d German had passed through not an hour
previously. He had demanded food and native beer; he had made no
attempt to pay for the articles, and out of sheer mischief had set fire
to a hut. Commandeering a canoe he had compelled the natives to ferry
him across the river, and the four blacks who manned the craft had just
returned with the news that he had gone into the bush.

"What was the German like?" asked a Rhodesian, who spoke the language
of the natives with the utmost fluency.

The headman began to give an elaborate and detailed description, but it
was soon evident that the pursuers were on the wrong track.

"Dash it all!" exclaimed Wilmshurst impetuously. "We've lost the
fellow--what's that, Bela Moshi?"

"Go ober dem water one-time quick, sah; den you catch Bosh-bosh as him
go for run away."

"That's a smart idea," declared Dudley, never backward in giving credit
for other persons' ideas.

"Quite good," agreed the section commander of the patrol. "Over we go;
the horses will have to swim."

Borrowing a couple of canoes the pursuers stepped into the cumbersome
craft, four men in each had their loaded rifles ready to fire at any
hippos that might attack the horses; the others, grasping the reins of
the well-trained animals, guided them across.

The passage of the Kiwa--which was here about one hundred and twenty
yards in breadth--was performed without mishap, in spite of the fact
that the current ran at a speed of two knots, for the spot where the
crossing was effected was two miles below the rapids that had all but
claimed von Gobendorff as a victim.

Just as the second canoe was running aground one of the natives uttered
a cry of surprise, and pointed to a water-logged dug-out drifting
broadside on down stream. It was a prize well worth having, and
without waiting to put Wilmshurst and the rest of the passengers ashore
the blacks paddled out and secured the derelict.

"Golly, sah!" exclaimed the Haussa sergeant. "Him canoe have one-time
man alive. Now him dead as mutton."

Lying on the bottom of the canoe with his head raised above the water
was a native. As the rescuing craft ran alongside the man opened his
eyes.

The call of humanity having a prior claim to the importance of the
pursuit Wilmshurst and the Rhodesians rendered all the aid in their
power to revive the badly-wounded man. Examination showed that he had
been shot at close range by a small-bore high velocity bullet. The
missil