y are bad men--my people are
very good."

"I can't prove that they were your people," Mr Harvey said, "whatever I
may think; but I warn you, chief, that if there is any repetition of the
attack while we are in your country you will have no more traders here.
Those who attacked us have learned that we can defend ourselves, and
that they are more likely to get death than plunder out of the attempt."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

TRAPPED IN A DEFILE.

"What do you think of affairs?" Dick asked Mr Harvey, as, on leaving
the chief's hut, they walked back to their waggons.

"For the moment I think we are perfectly safe; the chief would not
venture to attack us while we are in his village. In the first place it
would put a stop to all trade, and in the second, far as we are from the
frontier, he would not feel safe were a massacre to take place in his
village. He knows well enough that were a dozen white men to come out
to avenge such a deed, with a few waggon-loads of goods to offer to his
neighbours as pay for their assistance, he and his tribe would be
exterminated. When we are once on our way again we must beware. The
feeling among the tribe at the loss they have sustained must be very
bitter, although they may repress all outward exhibition of it to us,
and if they attack us just as we are on the line between their land and
their neighbour's they can deny all knowledge of it. However, they
shall not catch us asleep."

"I see the men have put the waggons in laager," Tom said.

"Yes, I told them to do so," Mr Harvey answered; "it is the custom
always with traders travelling north of the Limpopo, and therefore will
not be taken as a sign of suspicion of their good faith. A fair index
to us of their disposition will be the amount of trade. If they bring
their goods freely, we may assume that there is no fixed intention of
attacking us; for if they are determined to seize our goods, those who
have articles to trade would not care to part with them, when they would
hope to obtain a share of our goods for nothing."

The next morning Mr Harvey spread out a few of his goods, but hardly
any of the natives came forward with articles for barter. In the
afternoon Mr Harvey went across to the chief.

"How is it," he asked, "that your people do not bring in their goods for
sale? Among the tribes through which I have passed I have done much
trade; they see that I give good bargains--your people bring nothing.
If they do no