e we lay, we could see the heads
of several men following our trail, and, but that the trees threw a
darkness around and they were too intent on reading their way, they
could not have failed to see us. No, there was no escape. We should be
seized, dragged before the King, and not another sun should we see rise.

"But then, while the bitterness of death lay dark upon our hearts, we
saw the foremost of the men stop, with a startled look upon his face.
Then a quick exclamation escaped him, and he and the rest turned, and
went back again. And we knew the meaning of that hissing noise, and the
prayer to the serpents cried out by the warriors as they retreated was
the same as my own.

"When they returned to the _impi_, the leader was angry with them.

"`What?' we could hear him say. `Are we come out to do the King's
errand, that a number of you should turn from your way to follow upon
the tracks of a man and a maid? What have we to do with such, I say?
Good indeed was it, that the _Izinyoka_ should have been there to teach
so many fools their duty. Now we must on.'

"Then we heard the rattle of assegais and shields as once more the
_impi_ fell into rank, and soon the sound of their footsteps died into
silence. We left our hiding-place cautiously, and as we went we were
very full of thankfulness to our _Izinyoka_, who had come in our path,
and in the path of those who would have found us, and had saved us from
destruction; and we debated as to the part our serpents had played, and
we decided that the serpent of Nangeza, being that of prudence, was the
one which had obliged us to retire from our first hiding-place, while
the influence of my serpent, being that of the warrior, was the one
which availed to drive back the searchers--as befitting the serpent of
such a warrior as myself--and who may say that this was not so.? At any
rate, the joining together of our two _Izinyoka_, to protect us, struck
us as a good omen for the future; for where should we have been had we
remained in our first resting-place--where now, had not those who were
searching been frightened back?

"But although we had so far escaped, yet were we in the greatest
jeopardy. For the sun was nearly down, and how should we reach the
camp, each by a roundabout way, before it grew dark? and how should we
pass the King's outposts after? Nangeza might go in by herself,
pleading some excuse; but I--how was I to remain out? for even though
the King sho