was one of those baboons."

"What baboons? I haven't seen any baboons."

"No, no; but one of those that they say live in packs amongst the kopjes."

"Ugh!" ejaculated Dean. "I believe they bite horribly."

"Well, did you feel him bite?"

"Of course not! If I had it would have woke me up."

"Oh, I don't know," said his cousin, laughing. "Well, at all events one of them must have got in here as soon as I had gone, and been making itself comfortable in my place."

"I say, I don't like that," said Dean. "You shouldn't have gone."

"Well, I didn't want to," said Mark softly. "But I am glad we are not going to stay here, for though we did not see any, this must be one of the kopjes where the baboons live. I say, do you feel sleepy now?"

"No, not a bit."

"Nor do I. Let's lie still and talk. That will rest us, even if we don't sleep, and, as father says, we want to be fresh to-morrow."

"All right," said Dean, reaching for his rifle. "But let's keep a sharp look out."

This they did for quite five minutes, and then so hardened were they to their outdoor life that their restful breathing was the only thing that disturbed the silence within the waggon, save a faint rustling at the other end, caused by the doctor turning over, for during the last few minutes he had been awakened from a deep sleep by the boys' muttering, and now that they were quiet again he too went off soundly.

It still wanted an hour to the coming of the first dawn when Mark started up.

"Here—what—" he began, when a hand was clapped over his mouth and he felt Dean's lip at his ear. "Don't make a noise," his cousin whispered. "What's the matter? Has the ape been again?"

"No. It wasn't a baboon; it was one of those pigs."

"Bosh! A pig couldn't climb into the waggon."

"No, no, stupid! Pigmy!"

"What nonsense! You have been asleep again."

"Yes, fast; I couldn't help it. So were you."

"Was I? Well, yes, I suppose I was; and I'm glad of it. But I have had a sensible sleep."

"Well, so have I, but—"

"No, you haven't. Mine was, for I didn't get dreaming that I saw a baboon."

"And I didn't either," whispered Dean angrily. "I was asleep, but I woke up feeling a soft hand going over my face."

"Bah! You dreamt it."

"I didn't, I tell you! I could feel it as plain as could be; and then it moved away from me, and I could just make out by the starlight that it was passing its hand over your face. Didn't you feel it?"

"No," said Mark. "You can't feel ghosts and dreams. They only seem."

"Ghosts and dreams!" said Dean impetuously.

"Well, baboons, then—sleep baboons. Oh, I say, Dean, what's coming to you? You used to be content with going to sleep like a top. But if you are going to begin having dreams like this I shall sleep under the waggon."

"Oh, you obstinate mule! Who said anything about baboons?"

"Why, you did."

"I didn't. I said it was one of those pigmies."

"Then you dreamt it. What time is it?"

"I don't know. Shall I strike a light?"

"What, and wake the doctor? No, it would only make him grumpy at being roused for nothing. There, I can guess pretty closely. It wants over an hour to dawn. So here goes. I'm off."

As he spoke Mark wrenched himself round, turning his back to his cousin, and at the same time reached his face over so that he could breathe in the cool, soft breeze that comes just before the day, while Dean sighed and followed his example, both sleeping heavily till there was a sharp crack of a waggon whip, and they both started up, to utter almost together, "Hallo!"

"Hallo!"

And then they stared hard at each other over something else.



CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

"MADE OF INDIA-RUBBER."

The "something else" the cousins looked across was one of the pigmies— evidently a chief of higher rank than the little leader they had last seen, though he seemed to be less in size.

He was rich in bangles, for he had four upon each arm and wrist and a wider ribbon of gold about his forehead, in which band were stuck two ostrich feathers, a black and a white. But, as Mark afterwards said laughingly, that was almost all he wore, except a bow and arrows and a spear.

"Well, who are you?" began Mark. "And what—why, Dean, it's our little chap!"

"It can't be," said Dean, whose back was towards the increasing light.

"But it is," cried Mark. "Look here;" and he laid his hand tenderly about the pigmy's shoulder, where the black skin was somewhat puckered up, showing that a great scar was forming. "Why, little one, you can't say we didn't make a good job of mending you up."

"But it can't be," said Dean, staring doubtingly at their little visitor. "But I don't know—he is very thin."

The little fellow raised himself up slightly as he knelt upon the great chest, and looked first at one and then at the other with a calm air of satisfaction as if he found it pleasant to be scanned and praised, but making very little sign besides as he turned from one to the other in obedience to a touch, and ended by changing his bow from his right to his left hand, where it lay in company with his spear, and then placing three fingers upon Mark's wrist.

"Oh, come, I say," cried the latter, "I am all right; I don't want my pulse felt. How's yours?" and the boy played the part of a doctor for a few moments, but blunderingly felt for the pulse in the wrong wrist. "Well, you seem uncommonly fit, little chap. Are you growing quite strong again? Tell us how you got here."

The visitor could not respond to the question, nor comprehend it in the least, but he looked gravely at Mark again and once more laid three fingers upon his arm.—"Oh, I wish he would talk," cried Mark.

"You don't even grunt," said Dean.

"Pigs do grunt in our country," said Mark. "But I say, Pig—Pigmy, what a little dandy you have grown! Ostrich feathers—gold," continued the boy, touching the bangles, "where do you get them?"

The little fellow took his spear in his right hand again and used it to point out of the waggon in the direction where the lads had seen the towering masses of stone on the previous night.

"Oh, come," said Dean, "he understands that."

"Yes; so do we, and I want to get off to see what sort of a place this is. But we mustn't be rude to the visitor who brought us so much venison. I wonder where father is."

"And the doctor," added Dean, peering out of the waggon. "Oh, there they are, going up to the top of the kopje. Hi, Mak! Come here!"

The black was standing half way between the waggon and the top of the kopje, shading his eyes from the newly risen sun, as he stood scanning the veldt in different directions, but began to descend directly with his customary deliberation as if he had nothing whatever to do with the preparations for the morning start.

"I say, Dean, we must have breakfast before we go, this morning. We can't send company away—and such a grandee as this—without a feed."

A few minutes later, as the boys sat silently gazing at their little visitor, noting that in spite of being thin and rather hollow of cheek his eyes were bright and there was no sign of weakness in his movements, while his skin, in spite of its swarthiness, looked healthy and clean, Mak strode up to the open end of the waggon and looked in; and his eyes opened wider as he displayed his beautifully white teeth in a pleasant smile.

