"Well, let's ask him," said Dean. The boys turned to where the two blacks were standing watching them, a strangely assorted pair as they kept together, Mak towering up above the eager-looking pigmy, who seemed to have grown during the few hours that he had been with the party more active and better than before. Mark began with Mak, asking a question to which the only answer he could get was a wave of the spear; but when he turned impatiently to the pigmy and began to question him in signs, touching the gold ornaments in the same way as he had tried to enquire of his fellow of the forest camp, the only reply he could get was a shake of the head. "Well, I call that disappointing," said Mark. "It is just as if he had brought us here on purpose to show us, and now won't tell." "Wait a bit," said the doctor. "We can't find out everything at once. Come along, and don't wander away to a distance. Let Mak lead so that he may be able to follow the back track. I don't want to have any troubles of getting lost." "But we can't get lost here, sir," said Mark, "for we can see for miles around." "Yes, but the place is a regular maze. It's terribly hard work climbing about, and before long we shall want to return to camp." And then oddly enough the doctor in his interest forgot his words and took the lead himself, descending into a gulch between the rocky slopes where they had been gazing into the rifts and cavernous places, and then rising and climbing to what is commonly known as a hog's-back ridge, which proved to be the untouched massive pile of granite that rose higher than any other near, and was found to be broken up at the top with tumbled together heaps of rough blocks through which they wound in and out till they found their way narrowing with the walls inclining more and more till they touched. They paused at last in obedience to a call from the black, who shook his head, frowned, and signed to them to come back. "What does that mean?" said the doctor. "I don't know," replied Mark. "Hallo! Look here!" For though the doctor and his white companions stopped short, the pigmy darted off quickly, not stopping till he reached Mak, who was some distance away, and who now began to retire more and more. "I don't see anything to make him shrink away," said the doctor. "Shout to him, Mark, and tell him to return directly." The boy leaped upon a stone and began waving his hand to their guide, signing to him to come on, but without effect, for Mak shook his head, gave the pigmy a sign to follow him, and retired more and more till they passed round behind some tall bushes and disappeared. "This is tiresome," said the doctor. "We want the fellow here, for he goes about just as if he knows the place, and it strikes me that he must have been here before. Well, I suppose we may as well turn back."