vessel
followed us strangely. However, it is all explained now, and I have
been sent with this message, because the captain thought that if he
sent a white sailor they would not give him the information."

"Do you know, Sebastian?" the old man asked his son.

"Yes, they turned off to the right two miles further on."

"Look here, boy," Dominique said, "we were promised twenty dollars
if we took the message straight. Now, if you will go with us and
find out, we will give you five of them. As we are strangers to the
people here, they might not answer our questions; but if you go and
say that you have to carry the message, no doubt they will tell you
which way they have gone."

The lad jumped up.

"I will go with you," he said; "but perhaps when we get there you
will not give me the money."

"Look here," Dominique said, taking three dollars from his pocket.
"I will leave these with your father, and will hand you the other
two as soon as we get within sight of the place where they are."

The lad was quite satisfied. Five dollars was more than he could
earn by two months' work. As soon as they went out, Dominique
whispered to one of the boatmen to go back and tell Frank what had
taken place, and to beg him to follow at some distance behind.
Whenever they took a fresh turning, one of the boatmen would always
be left until he came up.

Frank had some difficulty in understanding the boatman's French,
and it was rather by his gestures than his words that he gathered
his meaning. As soon as the message was given the negro hurried on
until he overtook Dominique.

"I am sorry now that we did not bring Pedro," Frank said. "However,
I think we made out what he had to say. Dominique has got someone
to go with him to do the questioning, as he arranged with me; and
he will leave one or other of the men every time he turns off from
the road he is following. That will be a very good arrangement. So
far we have been most fortunate. We know now that we are following
them, and it will be hard if we don't manage to keep the clue now
that we have once got hold of it."

When they came to the road that branched off to the right, the
other boatman was waiting. He pointed up the road and then ran on
silently ahead. No fresh turn was made for a long distance. Twice
they were stopped by one of the blacks, who managed to inform them
that Dominique and the guide were making inquiries at a hut ahead.

The road had now become a mere track