"Of course there are, sir," said his uncle shortly, "and so there would be if we stopped about here for another month. Now, no more words. You have got your marching orders, captain--I mean, doctor; and you will go round with your officers and see the blacks, the two drivers, and our own three men, so that there may be no excuse for their not being ready." "Exactly so, Sir James. I am very glad that we have come to this climax." "So am I," said Sir James. "Eh? What's that, Mark?" for the boy was whispering to his cousin. "What's that you are saying?" "Oh, I was only talking to Dean, father," said the boy, rather confusedly, and his face turned scarlet, lit up as it was by the swinging lantern beneath which he was seated. "Yes, sir; I saw you were; and you were protesting against my orders for what I presume you call this hurried start." "That I am sure I was not, father. I was only joking to Dean." "And what was the joke, sir? You, Dean, what did he say?" "I don't like to tell you, uncle." "I insist that you tell me at once, sir," said Sir James angrily. The boy gave a deprecating look at his cousin, and then went on hesitatingly, "Mark said that it was comic--" "Well, sir? Go on." Dean coughed to clear his voice. "He said it was comic that you had just made us all officers and then ended by taking it all out of the doctor's hands and playing captain yourself." "Humph! Well," grunted Sir James, "it does sound a little odd. But this was the final instructions as I was making resignation. But stop a minute. I had just made the reservation that I should interfere if I thought proper. Now I have done. Give your final orders, captain; and then if it was my case I should say, lights out and let's all have a good rest till daylight to-morrow morning. By the way, whose turn is it to take the watch to-night, doctor?" "Yours, Sir James, and I relieve you two hours after midnight." "And to-morrow night?" "Mark first watch, Dean the second." "Next night?" "Not settled yet." "Good; and I think it was a very excellent arrangement of yours, doctor, to begin as we did on the first night of our moving into camp." That night seemed all too short, and Mark could hardly believe that it was close on daylight when the doctor roused him to see the fierce-looking black, spear-armed, dimly showing by the light of the lantern the former carried, while Dean would not believe it at all, but treated it as part of a dream, and turned over, fast asleep again. "Oh, I say," cried Mark, "did you ever see such an old dozey, doctor?" "Catch hold of one arm," said the doctor. "I'll take the other. Here, Mak, take hold." He handed the lantern to the black, who took it and stood looking on while the sleeper was regularly set upon his legs, to stand staring in alarm at the glistening eyes and the white grinning ivory of the man's teeth. "Oh," he cried, in a half startled tone, "I thought--it can't be morning!"