The doctor laughed. "But I say," said Mark eagerly, "did you notice that little chief?" "Yes," said the doctor. "I did notice it, and was going to speak about it. He was quite a dandy this morning, with his black ostrich feather and his brass wire band round his forehead. He looked quite smart. He must be the chief." "But I say, doctor, is that brass wire?" "Of course; the same as his bangles and the rings about his ankles. What else could it be? One thing's very plain. There are ostriches up here somewhere, and these people set store by their feathers. Now do you see what it means?" "Yes," said Mark, "that the chief wears one and that none of the others do." "I didn't mean that," said the doctor. "I meant that they evidently traded with dealers who come up the country here and use coils of brass wire as their current coin to exchange with the natives." "Coils of brass wire which they cut in lengths, I suppose, to deal with these little blacks." "That's quite right, my boy; but what are you thinking about?" "I was thinking," said Mark, "that if these traders came right up here and dealt with the pigmies we should have heard about it." "Might or might not," said the doctor. "Yes," said Mark, who seemed very thoughtful, "and I might or might not be right if I said that I believe it isn't brass but gold." "What!" cried the doctor. "Nonsense!" Mark seemed as if he did not hear the doctor's contemptuous words, while his cousin, startled by Mark's suggestion, now said eagerly, "And there are those two bits like ferrules about the chiefs spear. They are not brass wire." "No," said the doctor, "but they might be thicker pieces beaten out into ferrules. But really, boys, you have started a curious train of thought. I hardly noticed the bangles; I was so much occupied with the little fellow's wound. It might be what you say. I wish you had spoken before. It is a most interesting suggestion. Well, it isn't worth while to go after them, and we will examine them closely to-morrow morning." "But you said that we were going away to-day," said Mark. "Yes," replied the doctor, "but we are not obliged, and--really, this is interesting. It opens up quite a train of thought. Here, we will talk it over with Sir James at breakfast." It was talked over quietly during the meal, and the party stayed that day, while the next morning both boys were awake before daylight and on the look out, with Mak, for the coming of the little strangers. But there was no sign of the tiny black chief and his men. "They won't come," said Mark impatiently, "and we have let the chance slip by of finding out something very interesting." "But we don't want to find out anything about gold," said Dean, with a ring of contempt in his words. "No," said Mark, "but I should have liked to have found out that it was gold, all the same. Well," continued the boy, "that little chap has done with the doctor, and there will be no more bandaging."