" said Dawes, as calmly as though the other had told him the fire
was rather difficult to light.

"I heard them talking it over, and Fulani says they told him all about
it. They are coming to you in a body to ask for their pay, and then
they are going to leave."

"So?" said Dawes again. "Now, listen, Sintoba. No one ever played me
any such trick with impunity, and it is not going to be done to-day. Do
you and Fulani stroll up to me while I am talking to them--quite
quietly, you know, as if you were looking for a _ram_ or something which
might be in the waggon. My answer to them shall not be given in a
corner. Now go away, or they will suspect."

"What is to be the programme?" said Gerard, when they were alone; for
although far from having attained Dawes's ease and fluency in the Zulu
language, still he had learned a great deal, and understood the burden
of the above, if not every word.

"Simplicity itself, Ridgeley, as you'll see directly," replied Dawes,
sipping his steaming coffee with the utmost deliberation. "But I think
our Swazi friends will not shape a course for their own country to-day.
Ah, here they come."

The Swazis, to the number of six, were approaching from their side of
the camp. It could be seen that they had rolled up all their effects
into bundles, which were lying where they had slept. Their spokesman, a
tall, lanky, wolf-faced fellow, named Kazimbi, asked if they could speak
to the Inkose.

"Not yet, Kazimbi," replied Dawes, imperturbably. "Wait until I have
done my coffee."

The men drew back and stood talking in smothered whispers. Dawes
finished his cup, and filled himself up another, taking rather longer
over it than he would ordinarily have done. Then he lighted his pipe.

"Now I am ready," he said, rising and strolling over to the waggon,
where he seated himself on the disselboom. Gerard, who had hardly been
able to restrain his impatience, followed.

"The people want to go home, Inkose," began Kazimbi, when they had
ranged themselves in front of the two white men. "They are tired."

"Or frightened?" said Dawes, quietly.

"They are grateful to you, Inkose, and call you their father. But the
way is long they say, far longer than they expected it would be when
they were induced to leave their own country. They are tired and
footsore and want to return."

"That is not all, Kazimbi. They are frightened."

"_Whou_!" exclaimed the man with a half smile, and bringing