"There, we needn't all go. Run and fetch what we want, you two, and we had better take a canteen or two of water and something to eat, in case we lose ourselves. But no, we had better all go together, Dean, and rig up, or we shall be sure to find we have left something behind that we ought to have taken." "Especially matches," said Dean. They were about half way to the opening in front of their shed, known generally as the camp, when Dean suddenly uttered an ejaculation. "What is it?" cried his cousin. "The blacks." "Ah! Where are father and the doctor?" cried Mark excitedly. "And we are wandering about here without arms." "I did not mean the savage blacks," cried Dean. "Why, you don't mean--" "Yes, I do. Hooray! There they are, along with Dunn and the ponies--an old croaker, to make believe that they might never come back!" Just then Dunn pointed in their direction, and the two blacks turned and caught sight of them, to begin marching slowly forward, Mak shouldering his spear and stepping out with quite a military stride, while the pigmy strutted along with an assumption of braggart conceit that was amusing in the extreme. "Well," cried Mark, as they met, "what luck? You haven't found the rifle?" "Yes. Find 'em." "Where?" "Stolen. Nigger." "But where was it?" cried the boys together. Mak pointed to the pigmy, who nodded and laughed, and by degrees the little party managed to elicit from their two scouts that ever since they started they had been in hiding near the ruins, waiting and watching in the belief that sooner or later whoever had stolen the rifle would come again for further plunder. "But you have been away for days," said Dean. "Have you been hunting too, so as to get something to eat?" This was rather a long speech for Mak, to whom it was addressed, to fully comprehend, but when it had been repeated to him simplified as far as possible by Mark and the two men, the black nodded cheerfully and explained that he had waited every night till they were quite fast asleep, and then the pigmy had crept up like a dog or a baboon to help himself to what they wanted, and then stolen away again to watch. "But he couldn't have done that," cried Mark; "certainly not when I was on guard. It must have been your turn, Dean, and you went to sleep." "That I declare I didn't!" cried the accused, and the two boys now gazed severely at their men, who looked at one another, as if feeling guilty, "I swear I didn't, messmate. I couldn't have slept for thinking that some of the niggers would come stealing, and steal my life," grunted Dan. "Same here," growled Buck. A rough cross-examination ensued--a very hard one too, for Mak nodded his replies to fit his misunderstanding; but at last the investigators felt convinced that they were only listening to the truth, and that, thanks to his size, activity, and possible resemblance to some animal, the pigmy had had no difficulty about stealing into the camp for supplies.