"What do you think of this?" cried Mark, as he checked himself in laying his hand upon the scar of the pigmy's wounded shoulder and placed it upon his right.

And now for the first time the little fellow displayed animation, for he snatched the hand away quickly and placed it upon the scar.

"Oh, very well," said Mark. "I was afraid of hurting you. Well, Mak, aren't you surprised?"

The black shook his head, and then quietly nodded it.

"Come," he said. "Pig come."

"Thank you," said Mark, laughing; "but we knew that. Well, we will chance whether the boss likes it or not; tell Dan we shall want some breakfast before we start."

"Yes, mps," said the black, nodding his head. "Coff. Plenty eat;" and he went away.

"Well, jump down, little one," said Mark. "Come on, Dean; there's a splendid chance here for a dip, so let's go and have one. Pig here won't mind."

He leaped down, and the little fellow followed him at once, Dean coming last.

"I say," said Mark merrily, "that's better, young fellow. You can get along now without being carried in a basket. But I can't understand how you managed to get right so soon."

"'Tis his nature to," said Dean drily; and as the boys chatted from one to another across him, throwing, so to speak, verbal balls from one to the other, their little visitor seemed to be listening intently and with a grave look of satisfaction upon his countenance, as he walked with them down to the stream which Mark had selected overnight for his bathe.

"Now I wonder whether he will do as we do," said Mark, as he quickly made ready and plunged in.

"No," said Dean, sending the water flying as he plunged in after his cousin. "Look at him!" For the pigmy gravely seated himself upon a little block of granite, laid his bow and spear across his knees, and sat watching the wet gambols of the lads, till, quite refreshed, they both sprang out, had a run over the sand in the hot sunshine, and then returned to dress.

"Don't you ever bathe?" said Mark, rather breathlessly, as he hurried on his flannels.

"Not he," said Dean. "If he could speak to us he would say, I never wash; there's no need."

"Why, boys," cried the doctor, who had descended from the kopje and approached with Sir James, unobserved, "is this another of the pigmies?"

"Look again, sir," said Dean. "He's got your stamp upon him."

"What!" cried the doctor, bending down over the seated visitor. "Impossible! Look here, Sir James; it is; and his wound has closed up again as if he were made of india-rubber. Splendid! Why, he has followed us right across this veldt."

"I shouldn't wonder," said Mark, "if he has followed us all the way. Oh, no, he could not have done that. He must have come across from this side of the forest. We are going to give him some breakfast, father, before he goes back. Is that right?"

"Of course, my boy," said Sir James, walking up and gently patting the pigmy on the shoulder. "Well, I like this, doctor. It shows the little fellow's grateful; but I should like to see him smile."

"He did just now, father."

"No, not quite, uncle," said Dean; "only very nearly."

Dan was not long getting the morning meal ready, and Mark took upon himself to supply the visitor's wants. But the pigmy now showed that he had notions of his own, for he walked straight away and dropped down by the side of Mak, whose breakfast he shared along with the men.

"I like that, Mr Mark, sir," said Dan. "The little chap looks quite a gentleman in his way; and he acted as such too, didn't he, Buck?"

"Ay," growled the big driver. "There arn't much of him, but he makes the most of it; don't he, Bob?"

"Yes," said Bob, laughing. "Peter Dance and me have been talking him over. We should like to take him home with us. They would give anything we liked to ask for him in London, to put in a circus or a show."

"Indeed!" said Mark, with a snort. "Thank you! But you had better not let your master hear you talk like that, Bob. He'd begin making your ears warm by telling you what the slave trade was. This little fellow's a visitor, and my cousin and I want you men to treat him well. No nonsense, sir. He has only come to stay till we start, and then he is going back to the forest."

But nothing seemed farther from the pigmy's thoughts, for when a fresh start was made, with the distant kopjes and piles of stone now hidden by the heated haze, the little chief shouldered his spear, crossed to the Illaka's side, and marching beside him, two steps to his one, kept abreast.

"I do like that, Mr Mark, sir," said Dan. "Look at old Brown going along yonder with his foreloping. Why, it would take three of that little chap to make one of he, and I don't know how many of him to weigh down Buck Denham in a pair of scales. But is the little one coming along with us?"

"I suppose so," said Mark: "eh, Dean?" he continued, and signing to him to follow he dropped back a few paces and continued to his cousin, "I have only just thought of it; he is coming with us to show where they find the gold."

"Why, of course!" cried Dean. "I might have thought of that."

"Yes, but you didn't. Here, let's go and tell father and the doctor. Come on! And then I'll give you your chance. You tell them just as if it had occurred to you."

"No, thank you," said Dean quietly. "I don't like borrowed plumes."



CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

FINDING AN ANTIQUITY.

The kopjes with their supposed buildings proved to be farther away than was expected, and a halt was made at night at the first of the outlying piles of tree overgrown stones, while it was the middle of the next day before their goal was reached. A regular halt was made at a very chaos of stones, some being evidently artificially built up after the fashion of walls huge in size, but so overwhelmed, as it were, by a wave of ancient verdure, and dragged down by the wonderfully abundant growth of vines and creepers, that it was difficult to tell which were the stones that had been piled together and which formed part of the nature-erected kopje.

"Well, doctor," said Sir James, later on, "what do you think of this?"

"Grand," was the reply. "Even if there were nothing more than we can see now, this place would be full of interest."

"Do you really think that this is the place of which we have heard?"

"It must be," said the doctor; "and it is proved by what we can gather from these two blacks."

"Yes," cried Mark excitedly; "and it is there the pigmy obtained his gold."

"Yes, boy. Those ornaments were never made by people in such a savage state as he is. Well, the first thing to do is to settle down here and make as strong a camp as we can."

"Just here?" said Sir James.

"Certainly, for the present. We may no doubt find later on some old temple or other building that we can add to, but for the time being we must contrive a kraal where we can set dangerous visitors to our cattle quite at defiance."

"But you talk about temples," said Sir James. "Do you really think there are more buildings here than we can see?"

"My dear sir," cried the doctor, "I just climbed up fifty or sixty feet amongst the masses of rock, and as far as I can see in three directions there seems to be quite a wilderness of natural and artificial ruins."

"Then what do you propose?" said Sir James.

"To have the waggons drawn up across that opening that lies between those two walls."

"Walls!" said Mark. "You mean that ravine of old stones that looks like a split made by an earthquake."

