les of barter, and this was
significant. Another thing not less so was the universal request, open
or covert, for firearms and ammunition. It was not much use my
explaining to them that they were better off without either, that a man
can do much better with a weapon he understands than with one he does
not. For some reason or other they were bent on having them.

However, in a short while I found myself in possession of quite a nice
lot of cattle, the sale of which would leave me a very considerable
profit over when expenses were cleared, so I was not dissatisfied.
Then, all of a sudden, trade fell off, then ceased altogether. There
was no apparent reason for it. I stood well with Majendwa, indeed I
always erred in the right direction with regard to the principal chiefs
when on trading ventures in their districts, holding that it is far
better policy to be too liberal than too mean. But there was no
blinking the fact that for some reason or other further trade was "off."
No more were my waggons thronged from morning till night. Those from
outlying kraals who had been the most eager, stopped away altogether,
but now and then someone from close at hand would drop in for something,
and even then the deal would be so insignificant as to remind me of my
store at Isipanga.

I put the matter squarely to Majendwa, but it didn't seem to help. He
admitted that for some reason or other my trade had stopped. What could
he do? He could not order his people to deal. I agreed with him there,
still I was puzzled. I had calculated to have easily cleared out all I
had at his place. Yet I had done well enough so far, but when I
proposed to move further northward, and get into Uhamu's country,
Majendwa seemed for some reason or other unwilling that I should.

"You will do no better there, Iqalaqala," he said, "and, for the rest,
it is not advisable. See, we are alone, and are talking beneath the
bullock's skin. Again I say--do not go there. Return rather to your
own country, even if you have to carry back some of the goods you have
brought. Or, there may be those on your way who will relieve you of
them."

I looked at him fixedly and a thought struck me. The phrase he had used
might well bear two meanings. Had he intended it as a warning? Such
might well have been the case.

Falkner the while had been amusing himself as best he could. He soon
got tired of watching the barter, though at first it had afforded him
s