our field guns and one naval gun removed from the
cruiser _Konigsberg_, beside a vast quantity of arms and ammunition.

The result of this engagement was a junction with the gallant Belgian
forces, the Huns being split up into two groups, of which the principal
force was on the Portuguese border, while the other, subdivided into
mobile detachments, was doubling back towards the Rufigi river.

"These fellows will give trouble," declared the major. "They won't
stand. They are in a mortal funk of enveloping movements; but by the
time we've rounded 'em up we'll be jolly sick of the show, you mark my
words."

The return of Bela Moshi and his section diverted Wilmshurst's
attention into another channel. The Haussa sergeant had succeeded in
following the spoor of MacGregor's horse for three and a half miles
along the path taken by the Waffs of their practically barren
operations against the kopje when the Huns had been reported. Here the
trail ended in a medley of hoof-prints, while hard by a rock were
traces of the splaying of half a dozen bullets. In the sun-baked grass
in front of the rock were found ten used cartridge cases and a
stirrup-iron, but a prolonged search faded to reveal any traces of the
missing Rhodesian's departure from the spot where he had apparently
been brought to bay. There were hundreds of footprints all around;
those of Askaris and Germans, for none of the imprints of booted feet
bore any resemblance to those of Robert MacGregor.

At the first opportunity the adjutant called Wilmshurst aside.

"You didn't mention your suspicions to any one else?" he enquired.

"No, sir," replied Dudley.

"It's just as well for the present," continued Captain Manners. "For
MacGregor's sake I hope that you have done him an injustice, but I am
quite convinced that you acted judiciously in communicating your
suspicions to me. However, there's still one point that wants clearing
up. The patrol did not find MacGregor's body. Nor was there any spoor
to show which way he went if he did succeed in breaking through the
enemy. The third surmise is that he might have been taken prisoner.
If so, is it likely that the Huns provided him with a horse? I think
not. Knowing Fritz as we do, the sort of thing that they would do
would be to lash his wrists, and drag him at the end of a line--but
Bela Moshi was emphatic that none of the boot-prints corresponded to
those of the missing man. Until the mystery is cleared u