"My dear boy," said the doctor enthusiastically, "that earthquake, as you call it, I am sure was caused by men. What we see across there are two walls."

"Well, they don't look like it," said Dean.

"Not as they are, boy," said the doctor, "crumbled, grown over, and in utter ruins; but I have had a look long enough to satisfy me that all this was built up—perhaps thousands of years ago. We can prove all that by-and-by. I want to see everyone at work making what will be an easy task—a strongly fortified little camp into which no lions can break and we can sleep in peace."

"Yes," said Sir James; "those are the words of wisdom, boys, and we shan't have to go far for our materials. But I don't see any water."

"We did, father," cried Mark. "Mak took us over those piles—oh, not above fifty yards—and in what seemed to be a gully there was a beautiful river of water running along at the foot of a precipice."

"Well, it wasn't a precipice," said Dean. "We were looking down upon it from the top of what if it had been built up we should call a wall; but I think it's the side of a kopje."

"Never mind what it was," said the doctor, "so long as the water was there. We might have known that the black would not select a place without a supply. Now then, I think we can make a very good temporary shelter before it grows dark in the place I have pointed out, for it is one that we can go on improving by degrees."

Under the doctor's instructions everyone set to work with a will; a shot or two was fired to scare away any undesirable lurking beasts, with the result that the reports went echoing away amongst the rocks with many a strange reverberation, and then the ponies and bullocks were driven into the undergrowth to browse, while the men set to hacking and chopping with axe and billhook, Dan proving himself an adept at twisting up tough willow-like wands to form bands which the two keepers utilised for securing the faggots; till Buck cried "Hold! enough!" Then Dan started a fire in the shelter of a pile of stones, and when that was blazing well and heating water and cooking meat, the rest blocked up an opening here, heaped up thorns there, and by means of sharp pegs and a cloth or two contrived a covered-in shed for the men against what might have been an old wall, but looked like an almost perpendicular bank of rock.

The evening closed in upon them with its threats of total darkness, their surroundings making their position the more secure from the numbers of towering trees that sheltered them in almost every direction.

The cattle were driven in near to where the fire was blazing, every branch that was thrown upon it having been selected with the idea of clearing a wider space where progress was literally choked up by the wealth of growth everywhere around.

"For I never see such a place, Mr Mark, sir," said Bob. "Seems to me as if this is where the world was finished, and where all as warn't wanted was chucked in a heap."

"I know what I should like," said Peter Dance.

"What, mate?" asked Bob.

"Why, to set our Mak making a lot of basket coops."

"What for?" cried Mark.

"What for, sir? Why, if you stopped here and give me the chance and a few dozen sittings of eggs I could show you some pheasant shooting in a year's time. But I suppose I shan't have the chance to make that big chap a bit useful. He arn't got a mossel of work in him."

"What, Mak?" cried Mark merrily. "But see what a splendid fellow he is to look on."

"Oh, yes, he can look on, sir. But I could do that, easy."

"And guide?" said Mark. "But you couldn't do that, Peter."

"Well, but I arn't had no practice, sir."

"And find water for camping by," continued Mark.

"Yes, sir, he can do that."

"And you said yourself the other day that he could track the bucks splendidly."

"Yes, sir. You see, he's used to it."

"And we have never wanted for game since we have come to Africa."

"That we haven't, sir," said Bob Bacon.

"Then he is some use, after all," cried Mark.

That night, with their strange surroundings wonderfully illuminated by the glowing fire, and a feeling of safety infused by the knowledge that the doctor and Buck Denham were their well armed watch, all slept off their weariness soundly and well.

There were two little interruptions to their rest, one of which Mark, as he was awakened, knew at once to be the barking roar of a lion far out upon the plain; but he dropped off to sleep directly, and the next one to rouse up suddenly was Dean, who found himself gazing at the doctor standing full in the light cast by the fire, and who at a word from the boy came slowly up to his side.

"What is it?" he said. "Well, Dean, I am rather puzzled myself. The cries were those of a drove of some animals, but I don't think they were either hyaenas or jackals. Whatever they were, they were scared by the fire, and—there, you can hear them going farther and farther away among the ruins. I could almost fancy it was a pack of some kind of dogs hunting. There, go back to your blanket. The air's quite cool, and I was glad to come closer to the fire for a warm. Get to sleep again, for I want to explore as much as we can to-morrow. The more I think, the more sure I feel that we have hit upon a very wonderful place, and I am longing for the morning and breakfast, so that we can start for our exploration and see what there is to see."

"Do you think we shall be able to go all over the ruins to-morrow, sir?" asked Dean.

"No, my boy," said the doctor, laughing; "I certainly do not. There, lie down."

As Mark said, it was his nature to, and Dean had no sooner lain down than he dropped off fast asleep, to be roused by his cousin in the pale grey dawn to look at the pigmy seated upon a block of stone just outside the end of the waggon, waiting for the boys to appear, ready to continue his occupation of the previous day and follow both wherever they went.

"There he is," said Mark. "I don't know how long he means to stop, but he watches me like a dog. I wish he'd talk, and understand what I say. He can't half take in what Mak says, and Mak's nearly as bad; but somehow they get on together, with a few signs to help, and they are capital friends."

"Dan seems quite to put life into us," said Mark, later on. "One feels quite different after a good breakfast. He's been begging me to get the doctor to take him with us as soon as we start to explore."

"Well, you don't want any begging," replied Dean.

"Oh, no, I shall ask; but Bob Bacon has been at me too, and you saw Buck Denham beckoning to me just now?"

"Yes; but he doesn't want to come, does he?"

"Doesn't he! Why, he began by telling me that Peter Dance had promised to look after the bullocks and help Dunn. He said he liked driving, but he was fond of hunting too, and he should like a change now and then."

"Well, let's ask the doctor."

"I have, and he said that he can't take everybody, because everything's new as yet, and the camp must be protected."

"Well, that's true," said Dean, "and we want to go."

"But it's all right," said Mark. "Father says that he will be glad of a day's rest, and he will stay and be sentry."

"Now, boys!" cried the doctor just then, and a short time later the well armed party started to see what they could make out of their strange surroundings, each of the men carrying now either a billhook or a small sharp hatchet stuck in his belt.

