ople have known him all their lives," said Hyland. "What can
be their object? I could understand if they had killed him--them--but
to keep them prisoners--Oh Lord! Edala, can nothing be done to rescue
them? We can't sit down and let things slide."

And he began to pace about the room. Edala shook her head, dejectedly.

"Mr Prior has been doing what he can. He has sent out two of his
native detectives to try and find out where they are, and bribe the
chiefs to release them. He does not believe that Tongwana had any hand
in it. Nteseni might have, or Babatyana. He, by the way, has broken
out, and there are rumours that old Zavula has been murdered by him."

"Well, it's quite likely. Yet that paying dodge is about the only
chance at present that I can see," said Hyland, gloomily. "We must
first find out where they are, and if they're alive I'll get 'em out, or
go under myself--even if I have to do it alone, for I don't suppose any
of these white livered curs round here would risk their skins to lend me
a hand. They're first-rate at snapping at a man's heels though," he
ended savagely.

Edala knew to what he was referring, and secretly writhed. The lash was
stinging her too.

"Hy, darling--it's a perfect godsend that you have come. Oh, we must do
something," she said, her eyes filling. Edala the light-hearted, the
careless, the somewhat hard--had softened marvellously since that
experience.

Then Prior came in, and Hyland greeted him cordially, for they had been
great friends; in fact the magistrate's clerk was one of the very few in
the neighbourhood with whom he would exchange much more than a word, for
the reasons given above. Now he gave him his experiences at Ndabakosi's
kraal, and subsequently.

"If I'd got off that horse I should have been a dead man," he concluded.
"So I should be if I hadn't got my shirt out, and quilted that poor
lame old crock rather sinfully. Well, you see--you can trust none of
these chaps after all. If there's one nigger in all Natal I should have
sworn was straight it's old Ndabakosi."

So they talked on. Prior, by reason of his official position, and as
the deputy of his absent chief, found himself in a sort of post of
command--the detachment of Mounted Police, too, being under his orders,
and it looked as if Hyland Thornhill by reason of a masterful force of
will was going to share it with him, in the active line at any rate, if
they came to blows with the rebels