our caution. But the land was covered with patches and clumps of
forest, some large, some small, and by keeping within these we could
travel in concealment. We were able, moreover, to kill game, and this
we did but sparingly, immediately burying what we did not need lest the
cloud of vultures that would gather overhead should mark our locality to
those who came after.

Now Jambula, as we began to hunt, made mock of our Zulu casting-spears.
The broad-headed _umkonto_--ah, that, he said, was good for its own
purpose; but the _umgcula_, or casting-spear, with its stiff, awkward
handle terminating in a knob, was a poor sort of weapon for killing game
at any distance, or with any accuracy of aim. So he cut staves and
fashioned long slender hafts running to a point, as the Amaxosa have
their spear-hafts, and to these he bound the lighter blades he had with
him, and--_Whau_! with these he could slay a buck half as far again as I
could with our own.

Thus we journeyed on from day to day, seeing no man, for that belt of
country to the south had been well cleared by our people and was kept as
a hunting-ground. Not yet, either, had I unfolded to Jambula the aim of
our wanderings.

We had come to a large wide river, and having crossed it, we lay by for
a day or two on the further side, intending, if we could, to slay a
buffalo and make shields of its hide, for we had come away without our
shields. This river-bank was high and broken up into great rifts with
earthen sides all filled and covered with trees and creepers. It was a
place where a man might lie concealed for ever, and escape discovery
even though a thousand were in quest of him, and it suited our purpose
well.

It happened that on the second morning after our arrival here, Jambula
had gone forth early to spy out where buffalo might be found; but I,
feeling weary, elected to rest throughout the heat of the day. When I
awoke the sun was already high, and again I slept. On awaking the
second time the sun was on the decline. Rising, I went forth, but of
Jambula there was no sign.

We had chosen for our hiding-place a crack in the ground that branched
sideways from one of the great rifts of which I have made mention, and
this was roofed in with trees as the roof of a hut. Then I heard that
which brought me to an attitude of intense listening. It was the deep
murmur of voices, and it seemed to come from the river-bed.

Here the trees and bush grew thick to a