They soon found though their progress was so impeded by trees and tangled growth that the doctor turned as much as was possible to what proved to be kopje after kopje of piled up stones in their natural state, to find that the rocks were scored with ravine and gully, while in the higher parts some of these took the form of cavernous hollows pretty well choked with creepers, vines and thorns, and into which they could peer, to find darkness, while their voices sounded echoing, hollow and strange.

Every here and there too they came upon signs that the hollows had been crossed by piled up stones looking like rough walls, which half cut off the entrances. In another place what seemed to be a cavern was completely shut in, save that a hole was left, into which Mark pitched a loose stone that he managed to dislodge, to hear it go rumbling away into the darkness as if it had fallen to where there was a steep slope.

"There's something to see there," said the doctor, "some day when we are provided with lanterns and a rope or two. Why, boys, all this grows on one. There's no doubt now that we are amongst ruins, and how far they extend it is impossible to say. Stop here a few minutes, and let's have a look round. This bit is evidently natural kopje."

The party stood and sat about the steep slope of rock, and taking out a small field glass the doctor carefully scanned the rocky expanse for a few minutes, before handing it to the boys, who used it in turn.

"Why, it is a wilderness, doctor," cried Mark. "You look there," he continued, returning the glass, "just to the left of that clump of trees. I am sure that must have been a wall. You can see the what-you-may-call-them—layers of stones—courses. They are rough enough. But it must have been built up, because every here and there regularly holes are left."

"Yes," said the doctor, "you are quite right;" and he closed the glass again. "That is a regular chequer pattern. That must have been the top of the wall, and just below I made out a line of stones laid edgeways to form a zig-zag band. Old buildings, my boy, without doubt."

"But I want to see where our little chap found the gold," said Mark.

"Well, let's ask him," said Dean.

The boys turned to where the two blacks were standing watching them, a strangely assorted pair as they kept together, Mak towering up above the eager-looking pigmy, who seemed to have grown during the few hours that he had been with the party more active and better than before.

Mark began with Mak, asking a question to which the only answer he could get was a wave of the spear; but when he turned impatiently to the pigmy and began to question him in signs, touching the gold ornaments in the same way as he had tried to enquire of his fellow of the forest camp, the only reply he could get was a shake of the head.

"Well, I call that disappointing," said Mark. "It is just as if he had brought us here on purpose to show us, and now won't tell."

"Wait a bit," said the doctor. "We can't find out everything at once. Come along, and don't wander away to a distance. Let Mak lead so that he may be able to follow the back track. I don't want to have any troubles of getting lost."

"But we can't get lost here, sir," said Mark, "for we can see for miles around."

"Yes, but the place is a regular maze. It's terribly hard work climbing about, and before long we shall want to return to camp."

And then oddly enough the doctor in his interest forgot his words and took the lead himself, descending into a gulch between the rocky slopes where they had been gazing into the rifts and cavernous places, and then rising and climbing to what is commonly known as a hog's-back ridge, which proved to be the untouched massive pile of granite that rose higher than any other near, and was found to be broken up at the top with tumbled together heaps of rough blocks through which they wound in and out till they found their way narrowing with the walls inclining more and more till they touched. They paused at last in obedience to a call from the black, who shook his head, frowned, and signed to them to come back.

"What does that mean?" said the doctor.

"I don't know," replied Mark. "Hallo! Look here!"

For though the doctor and his white companions stopped short, the pigmy darted off quickly, not stopping till he reached Mak, who was some distance away, and who now began to retire more and more.

"I don't see anything to make him shrink away," said the doctor. "Shout to him, Mark, and tell him to return directly."

The boy leaped upon a stone and began waving his hand to their guide, signing to him to come on, but without effect, for Mak shook his head, gave the pigmy a sign to follow him, and retired more and more till they passed round behind some tall bushes and disappeared.

"This is tiresome," said the doctor. "We want the fellow here, for he goes about just as if he knows the place, and it strikes me that he must have been here before. Well, I suppose we may as well turn back."

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, sir," said Mark. "Look, we can surely find our way without him. I know I could. It only means going down into the hollow, getting up on the other side, and then—oh, I could find my way. Let's go on now. I want to see where this leads to. What do you say, Buck? Could you find your way back to the waggons?"

"Find my way back, sir? No fear of that! What do you say, Bob? And you, Dan?"

"Oh, yes," they replied; "that will be easy enough."

"But there must be some reason," said the doctor, "for Mak wanting to go back. Perhaps he's afraid of our being attacked."

"No, sir," said Buck, "it arn't that. I know what these fellows are better than you do, perhaps. If there had been any chance of a fight he would have stuck to you."

"Unless he was afraid of numbers," said the doctor.

"No, sir; that wouldn't make him turn tail. These Illakas are brave enough for anything. But Mak's a bit scared, all the same."

"But you said they were brave," cried Mark.

"So they are, sir, over anything they can see; but when it's anything they can't, then they are like so many children as are afraid to go in the dark. I believe he's got an idea in his head that there's a something no canny, as the Scotch people call it, as lives in that there hole in the rocks, and nothing will make him go in for fear he should be cursed, or something of the kind."

"Very likely," said the doctor. "All about here has some time been a town, or towns, and it may bear the reputation of being haunted by the spirits of the dead."

"Yes, sir; that's something what I meant to make you understand," said Buck. "It's very babyish, but you see these Illakas are only savage blacks, and we can't say much about it, for there's plenty of people at home—country people—as wouldn't go across a churchyard in the dark to save their lives."

"Well," said the doctor, "I may understand by this that you wouldn't be afraid to go into some dark cavern?"

"Well, sir, I don't know as I should," replied the big driver. "I think I should like to have a light, in case there was any holes that one might go down; but I am like Bob Bacon here, who tells me that he watches for poachers when he's at home, and Dan, who has been used to keep watch at sea; we shouldn't stop from going into the dark for fear of the bogeys that would scare the niggers. Mean ter to go on, sir?"

"Can we get a light if we want it?"

"I have got matches, sir, and Bob Bacon here, sir, has got a bit of old dead sort of fir wood as will burn well enough."

"What do you say, boys?"

"Let's go on," they cried eagerly.

The doctor looked back, and for a moment or two he could make out no sign of the two blacks. Then from close to the ground a long way back the sun shone upon a couple of dancing feathers, and some three feet above them appeared the black head of their guide.

"They are watching us," said the doctor. "No: they are gone. Come along, then." And the party passed on, with the sides of the ravine closing in till the way grew half dark, and as far as they could make out they were at the mouth of a good-sized cavern.

