tell where it is,
hide it away. He burn them till they tell--most of them never tell;
Umbelini burn 'em till they dead. One man tell. Ha!"

The while Haviland had hardly noticed how the other had been allotting
all the choicest bits to his share.

"I say," he said at last, "I never thought you and I would be able to
polish off a brace of cock-pheasants to our own cheek. Yet we jolly
well nearly have."

They had. The night air and their natural growing appetites had
rendered the feat one of no great difficulty. But it was time to go
back. The nights were nearly at their shortest. By two o'clock it
would be almost daylight. So they started from their _alfresco_ kitchen
and banqueting-room, and, concealing the air-gun and its ammunition,
made their way back once more, and neglecting no precaution, shinned up
the rope which had been left dangling, and were safe and sound within
the dormitory again--the rope being carefully coiled away in Haviland's
box--he about five minutes thereafter being fast asleep, and dreaming
that he was plugging a huge cock-pheasant through and through with
air-gun pellets, the riddled bird finally taking shape as the Doctor, to
his own great and vengeful satisfaction.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

TYING KNOTS IN NICK'S TAIL.

A change seemed now to have fallen upon Haviland. He was no longer to
be met wandering alone, and the moody frown had left his brow, giving
way to an expression of easy, light-hearted contentment. Yet there were
days when he spent nearly the whole of his spare time lying in a corner
of the playing fields, his cap over his face and--fast asleep. There
was no fear of him sleeping too long, or being late for anything--
Mpukuza, otherwise Anthony, took care of that--and was always at hand to
awake him in time.

Not much together were they in the daytime, in feet, hardly at all, yet
the Zulu boy was always at hand when his hero wanted him, actually or
unconsciously. He could do without all this extra sleep, but the other,
with his nervous, high-strung temperament, felt the reaction after these
nights of adventurous excitement, to say nothing of the sheer physical
fatigue following upon the hard exercise attendant on their nocturnal
exploits.

For that first expedition was by no means the last. The appetite for
such grew, and night after night the cord was let down, and these two
amateur poachers would sally forth upon their lawless but entrancing
errand. Not alwa