no doubt about it but that two of the Kafir boys were dead.
It was a most lamentable and unfortunate affair for everybody concerned.
How had he fallen in with Usivulele? Ah, that was something of a piece
of luck. He had got wind of a dangerous demonstration being organised,
had seen the Kafirs swarming along the hillsides from different points,
but all converging upon the same--our valley to wit. Only one way to
counteract this had suggested itself, and accordingly he had ridden
straight and hard for Usivulele's kraal. He and his were on exceedingly
friendly terms with that chief, and he had soon prevailed upon him to
intervene.

"Well, Brian, if ever a man did the right thing at the right time, you
did it then. A few minutes later would have been so many minutes too
late."

"I believe so," he said. "I could see that things were looking as ugly
as they could. Well, it'll be all right now, at least as far as
Kuliso's people are concerned."

Then Usivulele came forth again, and began haranguing the crowd. The
whole thing was as had been said, he informed them, and they might now
go home. The matter was in his hands now, and he would remain until the
boy was handed over to the _amopolise_. This he himself would see done.
Then he chose two men to carry the letter in to Fort Lamport, and the
crowd began to break up. A few manifested a disposition to hang around
and see the thing out, and this was not objected to, but the remainder
scattered off in groups, or by twos and threes, and glad indeed we were
to see the last of them.

It may be imagined what a gloom there was over us all during the
remainder of that day. Beryl hardly appeared, and George not at all,
and even poor little Iris had lost her sunny flow of spirits. We three
men had hardly the heart for anything, and got through time chatting
with the chief and his councillors, who, incidentally, were lavishly
entertained. But it was not until late at night that a squad of Mounted
Police arrived, under a sergeant, to take charge of the boy.

We were not sorry to learn either from the same source that a strong
patrol would be working along this side of Kuliso's location, for it was
arranged that we should all start for Fort Lamport together at daybreak.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

IN COURT.

Shattuck, C.C. and R.M., was not a genial type of Civil servant, in that
he was cold and short of manner, and always intensely official.
Moreover, he was popular