a couple of hundred yards away, but
not another sound.

"Creeping up very cautiously. Suspicious because of the fire, and
receiving no answer," whispered the captain. "They thought it was the
camp-fire of their tribe, but now feel sure it is a white man's fire."

"Queer work this," whispered Uncle Jack to Norman, who was with him on
the other side of the track, the fire lying between them and the
captain.

"Yes, isn't it, uncle?" was whispered back.

"I'm beginning to ask myself why I'm here when I ought to be in London
at my club."

"I'm glad you are here, uncle," whispered Norman.

"Can you see any of them, Tim? Your eyes are younger than mine."

"No, uncle," came after a pause.

"They must be crawling up, so as to hurl their spears from close by."

"Coo-ee!" came again from very near now. "Not suspicious, then?" said
the captain, wonderingly.

"I can see one now, uncle," whispered Tim. "He's high up."

"In a tree?"

"No: moving; coming nearer; he's on horseback."

"Nonsense! Black fellows don't ride horses out in the scrub."

"But he is mounted, uncle. I can see plainly now."

"You are right," said the captain, after a short pause.

"Coo-ee!"

This was only from a few yards away, and directly after a familiar voice
shouted:

"Why baal not call along coo-ee? Hi, white fellow! Hi, boy! Hi, big
white Mary!"

"Why, it's Shanter," cried Norman, excitedly. "Hi coo-ee!"

"Coo-ee! coo-ee!" came back, and directly after a black face was seen
above the bushes full in the glare of the fire, and then the body came
into view, as the black's steed paced very slowly and leisurely forward,
and suddenly threw up its head and gave vent to a prolonged "moo," which
was answered by first one and then another of the cows and bullocks
chewing their cud close to the camp.

"Hooray!" shouted Rifle and Tim together. "Here's a game. Look! he is
riding on the little Alderney."

"Hey!" cried the black, drumming the heifer's ribs with his bare legs,
and giving her a crack near the tail with his spear to force her right
up into the light, where he sat grinning in triumph with his spear now
planted on the ground.

"Yes, that's the ord'nary heifer, sure enough," grumbled German.

"Shanter fine along this bull-cow fellow all 'lone. Yabber moo-moo
hard!"

He gave so excellent an imitation of the cow's lowing that it was
answered again by the others.

"What, you found that heifer?" cried the captain.