ill Mark gave up in disgust and disappointment.

"It's no use," he said. "They can't understand a word we have said, or
make out one of our signs."

"Oh, I don't know, sir," said Buck.

"But he seems so stupid," cried Mark.

"That's his way, sir," said Dan. "He can do better than that. You
a'n't seen so much of him as we have. What do you say, messmate Brown?"

"Not stupid, sir," said Brown drily; and he pointed to the pigmy, who
had been crouching in the sand, nursing his bow, and slowly polishing
the handle of his spear. "Pig Illaka," said the horse keeper; and he
pointed at the little fellow, who looked up at him quickly and then
began to polish his spear handle more energetically with a handful of
very fine sand.

Mak uttered a low grunt, sprang up with flashing eyes, looked sharply
round at the party, and then as if quite transformed, he sprang at the
dwarf and gave him a quick light flip upon the shoulder with his open
hand.

"I thought so, gentlemen. He's been sucking it in all along. Now then,
you shall see what you shall see," said Buck.

The minute before the pigmy had squatted in front of them deliberately
polishing his spear handle, but as if suddenly inspired by his big
companion's burst of energy, he sprang up, strung his bow, placed the
nock of an arrow upon the twisted sinew which held his weapon in a state
of tension, and then bending forward he stood watching the movements of
Mak, who stuck his spear into the earth, and then after fixing the pigmy
with a fierce look, began to crawl slowly and cautiously in and out
amongst the bushes as if trying to steal a march upon the camp.

He kept this up till he was quite hidden from the eyes of those who
watched his movements, and then suddenly burst into sight again,
maintaining his body bent nearly double as if intending to keep himself
hidden from anyone at the camp, and ran swiftly back, to stop short,
almost touching the two boys.

"Well," said Dean softly, "I don't see much in this."

"Wait a bit," whispered his cousin. "I think I do. There! See?"

And now it was as if the white party were non-existent and Mak were
playing his part solely for the pigmy's amusement, for he stepped
lightly up to him as if he were carrying something in his hands, which
he was holding out for him to see. Then making believe to thump one end
of it down and holding it with one hand, he began to dance round it,
grinning with delight, stooping down from ti