ga_ [a worthless person] such as Inxele
_Whau_, 'Nxele! _Xi_!"

The contempt expressed was so complete that Wyvern burst out laughing.

"White people like you and U' Joe, _Nkose_," went on the Zulu, "that is
one thing, but such as Inxele, that is another! They say you have no
king, you _Amangisi_ [English], only a woman for king. If you had a
king surely Inxele would have been long since dead."

Wyvern laughed again at this way of putting things. It was _naive_, to
say the least of it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joe Fleetwood lay restless under several blankets when they reached the
camp. The day was blazing hot, but the chills of the dread up-country
fever held him in their grip.

"Buck up, old man," said Wyvern gaily. "I've struck it at last."

"So? Quite cert?" asked the other listlessly.

"Rather. Look at this," showing the opal. And then he told him all
about the finding of it. Fleetwood's listlessness vanished.

"By Jove, we're on the spot at last," he said. "It's awkward though,
Wyvern, that sweep Bully being on our spoor like this. Looks as if he'd
got some wind of our plan."

"Yet that wretched devil that shot at me gave me to understand that it
was only me he wanted out of the way. I own I'm stumped. Surely even
such a brute as that wouldn't persistently have a fellow murdered simply
because he didn't like him."

"Not, eh? It's plain you don't know Bully Rawson."

"Well, at any rate, it's a relief to know he hasn't scented our job,"
said Wyvern. "Send the other boys out of reach on some sham errand,
Joe, and let's get Hlabulana here and talk things over."

This was done. With perfect imperturbability the Zulu pronounced that
Wyvern had hit upon the spot. When asked why he had allowed them to
spend days and weeks in useless search when he could have cut it short
by a word he answered:

"You white people cannot hide your minds, _Amakosi_, and the eyes and
ears of Inxele have been ever present I was waiting until there was no
more Inxele."

"Until?" repeated Fleetwood.

"Until there is no more Inxele. Soon there will be no more Inxele."

"By Jove, there's no mistaking that for a hint," said Wyvern in English.
"There must be mischief brewing against our exemplary friend. Oughtn't
we to warn him?"

"Not much. Bully Rawson's big enough and quite ugly enough to take care
of himself. Nor does he deserve anything of the kind aft