r, on entering a piece of woodland, a
herd of pallahs, and another of water-bucks, appeared, standing as quiet
and still as if they were part of a painted landscape. Then, in passing
a thick clump of thorns, they could see, through openings in the bushes,
the dim phantom-like forms of buffaloes, with heads lowered and eyes
glaring at them, ready to charge, if need be, though too lazy from heat,
apparently, to begin the 'fray, and willing to act on the principle of
"let be for let be." Still farther on, a native was observed keeping at
a respectful distance. He had seen the travellers from afar, and come
with noiseless tread to get a nearer view.

Halting to rest the party for a few minutes in a shady hollow, Harold
threw himself at full length on the grass, but Disco, who, strange to
say, did not feel inclined to smoke at the moment--probably because he
had only just finished his fifth pipe a few minutes previously--
sauntered on alone to the top of the next ridge.

He had barely reached the summit when Harold, who chanced to be looking
after him, observed that he crouched suddenly behind a bush, and, after
gazing steadfastly for a few seconds over the hill, turned and ran back,
making excessively wild demonstrations with head and arms, but uttering
no sound.

Of course the whole party sprang up and ran towards the excited mariner,
and soon were near enough to understand that his violent actions were
meant to caution them to make no noise.

"Hush!" he said eagerly, on coming near enough to be heard; "keep quiet
as mice. There's a slave-gang, or somethin' uncommon like it, goin'
along on right athwart us."

Without a word of reply, the whole party hurried forward and gained a
point of observation behind the low bushes which crowned the ridge.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

SHOWS SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF THE SLAVE-TRADE AT THE FOUNTAIN-HEAD.

Down in a gorge, just below the spot where Harold Seadrift and his men
lay concealed, a strange sight met the eyes of the two Englishmen, in
regard to which, despite all that they had heard and seen, and were
prepared to see, they were as much shocked as if it had never been
presented even to their imaginations up to that moment.

It was a gang of slaves winding its way slowly but steadily through the
gorge.

The head of the dusky procession was just emerging on the open ground
beyond the gorge when the travellers first came upon it. The slaves
advanced towards the spot where