ying to obtain the rest my friend
recommended.

At last, though, the time came, and we were making our final
preparations, when the doctor decided that we would just take a look
round first by way of a scout.

It was fortunate that we did, for just as it was growing dusk, after a
good look round we were about to cross the rivulet, and go through the
cavern and up the rift back into camp, when I caught the doctor's arm
without a word.

He started and looked in the same direction as I did which was right
down the gully, and saw what had taken my attention, namely, the
stooping bodies of a couple of blacks hurrying away through the bushes
at a pretty good rate.

The doctor clapped his piece to his shoulder, and then dropped it once
more.

"No!" he said. "I might kill one, but the other would bear the news.
Fortunately they are going the other way and not ours. Quick, my lad!
let's get back to camp and start."

"And they'll come back with a lot of their warriors to attack us
to-night and find us gone!"

"And while they are gone, Joe, we will attack their place and carry off
our prize!"

"If we only could!" I cried fervently.

"No _ifs_, Joe," he said smiling; "we _will_!"

It did not take us many minutes to reach the mouth of the cave, and as
we entered I looked round again, to catch sight of another black figure
crouching far up the opposite bank, at the foot of a great tree.

I did not speak, for it was better that the black should not think he
had been seen, so followed the doctor into the cave, climbed the rift
with him, and found all ready for the start.

"Black fellow all 'bout over there way!" said Jimmy to me in a whisper.

"How do you know?" I said quickly.

"Jimmy smell am!" he replied seriously. "Jimmy go look 'bout. Smell um
black fellow, one eye peeping round um trees."

"Yes, we have seen them too," I said; and signing to him to follow, I
found the doctor.

"The sooner we are off the better!" he said. "Now, Mr Francis, do you
think you can lead us to the other side of the village, round by the
north? the enemy are on the watch."

Mr Francis turned his head without a word, and, leaning upon a stout
stick, started at once; and we followed in silence, just as the stars
were coming out.

It seemed very strange calling this savage-looking being Mr Francis,
but when talking with him during his recovery from his wound one only
needed to turn one's head to seem to be in conversation wit