of that
system this morning when those two boys ran to the top of yonder hill
and started shouting in that queer, high-pitched tone of voice. They
were telegraphing to the king the news of our arrival without a doubt."

"Yes," assented Grosvenor, a little doubtfully, "I suppose that was it.
But seven days' trek with fresh oxen! That means a hundred and forty
miles, or thereabout--it is wonderful!"

"You are right; it is," agreed Dick; "but not more wonderful, to my
mind, than that we, destined, as one may say, to make this trip
together, should have both been fortunate enough to stumble across and
read those two books, which I am now beginning to understand were
records of sober fact instead of extravagant fiction, as we both thought
them to be. We must certainly polish up our recollection of what we
read, for it is not at all difficult to imagine circumstances in which
the knowledge may be of vital import to us. By the way, Mafuta, tell
those fellows that they are dismissed, and that all we shall require of
them to-morrow, in addition to the oxen, will be a guide."

Oxen and guide were both duly forthcoming on the morrow: the journey
toward what may be called the capital was resumed, and continued day
after day without adventure, the guide supplied on the first day
continuing with the party for the whole of that day, and then turning
them over to another, who in like manner piloted them a day's trek, in
turn to pass them on to another, and so on, day after day; each guide
returning to his starting-point on the following day.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

KING LOBELALATUTU.

The one thing that, after the spreading, well-tilled fields surrounding
every village, the great herds of cattle, and the general aspect of
prosperity everywhere met with, most impressed the two travellers during
their progress through the Makolo country, was the extraordinary
courtesy and deference uniformly extended to them by the natives. These
people were savages, pure and unadulterated, a fierce and warlike race,
who had been obliged to fight for their very existence throughout
countless ages, ignorant and superstitious to a degree, with all the
virtues and most of the vices of the primeval savage, unspeakably cruel
and relentless as enemies, absolutely fearless in battle, and, above
all, intensely suspicious of strangers; yet, although white men were
practically unknown to them as a people, they never annoyed the
travellers by any display o