ice, for he, too, was jealous me as having the King's ear, and
what made it worse was that I dared not chastise him, for that would be
to betray myself completely. But I made up my mind that he should
travel the way of Gungana, for the man who would meet with success must
suffer no enemy to rest in his path. So I laid numberless traps for
him, but he was too crafty to walk into any one of them.

"At length I found Nangeza alone, even as before, at work in the
cornfield, and this time she was accompanied by only two young girls who
were almost children; and this made things easier, for she bade them
continue their hoeing while she herself entered the bush to collect
fire-sticks. Ha! then were we together again. The moment was ripe. I
told her of all the preparations I had made for our flight, and for long
had only been awaiting an opportunity. Such an opportunity had come.
There were few if any people about. In a short time it would be dark,
and by travelling all night we should soon reach the mountains, where we
could easily elude pursuit. She listened, but even then I know not
whether she would have consented were it not for an accident.

"Looking out from the cover of our hiding-place, we could see a good
distance. The ground on the other side of the cornfield was a gradual
slope sprinkled with stunted mimosa, and now something moving over this
caught my eye. It was the receding figure of a man, but what seemed
strange was a certain stealthiness in his movements as he flitted from
bush to bush as though anxious to avoid observation. Even at that
distance I recognised Njalo-njalo.

"`_Hau_! we are dead already!' I cried. Not that I felt any real
consternation, but I deemed it an excellent opportunity of obtaining
through her fears that consent to my plan which fear had up till now
withheld. `Do you see that man? It is Njalo-njalo. He has been
watching us, and has gone to bring an armed force upon our heels. But
we shall have a long start, and it will be a swift-travelling _impi_
that will overtake us. Delay not,' I went on, seeing her still
hesitate. `To go back now is death, and worse. Remember the fate of
the three chiefs.'

"That decided her. She called out to the two girls to continue their
work and wait for her--that she had not yet found what she wanted. Then
she returned to me, and said: `I am ready.' Thus we began our flight.

"Carefully keeping concealed--and the country on that side