Here they stopped short, and the doctor held up his hand.

"What is it?" whispered Mark.

"It may be fancy," replied the doctor, "but I fancied I heard a faint rustling."

This sounded so like a warning to beware of any wild beast which might be the occupant of the cavern that three of the party cocked their pieces and waited for the doctor to go on.

"Like me to go first, sir?" said Buck quietly.

"No, I will go on directly, my man; but look here."

Everyone pressed forward to look at that which had taken the doctor's attention, for he was gazing into a side nook that suggested, from a dry heap of fern-like growth and grass, that it had lately been occupied.

Bob Bacon pushed past Mark, went down upon one knee, and began feeling the dry grass. "Well?" said Mark sharply.

"It arn't cold, sir, nor it arn't warm; but I should be ready to say that something's been lying here not long ago."

"An animal of some kind, then," said the doctor, lowering his rifle. "You, Bacon, you are a very fair shot; come beside me; but don't fire unless there is real necessity. You boys, come along cautiously. There may be a leopard here. Don't fire unless it springs."

"All right, sir," said Mark. "Well, Buck, you can come next."

"Well, no, sir; if you wouldn't mind I think I will walk close to the doctor. I am big and strong, and I shouldn't like to see you hurt."

"Oh, nonsense!" cried Mark. "I am not going to give up my place, and I don't believe that there is anything here after all."

"Stop again," said the doctor. "I am sure I heard something moving, and it's getting quite dark in front. Let's have a light."

"Here you are, sir," cried Buck Denham. "Strike a match, somebody."

This was done, the big driver holding Bob's resinous wood to the flame till it began to blaze well, and then winking to himself, as Dean saw, the big fellow stepped right forward before the rest, holding the improvised torch so that the light illumined the glittering walls and ceiling of the rift of beautifully clean granite rock.

Everyone was on the alert, as Buck now led on and on into the darkness, till he said, "You will mind and not shoot me, gen'lemen; but be on the look out, for there is something here."

The man stopped short as he spoke, holding up the torch as high as he could, and the doctor and Mark pressed forward with their rifles extended on either side of the big driver.

"That's right, gen'lemen," he said. "Now you can't hurt me, so you can let go when you like."

"One minute, gentlemen," said Bob Bacon. "This was to be my job. You, Bob, hand over that there link; I only give it to you to hold while I struck a match."

"Yes, I know, mate," replied Buck, "but it's well alight now, and you are quite safe there. Now, gen'lemen, can you see him?"

"Yes; take care!" cried Mark. "I can see its eyes gleaming. Look, doctor—can't you see?"

"Yes, quite plainly. Some animal that has crept in here to die."

"That's it, sir," cried Bob Bacon. "I can see him too. Here, don't waggle the light about like that, Buck. Look, gentlemen; there arn't much sperrit left in him, for he's lying up against the side there as quiet as a mouse."

"Quiet enough," said the doctor; "but take care. The brute may have life enough left in it to scratch."

"Not him, sir," said Buck, who now took a couple of steps forward, shaking the light to and fro to make it flare more brightly. "He arn't got much scrat left in him, sir."

"What is it—an old leopard?"

"No, sir. There, I can see quite plain now. It's one of them baboons, same as live on some of these kopjes; and a whacker too, and as grey as a Devon badger. Here, Bob Bacon, as you are so precious anxious to have the light, catch hold. I will soon see whether he will scratch or not."

"What are you going to do, man?" cried the doctor, as the exchange of torchbearer was effected.

"Lug him out, sir."

"No, no! You will get torn."

"Nay, sir. He's got no scrat in him."

"Perhaps not, Buck," said Mark excitedly, "but I have read that those things can bite like a dog. Stand still and let me shoot."

"Nay, sir; let's have him out into the light."

Before any protest or fresh order could be given the big driver thrust out a hand and gripped the grey-looking object which had crawled apparently right to the end of the cavernous hole. There was a faint struggle, and a low guttural cry.

"There's no bite in him, sir," cried Buck. "I don't believe he's got a tooth in his head. Now then, old 'un; out you come!"

By this time Buck had got hold of a long, thin, hairy arm, and overcoming a slight resistance and scuffling, began to walk backwards, dragging his prisoner after him, his companions making way, a low whining noise escaping from the prisoner the while.

"Gently, Bob Bacon," cried Buck. "My hair's quite short enough. No singeing, please. You might have seen that I got Dunn Brown to operate upon me with those scissors of his."

"Here, let me come by you, Mark," cried the doctor, excitedly.

"No, sir; I wouldn't, sir," cried Bob Bacon. "I have only just got room to hold the light up as it is, and Buck Denham's so precious particular."

"Yes," said Buck, "and I want to get my catch out. You back with the light, Bob; and make a little room, gen'lemen. It's all right. We don't want any light now to show as this is one of them baboons—a long one, 'most as big as me."

All backed away now, leaving room for Buck, who dragged his captive along the windings of the dark cavern, commenting upon his appearance the while.

"Yes, gen'lemen, I want to get him out and show black Mak the sperrit as he is afraid of. Rum beggars, these natives are, ready enough to fight and spear anybody. Got as much pluck as we have; but they are just like kids in being frightened about ghosts and by stories told by old women. Now then, it's no use to kick. Poor old chap! Here, I could tuck him under my arm and carry him, only he may as well walk. He is just like a skin bag of bones. Hallo, you, Bob Bacon, who told you to put a 'stinguisher on that light?" For a sudden darkness came upon them all.

"'Stinguished itself," growled Bob.

But the darkness was only apparent for a few moments, for about fifty yards ahead there was a bright gleam of sunshine at the mouth of the cavern, and two shadows moved, which proved to be Mak and the pigmy peering in as if listening and trying to make out what was going on inside.

"Hi, you sir!" shouted Dean. "We have caught your spirit. Come and help him out."

But as if grasping the lad's meaning by the tone of his voice, Mak turned sharply and darted away at a rate which carried him in a series of bounds down the slope of the great kopje, so that by the time the little party of explorers were out in the broad sunshine with their captive, Mak was threading his way amongst the rocks, closely followed once more by the pigmy, and about to disappear.

"There, gents!" cried Buck. "What do you make of him, sir?" And he thrust his captive more into the light. "Why, he must have been a monkey as big as me when he was in full fettle."

"Monkey!" cried Mark. "Why, it's a man!"

