"Talk about moustachios," cried Mark. "Why, they look like those of a china figure in a tea-shop. I wonder what he calls himself." "And this one too," said Dean, for they met a fine-looking, well built black with well-cut features, nose almost aquiline, and a haughty look of disdain in his frowning eyes, as, spear over shoulder, he stalked by the English party, not even deigning to turn to glance back. "I should think he's a chief," said Mark; "a sort of king in his way." "Doesn't cost him much a year for his clothes," said Dean, laughing, for the big fellow's costume was the simplest of the simple. "Ah, not much," said Sir James, looking after the man; "one of Nature's noblemen, who looks as if he had never done a stroke of work in his life. I wonder whether he would ever dare to make use of that spear." "I don't think there's any doubt about it, sir," said the doctor, "if he were offended; and if we meet men like that we shall have to be friends, for that's an ugly looking weapon that he carries over his shoulder with such a jaunty air." "What are you thinking about, doctor?" "I was thinking about the full-blooded black that the captain yonder promised to get us for our guide, and I was wondering whether that was likely to be he." The doctor's words made the rest turn to gaze after the fine-looking, lithe and active black, who stalked on, haughty of mien, without even seeming to give a thought to the English intruders upon his soil. CHAPTER SEVEN. `MAK' IS SENT IN. The barracks of Illakaree did not form an attractive object in the lovely landscape surrounded by hills, in and out amongst which the Reptile River ran, for a building hastily raised of corrugated iron never was and never will be beautiful. "I say ugly," said Mark to his cousin, "but all the same I should like to be inside one when there was a bad hailstorm. My word, what a shindy there would be with the big stones--lumps of ice, I suppose, they would be in a place like this--hammering down upon the zinc roof." "The soldiers look cheery enough." "And healthy," said the doctor. "Thoroughly," said Sir James. "It is a pity they cannot make arrangements down at the port to give their men a holiday up here." They were close up to the captain's quarters, and he, catching sight of the party, came out hastily to shake hands. "Well," he said, in a light cheery way, "what can I do for you? How are you getting on?" "Excellently," said the doctor, "thanks to you. We have secured the ponies, two waggons, and two span of oxen with their drivers." "That's right. Have you got your forelopers too." "Not yet, but I suppose there will be no difficulty about them."