With the utmost alacrity the tusk-bearers were brought to Colonel Narfield. Sharp interrogation resulted in throwing no light upon the affair. The natives had been shouting and singing, and they were unable to say when they last noticed the two white men riding at the tail end of the column.
In spite of the fact that his badly-sprained ankle was causing him acute pain, Colonel Narfield handled the matter with characteristic energy. The native bearers from Sibenga's Kraal were hurriedly ushered outside the gate, where Blue Fly paid them and gave them a substantial meal.
The horses were brought out. The Colonel had to be assisted into the saddle, but once there he was determined to stick it until his missing charges were found.
Van der Wyck insisted upon accompanying him, while Blue Fly shed tears when he found that he was not to join in the search, but had to remain and help McFrazer keep the natives from prowling over the estate.
It was an impossible task to find the spoor of the two lads' horses on the hard road. The strong breeze had blown clouds of dust across the track, and already the confused jumble of horses' hoof-marks and prints of the barefooted natives were almost obliterated.
Maintaining a sharp look-out on both sides of the road, the search party rode swiftly in the direction of Sibenga's Kraal until they almost reached the beginning of the dense forest.
Suddenly Van der Wyck turned to Colonel Narfield.
"Horses trotting!" he exclaimed laconically.
The Colonel could hear nothing except the clatter of the hoofs of the search party's mounts and the moan of the wind in the tall grass. But when the four men reined in their horses he could hear distinctly the trot of some approaching animals.
"Thanks be!" he ejaculated fervently. "But what on earth have these fellows been doing to get adrift like that?"