e hung over here, poor devils, as
you saw; but I didn't see that. It was done just before they lugged me
up. I'm afraid though these brutes have made mincemeat of them."

"What are we going to do, now?" said Gerard. "I suppose we can trek
home again."

"Do? Why, just this. We'll go to the king's kraal and claim
compensation for the loss of our time and liberty and all the funk we've
been put in. And we'll get it, too."

"Hadn't we better let well alone?" suggested Gerard. "We have got our
stock back. Would it not be best to inspan quietly, and trek right away
out of the country?"

"Perhaps it would be best in this instance," allowed Dawes, after a
moment's pause; "though I had not intended to do things by halves. By
the way, I did show an error of judgment the last time I decided to
trek. I ought to have waited quietly until the upshot of your
undertaking came off. Yes, I made a mistake that time. It was a direct
challenge to them, so to speak. But I say, Ridgeley, what a yarn we'll
have to spin to old Bob Kingsland, when next we see him. Why, he'll
vote us a brace of the biggest liars in Natal."

Gerard laughed. Then, at the thoughts suggested by the mention of Mr
Kingsland, he subsided into silence. Not long, however, was he suffered
to enjoy his own thoughts, for as they reached the foot of the pyramid a
considerable hubbub greeted them.

The remainder of the king's _impi_ had come up. In the midst of this,
hustled, pushed, occasionally kicked, and threatened at every step by a
multitude of spears, were three unfortunate natives.

"Kill them!" "Cut them to pieces!" "They are Igazipuza!" "We saw them
in the fight!" "They have washed off their red wizard's mark!" were
some of the tumultuous shouts which went up from the crowd.

"_Amakafula? Hau_! Only listen to that! No. They are Igazipuza,
cowardly dogs, not like the rest, who were brave!" roared the savages,
who, having tasted what should have been enough blood, clamoured for
more. The lives of the wretched men seemed not worth a moment's
purchase. An exclamation escaped both Dawes and Gerard simultaneously.
They elbowed their way right into the excited crowd.

"They speak truth, _amadoda_!" cried Dawes. "They are not Igazipuza.
They are my servants."

The Zulus stared, then fell back. The delight wherewith the Natal
natives hailed their master, who had come to their aid in what they
imagined a most critical time, beggars desc