ve the effect of taking the skin off
his temper.

"Well, I don't know about Bob here, sir, but I do feel that I was a fool
for wanting to come," said the keeper.

"Then you would both go," cried Mark angrily, "and leave us in the lurch
just because you don't like this place?"

"Well, I put it to you, Mr Mark, sir," said Bob, "speaking as
gamekeepers, we thought we was coming out here to a beautiful country
where it was going to be shooting all day long. And just look about
you! Don't it look as if it was the last place that was ever made?"

"I don't know," said Mark shortly, "but I didn't expect that you two
would have played the sneak as soon as there was a little trouble."

"Who's a-going to, Mr Mark, sir?" said Bob gruffly. "You asked us how
we liked Africa, and we only as good as said we didn't like it a tiny
bit. We arn't a-going to play the sneak; are we, Peter?"

"Not us," grunted Dance. "I shouldn't like to go and tell Sir James
that; should you, Bob?"

"No-o!"

"Come along, Dean," said Mark, turning from the men; and the boys walked
away. "Let's get indoors. I don't know what's come to me; I feel as if
I could quarrel with everybody. Let's go in and see if father's awake
yet."

"Why, you can't quarrel with him," said Dean, staring in wonder at his
cousin.

"Well, who said I could, stupid? Do you want to make me quarrel with
you?"

"Yes, if you like. I feel as if a nice row would do me good. I'm
miserable. It's been a wretched voyage, bad weather all the time, and
uncle cross, and the doctor wishing--I could see he was--nearly all the
time, that he had never said a word about travelling; and now after
longing to get to land we have been set down here."

"Well," said Mark, "you are a nice fellow to try and cheer one up! I
had just said a word or two about how wretched I was and how I felt, and
then you begin quarrelling."

CHAPTER FOUR.

ALL IN TO BEGIN.

The first words which saluted the boys were from Sir James:

"Why don't you start your sun helmets?"

"Not unpacked, father. You said--"

"Oh, never mind what I said, boy, but get them out as soon as you can; a
straw hat, as the doctor has just been saying, is no protection here; is
it, doctor?"

"Certainly not, sir; but we shall not feel the heat so much as soon as
we leave here, for the country rises."

"Pretty country!" said Sir James sarcastically. "But you boys, who was
that rough looking sailor you picked up w