uely above the scanty scrub at
a distance of nearly two miles.

Halting his men, Wilmshurst made a careful survey of the ground by
means of his binoculars. A number of large birds--_aasvogels_, or
African vultures--were circling over the derelict. It was therefore
safe to conclude that no human being, unless helpless to lift a hand,
was in the vicinity.

In the midst of his investigations Tari Barl approached with a
self-satisfied smile on his ebony features.

"Askari him foots, sah!" he reported, holding up three fingers of his
right hand to indicate that he had discovered the spoor of three of the
German native soldiery.

"H'm!" muttered Dudley. "That's rotten news. New spoor, Tarry Barrel?"

The Haussa nodded vehemently, and led his officer to the footprints.

Examination showed that three natives had been following the spoor of
the two naval airmen. The firm tread of the latter--for at that stage
of the journey they were comparatively fresh--was partly obliterated by
the typical imprints of a black walking stealthily on his toes, for the
impress of the heels hardly occurred. The Askaris had abandoned the
trail a short distance from the brow of the hill, for there were marks
where they had stood and debated, and the spoor leading in a
north-westerly direction showed that they had gone by a different route
from the one they had followed. This track did not lead in the
direction of the stranded seaplane, so Wilmshurst conjectured that the
Askaris had made straight for their main body, possibly with the
intention of bringing men to recover the trophy.

Again the subaltern levelled his glasses and swept the skyline.
Wending their way down a bare kloof were about two hundred armed blacks
and three men in European garb riding in the centre of the column.

"MacGreg him dar, sah!" exclaimed Bela Moshi.

"Nonsense!" replied Wilmshurst, yet in his heart he was not at all sure
but that the Haussa was right.

"MacGreg him make palaver with Bosh-bosh," declared the sergeant.

It was a contest between a pair of high-powered field glasses and the
eyesight of a native. Vainly Wilmshurst wiped the lenses and looked
and looked again without being able to satisfy himself that Bela
Moshi's statement was correct.

"Here, you boy!" said the sergeant addressing Tari Barl. "You come
here an' use yer eyes all one time quick. Say who am white man on der
black horse."

"Me tink MacGreg him come," replied Tan Barl afte