, for I trek east at once, who will not be mixed up with murder."

"Then let it be, Inkoosi; unless he attacks me, as my Snake send that
he may, the Hog can wait. After all, he will only be growing a little
fatter. Now, if it pleases you order the wagons to trek. I will show the
road, for we must camp in that bush to-night where my people wait
me, and there I will tell you my plans; also you will find one with a
message for you."

CHAPTER VI. THE AMBUSH

We had reached the bush after six hours' downhill trek over a pretty bad
track made by cattle--of course, there were no roads in Zululand at this
date. I remember the place well. It was a kind of spreading woodland
on a flat bottom, where trees of no great size grew sparsely. Some were
mimosa thorns, others had deep green leaves and bore a kind of plum with
an acid taste and a huge stone, and others silver-coloured leaves in
their season. A river, too, low at this time of the year, wound through
it, and in the scrub upon its banks were many guinea-fowl and other
birds. It was a pleasing, lonely place, with lots of game in it, that
came here in the winter to eat the grass, which was lacking on the
higher veld. Also it gave the idea of vastness, since wherever one
looked there was nothing to be seen except a sea of trees.

Well, we outspanned by the river, of which I forget the name, at a spot
that Saduko showed us, and set to work to cook our food, that consisted
of venison from a blue wildebeest, one of a herd of these wild-looking
animals which I had been fortunate enough to shoot as they whisked past
us, gambolling in and out between the trees.

While we were eating I observed that armed Zulus arrived continually in
parties of from six to a score of men, and as they arrived lifted their
spears, though whether in salutation to Saduko or to myself I did
not know, and sat themselves down on an open space between us and the
river-bank. Although it was difficult to say whence they came, for
they appeared like ghosts out of the bush, I thought it well to take no
notice of them, since I guessed that their coming was prearranged.

"Who are they?" I whispered to Scowl, as he brought me my tot of
"squareface."

"Saduko's wild men," he answered in the same low voice, "outlaws of his
tribe who live among the rocks."

Now I scanned them sideways, while pretending to light my pipe and so
forth, and certainly they seemed a remarkably savage set of people.
Great, gau