d, and
a grim satisfaction crept over his mind. He thought, surely the Tehuas
have committed a grave mistake.

If only his people would report to him! Now at last! The bushes rattled,
and a man stepped up. In a tone of intense agitation he said,--

"Where is the war-chief?"

"I am here," replied Tyope in a muffled voice, motioning the warrior to
lie down. The latter either failed to notice the gesture or
misunderstood it, and walked on upright. Something whizzed through the
branches of the shrubs; the messenger bent as if suddenly folded up; he
grasped at his stomach with his hand, and tumbled to the ground. Tyope
stood by his side in the twinkling of an eye. The shaft of an arrow was
sticking in his body, and in vain did the wounded man try to pluck it
out. Regardless of the horrible pain the unfortunate one was suffering,
bent upon catching the drift of his message before the soul could escape
the tortured body, Tyope almost lay down on the groaning man.

"What news do you bring? Speak!" he hissed into his ear.

The wounded warrior moaned, moaned again. Tyope grew wild.

"Speak!" he growled, and shook him by the shoulder so rudely that the
other screamed.

"The Moshome," he gasped, "they--they--have come on to us." A chill went
through his body; he lay there gasping, incapable of speech.

Tyope was frenzied; he again shook the dying man ruthlessly.

"Where have they attacked?" he roared.

"West."

"Have they killed any of our people?"

"I--don't--know," breathed the poor fellow. His head was swaying; it
rolled back and forth on the ground. Tyope could not obtain any further
reply. So he crawled back and left him to die. The Moor had done his
duty; the Moor might go to Shipapu.

Tyope had been so eager to secure from the dying man any information the
latter might still be able to impart, that he paid no immediate
attention to the noise and uproar which had arisen in his own vicinity.
Almost at the very moment when the Queres warrior was mortally wounded,
one of Tyope's companions despatched one of his arrows at a Tehua whom
he had distinctly seen in front. This shot he accompanied by a loud
yell. The foe replied to the challenge in the same manner; arrows
whizzed and hissed through the air, crossing each other and tearing
through the shrubbery or penetrating the trunks of trees with dull
thuds. The fight had begun here too, but little if any damage was done
as yet by either side. Most of the arrows were