o enjoy little of the good fare provided had
not one of the group begun to fend off the enthusiastic visitors.

"That's enough," he said; "give him breathing space. Eat away, man;
the junket won't keep; everything else will, and you can take with you
what is left."

Thus, when Smith arrived on the scene, he found his man surrounded by
an alfresco confectioner's shop, eating, laughing, talking, and
breaking forth into eloquent praise of Australian hospitality.

"Ah, mister," he cried, as Smith joined him; "this is a country! We
are pigs in clover. There is here enough for a regiment of Zouaves."

Here a diversion was caused by the arrival of Mr. Martin's friends
with rifles and ammunition enough to equip a company of grenadiers.
Smith accepted a dozen rifles and two or three hundred rounds of
ammunition; and these had just been placed in the car when the
Chinamen arrived with the petrol. He implored the torchbearers to
stand back while the inflammable fluid was put on board. This was done
amid a buzz of excitement, everybody talking at once.

"Speech! speech!" cried some one in the crowd, and Smith, thinking the
shortest way out of his embarrassment was to comply, stood up in the
car and thanked his good friends in Palmerston for the warmth of
their reception, and their kindness in supplying his wants.

"You will excuse me from saying more, I know," he added. "I have
nearly two thousand miles still to go; my father is in great danger;
and we are already several hours behind time. I can't shake hands with
you all, but I shall never forget your kindness. Now, if you will
clear the course so that I can get a run-off, I will say 'good-bye,'
and hope that some day I may come back and not be in such a hurry."

His simple words were cheered to the echo. Then Mr. Martin and three
or four more pressed the throng back. The good people cheered again as
the machine ran forward and sailed above them, and Smith, as he looked
down upon the sea of faces lit up by the flaring torches until it
became a blurred spot of light, felt cheered and encouraged, and set
his face hopefully towards the starlit east.

CHAPTER XII

STALKED BY PIGMIES

Smith had noticed before leaving Palmerston that the wind had risen
and was blowing steadily from the north-west. He was very anxious not
to miss Port Moresby, the principal harbour in British New Guinea, for
he hoped, in spite of what the Resident at Palmerston had said, to be
able t