throat until he became unconscious, and then gagged him
with a pocket-handkerchief. Ghamba's hands were then tied tightly behind
his back with another pocket-handkerchief, and his feet were firmly
secured with a belt. An empty sack (from which they had removed their
provisions) was then drawn over his head and shoulders, and secured
round the waist.

"Come on now, quickly," whispered Whitson, and he and Langley started
off in the direction of the fire, after first taking off their boots.

They did not approach by the course which Ghamba had indicated, but made
their way quietly up the slope, straight against the face of the crag.
They reached the heap of rocks, and crept in among them by means of
another narrow passage, close to the inner end of which the fire was;
and this is what they saw through the twigs of a scrubby bush which
effectually concealed them:

A large cave opened into the side of the mountain, and just before the
mouth was an open space about twenty yards in diameter, surrounded on
all sides, except that of the mountain itself, by a wall of loosely
piled rocks, through which passages led out in different directions.
Just in front of the cave burned a bright fire, around which crouched
four most hideous and filthy-looking old hags, and against which were
propped several large earthenware pots of native make, full of water.
Standing behind rocks, one at each side of the inner entrance to
the passage, which was evidently that communicating with the pathway
indicated by Ghamba as the one they were to approach by, were two
powerful-looking men, stark naked, and as black as ebony, their skins
shining in the light of the fire. Each man held a coiled thong in his
hands, after the manner of a sailor about to heave a line. While they
were looking, a woman, somewhat younger in appearance than any of those
who sat by the fire, came out of the cave carrying a strong club about
three feet long. She crouched down close to the man standing on the
left-side of the passage, who, as well as his companion, stood as still
as a marble statue, and in an expectant attitude.

Whitson and Langley, with their revolvers drawn, suddenly stepped out
of their concealment, and walked toward the fire. This evidently
disconcerted the men with the thongs, who apparently did not expect
their intended prey to approach by any course except the passage near
which they were standing; but after a slight pause of hesitancy the
thongs were