o were to have driven the
herd of trade cattle, at any rate as far as the border, did not turn up.
In disgust I was prepared to take them on myself with the help of
Mfutela. Falkner had learnt to drive a waggon by this time and now he
must do it. His reply however when I propounded this to him was again
characteristic. He was damned if he would.

The knot of the difficulty was cut and that unexpectedly, by the
appearance of the chief's son, and with him some boys.

"These will drive your cattle, Iqalaqala," he said.

"That is well, Muntisi," I answered. "And now son of Majendwa, what has
come between me and the chief that he holds my hand no more? Is there
now war?"

We were a little apart from the others, and talk in a low slurred tone
that natives use when they don't want to be understood.

"Not war," he answered; "at any rate not yet. But, Iqalaqala, those who
come into a chief's country should not come into it with too many eyes."

"Ha!" I said, taking in the quick glance which he shot in Falkner's
direction, and with it the situation. "Too many eyes there may be, but
a shut mouth more than makes up for that. A shut mouth, _impela_!"

"A shut mouth? _Au_! Is the mouth of Umsindo ever shut?"

This, it will be remembered, was Falkner's native name, meaning noise,
or bounce, and the chief's son was perpetrating a sort of pun in the
vernacular.

"But it will be this time, never fear," I answered. "Farewell now, son
of Majendwa. I, who have seen more than men think, know how not to
talk."

I felt really grateful to Muntisi, and made him a final present which he
appreciated.

"You need not mistrust those I have brought you," he said. "Only for
others you cannot have too many eyes now until you reach Inncome," he
added meaningly.

Nothing of note happened and we trekked on unmolested in any way,
travelling slow, for the trade cattle were fat and in excellent
condition, which of course I didn't want to spoil. Then befel an
incident which was destined to give us trouble with a vengeance.

We had got into sparsely inhabited country now, and were nearing the
border. One afternoon Falkner and I had struck off from the track a
little to shoot a few birds for the pot--by the way Falkner had in some
degree condescended to relax his sulks, being presumably tired of his
own company. We had rejoined the track and had just put our horses into
a canter to overtake the waggons when Falkner threw a glance