"That's because they never see any sunshine," said Dean sententiously.
"I believe they just have a run outside the forest to stick an arrow or
two into the springboks, and then run into the shade again. It's the
sun makes one want to laugh, and I should be just as serious if I always
lived under those trees."

"Well, I daresay they will bring my patient again to-morrow morning, and
we will wait till then, and afterwards I should propose that we journey
on at once."

"But you said you were going to ask Mak again about where the big stones
are," said Mark, and he signed to the black, who was standing leaning
upon his spear watching them, and now in response to the boy's signal,
came up at once.

"You ask him, my boy," said the doctor, who was carefully examining the
contents of his knapsack and tightening the cork of the little bottle
before rolling it up again in the lint and bandages.

Mark seized the opportunity.

"Here, Mak," he cried, "big stones? Where?"

The black turned at once and pointed with his spear in the direction of
the forest.

"There, I told you so!" said Mark. Then to the black, "Well, go on;
show the way."

Mak, who evidently understood, swung himself half round, and now pointed
right along to the edge of the forest.

"That's clear enough, Mark," said the doctor. "He means we have to go
round, keeping to the edge and along the open plain where the bullocks
can trek."

"Buck Denham--trek!" cried Mak, nodding his head, and using his spear to
indicate the direction.

"Big stones," said the doctor, and he now pointed along the edge of the
forest.

"Mak find," said the black, nodding his head vigorously.

"Oh, it's evident enough," said the doctor quietly. "He knows what we
want, and some day will guide us there. Well, we have plenty of time,
boys, and I suppose you are in no hurry to get back to the manor?"

"No, no, of course not; but I do want to see that little fellow again."

Mark had his desire fulfilled the next morning at daybreak, when instead
of the numerous procession, the little chief, as they considered him,
appeared, accompanied only by the four bearers with the patient and four
others well loaded with twice as many big turkey-like birds, one of
which showed the way in which they had been obtained, for a broken arrow
projected from its back.

The game was handed over to the white foreloper, who bore the birds off
to the fire to begin plucking them, the two keepers jo