n of camels and horses comes down about once a year from
the lakes up north, toward the Abyssinian border. We only follow it over
the plateau with the wagons."

There was no doubt that the route, which existed on the map only, was
practicable for the light wagons. The next day they were among the
hills, in high altitudes, and here the game almost vanished for the next
two days. The villages of the natives were scattered, but those that
they found had more cultivated land near by than the others, which made
up for the scarcity of game. The wagons were much under-loaded, and were
taken more to bring back what might be found north of the Lorian swamp
than for anything else.

"Seems to me," said Charlie on the third day, as he thawed out a gourd
full of water that had frozen overnight, "that we could load up the
wagons with green stuff when we go through here. That last village we
came through was plumb chuck full o' pumpkins."

"Melons, you mean," laughed Jack. "I dug into one. There was some
squash, though, in the back fields. How far we going, General?"

Schoverling consulted his pocket-map and compass before replying.

"We ought to be near the station of the commissioner of the district
now. If we don't strike it by night we may as well go back. I've found
out what we came for."

About noon, however, they came to a long unpainted frame building with
corrugated iron roof, set in the midst of a grove of small trees. At the
rear were stables and a great corral of wire netting, in which grazed a
herd of ostriches. As they rode up to the door one or two natives came
out, and a khaki-clad Englishman with shoulder-straps rushed out to
receive them.

"Hello!" laughed Schoverling as he shook hands. "This is the
commissioner--Captain Yonge?"

"Yes--and this is the famous Schoverling, I'll wager," smiled the
clean-shaven officer. "But where's von Hofe? I got word from down
country to watch out for him."

Matters were soon explained, and they joined Yonge at lunch. An hour
later a dozen trim King's African Rifles cantered up--Zulus all, under
command of Yonge, who maintained order through two hundred miles of
savagery.

"Say, the old M. P. ain't in it with this!" said Jack that evening, as
he and Charlie wandered out to inspect the ostrich farm. "Hear that yarn
he told about nabbing those ju-ju murderers last year, single-handed.
No wonder he got a D. S. O. for it!"

"And they do it all with native troops, too," added