In the grey light of dawn, when Mwesa also was asleep, Tom was awakened by a rustling at the entrance of the rude hut, across which Mwesa had thrown a rough barrier of thorns as a defence against a chance marauder. Starting up on his elbow, he saw dimly some dark shape apparently edging its way between the lower part of the barrier and the ground. For a moment or two he was unable to distinguish what it was; then he gave a sudden shout, seized the shot-gun which lay by his side, sprang to his feet and fired. Awakened by his shout, Mwesa had jumped up and come to his master’s side. There was a violent commotion in the thorny barrier. Next moment the slight hut collapsed, and both occupants were half buried by the boughs. Extricating themselves from the tangle, they peered out at the interlaced branches of thorn. Nothing was to be seen. "Wat dat noise, sah?" whispered Mwesa. "I think I saw the snout of a crocodile," replied Tom. Mwesa clicked in his throat, caught up his axe, and rushed out. But the crocodile had disappeared. "He berry much ’fraid, sah," said the boy, when he came back. "Gun make him berry sick. He go tell no come dis way no more: oh no!" CHAPTER VI--MWESA’S MISSION Tom could not help laughing as he surveyed the ruins of Mwesa’s little building, and the negro himself put his hands on his hips and roared with merriment. "Silly fella tink all same proper house," he said, alluding to the crocodile. "Me show him." It was clear that their first task, if they were to remain for any length of time in this spot, must be to construct a more substantial dwelling, and after a light breakfast they set forth to survey for a site. Tom found that his long tramp on the previous day had caused his injured ankle to swell, and he could only get along by hopping on his sound foot. Fortunately he had not far to go before lighting on a suitable situation in a spot above the shore of the lake, where a few isolated trees in the form of a rough circle enclosed a clear space some twenty yards across. Here, after bathing his ankle and tying his handkerchief tightly about it, he sat down to watch Mwesa set about building him a "proper house."