I have missed Marama once already by being away in that cave, and I have a lot to say to him about my people; I don't want to be absent in case he should return." "To wash up the things, I suppose," said Bickley with a sniff; "or perhaps to eat the tea-leaves." "Well, as a matter of fact, I have noticed that these natives have a peculiar taste for tea-leaves.

I think they believe them to be a medicine, but I don't suppose they would come so far for them, though perhaps they might in the hope of getting the head of Oro.

Anyhow, I am going to stop here." "Pray do," said Bickley.

"Are you ready, Humphrey ?" I nodded, and he handed to me a felt-covered flask of the non-conducting kind, filled with boiling water, a tin of preserved milk, and a little bottle of meat extract of a most concentrated sort.

Then, having lit two of the hurricane lamps and seen that they were full of oil, we started back up the cave..