ed him, as he did so retreating step by
step down the slope of the little hill and striking whenever he found a
chance, but without avail, for always Umslopogaas was beyond his reach.
Also the sunlight which now grew strong, dazzled him, or so I thought.
Moreover he seemed to tire somewhat--or so I thought also.

At any rate he determined to make an end of the play, for with a swift
motion, as Umslopogaas had done, he threw away his shield and grasping
the iron handle of his axe with both hands, charged the Zulu like a
bull. Umslopogaas leapt back out of reach. Then suddenly he turned and
ran up the rise. Yes, Bulalio the Slaughterer ran!

A roar of mockery went up from the sun-worshippers behind, while our
Amahagger laughed and Goroko and the two Zulus stared astonished and
ashamed. Only I read his mind aright and wondered what guile he had
conceived.

He ran, and Rezu ran after him, but never could he catch the
swiftest-footed man in Zululand. To and fro he followed him, for
Umslopogaas was taking a zig-zag path towards the crest of the slope,
till at length Rezu stopped breathless. But Umslopogaas still ran
another twenty yards or so until he reached the top of the slope and
there halted and wheeled round.

For ten seconds or more he stood drawing his breath in great gasps, and,
looking at his face, I saw that it had become as the face of a wolf.
His lips were drawn up into a terrible grin, showing the white teeth
between; his cheeks seemed to have fallen in and his eyes glared, while
the skin over the hole in his forehead beat up and down.

There he stood, gathering himself together for some mighty effort.

"Run on!" shouted the spectators. "Run back to Kor, black dog!"

Umslopogaas knew that they were mocking him, but he took no heed, only
bent down and rubbed his sweating hand in the grit of the dry earth.
Then he straightened himself and charged down on Rezu.

I, Allan Quatermain, have seen many things in battle, but never before
or since did I see aught like to this charge. It was swift as that of
a lioness, so swift that the Zulu's feet scarcely seemed to touch the
ground. On he sped like a thrown spear, till, when within about a dozen
feet of Rezu who stood staring at him, he bent his frame almost double
and leapt into the air.

Oh! what a leap was that. Surely he must have learnt it from the lion,
or the spring-buck. High he rose and now I saw his purpose; it was to
clear the tall shape of Rezu. Aye