ave the unhappy wretches by some means or other,"
said the trader, more to himself than his follower, well aware that
Umgolo would scarcely enter into his feelings on the subject.

"It cannot be done," remarked Umgolo. "Any one approaching the kraal
would be discovered by the warriors, and put to death to a certainty."

"Why do you think that the kraal is to be attacked?" asked his master.

"This I know, that yonder kraal is the abode of the brave young chief
Mangaleesu, who possesses numerous head of cattle, and has under him a
band of devoted followers. Perhaps Panda, the king of the Zulus, or
some other great chief, covets Mangaleesu's cattle, or fears his power,
and this expedition has been sent out to destroy him and all his people.
It may be that one of Panda's wives has been ill, and the doctor, not
knowing what else to say, having declared that she was bewitched, was
ordered to go and smell out the culprit; the cunning rogue knowing full
well how best to please the king; or, as I remarked, some other enemy of
Mangaleesu has fixed on him."

"How do you know, Umgolo, that such is the case?" inquired his master.

"I guess it," answered Umgolo. "Perhaps I am wrong. The young chief
may be an enemy of Cetchwayo, and he it is who has sent the army to
destroy him. He knows the bravery and cleverness of Mangaleesu, who,
had he gained an inkling of what is intended, would have made his escape
into Natal. There may be some other cause for the intended attack, but
I am not far wrong, master, you may depend upon that."

"I fear, indeed, that you are right in your conjectures," said the
trader. "I am satisfied that the Zulus do not intend to attack us.
Tell the people that they may again go to sleep, and that they will be
summoned if they are required."

While Umgolo went to execute this order, the trader stood leaning on his
gun at a spot a short distance from the camp, to which he had made his
way the better to watch the proceedings of the Zulu force. He was
considering how he could manage to reach the kraal before the Zulu
warriors had surrounded it, and were ready to commence their work of
slaughter. He might, by following a different direction, and moving
more rapidly over the ground, get to the rear of the kraal, and warn the
doomed inhabitants to flee while there was yet time. Too probably,
however, they would be seen escaping, and would be pursued and
slaughtered before they had time to get to any dist