into slavery by a tribe of Gallas who dwelt far to the
west, had been chosen chief of this tribe on the death of its king,
probably on account of his stature and strength.

His first royal act was to effect the deliverance of Captain Waller by
sending him to the coast. The Hindoos had chosen to remain where they
were. Captain Waller eventually returned to England, and Forbes was
deeply grieved to learn that he would never see Momba again, though it
was some consolation to know that, instead of a slave, he was an African
monarch.

Guy reached England barely in time to see his brother before he died. As
Sir Lucius Chutney was unmarried, Guy succeeded to the titles and
estates.

As a landed proprietor, his duties very plainly lay at home, so he
resigned his commission and settled down on the Hampshire estate.

He spends much of his time in London. He and Sir Arthur Ashby are
members of the same club, and the two baronets invariably dine
together.

"Chutney," Sir Arthur said one day, as he lit his cigar after dinner,
"have you ever felt any desire to leave England and resume an
adventurous life?"

Chutney puffed a moment in silence.

"Sometimes," he said finally. "Sometimes I feel as though I should enjoy
laying aside home comforts, and, gun in hand, enter the trackless
forests once more. Somehow civilization palls on a man after years of
campaigning. Don't you find it so, Ashby?"

"That," replied Sir Arthur, "is just what I was getting at. Generally I
feel a placid contentment with things in general, but once in a while a
sort of fever stirs my blood, and I long to get out and rough it
somewhere. I tell you, a wild life has a certain charm about it that
dies out reluctantly when the fever once gets into a man's blood. Some
day I really believe I'll return to Africa, or some other wild land, for
big game. I should enjoy it."

Chutney grasped his hand.

"When you do, old fellow, I'm with you," he said. But so far they have
not decided on any definite arrangements. They talk it over frequently,
but continue to dine at the club.

Sometimes Forbes drops in, and then from soup to the wine the
conversation is sure to cling with unwavering fidelity to that topic of
deepest interest--the strange and thrilling things that befell them when
they were under Africa.

THE END.

* * * * *

A PIPE OF MYSTERY.

A jovial party were gathered round a blazing fire in an old gra