"Yes; I own that Kruger's country is not easy to get out of, when the owners want to keep you. One thing this ride has done, I fear--closed a good road in or out for any future trekker. By Jove! there will be a nice kick-up over this affair, and no mistake. You'll have to make yourselves scarce for a while."
"But surely we are quite safe in Rhodesia?" asked Ned.
"Well, that remains to be seen. Kruger will make a mountain out of this ant-hill. Cables will be sent to the Home Government, demanding their prisoners to be arrested and returned to them, and large indemnities for the potted burghers."
"And what will the British Government do?"
"Sacrifice you, without a pause, to pacify the old man of Pretoria, and us also, if we can be traced."
"Then we have got you into a bad fix, I fear," said Ned, regretfully.
"Oh, don't concern yourselves about us; we are ready with our alibis," answered the leader, with a merry laugh. "These gentlemen have been on the sick list in Bulawayo hospital for the past three weeks, while I have been looking after the health of my friend and chief, Cecil Rhodes."
"I say, Jim," said one of the others, "do you consider it safe for us to take the up train to Bulawayo?"
"Perfectly safe. There will be a special waiting for us at Palla, and we will hang on till after sundown before we board her. A wire up to headquarters will prepare them for our arrival, then you boys can sneak back to your nurses, while we make our way to Salisbury. We shall have to disguise you for that journey, but my friends will be done with their beards by that time, so one of these each will do for you."
At last our heroes understood what had been puzzling them as peculiar about their rescuers. They had disguised themselves for this expedition.
Who could the leader be, who was at that time supposed to be looking after the health of the great empire-maker? They looked at him again more closely, and then light broke upon them.
Dr Jameson, of course! The hero next to Rhodes most worth following and worshipping in Africa.
He saw from their expressions that they had recognised him.
"Yes, boys; I am Dr Jim. But no one outside this company must know it. Your friend Philip Martin wrote to me the fix you were in, so we thought we might as well have a little outing and help you away. Now we must finish our task and make you disappear altogether from the ken of man. That, however, we can discuss with our chief when we see him."