ife, and I never expected
to see you again. Here, Mr Mark, sir," he cried, as he turned his back
suddenly upon the gaunt self-appointed messenger who had saved all their
lives, "just take me away somewhere, or I shall break down and blubber
like a great girl. Quick, sir, before the soldiers see." Then quickly,
and his big voice raised the echoes again from all around--"Have any of
you seen anything of my teams--two span, forty-six oxen?"

He was answered by a deep bellowing from out of sight somewhere in the
depths of the ruins.

"Hooroar!" cried Buck. "The poor beggars know me, and the niggers
haven't ate them all."

"Well, sergeant," said Captain Lawton, "want to speak to me?"

"Yes, captain."

"Well, what have you to report?"

"All has been done as you wished, sir."

"How many prisoners?"

"Only two, sir--a big one and a little; and the little one's a chief,
sir. Gold bangles, and a gold band round his head and feathers in it."

"What's that?" cried Mark anxiously.

"Feathers, sir," said the sergeant. "Quite a dwarf."

"Oh!" cried Mark excitedly.

"T'other's a big fellow, sir, about six foot four. Fine-looking chap;
but they both had a very narrow escape. Four of our lads came upon them
dancing a sort of war dance on the men who had been shot, and I think if
our lads had not come up they would have begun spearing."

"But the men did not hurt them?" interposed Mark.

"No, sir," replied the sergeant. "They did not mind being taken a bit.
Began laughing and wanted to go on dancing; but our men were a bit too
wild. You see, sir, their blood was up after the fight."

"But you are sure they are not hurt?" cried Mark.

"Oh, yes, sir; quite sure, sir."

"They are our friends, Captain Lawton. The big one is your Illaka whom
you found for us."

"Oh, that accounts for it," said the captain. "Fetch him here,
sergeant."

"And the little one too, sir?"

"Oh, yes," cried Mark. "He is a pigmy chief. They have saved our lives
again and again, Captain Lawton."

"And thought nothing of risking their own," put in Dean.

In a few minutes the sergeant was back with the two so-called prisoners,
who no sooner caught sight of the boys than failing the spears, which
had been taken from them, they flung up their hands and began a dance of
triumph which would have gone on for long enough if Mark and Dean had
not stopped them, when Mak drew himself up stiffly and made an imitation
military salute to the