said Denham fretfully.

"Well, as I told them, sir, it isn't good for their hats; but, as they
said, it wastes the Doppies' cartridges, and pleases the lads to make
fools of 'em. You can hear them cheer sometimes when a hat is suddenly
pulled down. They think they've killed a man--bless 'em! They're very
nice people."

"But, Sergeant, you were telling me about Joeboy," I said. "Can't you
think when you saw him last?"

"Not exactly. I've been trying to think it out, because I expected
you'd be asking about him. It strikes me that the last I saw of him was
the night I was going the rounds after the search for that Irish
prisoner. Perhaps he's tired of being shut up?"

"No," I said emphatically.

"Those blacks are men who are very fond of running wild."

"Joeboy wouldn't forsake me, Sergeant," I said impressively.

"Perhaps you're right. He always did seem very fond of you--never happy
unless he was at your heels; but he hasn't been hanging about the
hospital, you see. It looks like as if that Irishman had given him a
crack on the head too, and pitched him down one of the mine-holes."

"Oh no; horrible!" I said.

"Glad you take it that way," said Briggs grimly, "because it would be
bad for the water. Well, there's only two other things I can think of
just now. One's that he might have been shot by the enemy when driving
in the cattle."

"Is it possible?" I said, in alarm.

"Well, yes, it's possible," said the Sergeant; "but I didn't hear any
one hint at such a thing happening."

"Oh, surely the poor fellow hasn't come to his end like that! Here,
what was your other idea?"

"I thought that, being a keen, watchful sort of fellow, perhaps he might
have caught sight of our prisoner escaping."

"Ah!" I ejaculated.

"Yes; and knowing what I do of my gentleman, it seemed likely that he
might have followed him just to see that he didn't get into more
mischief, particularly if he saw him upset you two."

"No, no; he couldn't. We saw no sign of him," I said excitedly.--"Did
you, Denham?"

"Who could see a fellow like that in the dark?" cried Denham peevishly.

"It is possible that, knowing what he did of Moriarty's treatment of me,
he may have felt that he had a kind of feud with him, and watched him."

"For a chance to say something to him with one of those spears he
carried," said Denham, suddenly growing interested in our remarks.

"Oh no. I don't think he would use his assagai except in