ace, my boy, but I'll
never leave this spot until I've sent back yonder cursed scoundrel to
the hell from whence he came."

Before Grenville could answer, however, Kenyon called to the twain to
return, and, sitting down again, Grenville gave his companions a pretty
full account of the abominable cruelties of Zero and his "wife," and of
the way they were devastating the country in almost every direction; and
Kenyon now learnt, to his surprise, that an enormous slave-trade was
done in the very heart of Africa, and that so far from trafficking in
"Black Ivory" direct with the Coast, either east or west, the slavers'
market for human flesh and blood was found principally amongst tribes
which lay to the west of Equatoria, and as the purchase money--when not
provided in ivory--usually consisted of pure rock-gold or gold-dust
packed in quills, the slaves were in all probability passed on to
Dahomey or Asyanti, whence they no doubt gravitated northwards and
ultimately found their way to Morocco, travelling incredible distances
and constantly changing hands.

Towards the rising sun Master Zero's operations were of a restricted,
and, to him, an extremely unsatisfactory nature, as his position was
everywhere hemmed in by hostile Arabs, who kept with a strong hand the
country they had originally secured by artifice, and to whom, as
followers of "the one True Prophet," Zero was doubly hateful, on account
of his Mormon connections.

The man was himself absent at the present time, personally conducting an
important "slave-drive," but might be expected back in the course of two
or three days, when the whole of his captives would be passed on to the
native King, whom the slavers were now busily entertaining, and who was,
in fact, simply waiting for Zero's return to "make his trade" and march
westward with his purchases; and until this matter was satisfactorily
disposed of, Grenville was inclined to believe that no serious attempt
would be made to interfere with themselves, but once let this fiend in
human form get clear of the pressing business in hand, and he would
promptly turn his attention to their own little account and would give
them no rest until the affair was settled, one way or the other.

CHAPTER NINE.

THE WAR TRAIL.

As the question had now purely resolved into one of warfare, offensive
or defensive, Amaxosa was called into council, in order that a definite
and feasible plan of action might be formulated.

Lei