so overwhelmed, as it were, by a wave of
ancient verdure, and dragged down by the wonderfully abundant growth of
vines and creepers, that it was difficult to tell which were the stones
that had been piled together and which formed part of the nature-erected
kopje.

"Well, doctor," said Sir James, later on, "what do you think of this?"

"Grand," was the reply. "Even if there were nothing more than we can
see now, this place would be full of interest."

"Do you really think that this is the place of which we have heard?"

"It must be," said the doctor; "and it is proved by what we can gather
from these two blacks."

"Yes," cried Mark excitedly; "and it is there the pigmy obtained his
gold."

"Yes, boy. Those ornaments were never made by people in such a savage
state as he is. Well, the first thing to do is to settle down here and
make as strong a camp as we can."

"Just here?" said Sir James.

"Certainly, for the present. We may no doubt find later on some old
temple or other building that we can add to, but for the time being we
must contrive a kraal where we can set dangerous visitors to our cattle
quite at defiance."

"But you talk about temples," said Sir James. "Do you really think
there are more buildings here than we can see?"

"My dear sir," cried the doctor, "I just climbed up fifty or sixty feet
amongst the masses of rock, and as far as I can see in three directions
there seems to be quite a wilderness of natural and artificial ruins."

"Then what do you propose?" said Sir James.

"To have the waggons drawn up across that opening that lies between
those two walls."

"Walls!" said Mark. "You mean that ravine of old stones that looks like
a split made by an earthquake."

"My dear boy," said the doctor enthusiastically, "that earthquake, as
you call it, I am sure was caused by men. What we see across there are
two walls."

"Well, they don't look like it," said Dean.

"Not as they are, boy," said the doctor, "crumbled, grown over, and in
utter ruins; but I have had a look long enough to satisfy me that all
this was built up--perhaps thousands of years ago. We can prove all
that by-and-by. I want to see everyone at work making what will be an
easy task--a strongly fortified little camp into which no lions can
break and we can sleep in peace."

"Yes," said Sir James; "those are the words of wisdom, boys, and we
shan't have to go far for our materials. But I don't see any water."

"We