"Man, sir!" cried Buck scornfully. "He arn't a black; he's grey. Who ever see a man like that?"

"Not I," said the doctor, laughing.

"There, Mr Mark," cried Buck triumphantly.

"But a man it is, Buck," said the doctor. "Poor old fellow! Doesn't say much for the natives' civilisation, for there must have been some living near. Crawled into that cave to die. Now, I should say he's one of their old priests or medicine men, who, taking advantage of his great age and supposed wisdom, has imposed upon his fellows till he got to be looked upon as one who held intercourse with the unknown world, and lived upon his reputation, till his fellows grew to look upon him and talked about him as a spirit. That's why Mak objected to our exploring this cave. Poor fellow, he meant well; and he made his objections no doubt in our interest, for fear that we might come to harm."

"Why, a poor old scarecrow, sir!" said Buck. "He only wants one or two old clothes put on him, and he'd make a fine tatter-dooley. Not much to be afraid of in him! Well, gentlemen, we have got him."

"Yes, we have got him," said Mark; "but it seems to me that the question is, what are we going to do with him now we have got him?"

"Yes," said the doctor; "that is a bit of a puzzle. We can't take him into camp. What do you say, Dean?"

The boy wrinkled up his forehead as he gazed down at the curious, weirdly thin object at their feet, who lay there looking like a re-animated mummy, gazing feebly up at his captors, his dull eyes gleaming faintly through the nearly closed lids as if suffering from the broad light of day, before they were tightly shut, as the wretched creature, who seemed hardly to exist, sank back into a stupor that looked like the precursor of his final sleep.

"Well, Dean, what have you got to propose?" said Mark. "Nothing. But if he's coming into camp along with us I am going to camp out."

"It's a rum 'un," grumbled Buck. "My word, he must be an old 'un!"

"Yes," said the doctor; "of a great age."

"And he is a man, sir?"

"Oh, yes, and he must have been a fine man in his time—six feet three or four, I should say."

"Yes, sir," said Buck, "and that's the pity of it."

"What has his being six feet three or four got to do with it being a pity?" said Mark sharply.

"I didn't mean that, sir," said Buck. "I meant it was a pity as he's a man."

"Why?" asked the boys in a breath. "Because if he had been only a beast, sir—I mean, a big monkey—it would have been a charity to put him out of his misery."

"Poor wretch, yes," said the doctor. "But you can't do that, sir. I know what I should do if it was me."

"What should you do, Buck?" asked Mark. "Well, sir, he arn't nothing to us. If it was me, as I said, I should put him back again."

"Humph!" grunted the doctor. "Well, one wants to behave in a Christian-like way to a fellow-creature. Lay him in his place there at the mouth of the cavern, where we scared him out."

This was done, and the doctor turned to Mark. "Now, boy, what next?"

"I know," cried Mark. "Here, Dan, what about the soup?"

"Plenty, sir—only wants making hot."

"Be off and get a tinful, if you can find your way."

"If I can find my way, sir!" said the little sailor, laughing. "I think I can do that;" and he trotted off.

"That ought to put some life into him," growled Buck; "but I want them two chaps to come and see their spirit. There they are, peeping round the corner at us."

"Yes," said Mark, "but we are not going to stop here. Don't you think they ought to come and look after the old savage?"

"Well, I don't know," said the doctor. "I should be afraid to trust them. They might do the poor old fellow a mischief. Here, boys, call them up."

Mark cooeyed, but only made the two blacks shrink back again.

"It's of no use," said the doctor. "We must leave him alone." And after laying their find carefully in his den the little party wended their way back to the camp to report their adventures to Sir James.



CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

QUERY: KING SOLOMON?

"Well, Dan," said Mark, as he and his cousin came upon their handy man, "did you give the poor old fellow the soup?"

"No, sir."

"What! Then why didn't you?"

"Couldn't find him, sir."

"Didn't you go up to the old cavern?"

"Yes, sir. I went right in to where there was that snug sort of place where Bob Bacon found he had been lying—where we left him, sir."

"Well, do you mean to say he wasn't there?"

"No, sir; that he wasn't."

"Oh, how could you be so stupid! The doctor trusted you to fetch the soup because he thought you were a man he could depend upon."

"Well, that's right, sir."

"And because you didn't see him directly, the poor creature never got the soup."

"That's right, sir, too," said Dan, smiling.

"There's nothing to laugh at in it, sir," cried Mark, angrily. "Did you ever know anything so stupid, Dean?"

"No," cried Dean, taking up his cousin's tone. "You might have been sure, Dan, that as soon as we had gone the poor old fellow would have crawled right in as far as he could go."

"Yes, sir; that's what I did think, sir."

"You went right in?" cried Mark. "Yes, sir; right to the very end, and he warn't there."

"Where was he, then?"

"Oh, I don't know, sir."

"Did you look about well?"

"Yes, sir, as far as there was anywhere to look about."

"As far as there was anywhere to look about?"

"Yes, sir. Don't you remember you could only go right on into the hole or come back again? You couldn't climb up the sides without somebody had gone up there first with a rope and let it down to you."

"Yes, that's right, Mark," said Dean. "Yes, I suppose so," replied Mark, "but I wanted that poor old fellow to have the soup. It might have been the means of saving his life."

Dan shook his head solemnly. Mark made no observation about that, but went on: "Look here, Dan, somebody must have been there and helped him."

Dan shook his head again solemnly. "Did you try to tell Mak about it?"

"Yes, sir, as well as I could."

"But do you think you made him understand you?"

"Yes, sir; I think he did."

"And what did he say?"

"Nothing, sir. Only shook his head, just like that."

"Bother! Don't get wagging your head in that way," cried Mark angrily, "or you will have it come loose. Well, what did you do with the soup?"

"Ate it, sir."

"What!" cried Mark sharply.

"Well, sir, I couldn't drink it, it was that thick and strong. It was some of my best."

"And so you ate it?"

"Yes, sir; I was so precious hungry."

"Did you ever hear such impudence, Dean?"

"Well, I thought it a pity to waste it, sir, and I have always got plenty more on the way."

"Bah!" cried Mark. "You couldn't have half looked."

"No, sir; I put my back into it and did it thorough. But he was gone;" and Dan shook his head again.

"What do you mean by that?" said Dean.

"Same as black Mak did, sir."

"And what did black Mak mean?" cried Mark.

