o home; and to-morrow morning we find hyena dead," he said.

It was indeed time, as darkness was coming on, and it was just possible
that the hyena might prefer one of us to the bait which we had so kindly
left for him. Scarcely, however, had we reached home, when a loud
report was heard.

"If dat hyena, I bery glad we did come away," said Timbo; "but we not go
now. Perhaps other hyenas dere. We kill anoder to-morrow night."

It was quite dark when we got home. Our anxiety for the return of
Stanley prevented any of us from going to bed. Three hours had passed
away since nightfall, and still he did not make his appearance. I saw
that Kate was becoming very anxious--indeed I could not help feeling so
myself. At last I proposed to Timbo that we should go out and try and
find him.

"Dat I will, Massa Andrew," he answered. "Dough he not let me go wid
him, he no say dat I not to come afterwards."

With our rifles in our hands, and our long knives at our belts, we
sallied forth.

"Thank you, Andrew," said Kate, as I was going out. "I cannot help
fearing that some accident may have happened to Stanley, and you will do
your utmost to find him. I am sure you will."

Timbo, who had several times accompanied his master to the village I
have spoken of, was tolerably certain of the direction we should take.
As we walked on, feeling our way in difficult places with the long poles
we carried in our hands, our ears were assailed by the screeching of
night-birds and the occasional roars and mutterings of wild beasts. A
feeling of awe gradually crept over me, produced by the wild sounds and
the peculiar scenery through which we were passing. On one side rose
the hills, with dark rocks cropping out amidst the thick foliage; while,
on the other, the river flowed by with a murmuring sound, reflecting the
bright stars from the dark sky overhead. Far away to the right were
sombre forests, with openings here and there, across which phantom forms
were seen flitting to and fro, though so indistinct were they that we
could not tell what animals they might be.

"I t'ink we get near where de captain come to shoot," said Timbo in a
low voice. "We go slow now, and take care dat no lion or 'noceros see
us."

We moved on, but could hear no sounds. Presently we saw, a little way
below us, the stream of which we were in search.

"Can the captain have left it, and passed us on the way?" I whispered
to Timbo. We were now close d