h the British occupation of Zululand. These were all very well up
to a certain point, but when it came to being obliged to obtain a
magisterial permit to kill one head of anything in particular, why, then
it became a bit chafing. It was one thing to restrict big
shooting-parties from outside coming in and slaughtering everything
indiscriminately, but to prohibit an old pioneer like himself from
shooting a buck of any sort when he wanted to, was another. Prohibition
or not, however, many a head of game did fall at the full of the moon,
when Ben Halse chose to take the war-path; and every such head would
have entailed upon him a ruinous fine did the circumstance come to the
ears of the authorities, together with sufficient evidence to support a
prosecution. Well, as to that, he took chances, as he had done all his
life with regard to everything. One thing was certain--none of the
natives would give him away, and there were no whites in the
neighbourhood within a long distance. Now and again a patrol of mounted
police would pass that way, but he would always be informed of the
approach of such at least half-a-dozen hours before its arrival. Then,
when it did arrive, why, Ben Halse's hospitality was a household word
among the Field Force division of that useful corps, the Natal Police.

So much for the first. But for the second, wherein did the love of
money-making come? In this way: The trader was in touch with a wealthy
and enthusiastic collector of every kind of natural history specimen.
The latter was resident in England, and would pay almost any price for a
record specimen of anything, and in this way Ben Halse had made quite a
little income. Now the horns of this koodoo, as described by
Undhlawafa, and even allowing for native exaggeration, sounded like a
very "record" pair indeed. It would fetch a long price, apart from the
fun of a bit of night-poaching, which last appealed to the adventurous
side of the old pioneer. But not out of sheer love of money for its own
sake did the latter never let slip an opportunity of making it. No; it
was on Verna's account, and up till now he had done very well indeed.
So Ben Halse and the induna agreed to stalk the big koodoo bull with the
"record" horns on the following night.

Then Undhlawafa began to talk about other things. He had produced a
sovereign and was playing with it. The round gold which the whites had
brought them was good, he said presently. Every one