en
he turned and whistled, and behold! out of the long grass that grew at a
little distance, emerged twelve great men, all of them bearing axes and
wearing cloaks of hyena skins, who saluted me by raising their axes.

"Set a watch and skin me this beast by dawn. It will make us a mat,"
said Umslopogaas, whereon again they saluted silently and melted away.

"Who are these?" I asked.

"A few picked warriors whom I brought with me, Macumazahn. There were
one or two more, but they got lost on the way."

Then we went to the waggon and spoke no more that night.

Next morning I told Umslopogaas of the visit I had received from the
_Induna_ of the King who wished me to come to the royal kraal. He nodded
and said,

"As it chances certain thieves attacked me on my journey, which is why
one or two of my people remain behind who will never travel again. We
made good play with those thieves; not one of them escaped," he
added grimly, "and their bodies we threw into a river where are many
crocodiles. But their spears I brought away and I think that they are
such as the King's guard use. If so, his search for them will be long,
since the fight took place where no man lives and we burned the shields
and trappings. Oho! he will think that the ghosts have taken them."

That morning we trekked on fast, fearing lest a regiment searching for
these "thieves" should strike and follow our spoor. Luckily the ox that
the lion had killed was one of some spare cattle which I was driving
with me, so its loss did not inconvenience us. As we went Umslopogaas
told me that he had duly appointed Lousta and his wife Monazi to rule
the tribe during his absence, an office which they accepted doubtfully,
Monazi acting as Chieftainess and Lousta as her head _Induna_ or
Councillor.

I asked him whether he thought this wise under all the circumstances,
seeing that it had occurred to me since I made the suggestion, that they
might be unwilling to surrender power on his return, also that other
domestic complications might ensue.

"It matters little, Macumazahn," he said with a shrug of his great
shoulders, "for of this I am sure, that I have played my part with the
People of the Axe and to stop among them would have meant my death,
who am a man betrayed. What do I care who love none and now have no
children? Still, it is true that I might have fled to Natal with the
cattle and there have led a fat and easy life. But ease and plenty I do
not desire