le of large, mouthing curs whom he considered in
rather too close proximity to his horse's hocks. "Don't shoot. We
haven't time to stop and have a row here."

"Who is your headman?" he asked the half-dozen sullen, stalwart savages
who had slouched forward to meet us.

"He is not here, _Umlungu_," was the ready reply.

"_Who_ is he, not _where_ is he?" repeated Brian.

"He is away," again answered the man, a tall, grizzled Kafir with an
evil expression of countenance.

"Now look," said Brian forcibly. "When did those oxen and horses pass
by here? The spoor is at your very doors. One of you must go with us
and carry it on, or you are responsible equally with the thieves."

By this time quite a number of Kafirs had come forth from among the huts
by twos and threes, and were clustering around, a proportion armed with
tough, heavy kerries, and their demeanour was sullen and unfriendly to a
degree, as they muttered among themselves in their deep bass tones.
Women, too, had raised their greasy, scantily-clad forms where they had
been lolling against the huts basking in the sun with their
round-headed, beady-eyed brats, and were gazing at us; the while
discussing us with the freedom of their sex and in no flattering terms.

"_Au_! We know nothing about thieves, _Umlungu_," replied the
spokesman. "If any oxen came by here they did not stay here. Why not
follow them further if you have followed them so far? Why trouble us?"
And a great jeering guffaw greeted the words.

"Good," said Brian. "These oxen have been stolen, and we have traced
them to the gates of your kraal. You will hear a great deal more about
this."

"_Whau_!" exclaimed the savage, turning his back upon us. "Go. Go and
find your oxen."

Again that insolent jeering laugh went up from the onlookers, and here
an unpleasant discovery forced itself upon us. By accident or design,
the crowd, which was now considerable, had closed round us on every
side. A serried mass of dark, musky bodies, and grim--and it seemed
threatening--faces walled us in, while requests for tobacco and other
things were hurled at us in tones that savoured more of demand than
petition. The aim of the savages was clear. They intended to delay our
advance as long as possible. We had, rather foolishly, allowed
ourselves to be led into a trap.

Then occurred the unexpected. A tall Kafir, in the forefront of the
mob, pointing suddenly at Revell, ejaculated in great jeeri