eason," said the doctor, "for Mak wanting to go
back. Perhaps he's afraid of our being attacked."

"No, sir," said Buck, "it arn't that. I know what these fellows are
better than you do, perhaps. If there had been any chance of a fight he
would have stuck to you."

"Unless he was afraid of numbers," said the doctor.

"No, sir; that wouldn't make him turn tail. These Illakas are brave
enough for anything. But Mak's a bit scared, all the same."

"But you said they were brave," cried Mark.

"So they are, sir, over anything they can see; but when it's anything
they can't, then they are like so many children as are afraid to go in
the dark. I believe he's got an idea in his head that there's a
something no canny, as the Scotch people call it, as lives in that there
hole in the rocks, and nothing will make him go in for fear he should be
cursed, or something of the kind."

"Very likely," said the doctor. "All about here has some time been a
town, or towns, and it may bear the reputation of being haunted by the
spirits of the dead."

"Yes, sir; that's something what I meant to make you understand," said
Buck. "It's very babyish, but you see these Illakas are only savage
blacks, and we can't say much about it, for there's plenty of people at
home--country people--as wouldn't go across a churchyard in the dark to
save their lives."

"Well," said the doctor, "I may understand by this that you wouldn't be
afraid to go into some dark cavern?"

"Well, sir, I don't know as I should," replied the big driver. "I think
I should like to have a light, in case there was any holes that one
might go down; but I am like Bob Bacon here, who tells me that he
watches for poachers when he's at home, and Dan, who has been used to
keep watch at sea; we shouldn't stop from going into the dark for fear
of the bogeys that would scare the niggers. Mean ter to go on, sir?"

"Can we get a light if we want it?"

"I have got matches, sir, and Bob Bacon here, sir, has got a bit of old
dead sort of fir wood as will burn well enough."

"What do you say, boys?"

"Let's go on," they cried eagerly.

The doctor looked back, and for a moment or two he could make out no
sign of the two blacks. Then from close to the ground a long way back
the sun shone upon a couple of dancing feathers, and some three feet
above them appeared the black head of their guide.

"They are watching us," said the doctor. "No: they are gone. Come
along, then