“Big stones,” said the doctor, and he now pointed along the edge of the forest.
“Mak find,” said the black, nodding his head vigorously.
“Oh, it’s evident enough,” said the doctor quietly. “He knows what we want, and some day will guide us there. Well, we have plenty of time, boys, and I suppose you are in no hurry to get back to the manor?”
“No, no, of course not; but I do want to see that little fellow again.”
Mark had his desire fulfilled the next morning at daybreak, when instead of the numerous procession, the little chief, as they considered him, appeared, accompanied only by the four bearers with the patient and four others well loaded with twice as many big turkey-like birds, one of which showed the way in which they had been obtained, for a broken arrow projected from its back.
The game was handed over to the white foreloper, who bore the birds off to the fire to begin plucking them, the two keepers joining him to quicken the task, while the bearers set down the hurdle beneath the tree, and quite as a matter of course Dan appeared with the tin bowl and a bucket of water. Mark hurriedly fetched the doctor’s knapsack and helped over the dressing of the wound, watching the while the change which had come over the little patient who lay seriously and fixedly gazing at Mark, while, as soon as the task was completed he stretched out his uninjured arm so that he could touch Mark’s hand. As on the previous morning Mak stood like a spear-armed sentry till all was over, uttered a word or two like an order, and the pigmy party marched back to the edge of the forest and disappeared.
“Well, Mark,” said the doctor, who had been very observant, “I suppose that touch meant ‘Thank you and good-bye.’ But he might have paid me the same compliment. However, he evidently considers you to be the chief.”
“No, he could not have done that,” said Mark. “Old Mak shows them all that he considers himself the black boss.”
The doctor laughed.
“But I say,” said Mark eagerly, “did you notice that little chief?”