"Seems to me as he thought the poor old chap had dried up like and gone."

"What nonsense!"

"Well, sir, it may be nonsense, but I had a good look at the poor old chap when we had him out. Why, you see him, sir. Look what his face was like. Walnut shell was nothing to his skin. I have been thinking about it a deal, sir, and I have heard what you gentlemen have said about this 'ere place as we have found. I have been about a deal, sir, all round the world, and seen and heerd much more than you would think."

"Oh, of course you would see and hear a good deal, being aboard ship."

"Yes, gentlemen, and it set me thinking a deal, both as I was going up and as I was coming back again with the empty tin. I thought a deal, Mr Mark, sir."

"Perhaps it was the soup made you think so much, Dan," said Mark sarcastically.

"Very like, sir," said the man with an innocent look.

"Well, what did you think?" asked Mark.

"I thought about that old fellow being so awful old, and that he must have had to do with the building up of them stones."

"Nonsense! It must be two or three thousand years since those walls were built."

"Daresay, sir, and he's been there ever since."

"Oh, that's impossible," said Dean.

"Ah, that's what you say, sir, but nothing is impossible out in a place like this. Why, just look at him. Why, if you got him out in the sunshine where you could see what a way inside his eyes were, you would have found that he was always looking right backwards. He was a regular old 'un, he was—lots older than he knew hisself. You heard what the doctor said the other day about this being the place where King Solomon sent his ships to find gold?"

"Yes, and it's quite possible," said Mark.

"Oh, you own to that, sir?"

"To be sure I do. He had ships built, and sent them round by Africa, or else south down by the Red Sea."

"Yes, sir, that's right enough, sir. I have pretty well been both ways myself, and seen plenty of big stones there. Up in North Africa and in Egypt. I should say, sir, that that old chap will like as not been one of them as dug out and melted the gold. He don't look a bit like the regular natives, do he? He was hook-nosed, wasn't he, sir?"

"Yes, Dan."

"Not a bit like one of the regular natives, sir?"

"Not a bit."

"A lot of them seem as if their mothers used to sit upon their faces when they was kids, to keep them warm and flatten their noses out."

"Well, yes. They are of another race, though—the regular niggers. These Zulu sort of chaps like Mak are quite different."

"That's so, sir; and this old fellow, he was a regular hooked beaked 'un. Put me in mind of one of them big tortoises as you see in the islands up by Mauritius."

"Never seen them, Dan."

"Well, you take my word for it, then, sir; they look as old as if they had come out of the Ark. Now then, sir, just you tell me this. What was King Solomon?"

"King of Israel, of course."

"I don't mean that, sir. Warn't he a Jew?"

"Of course: a descendant of Abraham."

"Well, that's what that old chap is, sir."

"Stuff!" said Dean.

"Ah, you may call it stuff, sir; but see where we found him, in this old cave. He's been there for ages and ages, and he got so old at last that he crawled in there to die, but found he couldn't die a bit. He's been going on keeping just alive for nobody knows how long; and when an old man gets as old as that he has got past wanting to eat and drink. He just goes on living; and it's my belief, as I said afore, that he's one of them as set up those walls and dug the gold and melted it for King Solomon's ships to take away. Did you ever hear of the wandering Jew, sir?"

"Yes, Dan. Of course."

"Well, sir, that's 'im."

"We did find a curiosity, then," said Mark merrily.

"Oh, bother!" said Dean. "Here, Dan, you had better leave history alone. I shouldn't be at all surprised, though, if the animated fossil has lived as long as old Parr."

"Old Parr, sir? You mean him as made the Life Pills?"

"No, he doesn't," said Mark, laughing. "He was an old fellow who lived to about a hundred and fifty."

"A hundred and fifty, sir! Why, that's nothing! Why, look at 'Thusalem; he lived close upon a thousand years. Well, if a man could live to one thousand years, why couldn't he live to three or four, or five, if you come to that? I don't say as this 'ere old fellow is quite so old, but he's the oldest chap I ever see except the mummies, and that's what this chap might be, only he's just got life enough in him to move, and they arn't."

"Well, that will do, Dan," said Mark. "But I am sorry you didn't find the poor old fellow after all."

The boys related their conversation with Dan to Sir James and the doctor, the former laughing heartily at the little sailor's belief.

"I suppose," said Sir James, "the poor old fellow must have summoned up strength enough to crawl away."

"I don't think that was possible," said the doctor. "He could not have stirred without help."

"But he had no help," said Sir James.

"I don't know," said the doctor quietly.

"What do you mean?" said Sir James; and the boys listened in surprise.

"I mean this, sir," said the doctor. "We have found that these ruins were well known to Mak and the pigmy."

"Of course."

"And we have found too this poor old fellow in his sort of cell."

"Exactly," said Sir James.

"Well, we know that, however old, no man could exist without nutriment. Consequently we have just had proof that a tribe of the natives must have regular communication with this place."

"Yes, I suppose that must be the explanation," said Sir James.

"And I am disappointed," said the doctor, "because I was in hopes that we had the place all to ourselves so that we could go on with our interesting researches."

"Well, it would have been better," said Sir James. "But so long as they don't interfere with us it will not matter."

"And very likely," put in Mark, "if they come and find us here they will keep away."

"That's what I hope," said the doctor.

"And you think," said Dean, "that some of these people have been and carried that old fellow away?"

"Yes, my boy; that's exactly what I do think."

"Well," said Mark musing, "I suppose we shall soon know. But we certainly don't want them here."



CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

A DISCUSSION.

"A mussy me, Mr Mark, sir, as my old mother used to say. Ah, and she would say it again, poor old soul, if she were alive—bless her—and could see her pretty little curly-headed darling out here in savage Africa. Nice little curly-headed darling, arn't I, Mr Mark, sir? 'My beauty,' she used to call me, when she had made me cry by jigging the comb through my hair, as would always tie itself up into knots like a nigger's."

"Why, it isn't curly now, Buck."

"Not a bit, sir; been cut too many times to keep it short, and all the curl got cut off, ha, ha, ha!" And the big, burly fellow burst into a boisterous laugh. "Bless her old heart! She never could have thought that I should grow into a six-footer weighing seventeen stun. Little woman she was—a pretty little woman too," said Buck proudly. "Fancy her seeing me seventeen stun, and not a bit of fat about me! Ah, it's ram, sir—rum. Rum as the name of our old village where we used to live down in Essex. Chignal Smealey. Well, sir," continued the big driver, wiping his beaded forehead, "we have had a pretty good time of it, haven't we? And I mean to say that we are regular ship-shape. What do you think of it, sir?"

