gold. For, Baas, although I have plenty of powder and bullets
in my pocket, I lost the caps out of a hole in my waistcoat. You
remember, Baas, I told you it was charms I lost. But three remain; no,
four, for there is one on the nipple. There, Baas, there is _Intombi_
all ready and loaded. And now when the white devil comes you can shoot
him in the eye, as you how to do up to a hundred yards, and send him to
the other devils down in hell. Oh! won't your holy father the Predikant
be glad to see him there."

Then with a self-satisfied smirk he half-cocked the rifle and handed it
to me ready for action.

"I thank God!" said Brother John solemnly, "who has taught this poor
Hottentot how to save us."

"No, Baas John, God never taught me, I taught myself. But, see, it grows
dark. Had we not better light a fire," and forgetting the rifle he began
to look about for wood.

"Hans," called Stephen after him, "if ever we get out of this, I will
give you L500, or at least my father will, which is the same thing."

"Thank you, Baas, thank you, though just now I'd rather have a drop of
brandy and--I don't see any wood."

He was right. Outside of the graveyard clearing lay, it is true, some
huge fallen boughs. But these were too big for us to move or cut.
Moreover, they were so soaked with damp, like everything in this forest,
that it would be impossible to fire them.

The darkness closed in. It was not absolute blackness, because presently
the moon rose, but the sky was rainy and obscured it; moreover, the huge
trees all about seemed to suck up whatever light there was. We crouched
ourselves upon the ground back to back as near as possible to the centre
of the place, unrolled such blankets as we had to protect us from the
damp and cold, and ate some biltong or dried game flesh and parched
corn, of which fortunately the boy Jerry carried a bagful that had
remained upon his shoulders when he was thrown into the canoe. Luckily I
had thought of bringing this food with us; also a flask of spirits.

Then it was that the first thing happened. Far away in the forest
resounded a most awful roar, followed by a drumming noise, such a roar
as none of us had ever heard before, for it was quite unlike that of a
lion or any other beast.

"What is that?" I asked.

"The god," groaned the Kalubi, "the god praying to the moon with which
he always rises."

I said nothing, for I was reflecting that four shots, which was all
we had, was not ma