"We’ll make sure of it. Go on," said Mr. Halliday, and the three continued to follow the trail. "What’s that?" cried John suddenly, a few minutes later. "White man call; him no dead yet," said Coja. "Hallo!" shouted Mr. Halliday, and a faint "Hallo!" came in answer. Coja turned a little to the right, in the direction of the sound. Mr. Halliday called again, and again the answer came, louder, but still curiously muffled. Led by the sound, they now left the trail of the rhinoceros, and had proceeded but a few steps farther when Coja suddenly came to a halt, and bursting into laughter, cried, "Him down there!" "Where?" said Mr. Halliday in amazement, looking about him. And then he saw, in the midst of the grass, a deep hole, and at the bottom, nine or ten feet below the surface, a young white man sitting cross-legged. "Hallo!" he said, looking up with a smile. "I thought it was my brother, though it wasn’t like his shout. Can you help me out? I’m afraid I’ve sprained my ankle." "Of course we can," said Mr. Halliday, "but I’d like to know what on earth you are doing there." "Thanking my stars I’m not skewered," said the other. "Let down your rifle, will you? Perhaps I can manage to scramble out; but don’t let me drag you down." Mr. Halliday lowered his rifle, holding it by the barrel, having first taken the precaution of emptying the breech; and the prisoner took it by the stock, and tried to clamber up the side of the hole. But he winced as his right foot touched the earth, and after a few moments said-- "I’m afraid I can’t manage it. My ankle has got a twist. If you’ll shout for my men I’ll get one of them to make a sling of rope and haul me out." "We needn’t wait for that," said John. "I’ll jump down and give you a lift." "Look out, then. There’s a pointed stake in the ground here which I only escaped by a hair’s breadth. Jump to the left. It’s uncommon good of you." John leapt down, and making a pick-a-back, got the stranger to mount and then to stand erect on one foot. His head was now just below the level of the pit. "I’m afraid we’re not much for’arder," he said, with a smile. "Can’t you get your elbows on the edge and hoist yourself up?" suggested John. "Can’t reach. You’d better let me down." "I’ll tell you what," said John: "cut a notch in the wall for your foot. Then you can hoist yourself up by the rifle until you are high enough to get your elbows on; then it’ll be easy. The earth is pretty soft." Sitting with his legs over John’s shoulders, the stranger soon cut a notch with his knife; and in a few minutes he was hauled to the surface. "I’m much obliged to you. I might have stayed there till I starved for all my men would have troubled." "How did you manage to fall in?" asked Mr. Halliday.