were well-trained: the plan was to divide the party into two
divisions, each concealing themselves in the bush. I remained with
Eondema, and informed him that I intended to shoot the chief of the
party as a commencement, and then the most formidable-looking men among
the enemy. We had sent two men to the front in order to look out and
give us due notice of the approach of the Zulus; for I had no doubt
that, however much care I had taken to conceal my spoor, yet these
keen-eyed men would soon find my footprints, and follow them up just as
truly as would a bloodhound. Our preparations having been made, I was
able to talk to Eondema, and to tell him how I happened to be at this
place. I described my life among the Zulus and my escape from them;
also the manner in which the white men had been killed by the Zulus, and
my escape from the water. Then how I had feared to move from the bluff
where I had made my hut, lest I should fall into an ambush; and then I
told him how I had been awakened by the cry of the sea-eagle, and had
seen the Zulus preparing to cross the channel and get to the bluff. I
accounted for the Zulus knowing where I was, by a small quantity of
smoke from my fire having risen on the evening previously. This had no
doubt been seen, and as smoke will not rise without a fire, and as fire
cannot usually be kindled except by man, the suspicions of these men had
been raised, and so they were determined to examine the bluff and see
who was there.

Now a Zulu in a very short time would be able, from the signs near my
hut, to read a history of my proceedings. He would see where I had
opened the oysters on the rocks, where I had caught fish, where I had
left the bones of the buck I had killed; and, in fact, would know what I
had done as correctly as though he had seen me each day. The Zulus
consequently would know I was alone, and that to capture me was not a
difficult task. It was about three miles from my hut to the place where
I had met Eondema and his party, and this distance would soon be passed
over by the Zulus, even when following a trail; so that at any moment we
might see our look-out men signal to us that the enemy was in sight.
Although Eondema and I were talking, we yet carried on our conversation
in so low a tone that no one could hear us who was three times our
length from us.

In describing various things connected with my early life among these
people, I naturally use the same terms which