old witch-doctor at finding himself euchred imparted a
comic element into a most confoundedly tragical situation."

Clare looked at him in silence. She was turning over in her mind the
events of the previous day. She remembered how the fact of him
appearing in a coat had been commented on as an out-of-the-way
circumstance. Now it all stood explained. It was to conceal the deadly
weapon wherewith he had compelled the treacherous Matabele to abandon
his murderous plan. And what an awful contrast was there--that
gathering, as unsuspecting and light-hearted as though in the midst of
peaceful England, while not a mile away hovered a storm-cloud of
bloodthirsty savages awaiting the signal to overwhelm the whole in a
whirlwind of massacre and agonising death. And this had been averted by
the coolness and resolution of one man.

"You may or may not have noticed that the old ruffian was wearing two
caps, a red and a white?"

"Yes, I remarked on that," said Clare. "I wondered his head didn't
split."

"Well, the white cap was to be the signal that the time was not ripe. I
made him throw up that, and hooray with the rest of us."

"Yes, I remember that too, and how we all laughed."

"Of course I primed him with the state of preparedness we were all in,
though not seeming to be--and that there were Maxims hidden under that
waggon sail instead of soda-water bottles. Good Lord, if the bar-keeper
had sent his boy to get out a fresh box of the same! but he didn't,
luckily."

"Yes, indeed. But what have you done about the affair, Mr Lamont? and
is the old witch-doctor in prison?"

"As yet I've done nothing except come up here the first thing this
morning and verify the whole affair. And I have. There are abundant
traces that a large number of Matabele have occupied this ground for
hours. Look at the thing you picked up--do you know what it is?"

"This?" said Clare, holding out the cow-tails on the string.

"Yes. Well, that is part of the regular war-gear. It is tied round the
leg above the calf--and this thing you found forms an important `_piece
de conviction_.' It is never worn when moving about in the ordinary
way. Well, old Qubani is not detained, because I saw it answered my
purpose best to let him go."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

A GOOD UNDERSTANDING.

"To let him go?" echoed the girl. "But--ought you not to have had him
arrested as a traitor and a murderer? Good Heavens! The whole plot is
too awful