to bleed, and
this had greatly added to the difficulty of pursuit. Finally, the
blood-marks ceased altogether, and thenceforward they could do nothing
but press forward along what, in the uncertain light of their torches,
seemed to be the most well-defined track, finding encouragement for
their persistency in those occasional rustlings ahead of them. At
length, however, these also ceased, and when they had been plodding
doggedly forward for at least a quarter of an hour without hearing a
sound save that made by themselves, Lethbridge called a halt.

"Look here, you fellows," he said, "I don't want to discourage you--and
especially _you_, Professor--but don't you think this affair has gone
quite far enough? I am bitterly sorry and disappointed to be obliged to
say it, but I think there can be no doubt that we have lost that okapi.
Whether the poor beast has recovered sufficiently to have been enabled
to out-distance us, or whether, on the other hand, finding himself hard
pressed, he has made a dash ahead and then quietly slipped into cover
somewhere, I am not prepared to say, but I am morally convinced that we
shall not see him again. Now, if your opinion upon this matter is the
same as mine, I would suggest that we turn back forthwith, since nothing
is to be gained by going any farther forward, while there is just a
possibility that we may experience some difficulty in finding our way
back out of this maze."

It appeared that Sir Reginald was of the same opinion as Lethbridge.
Von Schalckenberg, on the other hand, was so absolutely certain that
they were still upon the track of the okapi, and that they would soon
come up with it, also that there would be no difficulty whatever in the
matter of finding their way back, that, as he explained, he felt quite
justified in urging the others to continue the pursuit, pleading at the
same time the folly of giving up, now that they had come so far, and
done so much. The result was that Sir Reginald and Lethbridge
ultimately yielded to the professor's entreaties, the baronet with a
certain amount of inward misgiving, and Lethbridge with a resigned shrug
of the shoulders.

The trail--or rather, what von Schalckenberg believed to be the trail--
was accordingly followed for another half-hour, but without the
discovery of any further sign of the okapi. And then a difficulty arose
in connection with the torches. There was nothing now available for
these but such dry twigs and