"I say, Dean, we must have breakfast before we go, this morning. We can't send company away--and such a grandee as this--without a feed." A few minutes later, as the boys sat silently gazing at their little visitor, noting that in spite of being thin and rather hollow of cheek his eyes were bright and there was no sign of weakness in his movements, while his skin, in spite of its swarthiness, looked healthy and clean, Mak strode up to the open end of the waggon and looked in; and his eyes opened wider as he displayed his beautifully white teeth in a pleasant smile. "What do you think of this?" cried Mark, as he checked himself in laying his hand upon the scar of the pigmy's wounded shoulder and placed it upon his right. And now for the first time the little fellow displayed animation, for he snatched the hand away quickly and placed it upon the scar. "Oh, very well," said Mark. "I was afraid of hurting you. Well, Mak, aren't you surprised?" The black shook his head, and then quietly nodded it. "Come," he said. "Pig come." "Thank you," said Mark, laughing; "but we knew that. Well, we will chance whether the boss likes it or not; tell Dan we shall want some breakfast before we start." "Yes, mps," said the black, nodding his head. "Coff. Plenty eat;" and he went away. "Well, jump down, little one," said Mark. "Come on, Dean; there's a splendid chance here for a dip, so let's go and have one. Pig here won't mind." He leaped down, and the little fellow followed him at once, Dean coming last. "I say," said Mark merrily, "that's better, young fellow. You can get along now without being carried in a basket. But I can't understand how you managed to get right so soon." "'Tis his nature to," said Dean drily; and as the boys chatted from one to another across him, throwing, so to speak, verbal balls from one to the other, their little visitor seemed to be listening intently and with a grave look of satisfaction upon his countenance, as he walked with them down to the stream which Mark had selected overnight for his bathe. "Now I wonder whether he will do as we do," said Mark, as he quickly made ready and plunged in. "No," said Dean, sending the water flying as he plunged in after his cousin. "Look at him!" For the pigmy gravely seated himself upon a little block of granite, laid his bow and spear across his knees, and sat watching the wet gambols of the lads, till, quite refreshed, they both sprang out, had a run over the sand in the hot sunshine, and then returned to dress. "Don't you ever bathe?" said Mark, rather breathlessly, as he hurried on his flannels. "Not he," said Dean. "If he could speak to us he would say, I never wash; there's no need." "Why, boys," cried the doctor, who had descended from the kopje and approached with Sir James, unobserved, "is this another of the pigmies?" "Look again, sir," said Dean. "He's got your stamp upon him."