hole, Denis, before the morning, so that, if possible, the
Zulus might not discover how I got out."

"I'll do my best," said Denis, and Lionel again crawled through the
opening. Not the slightest noise was made, so that the guards at the
entrance of the hut, even if they had not been asleep, would not have
heard him. Denis, as soon as he had gone, lay down with his head to the
opening to listen. No sound reached his ears. He then crept partly
through, but could see nothing. Not a person was stirring, not even a
dog barked. "Lionel will get clear, I hope," he said, as he drew back
into the hut. "He is a wonderfully sharp, clever little fellow. As he
lived so long among the Zulus, he knows all their ways. Even if he
meets any one, he will be able to pretend to be a young Zulu, provided
it is still dark, though of course his dress would betray him in
daylight. I almost wish that we had gone too," said Denis. "If he
succeed, so might we."

"Not so sure of that," observed Percy. "Three objects moving along the
ground would be more likely to be discovered than one; and if I were
addressed, I, at all events, could not pretend to be a Zulu boy,
whatever you might do. Still, it would have been satisfactory had we
all got free; but then, what would have become of poor Gozo? They would
have assegaid him in revenge. Depend upon it, we were wiser to remain.
Perhaps, after all, Lionel is hiding, and may find it necessary to come
back."

They waited anxiously, almost fearing to hear Lionel's voice. Time went
on, but he did not make his appearance. At last Denis thought that he
might venture to stop up the opening; so he began shovelling in the
earth and replacing the twigs; he knew, however, should any one examine
the outside, it must be discovered that a hole had been made; but it was
just possible that it might not be observed, and he amused himself by
thinking that if so how puzzled the Zulus would be to account for the
disappearance of Lionel.

"I'll pretend not to know what has become of him, and to be as much
astonished as they are," he said, laughing. "I'll suggest that he might
have vanished through the roof, or that he was not put in at all, or
that he has evaporated, although, to be sure, they won't know what that
means, and I don't know how I could well explain it, as the Kaffir
tongue has nothing equivalent to the term. However, I'll do my best to
mystify them."

"I would rather not make the attem