his onslaught was fierce, and the Umpondwana, who at the best were
not the bravest of warriors, were taken by surprise.

It will be remembered that Zinti had brought Ralph's gun with him when
first they fled north, and this gun he still had, together with a little
powder and ball, for, fearing lest it should be stolen from him, he had
not taken it on his great journey to the Transkei and back. Now, hearing
the tumult, he ran out with it, and fired point blank at the stormers,
who were pushing their way up the narrow path, driving the Umpondwana
before them. The _roar_ was loaded with slugs, which, scattering, killed
three men; moreover, by good fortune, one of the slugs struck Van Vooren
himself through the fleshy part of the thigh, causing him to fall,
whereon, thinking him mortally wounded, in spite of his curses and
commands, his followers lost heart and fled, bearing him with them.
Sihamba called upon her people to follow, but they would not, for they
feared to meet Swart Piet in the open.

In truth they began to weary of this constant war, which was brought
upon them through no fault or quarrel of their own, and to ask where
was that good luck which the White Swallow had promised them. Had it
not been that they loved Suzanne for her beauty and her gentle ways, and
that Sihamba, by her cleverness and good rule, had mastered their minds,
there is little doubt indeed but that they would have asked Suzanne to
depart from among them.

On the day following the attack Sihamba learned that Swart Piet lay
very sick, having lost much blood, and sought to persuade her people
to attack him in turn, and make an end of him and his robbers. But
they would not, and so the council broke up, but not before Sihamba had
spoken bitter words, telling them that they were cowards, and would meet
the end of cowards, whereat they went away sullenly. Afterwards they
learned through their spies that Van Vooren had gone to Zululand to
visit the King Dingaan, which Sihamba thought evil tidings, for she
scented fresh danger in this journey, and not without reason. But to
Suzanne she said nothing.

Two more months went by peacefully, when one morning a herd who was
tending the cattle that belonged to Suzanne and Sihamba, sought audience
of the chieftainess.

"What is it?" asked Sihamba, for she saw by the man's face that
something strange had happened.

"This, lady," he answered. "When I went down to the kloof at dawn, where
your cattle a