t unmingled with tears, was the order of the hour.

"But wat! yoos ill?" cried Zombo suddenly, looking into Disco's face
with an anxious expression.

"Well, I ain't 'xac'ly ill, nor I ain't 'xac'ly well neither, but I'm
hearty all the same, and werry glad to see your black face, Zombo."

"Ho! hooroo-hay! so's me for see you," cried the excitable Zombo; "but
come, not good for talkee in de knees to watter. Fall in boy, ho!
sholler 'ums--queek mash!"

That Zombo had assumed command of his party was made evident by the pat
way in which he trolled off the words of command formerly taught to him
by Harold, as well as by the prompt obedience that was accorded to his
orders. He led the party out of the swamp, and, on reaching a dry spot,
halted, in order to make further inquiries and answer questions.

"How did you find us, Zombo?" asked Harold, throwing himself wearily on
the ground.

"_Yoos_ ill," said Zombo, holding up a finger by way of rebuke.

"So I am, though not so ill as I look. But come, answer me. How came
you to discover us? You could not have found us by mere chance in this
wilderness?"

"Chanz; wat am chanz?" asked the Makololo.

There was some difficulty in getting Antonio to explain the word, from
the circumstance of himself being ignorant of it, therefore Harold put
the question in a more direct form.

"Oh! ve comes here look for yoo, 'cause peepils d'reck 'ums--show de
way. Ve's been veeks, monts, oh! _days_ look for yoo. Travil far--
g'rong road--turin bak--try agin--fin' yoo now--hooroo-hay!"

"You may say that, indeed. I'd have it in my heart," said Disco, "to
give three good rousin' British cheers if it warn't for the thoughts o'
that black-hearted villain, Marizano, an' his poor, miserable slaves."

"Marizano!" shouted Chimbolo, glaring at Harold.

"Marizano!" echoed Zombo, glaring at Disco.

Harold now explained to his friends that the slave-hunter was close at
hand--a piece of news which visibly excited them,--and described the
cruelties of which he had recently been a witness. Zombo showed his
teeth like a savage mastiff, and grasped his musket as though he longed
to use it, but he uttered no word until the narrative reached that point
in which the death of the poor captive was described. Then he suddenly
started forward and said something to his followers in the native
tongue, which caused each to fling down the small bundle that was
strapped to his shoulders.

"Yoo stop h