asked Umslopogaas, speaking for the first time, "that my
servants killed only six of these men-eaters?"

Hans nodded and answered, "Yes, six. I counted the bodies."

"It was ill done, they should have killed six each," said Umslopogaas
moodily. "Well, they have left the more for us to finish," and he
fingered the great axe.

Just then Captain Robertson arrived in his waggon, calling out anxiously
to know what was the matter, for some premonition of evil seemed to have
struck him. My heart sank at the sight of him, for how was I to tell
such a story to the father of the murdered children and of the abducted
girl?

In the end I felt that I could not. Yes, I turned coward and saying that
I must fetch something out of the waggon, bolted into it, bidding Hans
go forward and repeat his tale. He obeyed unwillingly enough and looking
out between the curtains of the waggon tent I saw all that happened,
though I could not hear the words that passed.

Robertson had halted the oxen and jumping from the waggon-box strode
forward and met Hans, who began to speak with him, twitching his hat in
his hands. Gradually as the tale progressed, I saw the Captain's face
freeze into a mask of horror. Then he began to argue and deny, then to
weep--oh! it was a terrible sight to see that great man weeping over
those whom he had lost, and in such a fashion.

After this a kind of blind rage seized him and I thought he was going
to kill Hans, who was of the same opinion, for he ran away. Next he
staggered about, shaking his fists, cursing and shouting, till presently
he fell of a heap and lay face downwards, beating his head against the
ground and groaning.

Now I went to him and sat up.

"That's a pretty story, Quatermain, which this little yellow monkey has
been gibbering at me. Man, do you understand what he says? He says that
all those half-blood children of mine are dead, murdered by savages from
over the Zambesi, yes, and eaten, too, with their mothers. Do you take
the point? Eaten like lambs. Those fires your man saw last night
were the fires on which they were cooked, my little _so-and-so_ and
_so-and-so_," and he mentioned half a dozen different names. "Yes,
cooked, Quatermain. And that isn't all of it, they have taken Inez too.
They didn't eat her, but they have dragged her off a captive for God
knows what reason. I couldn't understand. The whole ship's crew is gone,
except the captain absent on leave and the first officer, Thoma