fe, isn't it, Quatermain, and hang it all!
I wonder what's beyond? Not much for me, I expect, but whatever it is
could scarcely be worse than what I've gone through here below in one
way and another."

"There's hope for all of us," I replied as cheerfully as I could, for
the man's deep depression disturbed me.

"Mayhap, Quatermain, for who knows the infinite mercy of whatever made
us as we are? My old mother used to preach of it and I remember her
words now. But in my case I expect it will stop at hope, or sleep, and
if it wasn't for Inez, I'd not mind so much, for I tell you I've had
enough of the world and life. Look, there's one of them. Take that, you
black devil!" and lifting his rifle he aimed and fired at an Amahagger
who appeared upon the edge of the fold of ground. What is more he hit
him, for I saw the man double up and fall backwards.

Then the game began afresh, for the cannibals (I suppose they were
cannibals like their brethren) crept out of shelter, advancing on their
stomachs or their hands and knees, so as to offer a smaller mark, and
dragging between them a long and slender tree-trunk with which clearly
they intended to batter down our wall.

Of course I blazed away at them, pretty carefully too, for I was
determined that what I believed to be the last exercise of the gift of
shooting that has been given to me, should prove a record. Therefore
I selected my men and even where I would hit them, and as subsequent
examination showed, I made no mistakes in the seven or eight shots that
I fired. But all the while, like poor Captain Robertson, I was thinking
of other things; namely, where I was bound for presently and if I should
meet certain folk there and what was the meaning of this show called
Life, which unless it leads somewhere, according to my judgment has none
at all. Until these questions were solved, however, my duty was to kill
as many of those ruffians as I could, and this I did with finish and
despatch.

Robertson and Hans were firing also, with more or less success, but
there were too many to be stopped by our three rifles. Still they came
on till at length their fierce faces were within a few yards of our
little parapet and Umslopogaas had lifted his great axe to give them
greeting. They paused a moment before making their final rush, and so
did we to slip in fresh cartridges.

"Die well, Hans," I said, "and if you get there first, wait for me on
the other side."

"Yes, Baas, I alway