urence, manifesting no
curiosity, having picked up his weapons where he had left them,
accompanied his guide in silence.

They passed out of Imvungayo, and after walking nearly a mile came to a
large kraal, which Laurence recognized as that of Nondwana, the king's
brother. And now, for the first time, he felt a thrill of interest surge
through him. Nondwana's kraal! Had Tyisandhlu, divining his wishes,
indeed forestalled them? But this idea was as quickly dismissed as
formulated. The king had probably ordered that one or two of the
Ba-gcatya girls should be allotted to him--possibly chosen from those in
attendance upon the royal wives. His parting remark seemed to point that
way.

"Enter," said the _inceku_, halting before one of the huts. "Enter, and
good go with thee. I return to the king. Fare thee well!"

Laurence bent down and pushed back the wicker slab that formed the door
of the hut, and, having crawled through the low, beehive-like entrance,
stood upright within, and instinctively kicked the fire into a blaze.
And then, indeed, was amazement--wild, incredulous, bewildering
amazement--his dominant feeling, for by the light thus obtained he saw
that the hut was tenanted by two persons. No feminine voice, however,
was raised to bid him welcome in the soft tongue of the Ba-gcatya, but a
loud, full-flavoured, masculine English one:

"Stanninghame--by the great Lord Harry! Oh, kind Heavens, am I drunk or
dreaming?"

FOOTNOTES:

[3] Payment of cattle made to the father of a girl sought in marriage.

[4] "Lindela" means to "wait for"--in the sense of "to watch for," hence
the full significance of the parting remark.

CHAPTER XXIV.

AS FROM THE DEAD.

"There, there, Holmes. Do you quite intend to maim a chap for life, or
what?" exclaimed Laurence, liberating, with an effort, his hand from the
other's wringing grasp. "And Hazon, too? In truth, life is full of
surprises. How are you, Hazon?"

"So so," was the reply, as Hazon, who had been biding the evaporation of
his younger friend's effusiveness, now came forward. But his handshake
was characteristic of the man, for it was as though they had parted only
last week, and that but temporarily.

"And is it really you yourself, old chap?" rattled on Holmes. "It's for
all the world as if you had risen from the dead. Why, we never expected
to set eyes on you again in life--did we, Hazon?"

"Not much," assented that worthy laconically.

"Well, I can sa