course."

"And we have found too this poor old fellow in his sort of cell."

"Exactly," said Sir James.

"Well, we know that, however old, no man could exist without nutriment.
Consequently we have just had proof that a tribe of the natives must
have regular communication with this place."

"Yes, I suppose that must be the explanation," said Sir James.

"And I am disappointed," said the doctor, "because I was in hopes that
we had the place all to ourselves so that we could go on with our
interesting researches."

"Well, it would have been better," said Sir James. "But so long as they
don't interfere with us it will not matter."

"And very likely," put in Mark, "if they come and find us here they will
keep away."

"That's what I hope," said the doctor.

"And you think," said Dean, "that some of these people have been and
carried that old fellow away?"

"Yes, my boy; that's exactly what I do think."

"Well," said Mark musing, "I suppose we shall soon know. But we
certainly don't want them here."

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

A DISCUSSION.

"A mussy me, Mr Mark, sir, as my old mother used to say. Ah, and she
would say it again, poor old soul, if she were alive--bless her--and
could see her pretty little curly-headed darling out here in savage
Africa. Nice little curly-headed darling, arn't I, Mr Mark, sir? `My
beauty,' she used to call me, when she had made me cry by jigging the
comb through my hair, as would always tie itself up into knots like a
nigger's."

"Why, it isn't curly now, Buck."

"Not a bit, sir; been cut too many times to keep it short, and all the
curl got cut off, ha, ha, ha!" And the big, burly fellow burst into a
boisterous laugh. "Bless her old heart! She never could have thought
that I should grow into a six-footer weighing seventeen stun. Little
woman she was--a pretty little woman too," said Buck proudly. "Fancy
her seeing me seventeen stun, and not a bit of fat about me! Ah, it's
ram, sir--rum. Rum as the name of our old village where we used to live
down in Essex. Chignal Smealey. Well, sir," continued the big driver,
wiping his beaded forehead, "we have had a pretty good time of it,
haven't we? And I mean to say that we are regular ship-shape. What do
you think of it, sir?"

"Oh, never mind what I think, Buck. I'll tell you what father said to
the doctor."

"Ah, do, sir."

"He said all you men had worked splendidly."

"Oh, come, that's nice, sir," said Bu