feet on this he drew the pattern of
it on the skin with a pointed stick. Around this pattern, and about a
couple of inches from it, he bored a row of holes an inch or so apart.
Through these holes he rove a thong of hide, and then rounded away the
corners of the piece.

"There," said he, placing his foot in the centre of it and drawing the
thong, "my sandal is ready."

The tightening of the thong drew up the edges of the shoe until they
overlapped and entirely encased his foot.

"Good," said the captain, "but that kind of sandal is not new to me.
I've seen it before, not only in your country, but in other lands."

"Indeed? Well, after all, it is so simple, and so likely to hit the
minds of thoughtful men, that I doubt not it is used wherever travelling
is bad or weather cold. We shall need such sandals in this land, for
there is, no doubt, great variety of country, also of weather, and many
thorns."

While our travellers were thus labouring and commenting on their work,
unseen eyes were gazing at them with profound interest and curiosity.

A boy, or youth just emerging from the state of boyhood, lay low in a
neighbouring thicket with his head just elevated sufficiently above the
grass to enable his black eyes to peer over it. He was what we of the
nineteenth century term a savage. That is to say, he was unkempt,
unwashed, and almost naked--but not uneducated, though books had nothing
to do with his training.

The prince chanced to look round, and saw the black eyes instantly, but
being, as we have said, an adept in woodcraft--including savage
warfare--he did not permit the slightest evidence of recognition to
escape him. He continued his gaze in the same direction, allowing his
eyes slowly to ascend, as if he were looking through the tree-tops at
the sky. Then turning his head quietly round he resumed his work and
whistled--for whistling had been invented even before that time.

"Comrades," he said, after a few minutes, "don't look up from your work,
but listen. We are watched. You go on with your occupations as if all
was right, and leave me to deal with the watcher."

His comrades took the hint at once and went quietly on with their
labours, while the prince arose, stretched himself, as if weary of his
work. After a few minutes of looking about him, as though undecided
what to do next, he sauntered into the bush at the side of their
encampment opposite to that where the watcher lay.

The moment h