strate demanded the surrender of the culprit for the
purpose of dealing with him according to law, Sololo refused delivery,
and couched his refusal in an extremely insolent and rebellious
message.

Cajolements, remonstrances, and threats were of no avail; Sololo
remained obstinate. His tone, however, somewhat changed; he sent
polite, but evasive and unsatisfactory replies to all messages on the
subject. The Chief Magistrate was at his wits' end. Of course the law
had to be vindicated, but were an armed force to be sent against
Sololo, the odds were ten to one that within twenty-four hours signal
fires would be blazing on every hill, and the war-cry sounding from one
end of Pondoland to the other. The Chief Magistrate's native name was
"Indabeni," which means "The one of counsel." He was a man of vast
experience in respect of the natives, and moreover, he did not belong
to that highly moral, but sometimes inconvenient class of officials who
are known as "the hide-bound"; that is to say, his ideas ranged beyond
the length of the longest piece of red tape in his office, and he knew
for a certainty that things existed which could not conveniently be
wrapped up in foolscap paper. He was, moreover, one who trusted much to
the effect of his own considerable personal influence, and he believed
in utilising the talents of such of his subordinates as possessed
faculties similar to his own in this respect.

Indabeni had taken Vooda's measure accurately. He knew the Constable to
have a persuasive tongue, to be honest, loyal, and discreet, and, above
all, to possess that nameless and almost indescribable quality of
imparting trustfulness in those with whom he came in contact.

One afternoon a telegram marked "confidential" came from Indabeni to
the Resident Magistrate of Mount Loch. The purport of the message was
that Vooda should go to Sololo and talk quietly to him, endeavouring by
means of persuasion to effect a compliance with the reasonable demands
of Government. Teddy, being in the fullest confidence of his Chief,
was present when instructions were accordingly given to Vooda, who was
directed to start early next morning for the kraal of the Chief of the
Kwesas, in Pondoland.

When the offices were closed for the day, Teddy went home to his hut,
and it was noticed by one who met him on the road that his manner was
very preoccupied, and his walk unusually slow. Shortly afterwards he
was seen to stroll over to the police