ror and agony
which had accompanied their deaths. The remains of the ill-fated German
botanist were identified and reverently buried, but everything in the
shape of loot which the camp had contained had been borne away by the
rapacious marauders.

But to the delight of Oakley, to the delight of all of them, his
conjectures had proved correct. Following on the broad track left by
the retreating raiders they came upon the lost specimens. The cases had
been broken open, and, containing nothing but dried plants, had been
thrown away and left. Some had suffered, but the bulk were entirely
uninjured, and in his exultation the tragical fate which had overwhelmed
his companion and followers was quite overlooked by this ardent
scientist. The loot, too, of the camp was nothing. His precious
specimens were recovered--that was everything. The doctor and Haviland,
moved by vivid fellow feeling, rejoiced with him, and that exceedingly.
Yet, could they have foreseen what was before them, their exultation
might have been considerably dashed. Their adventures had been many,
their lives had been largely made up of perilous and startling
surprises; but the greatest of these was yet to come, and that,
perchance, at no very distant date.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

DANGER SIGNALS.

The odd man joining a party of two is by no means necessarily an
acquisition, or invariably bound to preserve and promote the harmony
already existing. In this case, however, the best happened. No more
harmonious trio could be imagined than this one, as, having recovered
the lost treasure, the expedition resumed its way. For Oakley proved to
be the best of good fellows, and though several years older than
Haviland, and with a great deal wider experience, he never for a moment
forgot that he was with them now solely in the capacity of a guest. If
his advice was asked he gave it, if not, he never by any chance
volunteered it. Ahern and Haviland were, of course, tried comrades; and
two years of sharing the same hardships, the same dangers, and the same
aims, had bound them together as no period of acquaintance within the
limits of conventional civilisation could ever have done.

The camp had been set for the day, whose full heat had already begun to
strike in through the shading trees. The tired bearers were lying
around, for the moon was again bright, and the marches were effected
during the comparatively cool hours of the night. Some were cooking