ecome
more undulating, this afternoon; but the first thirty miles were
almost perfectly level, and I could see nothing, whatever, that
could serve as an index, except of course the sun. Still, that is
only a guide as to the general direction. It must have been nine or
ten years since that fellow was here, and yet he led us as straight
as if he was making for a church steeple."

"It seems to be a sort of instinct," Reuben said, "although
possibly, for the last part of the distance, he may have seen signs
of the passage of the natives. As far as I can understand, he tells
me at this time of year there is no other water hole, within a long
distance; so that naturally there will be many natives making for
it. I am glad there are not any of them here, now.

"Why isn't that horse hobbled like the rest?" Reuben asked
suddenly. "Whose is it?"

"That is the one your black fellow rode, sir," Sergeant O'Connor
said.

"Jim, where are you?" Reuben called, but no reply came.

"What has become of him, I wonder?" Reuben said. "Has anyone seen
him, since we rode up?"

"He jumped off, the instant we came here," one of the policemen
replied; "and said to me, 'Look after captain horse,' and I haven't
seen anything of him since."

"There has been somebody here, sir," another policeman said, coming
up. "Here's the remains of a fire, behind this bush."

"Yes," Mr. Blount said, examining them, and pulling out a brand
that was still glowing. "Do you see, a lot of sand has been thrown
over it. Whoever was here must have seen us coming, and tried to
extinguish the fire when they caught sight of us."

"That is most unfortunate," Reuben said. "The fellows must have
made off, to carry the news of our coming to their friends.
However, it's too late to do anything now. It's already getting
dark, and they must have got a quarter of an hour's start. We have
taken quite enough out of the horses, and can do no more with them,
if they have to travel tomorrow; but I would give a year's pay if
this hadn't happened.

"Well, there's nothing to do for it but to light our fires, and
camp."

The knowledge that they had been seen, and that the news would be
carried to those of whom they were in search, acted as a great
damper on the spirits of the party; and the camp was much more
quiet and subdued than it had been, on the previous evening.

"All is not quite lost," Reuben said when, two hours later, he
found that Jim was still absent from the ca