"What then, sir? Strikes me as them two, the little 'un and the big 'un, will turn theirselves into traps, and we shall wake up some morning to find that they have got the thief as they caught in the night." "Well done, mate! I didn't think you had got it in you," growled Buck. "Bravo!" cried the boys together. "Splendid!" "Now then," said Mark, "the next thing will be to take the two blacks into our confidence. Hold hard; there's Brown." CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. THE LOST RIFLE. The long, weary-looking fellow came up, looked sadly from one to the other, nodding to his companions shortly, and then, turning to the boys, "Very sorry, gentlemen," he said slowly; "your rifle, Mr Mark. Just heard from Sir James." "Yes, it's a nuisance, Dunn. Haven't seen it, I suppose?" "No, sir, no," replied the man, with a sigh. "Haven't stood it up against a rock or a tree--" "There, there, stop that. We have gone all over it, and found out where it's gone." "Found--out, sir?" "Yes; we think some of the blacks have come in the night, crept in and stolen it." "Ah!" ejaculated the man, almost animatedly. "Hullo! Do you know anything about it?" cried Mark. "My ponies--two nights--uneasy," said the man, very slowly. "And you got up in the night to see if there were any beasts about?" cried Mark excitedly. "Oh, do go on! Make haste." "Yes," continued Dunn, more deliberately than ever. "Coming back-- dark--fancied I saw something crawling.--Jumped aside.--Like baboon." "That was it, Brown, safe. Dan and I saw one too. Now, what's to be done?" "Shoot," said the man laconically. "Oh, we don't want to kill them." "Small shot," said Brown softly. "Pepper," said Dean. Brown nodded. "Well, we are not going to try that," cried Mark. "Here, you go and fetch the two blacks. You are quite good friends now." Brown nodded, hurried off, and returned in a few minutes with the pair he had sought, who came up with their eyes hard at work gazing searchingly from one to the other and looking as if they expected to be called to account for some misdoing. "They think you are going to bully them, Mark," whispered Dean. "Tell them it is all right." Mark, who was seated upon an ancient block of stone that had fallen from the wall, sprang to his feet so suddenly that the pigmy took flight on the instant, and Mak was following him, when Mark sprang to him and caught him by the arm. "What are you going to do, stupid?" he cried. "I wasn't going to hit you. It's all right. Sit down. Here--_pious_--_cooey_!" he cried. "_Pig, tchig, tchig, tchig, tchig_!" cried Dean; and the dwarf turned to glance back as he ran. "Tell him it's all right, Mak. We want to talk to you," said Mark. "There sit down, and he will come." The big black hesitated a moment, and then slowly squatted. "I say, Dean, a guilty conscience needs no accuser! Look at him in front. He's been having something since breakfast. Pig! Pig! Mak, call him."