was thickly
wooded--we travelled rapidly for some distance. Then, as the sun was
beginning to sink, we sat down to rest for a moment, and look around.

"We had now reached the top of a long hill of some little height.
Looking back, we could see afar off the corn-patch where Nangeza had
been working, and--we could see more: shields and the glitter of
spear-points. An armed force was moving down the slope upon which I had
descried Njalo-njalo, in the distance looking like a swarm of black
ants. Already were we pursued.

"But we had a good start. As we rose immediately to continue our
flight, I laughed aloud, for I felt as though I could keep on for ever.
Not a man in our nation was there who could overtake me, the King's
chief runner. But what of Nangeza? In her lay the weakness. For her I
feared. Yet I need not have. Her powers were magnificent. I soon
found that she had it in her to travel as fast as I could, and as far.
And then we laughed together, for we would lead the King's messengers of
death a long journey indeed. But fast as we fled, still they pursued
us; and as we sped onward in the darkness, we could ever and again, when
we paused on some high ground to listen, hear the sounds of disturbed
animal life behind us, which told of the passing of man.

"Suddenly a lion roared, so near in front of us that the thunders of his
voice seemed to shake the ground, rolling in echoes among the hills.
Another answered, and then the two mighty beasts kept up such a roaring
chorus as to make a man's heart melt away for fear, situated as I was--
as we were--the jaws of the ravening beasts before us in the darkness,
the spears of the King's _impi_ following on behind. There was just the
chance that the latter would halt until it grew light, but none whatever
that the lions would refrain from springing upon us, having us in the
darkness for an easy prey. So we climbed each into a tree, to be beyond
that peril, any way; and, indeed, hardly had we done so, than we heard
the light tread and deep-toned snuffle of the great beasts ramping
beneath. Then they lifted their voices and roared again, and now others
replied from afar, and it seemed that the whole land was filled with
roaring lions.

"We remained all night in the trees, but with morning, lo! such a mist
lay upon the earth that from where we crouched we could hardly see the
ground beneath, and our hearts sank; for, not seeing our way, we might
walk backward