to a heap of ashes. It was inevitable, nothing could save
the place! For an instant I thought that the Arabs must have done
this thing. Then, seeing that new fires continually arose in different
places, I understood that no Arabs, but a friend or friends were at
work, who had conceived the idea of _destroying the Arabs with fire_.

My mind flew to Sammy. Without doubt Sammy had stayed behind to carry
out this terrible and masterly scheme, of which I am sure none of the
Mazitu would have thought, since it involved the absolute destruction
of their homes and property. Sammy, at whom we had always mocked, was,
after all, a great man, prepared to perish in the flames in order to
save his friends!

Babemba rushed up, pointing with a spear to the rising fire. Now my
inspiration came.

"Take all your men," I said, "except those who are armed with guns.
Divide them, encircle the town, guard the north gate, though I think
none can win back through the flames, and if any of the Arabs succeed in
breaking through the palisade, kill them."

"It shall be done," shouted Babemba, "but oh! for the town of Beza where
I was born! Oh! for the town of Beza!"

"Drat the town of Beza!" I holloaed after him, or rather its native
equivalent. "It is of all our lives that I'm thinking."

Three minutes later the Mazitu, divided into two bodies, were running
like hares to encircle the town, and though a few were shot as they
descended the slope, the most of them gained the shelter of the palisade
in safety, and there at intervals halted by sections, for Babemba
managed the matter very well.

Now only we white people, with the Zulu hunters under Mavovo, of whom
there were twelve in all, and the Mazitu armed with guns, numbering
about thirty, were left upon the slope.

For a little while the Arabs did not seem to realise what had happened,
but engaged themselves in peppering at the Mazitu, who, I think, they
concluded were in full flight. Presently, however, they either heard or
saw.

Oh! what a hubbub ensued. All the four hundred of them began to shout
at once. Some of them ran to the palisade and began to climb it, but as
they reached the top of the fence were pinned by the Mazitu arrows and
fell backwards, while a few who got over became entangled in the prickly
pears on the further side and were promptly speared. Giving up this
attempt, they rushed back along the lane with the intention of escaping
at the north-gate. But before ever t