e plan of escape he
had suggested; but when these had been answered he refused to avail
himself of the offer.

"I have little doubt," he said, "that Kobo in the main is right, if not
in every particular, but it is my duty to remain here, and remain I
must, whatever may ensue. For the first time since my arrival in
Africa, I have a real, well-grounded hope of gaining a considerable body
of converts to our faith. What will these think of me? What hope can I
have of their remaining true to the creed they have half adopted, if I
myself am wanting to it? I am in God's hands, and I trust all to Him.
But you, my dear lads--it is not _your_ duty to stay here, and encounter
this danger. You, indeed, Ernest--"

"Do you think _I_ could leave you?" interposed Warley reproachfully.

"I will not ask you to do so," answered the missionary, clasping
Ernest's hands as he spoke; "but you two--"

"We too will not leave you," broke in Frank. "I know I speak for Nick
as well as myself. We will all stay and endure whatever may chance
together. I will tell Kobo so forthwith."

He sought out the Bechuana accordingly, and acquainted him with the
resolution to which all the party had come, adding however, that they
would all keep Kobo's secret most inviolably, and if any occasion should
arrive when his services might be required for an attempt of the kind
suggested by him, they would at once apply to him to help them.

"Meanwhile," he said, "Kobo, let us have plenty to employ our time and
thoughts. It will never do for us to sit down and brood over our
troubles; we should go mad, I expect. Look here, didn't you tell us
that the spoor of some elephants had been seen yesterday or this
morning, at a short distance from this?"

"Great many elephant in bush," said Kobo; "six, seven, big bulls, twenty
cows, not three miles away. Not go away to-day, perhaps not to-morrow."

"Do you hear that, Nick?" said Wilmore. "We had better set out the
first thing in the morning, hadn't we, and try to get a shot at one?"

"White boys see them to-night, if they like," said Kobo. "See here.
Kobo love white boys because they English. He wait here till they ready
to run away. Then he run with them. Meanwhile they shoot, hunt, fish.
Chuma not suspect they mean to run."

"All right, Kobo," said Nick. "You're a brick, if you know what that
means, though you have been baked pretty black in the kiln. Well, let
us set off at once. Where do you p