The party stood and sat about the steep slope of rock, and taking out a small field glass the doctor carefully scanned the rocky expanse for a few minutes, before handing it to the boys, who used it in turn.
“Why, it is a wilderness, doctor,” cried Mark. “You look there,” he continued, returning the glass, “just to the left of that clump of trees. I am sure that must have been a wall. You can see the what-you-may-call-them—layers of stones—courses. They are rough enough. But it must have been built up, because every here and there regularly holes are left.”
“Yes,” said the doctor, “you are quite right;” and he closed the glass again. “That is a regular chequer pattern. That must have been the top of the wall, and just below I made out a line of stones laid edgeways to form a zig-zag band. Old buildings, my boy, without doubt.”
“But I want to see where our little chap found the gold,” said Mark.
“Well, let’s ask him,” said Dean.
The boys turned to where the two blacks were standing watching them, a strangely assorted pair as they kept together, Mak towering up above the eager-looking pigmy, who seemed to have grown during the few hours that he had been with the party more active and better than before.
Mark began with Mak, asking a question to which the only answer he could get was a wave of the spear; but when he turned impatiently to the pigmy and began to question him in signs, touching the gold ornaments in the same way as he had tried to enquire of his fellow of the forest camp, the only reply he could get was a shake of the head.
“Well, I call that disappointing,” said Mark. “It is just as if he had brought us here on purpose to show us, and now won’t tell.”
“Wait a bit,” said the doctor. “We can’t find out everything at once. Come along, and don’t wander away to a distance. Let Mak lead so that he may be able to follow the back track. I don’t want to have any troubles of getting lost.”
“But we can’t get lost here, sir,” said Mark, “for we can see for miles around.”