"I
say, you mustn't talk of their being animal-like and not far removed
from the apes. Why, boys, they take me for a real surgeon, and have
come to bring me my fees."

For to the surprise of all, the little party of their find of the
previous day marched boldly up to where their white friends were
standing, two of them walking in front with their little spears over
their shoulders, and bows in hand, while they were followed by four of
their companions, each pair of the latter bearing a fair-sized buck
slung from a spear which rested on their shoulders.

There was a half-shrinking, timid look upon their sombre countenances,
but they came close up, lowered down the bucks at Mark's feet, slipped
out the spears, and then turned and fled, plunging in amongst the
bushes, and then under the pendant boughs of the outer lines of the
trees, and were gone.

"Here, hi! Hi! Hi!" cried Mark, as he ran after them; but he came back
at the end of a few minutes, out of breath. "Never got another sight of
them," he said.

"Good job!" cried Dean. "I was afraid you'd get lost again amongst the
trees."

"Were you?" said Mark. "You see, I knew better: I wanted my breakfast
too badly. I say, doctor, think of this! Where's that Dan? Hot steaks
for breakfast! But did you know that little pigmy again?"

"No. Which one?"

"One of those that came in front with a spear over his shoulder. I knew
him again by the brass rings on his arms, and--I didn't notice it
yesterday--he'd got them on his ankles too."

"No," said the doctor, "I did not notice that; but I did see that he had
a brass ferrule at one end of his spear, and another to fix in the
blade."

"He must be a sort of chief," said Mark. "Oh, here, Mak--see what your
little friends have brought!" and the boy pointed to the two small-sized
slender-legged bucks, the sight of which made the black's countenance
expand in a grin of satisfaction.

"Here, call up Dunn Brown. He will be seeing to the ponies. Send him
here, and tell Bob Bacon to come too. They will help Dan to skin and
break up the game."

It was a long speech for the black to interpret, but the names of his
camp companions and the sight of the bucks were quite sufficient, and
Mak stalked off.

It was decided to stay that day, and towards noon, when it was turning
very hot, the doctor proposed that they should shoulder their guns, take
Mak for guide and Bob Bacon as bearer of any game they might shoot, and