undred soldiers,
the half of a regiment, ran up and formed a circle about Sihamba and
Suzanne, who still sat upon the _schimmel_, white faced and wearied, her
hair hanging down her back. Scarcely was the circle made when from
round the shoulder of the hill appeared Swart Piet and with him his four
after-riders.

Seeing all the great array, he halted for a moment astonished, then
catching sight of Suzanne set up above the heads of the ring of
soldiers, he rode straight to Sigwe, who, with his counsellors and
guards, was standing outside the circle.

"Chief Sigwe," he said, "a wife of mine with her servant has escaped
from me, and as I suspected taken refuge in your kraal, for I see her
sitting yonder surrounded by your soldiers. Now, in the name of our
friendship, I pray you hand them over to me that I may lead them back to
their duty."

"I give you greeting, Bull-Head," answered Sigwe courteously, "and I
thank you for your visit to my town; presently an ox shall be sent for
you to eat. As for this matter of the white lady and her companion it is
one that we can inquire into at leisure. I hear that she is the daughter
of the big Boer whom the natives of the coast name Thick-Arm; also that
you murdered the lady's husband and carried her off by force to be your
wife instead of his. Now here, as you know, I am chief paramount, for
having of our blood in your veins, you understand our customs, and,
therefore, I must see justice done, especially as I do not wish to bring
a quarrel with the white people upon our heads. So off-saddle a while,
and to-morrow before I start upon a certain journey, I will summon my
counsellors and we will try the case."

Now by this time Swart Piet, who, as Sigwe had said, understood the
customs of the Kaffirs, knew very well that the chief was making
excuses, and would not surrender Suzanne to him. For a while he kept
himself calm, but when this knowledge came home to his mind his
reason left him, and he grew more than commonly mad with rage and
disappointment, for after all his crimes and toil Suzanne was now as far
from him as ever. Springing from his horse, but still keeping the gun in
his hand, he ran up to the triple ring of soldiers, pausing only at the
hedge of assegais which shone about it.

"Open," he said, "open, you red dogs!" but not a spear moved. Twice he
ran round the circle, then he stopped and cried, "Sihamba. Is Sihamba
here?"

"Surely, Bull-Head," answered the little wom