im up. Only Scowl--whose dash of Hottentot
blood made him cunning and cautious--took my side, pointing out that we
were very short of powder and that buffalo "ate up much lead." At last
Saduko said:

"The lord Macumazana is our captain; we must obey him, although it is a
pity. But doubtless the prophesying of Zikali weighs upon his mind, so
there is nothing to be done."

"Zikali!" exclaimed Umbezi. "What has the old dwarf to do with this
matter?"

"Never mind what he has or has not to do with it," I broke in, for
although I do not think that he meant them as a taunt, but merely as a
statement of fact, Saduko's words stung me to the quick, especially as
my conscience told me that they were not altogether without foundation.

"We will try to kill some of these buffalo," I went on, "although,
unless the herd should get bogged, which is not likely, as the swamp is
very dry, I do not think that we can hope for more than eight or ten at
the most, which won't be of much use for shields. Come, let us make a
plan. We have no time to lose, for I think they will begin to move again
before the sun is well up."

Half an hour later the four of us who were armed with guns were posted
behind rocks on either side of the steep, natural roadway cut by water,
which led down to the vlei, and with us some of Umbezi's men. That chief
himself was at my side--a post of honour which he had insisted upon
taking. To tell the truth, I did not dissuade him, for I thought that
I should be safer so than if he were opposite to me, since, even if the
old rifle did not go off of its own accord, Umbezi, when excited, was a
most uncertain shot. The herd of buffalo appeared to have lain down in
the reeds, so, being careful to post ourselves first, we sent three of
the native bearers to the farther side of the vlei, with instructions to
rouse the beasts by shouting. The remainder of the Zulus--there were ten
or a dozen of them armed with stabbing spears--we kept with us.

But what did these scoundrels do? Instead of disturbing the herd
by making a noise, as we told them, for some reason best known to
themselves--I expect it was because they were afraid to go into the
vlei, where they might meet the horn of a buffalo at any moment--they
fired the dry reeds in three or four places at once, and this, if you
please, with a strong wind blowing from them to us. In a minute or two
the farther side of the swamp was a sheet of crackling flame that gave
off clo