dith.

Guy Oscard was a slow thinking man, although quick in action. He pieced
all these things together. The pieces did not seem to fit just then--the
construction was decidedly chaotic in its architecture. But later on the
corner-stone of knowledge propped up the edifice, and everything slipped
into its place.

Despite disquieting rumours, the expedition was allowed to depart from
the river-camp unmolested. For two days they marched through the gloomy
forest with all speed. On the third day one of the men of Durnovo's
division captured a native who had been prowling on their heels in the
line of march. Victor Durnovo sent captor and prisoner to the front of
the column, with a message to Oscard that he would come presently and
see what information was to be abstracted from the captive. At the
midday halt Durnovo accordingly joined Oscard, and the man was brought
before them. He was hardly worthy of the name, so disease-stricken, so
miserable and half-starved was he.

At first Durnovo and he did not seem to be able to get to an
understanding at all; but presently they hit upon a dialect in which
they possessed a small common knowledge.

His news was not reassuring. In dealing with numbers he rarely
condescended to the use of less than four figures, and his conception of
a distance was very vague.

"Ask him," said Oscard, "whether he knows that there is an Englishman
with a large force on the top of a mountain far to the east."

Durnovo translated, and the man answered with a smile. In reply to some
further question the negro launched into a detailed narrative, to which
Durnovo listened eagerly.

"He says," said the latter to Oscard, "that the Plateau is in possession
of the Masais. It was taken two months ago. The blacks were sold as
slaves; the two Englishmen were tortured to death and their bodies
burnt."

Oscard never moved a muscle.

"Ask him if he is quite sure about it."

"Quite," replied Durnovo, after questioning. "By God! Oscard; what
a pity! But I always knew it. I knew it was quite hopeless from the
first."

He passed his brown hand nervously over his face, where the perspiration
stood in beads.

"Yes," said Oscard slowly; "but I think we will go on all the same."

"What!" cried Durnovo. "Go on?"

"Yes," replied Guy Oscard; "we will go on, and if I find you trying to
desert I'll shoot you down like a rat."

CHAPTER XXVI. IN PERIL

He made no sign; the fires of Hell were roun