kened in mind and will no less than in body, and what could
he do but succumb to the inevitable? Yet he had never entered into the
sinister undertaking with the whole-heartedness of his two
conscienceless confederates, and of this the latter were aware.

However, of his scruples they were tolerant enough. He was brimful of
pluck, and seemed to enjoy the situation when they were attacked by
overwhelming odds and had to fight hard and fiercely, such as befell
more than once. And they would insidiously lay salve to his misgivings
by such arguments as we have just heard Hazon adduce, or by reminding
him of the fortune they were making, or even of the physical advantage
he was deriving from the trip.

The latter, indeed, was a fact. The life in the open, the varying
climates, frequent and inevitable hardships and never-absent peril, had
made their mark upon Holmes. Once recovered from his attack, he began to
put on flesh and muscle, and his eyes were clear and bright with that
keen alertness which is the result of peril as a constant companion. In
short, as they said, he looked twice the man he had done when lounging
around the Stock Exchange or the liquor bars of Johannesburg.

Through the hot hours of noontide the raiders lie at their ease. Many
are asleep, others conversing in drowsy tones, smoking or chewing
tobacco. The Wangoni divide their time about equally between taking
snuff and jeering at and teasing the unfortunate captives. These,
crouching on the ground, relieved during the halt of their heavy forked
yokes, endure it all with the stoicism of the most practical phase of
humanity--the savage. No good is to be got out of bewailing their lot,
therefore they do not bewail it; moreover, belonging to a savage race,
and far from the highest type of the same, they have no thought of the
future, and are thus spared the discomfort and anxiety of speculating as
to what it may contain for them. Indeed, their chief anxiety at this
moment is that of food, of which they would fain have more, and gaze
with wistful eyes upon their captors, who are feasting on the remnant of
what was until lately their own property. But the latter jeeringly
suggest to them the expediency of their devouring each other, since they
seem to have a preference for such diet.

Then, as the sun's rays abate somewhat in fierceness, the temporary camp
is struck. Bearers take up their loads, fighters look to their arms, the
soiled and gaudy finery of t