at horse had never been off-saddled."

Again the other thought a moment.

"Now we are getting onto fresh ground. The poor devil must have missed
his way and got into the river. The crocs, did the rest. They took
care of him and his gee, depend upon it."

"But the bullet hole?"

"Dash it! I forgot that. Well, here's a mystery, and no mistake.
We'll think it out further. But Dickinson has it in hand, and he knows
niggers down to the ground--was raised here, you know. Harry, if you're
going to start for Ezulwini first thing to-morrow you'd better turn in."

CHAPTER NINE.

THE NEW ARRIVAL.

"I suppose you couldn't tell me where to find a man named Halse, could
you, Mrs Shelford? He lives somewhere in this country."

The pretty and popular hostess of the Nodwengu Hotel at Ezulwini looked
up quickly from her plate. So did several others seated at table.

"Yes," she answered, a little surprised. "Do you know him, then, Mr
Denham?"

"Well, in a sort of a way," was the answer. "That is, I've heard a good
deal about him, and was rather interested to make his acquaintance."

Now the expression "heard a good deal about him" raised a covert smile
on more than one face round the table.

"Ben Halse lives up in the Lumisana district," answered the hostess.
"But it's an out-of-the-way place, and not easily got at."

"All the better. I like out-of-the-way places. They're so jolly
interesting. That's why I pricked out a cross-country course here."

The speaker was a tall man, broad-shouldered and well set up, with a
square, intellectual head; fair, clear-eyed and self-possessed, and
might have been in the late thirties, i.e. in his very prime. He had
arrived at Ezulwini the evening before, on horseback, and his baggage
for the present consisted of what that unreliable animal could carry
strapped across the saddle.

"By the way," said another man at the table, "I heard something about
Ben Halse being due here just about now. Heard anything about it, Mrs
Shelford?"

"No."

"Perhaps he's going to the opposition shop," said the other
mischievously.

"He can if he likes," was the crisp retort. "Only Ben Halse and
ourselves have known each other all our lives, so I don't think there's
much fun in that remark."

"That's all there was in it, anyhow," was the answer. "Now I think of
it the report came through some of the police."

"Now, Mrs Shelford, you mustn't say it," cut in another man, in mock