plain, though for this he had heard one reason only, that which was
given him by the lips of the dead in a dream.

What, then, might be done? One thing alone: warn Umslopogaas. Yet how?
For him who could swim a rushing river, there was, indeed, a swifter way
to the place of the People of the Axe--a way that was to the path of the
impi as is the bow-string to the strung bow. And yet they had travelled
well-nigh half the length of the bow. Still, he might do it, he whose
feet were the swiftest in the land, except those of Umslopogaas. At the
least, he would try. Mayhap, the impi would tarry to drink at the ford.

So Galazi thought in his heart, and his thought was swift as the light.
Then with a bound he was away down the mountain side. From boulder to
boulder he leapt like a buck, he crashed through the brake like a bull,
he skimmed the level like a swallow. The mountain was travelled now;
there in front of him lay the yellow river foaming in its flood, so he
had swum it before when he went to see the dead. Ah! a good leap far out
into the torrent; it was strong, but he breasted it. He was through, he
stood upon the bank shaking the water from him like a dog, and now he
was away up the narrow gorge of stones to the long slope, running low as
his wolves ran.

Before him lay the town--one side shone silver with the sinking moon,
one was grey with the breaking dawn. Ah! they were there, he saw them
moving through the grass by the eastern gate; he saw the long lines of
slayers creep to the left and the right.

How could he pass them before the circle of death was drawn?
Six spear-throws to run, and they had but such a little way! The
mealie-plants were tall, and at a spot they almost touched the fence. Up
the path! Could Umslopogaas, his brother, move more fast, he wondered,
than the Wolf who sped to save him? He was there, hidden by the mealie
stalks, and there, along the fence to the right and to the left, the
slayers crept!

"Wow! What was that?" said one soldier of the king to another man as
they joined their guard completing the death circle. "Wow! something
great and black crashed through the fence before me."

"I heard it, brother," answered the other man. "I heard it, but I saw
nothing. It must have been a dog: no man could leap so high."

"More like a wolf," said the first; "at the least, let us pray that it
was not an Esedowan (1) who will put us into the hole in its back. Is
your fire ready, brother? Wow! t