"But we left our camp directly afterwards," said Dean, "and we have been
travelling along by the edge of the forest ever since."

"There, don't argue, boys," said the doctor. "It's quite evident that
we have passed right round the forest and left it behind us, and I make
it out that if instead of following the edge so as to be in the open
where the bullocks could trek we could have walked straight through
between the trees, we should have have been here long enough ago. Why,
we are now about opposite to the pigmy settlement."

"What!" cried Mark. "Oh, I say, let's stop and go in amongst the trees,
and shout or cooey till we make them hear, and they will come and join
us."

"That's a likely idea," said Dean derisively. "What a fellow he is,
isn't he, doctor? He's been grumbling ever since he lost his pet pig."

"Well, I don't care. I did like the little chap."

"Yes, just because you were nursing him and getting him better. Why,
Mark, you are just like a great girl with a pet lamb."

"Oh, am I?" said Mark sourly.

"Yes, that you are. She's so fond of it because it's so white and skips
after her, and she ties blue ribbons round its neck and is as pleased as
Punch to have it running after her, and crying ma-a-a-a-a!"

"You just wait till the doctor's gone off with father, and I'll punch
your head," whispered Mark, as the doctor walked towards the waggon
which they were following.

"I don't care; so you are," said Dean; "and by-and-by the pretty little
lamb grows up into a great, big, ugly, stupid-looking sheep good for
nothing."

"Yes, it is--mutton."

"And that's how it would be," continued Dean, "with your pet savage. It
would grow old and ugly, and a perfect nuisance, and be not so good as a
sheep, because you could eat that, and even you wouldn't care to turn
into an anthropop--what's his name?"

"There, that's just like you, Dean; you are always trying to use big
ugly words that you can't recollect the whole of. Anthropop what's his
name! Why can't you say cannibal? Here, I will help you," cried the
boy mockingly. "Say anthropo-phagistically inclined."

"Oh, I say, don't, Mark!" said Dean, laughing. "I am sure that's given
you a twist at the corners of your jaws."

Quite involuntarily Mark clapped his index fingers just beneath his ears
as if his cousin's words were true and he had felt a twinge, with the
result that Dean burst out laughing.

"There, go on. I don't care about your gri