ive me the chance and a
few dozen sittings of eggs I could show you some pheasant shooting in a
year's time. But I suppose I shan't have the chance to make that big
chap a bit useful. He arn't got a mossel of work in him."

"What, Mak?" cried Mark merrily. "But see what a splendid fellow he is
to look on."

"Oh, yes, he can look on, sir. But I could do that, easy."

"And guide?" said Mark. "But you couldn't do that, Peter."

"Well, but I arn't had no practice, sir."

"And find water for camping by," continued Mark.

"Yes, sir, he can do that."

"And you said yourself the other day that he could track the bucks
splendidly."

"Yes, sir. You see, he's used to it."

"And we have never wanted for game since we have come to Africa."

"That we haven't, sir," said Bob Bacon.

"Then he is some use, after all," cried Mark.

That night, with their strange surroundings wonderfully illuminated by
the glowing fire, and a feeling of safety infused by the knowledge that
the doctor and Buck Denham were their well armed watch, all slept off
their weariness soundly and well.

There were two little interruptions to their rest, one of which Mark, as
he was awakened, knew at once to be the barking roar of a lion far out
upon the plain; but he dropped off to sleep directly, and the next one
to rouse up suddenly was Dean, who found himself gazing at the doctor
standing full in the light cast by the fire, and who at a word from the
boy came slowly up to his side.

"What is it?" he said. "Well, Dean, I am rather puzzled myself. The
cries were those of a drove of some animals, but I don't think they were
either hyaenas or jackals. Whatever they were, they were scared by the
fire, and--there, you can hear them going farther and farther away among
the ruins. I could almost fancy it was a pack of some kind of dogs
hunting. There, go back to your blanket. The air's quite cool, and I
was glad to come closer to the fire for a warm. Get to sleep again, for
I want to explore as much as we can to-morrow. The more I think, the
more sure I feel that we have hit upon a very wonderful place, and I am
longing for the morning and breakfast, so that we can start for our
exploration and see what there is to see."

"Do you think we shall be able to go all over the ruins to-morrow, sir?"
asked Dean.

"No, my boy," said the doctor, laughing; "I certainly do not. There,
lie down."

As Mark said, it was his nature to, and Dean had