t-wolves harried on their flanks. So it was
evening before they came to the feet of the stone Witch, and began to
climb to the platform of her knees. There, on her knees as it were, they
saw the Wolf-Brethren standing side by side, such a pair as were not
elsewhere in the world, and they seemed afire, for the sunset beat upon
them, and the wolves crept round their feet, red with blood and fire.

"A glorious pair!" quoth great Faku; "would that I fought with them
rather than against them! Yet, they must die!" Then he began to climb to
the knees of the Witch.

Now Umslopogaas glanced up at the stone face of her who sat aloft, and
it was alight with the sunset.

"Said I not that the old Witch should smile at this fray?" he cried.
"Lo! she smiles! Up, Galazi, let us spend the remnant of our people on
the foe, and fight this fight out, man to man, with no beast to spoil
it! Ho! Blood and Greysnout! ho! Deathgrip! ho! wood-dwellers grey and
black, at them, my children!"

The wolves heard; they were few and they were sorry to see, with
weariness and wounds, but still they were fierce. With a howl, for the
last time they leaped down upon the foe, tearing, harrying, and killing
till they themselves were dead by the spear, every one of them except
Deathgrip, who crept back sorely wounded to die with Galazi.

"Now I am a chief without a people," cried Galazi. "Well, it has been
my lot in life. So it was in the Halakazi kraals, so it is on Ghost
Mountain at the last, and so also shall it be even for the greatest
kings when they come to their ends, seeing that they, too, must die
alone. Say, Slaughterer, choose where you will stand, to the left or to
the right."

Now, my father, the track below separated, because of a boulder, and
there were two little paths which led to the platform of the Witch's
knees with, perhaps, ten paces between them. Umslopogaas guarded the
left-hand path and Galazi took the right. Then they waited, having
spears in their hands. Presently the soldiers came round the rock and
rushed up against them, some on one path and some on the other.

Then the brethren hurled their spears at them and killed three men.
Now the assegais were done, and the foe was on them. Umslopogaas bends
forward, his long arm shoots out, the axe gleams, and a man who came on
falls back.

"One!" cries Umslopogaas.

"One, my brother!" answers Galazi, as he draws back the Watcher from his
blow.

A soldier rushes forward, singi