ve joined us there before
long, if I had not fallen in with him; but he would not leave me, when
we had once met, and I thought the best thing under the circumstances
would be to take him with me to Cape Town. But Kama, who had never seen
an animal like him, and who had heard of his having been swept away by
the torrent, believed, I am convinced, that he was a sort of tutelary
spirit, who would be sure to detect any knavery and avenge any false
dealing on his part. It amused me, I must say, a good deal; but any
way, from the day Lion joined our company to that on which we reached
Cape Town, he never attempted any tricks."

"And then you and Captain Wilmore resolved to go in quest of us," said
De Walden. "I understand that But how did you find out where we were?
Did you go to the Bechuanas, and hear it from Chuma?"

"No; we were making our way to the village, when we fell in with a man
who was known to Kama, and who, it seemed, knew me too, though I had
quite forgotten him."

"What! Kobo, I suppose?" exclaimed Warley.

"Yes, that, I believe, is his name. He told us that you all had escaped
in his company from Chuma, who had quarrelled with you, or with Mr De
Walden. He said he had left you on an island on the Yellow River
awaiting his return, and we had better accompany him to the place. So
we did, but there was no trace of you to be found."

"No," said Warley. "We didn't stay twenty-four hours on the island
after Kobo's departure. We have been playing at cross purposes with
him. How did you find out at last where we were?"

"We met your messenger returning from his errand to the Bechuanas, and
learned that the quarrel had been made up. Nevertheless, all things
considered, it is quite as well that we didn't go there."

"All's well that ends well," said the Queen, who had sat listening to
the discourse of her English guests with the deepest interest,
recalling, as it did, so many varied associations.

"I trust it will end well, madam," observed Captain Wilmore. "But until
I find my nephew, and young Gilbert, and bring them back safely, I
cannot consider that there is an end to my anxieties."

"We will set off in quest of them to-morrow morning, as soon as you have
had a good rest," said De Walden. "I have already set some of the best
hunters to follow their track, so as to save us time to-morrow. I feel
sure that in two or three days, at furthest, we shall come up with
them."

So they probably wo