, and was continually mounting.
Other tracks had branched off, leading, Frank supposed, to small
hill villages. After going some ten miles, the lad told Dominique
that it was useless for him to go further, for that there were no
more huts near the track. Beyond the fact that the two women were
on horseback when they passed the last hut, nothing was learned
there.

"It is of no use to go further," the guide said. "There are no
houses near here to inquire at, and there are three or four more
paths that turn off from here. We must stop until morning, and then
I will go on alone and make inquiries of shepherds and cottagers;
but, you see, I thought that we should find them tonight. If I work
all day tomorrow, I shall expect three more dollars."

"You shall have them," Dominique said. "Here is my blanket. I will
share one with one of my boatmen."

The lad at once lay down and pulled the blanket over his head. As
soon as he did so, Dominique motioned to the two boatmen to do the
same, and then went back along the track until he met Frank's
party. As the hills were for the most part covered with trees
almost up to their summits, Frank and his party had only to turn a
short distance off from the path, on receiving Dominique's news
that the guide had stopped.

"It is half past one," Frank said, holding the lantern, which the
pilot had left with them, to his watch. "We shall get four hours'
sleep. You had better serve a tot of grog all round, George. It
will keep out the damp night air."

One of the blacks was carrying a basket, and each of the men had
brought a water bottle and pannikin.

"Put some water in it, lads," Frank said, "and it would be a good
thing to eat a bit of biscuit with it."

Dominique had told Frank that the guide had made some remark about
the two blacks dropping behind so often, and the latter took out
his handkerchief, tore it into eight pieces, and gave it to him.

"Wherever you turn off, Dominique, drop one of these pieces on the
path. That will be quite sufficient."

"Yes, sar; but you see we don't know when we start up path whether
it be right path or no. We go up one, if find dat hit not de one
dey go, den come back again and try anoder. What we to do?"

After thinking for some little time, Frank suggested that
Dominique's best way would be to tell the guide that he was
footsore, and that as several paths would have to be searched, he
and one of the men would sit down there. The other wou