the little fellow followed him at once, Dean coming
last.

"I say," said Mark merrily, "that's better, young fellow. You can get
along now without being carried in a basket. But I can't understand how
you managed to get right so soon."

"'Tis his nature to," said Dean drily; and as the boys chatted from one
to another across him, throwing, so to speak, verbal balls from one to
the other, their little visitor seemed to be listening intently and with
a grave look of satisfaction upon his countenance, as he walked with
them down to the stream which Mark had selected overnight for his bathe.

"Now I wonder whether he will do as we do," said Mark, as he quickly
made ready and plunged in.

"No," said Dean, sending the water flying as he plunged in after his
cousin. "Look at him!" For the pigmy gravely seated himself upon a
little block of granite, laid his bow and spear across his knees, and
sat watching the wet gambols of the lads, till, quite refreshed, they
both sprang out, had a run over the sand in the hot sunshine, and then
returned to dress.

"Don't you ever bathe?" said Mark, rather breathlessly, as he hurried on
his flannels.

"Not he," said Dean. "If he could speak to us he would say, I never
wash; there's no need."

"Why, boys," cried the doctor, who had descended from the kopje and
approached with Sir James, unobserved, "is this another of the pigmies?"

"Look again, sir," said Dean. "He's got your stamp upon him."

"What!" cried the doctor, bending down over the seated visitor.
"Impossible! Look here, Sir James; it is; and his wound has closed up
again as if he were made of india-rubber. Splendid! Why, he has
followed us right across this veldt."

"I shouldn't wonder," said Mark, "if he has followed us all the way.
Oh, no, he could not have done that. He must have come across from this
side of the forest. We are going to give him some breakfast, father,
before he goes back. Is that right?"

"Of course, my boy," said Sir James, walking up and gently patting the
pigmy on the shoulder. "Well, I like this, doctor. It shows the little
fellow's grateful; but I should like to see him smile."

"He did just now, father."

"No, not quite, uncle," said Dean; "only very nearly."

Dan was not long getting the morning meal ready, and Mark took upon
himself to supply the visitor's wants. But the pigmy now showed that he
had notions of his own, for he walked straight away and dropped down by
the