ce. Let Mak lead so that
he may be able to follow the back track. I don't want to have any
troubles of getting lost."

"But we can't get lost here, sir," said Mark, "for we can see for miles
around."

"Yes, but the place is a regular maze. It's terribly hard work climbing
about, and before long we shall want to return to camp."

And then oddly enough the doctor in his interest forgot his words and
took the lead himself, descending into a gulch between the rocky slopes
where they had been gazing into the rifts and cavernous places, and then
rising and climbing to what is commonly known as a hog's-back ridge,
which proved to be the untouched massive pile of granite that rose
higher than any other near, and was found to be broken up at the top
with tumbled together heaps of rough blocks through which they wound in
and out till they found their way narrowing with the walls inclining
more and more till they touched. They paused at last in obedience to a
call from the black, who shook his head, frowned, and signed to them to
come back.

"What does that mean?" said the doctor.

"I don't know," replied Mark. "Hallo! Look here!"

For though the doctor and his white companions stopped short, the pigmy
darted off quickly, not stopping till he reached Mak, who was some
distance away, and who now began to retire more and more.

"I don't see anything to make him shrink away," said the doctor. "Shout
to him, Mark, and tell him to return directly."

The boy leaped upon a stone and began waving his hand to their guide,
signing to him to come on, but without effect, for Mak shook his head,
gave the pigmy a sign to follow him, and retired more and more till they
passed round behind some tall bushes and disappeared.

"This is tiresome," said the doctor. "We want the fellow here, for he
goes about just as if he knows the place, and it strikes me that he must
have been here before. Well, I suppose we may as well turn back."

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, sir," said Mark. "Look, we can surely find our
way without him. I know I could. It only means going down into the
hollow, getting up on the other side, and then--oh, I could find my way.
Let's go on now. I want to see where this leads to. What do you say,
Buck? Could you find your way back to the waggons?"

"Find my way back, sir? No fear of that! What do you say, Bob? And
you, Dan?"

"Oh, yes," they replied; "that will be easy enough."

"But there must be some r