never
do for him, Ghamba, to run the risk of being recognised by persons whom
they might meet. For the sake of his Hlubi relations who were living
among the Pondomise at Qumbu, it was absolutely necessary that he should
not appear in the transaction at all. Were it ever to be even suspected
that he had betrayed the chief, not alone would he be certainly killed,
but all his relations would be shunned by the other natives. He was an
old man, so for him, personally, nothing mattered very much, but a man
is bound to consider the interests of his family. Travelling only
by night, and lying still and hidden during the day, were therefore
absolutely necessary stipulations, and Langley and Whitson agreed to
them as intelligible and reasonable. All being settled, the latter
started for the camp, Ghamba baring his teeth excessively as they walked
away.

At dusk on the evening of the same day, Langley and Whitson met Ghamba
once more at the large ant-heap, and the three at once proceeded on
their course. The only arms taken were revolvers of the government
regulation pattern (breech-loading central fire). They carried
provisions calculated to last eight days, but took no blankets on
account of having to travel at night. When Ghamba volunteered to relieve
them of a considerable share of their respective loads, Langley and
Whitson were filled with grateful surprise.

The plan was as follows: Whitson was to shoot Umhlonhlo, and then remain
in the cave while Langley returned to the camp to report what had been
done, and cause persons who could identify the body to be sent for. They
seem to have had no scruples as to the deed they meant to do; certainly
Umhlonhlo deserved no more mercy than a beast of prey. Nor does it seem
to have struck them that possibly they might shoot the wrong man. But
there was an air of conviction about the manner in which Ghamba showed
his teeth when asked whether he was positive as to the identity of the
man in the cave, that would have dissipated the doubts of most men.
Besides this, he drew out the written undertaking which they had
delivered to him, and said, with a profoundly businesslike look:

"Do I not want the money? Should I take all this trouble if I did not
know what I were doing?"

They walked all night, only resting once or twice for a few minutes.
It was found that Ghamba, in spite of his age, was an extremely good
walker; and when they halted at daylight, Langley was so done up that
he