the idea of leading armies
appealed to them.

'I see that both your names are down for Sandhurst,' went on Mr. Wilson;
'but unless you can get through the classes much faster than you have
done as yet, there is not the smallest chance of your being ready for
the examination. With really hard work, you might still get into the
Army Class at the proper time, and I must leave it to you to decide
whether you consider it worth while to do so or not. You can think it
over, boys. Good-bye for the present,' and Baker and Paynton found that
the dreaded interview with the Head Master was over, and that he had
given them a great deal to think about.

The result of their meditations may be summed up in the remark Paynton
made to Baker as they went into school next morning.

'I almost wish Billy had caned us,' he said in a regretful voice. 'It
will be all right to end up as celebrated generals, but it will be jolly
slow in school if we're not going to have any more larks.'

[Illustration: "The most wily and cunning black pig that ever made his
escape."]

[Illustration: OPPORTUNITY MAKES THE THIEF.]

[Illustration: "'See! A Matabele!'"]

ROUND THE CAMP-FIRE.

By HAROLD ERICSON.

V.--SAVED FROM THE MATABELES

'Look here, Teddy,' said Rolf Denison, addressing Vandeleur, whose turn
had come round again for a yarn, 'You promised to tell us more about
young what's-his-name, the Matabele boy who was half English, or
something of the sort, and said he was a White Witch; you left him
disappearing into the jungle, offended, and promised you would tell us
about him reappearing "at a critical moment." I want to hear about that
critical moment.'

'So do I,' Bobby chimed in; 'I was rather interested in that chap--what
was his name--Um something---- '

'Umkopo,' Vandeleur laughed. 'All right, here goes, then, for my yarn; I
fancy you'd be still more interested in Umkopo if you knew as much about
him as I do; I didn't know _then_, mind you, when all this happened, nor
did Umkopo himself; maybe I will make that into a yarn too, one day.'

* * * * *

Well, it was just at the beginning of the first Matabele war that I
first came across Umkopo, and it was not until the middle of the second
war--the rising in Mashonaland--that we met again. I was out hunting
again when the new troubles broke out, and finding myself not far from
Bulawayo when the rumour of war reached me, I made all haste to reach