n his tracks.

A moment more, and, just as the Elmoran was about to turn, the
great Zulu made a spring, and in the growing light we could see
his long lean hands close round the Masai's throat. Then followed
a convulsive twining of the two dark bodies, and in another second
I saw the Masai's head bent back, and heard a sharp crack, something
like that of a dry twig snapping, and he fell down upon the ground,
his limbs moving spasmodically.

Umslopogaas had put out all his iron strength and broken the
warrior's neck.

For a moment he knelt upon his victim, still gripping his throat
till he was sure that there was nothing more to fear from him,
and then he rose and beckoned to us to advance, which we did
on all fours, like a colony of huge apes. On reaching the kraal
we saw that the Masai had still further choked this entrance,
which was about ten feet wide -- no doubt in order to guard against
attack -- by dragging four or five tops of mimosa trees up to
it. So much the better for us, I reflected; the more obstruction
there was the slower would they be able to come through. Here
we separated; Mackenzie and his party creeping up under the shadow
of the wall to the left, while Sir Henry and Umslopogaas took
their stations one on each side of the thorn fence, the two spearmen
and the Askari lying down in front of it. I and my men crept
on up the right side of the kraal, which was about fifty paces
long.

When I was two-thirds up I halted, and placed my men at distances
of four paces from one another, keeping Alphonse close to me,
however. Then I peeped for the first time over the wall. It
was getting fairly light now, and the first thing I saw was the
white donkey, exactly opposite to me, and close by it I could
make out the pale face of little Flossie, who was sitting as
the lad had described, some ten paces from the wall. Round her
lay many warriors, sleeping. At distances all over the surface
of the kraal were the remains of fires, round each of which slept
some five-and-twenty Masai, for the most part gorged with food.
Now and then a man would raise himself, yawn, and look at the
east, which was turning primrose; but none got up. I determined
to wait another five minutes, both to allow the light to increase,
so that we could make better shooting, and to give Good and his
party -- of whom we could see or hear nothing -- every opportunity
to make ready.

The quiet dawn began to throw her ever-widening m