"Oh, never mind what I think, Buck. I'll tell you what father said to the doctor."

"Ah, do, sir."

"He said all you men had worked splendidly."

"Oh, come, that's nice, sir," said Buck, beaming.

"And that he felt ashamed of having been so idle, doing nothing but look on."

"Idle be sat upon, sir!" cried the bluff fellow. "Why, he's the boss. What's a boss got to do but give his orders? Oh, he hasn't been idle, and as for the doctor, why, he's never at rest. Look here, Mr Mark, sir; I have journeyed about the world a good deal, same as Dan Mann has. You know I was a sailor and made several voyages before I settled down at Natal and took to driving a twenty-four-in-hand. But in all my wanderings about I never did run up against such a one as the doctor. He seems to know everything. Why, he's the best shot I ever see. Peter Dance and Bob Bacon are pretty tidy with their guns. I have matched myself agin them more than once when I have been out with them to get something for the pot, and I used to think I could shoot, but they beat me. But that doctor, sir, could if he liked do more with his left hand than I could with my right. You said he used to teach you young gents at home?"

"Yes, Buck; anything and everything."

"I suppose so, sir. Greek and Latin and mathics, and all that sort of stuff."

"Yes, Buck," said Mark, laughing. "All that sort of stuff."

"Ah, he would, sir. He's a splendid chap at lingo. I know a bit about that. I can get on fine with black Mak when I am in the humour, but that arn't always, for sometimes my head's as thick as it's long."

"Oh, we all feel like that sometimes, Buck," said Mark. "I know I do. There were some days over my books that I could learn as easily as can be, and sometimes the doctor would say I was quite dense."

"Dense, sir? What's that?"

"Thick-headed."

"Not you, sir," said Buck, laughing. "But as I was saying, I can get on a bit with black Mak, and I am beginning to pick up a bit better with the little Pig, as you young gents call him; and then there's old Hot-o'-my-Tot and t'other black. Yes, there's something alike, as you may say, about the way these black chaps speak; Mak and Pig, for instance. They know each of 'em what t'other says, more than a little. But the doctor, he's got so much book laming in him; he beats me with them. But I am real glad, sir, that the boss is satisfied, and I should like to tell the other chaps, if I may. I won't, sir, if you say I oughtn't to, for I don't want you to think because you young gentlemen treat me friendly like that I am all chatter and brag."

"Tell them, by all means. Chatter and brag! What nonsense! Why, the doctor says you are a man that anybody could trust."

"Said that, did he, sir?" cried the big fellow, with his eyes twinkling with satisfaction. "Why, that's as good as what the boss said. Well, I'm not going to tell any of the other fellows that. They would laugh at me, and sarve me right. But we have worked, sir, all of us, to get the place square, and when we have made a regular clearing of all this rag and tangle of rocks and trees—"

"Which we never shall, Buck," cried Mark.

"You're right, sir; never! For I never saw such a place. You can go miles anyway to the nor'ard and find more and more built up stones and walls and what not. Why, once upon a time there must have been hundreds of thousands of people living here, and now—where are they all? All we have seen was that old nigger, as Dan sticks out and argues, when we are having a pipe together of a night, was the last man that was left; and then he always finishes off by shaking his head when I say I wonder how he got away."

"Ah, it was curious," said Mark.

"Not it, sir. He crept away as soon as he thought it was safe. Got into some hole or another. There must be hundreds of places where he could tuck hisself, and we shall dig him out one day, as sure as sure; and that'll be when we least expect it. But talk about a kraal, sir, for my bullocks! They are as safe as safe, and you have got a regular stable for your ponies, quarters for us as Dan calls a snug forecastle and Peter says is a bothy, and as for yours, you gen'lemen's being up against that wall, why, it's splendid, only as I was telling the doctor, sir, I shan't feel quite happy till we've got an extra thatch on. You know, it can rain out here in Africa, sir, and when it does it goes it."

"Well, I daresay we shall get that done, Buck, when we have got time."

"Yes, sir, when we have got time; but that won't be just yet, and I suppose I shan't be here to help."

"You not here to help! What do you mean?"

"Well, sir, I suppose I wasn't to chatter about it, but I may tell you; the doctor got talking to me only yesterday about what he calls the supplies, by which he meant wittles for the guns and extra for ourselves."

"Ah," said Mark.

"He said that of course meat was plentiful enough, and there were lots of fish in the river, but we ought to be prepared if we stayed here long to get a fresh lot of flour and mealies, tea, and coffee, and sugar, so as to have enough when the stores begins to run out."

"Yes; I never thought of that," said Mark.

"Ah, but the doctor did, sir. He thinks of everything. Well, sir, he put it to me whether I could pick out a mate and be ready any time to take the waggons and go back to Illakaree."

"There," cried Mark, "what did I say?"

"I d'know, sir. Lots of things."

"I meant about the doctor trusting you. Did you say you'd go."

"Course I did, sir. I don't want to go, for I'm just right here. This is the sort of thing I like. I am enjying myself here just as much as you young gents. It fits me right down to the ground, and if I do go I shan't be happy till I get back."

"Ah," said Mark thoughtfully. "But you said about picking out a mate. Whom should you choose?"

"Well, if you come to regular choosing, sir," said Buck, "I should like to have you—not for a mate, sir, but to be my young boss. I know though that couldn't be, and I wouldn't want it, 'cause I know how I should be cutting you off from all the sarching as the doctor wants done. Why, you wouldn't be here when you hunt out the place where all the gold is buried."

"N-no."

"And the working tools and the pots and pans as the doctor expects to find."

"N-no," said Mark thoughtfully. "But I say, Buck, do you think there is plenty of gold here somewhere?"

"Pretty sure of it, sir. Why, where did that little kiddy of a black get his ornaments from?"

"To be sure," said Mark, still speaking very seriously. "But why is it, then, that he will not say anything about it? He only shakes his head and goes away when one tries to get him to show where he got his bangles from."

"Well, I don't quite know, sir. There's a something behind it all. They're sort of jealous like about having the old things meddled with, I think. Mak showed us the way here, but I never see him begin to sarch like to find anything the old people left, and if you remember he tried all he could to keep us from meddling and looking for the place where we found that old man."