vondwe rose to the surface as before.

This time he was panting somewhat, as well he might. "There is no one
down there," he began, as soon as he had recovered breath.

"No one?"

"No one. All round the bottom did I go--and there was no one. _Au_! it
is fearsome down there in the gloom and the silence, and the great eels
gliding about like snakes. But she whom you seek must be found
elsewhere. Not under that water is she."

Was he going on the native principle of telling you what you would most
like to know? I wondered. Then Falkner began kicking off his boots.

"Here goes for a search on my own account," he said. "Coming, Glanton?
If there's nothing to hurt him, there's nothing to hurt us. We'll try
his dodge of holding a couple of stones. We'll get down further that
way."

Ivondwe shook his head.

"You will not get down at all," he said, in English.

"I'll have a try at any rate. Come along, Glanton."

I am at home in the water but not for any time under it. Half the time
spent by Ivondwe down there would have been enough to drown me several
times over. However I would make the attempt.

The result was even as I expected. With all the will in the world I had
not the power, and so far from getting to the bottom, I was forced to
return to the surface almost immediately. Falkner fared not much
better.

"It must be an awful depth," he said. "I couldn't even touch bottom,
and I'm no slouch in the diving line."

"Where ought we to search, Ivondwe?" I said in the vernacular, "for so
far there is no more trace than that left by a bird in the air? It will
mean large reward to any who should help to find her--yes, many cattle."

"Would that I might win such," he answered. Then pointing with his
stick, "Lo, the _Amapolise_."

Our horses began to snort and neigh, as the police patrol rode up. I
recognised my former acquaintance, Sergeant Simcox, but the inspector in
command of the troop was along.

"I've just come from your house, Major Sewin," he said after a few words
of sympathy, "and I left a couple of men there, so you need be under no
apprehension by reason of your ladies being alone. Now have you lighted
upon any fresh clue?"

"Eh? What? Clue?" echoed the old man dazedly. "No."

So I took up the parable, telling how I had found spoor leading to the
waterhole and that here it had stopped. I pointed out where the ground
had been smoothed over as though to erase the traces of a st