ock came
near to the surface of the soil, and it would seem as though the course
of the spring was turned or choked beneath it.

Then all those upon that mountain began to suffer the horrors of thirst.
Soon the cattle were altogether mad and rushing to and fro in herds,
bellowing furiously and goring everyone they met, or trampling them to
the earth. Now the Umpondwana strove to be rid of them by driving them
down the gorge, but the Zulus, guessing the trouble that the presence
of these beasts was bringing upon the besieged would not suffer them to
pass. Next they attempted to force them over the edge of the precipice,
but when they were driven to it the oxen turned and charged through
them, killing several men. After this they contented themselves with
stabbing the most dangerous of the animals, and leaving the rest to rush
to and fro as they would, for they did not care to kill them all lest
their carcasses should breed a pestilence.

The sixth day came, and, oh! the great kraal of the Umpondwana was but
as a hell wherein lost souls wandered in torment, for the sun beat down
upon it fiercely and everywhere roamed or lay men, women and children
overcome with the torture of thirst; indeed, of the last, some were
already dead, especially those who were at the breast, for their
mothers' milk was dry. Here three men had dragged an old wife from her
hut, and were beating her to make her reveal the store of water which
she was believed to have hidden; there others were cutting the throat
of an ox that they might drink its blood, and yonder a little girl
was turning stones to lick the damp side of them with her poor parched
tongue.

In the midst of these scenes which passed outside her hut, sat Sihamba
brooding. As chieftainess she still had about a pint of water stored
in a jar, but though she had made Suzanne drink, herself she drank but
little, for she would not consent to suffer less than those about her.

Now Sihamba's eyes fell upon the child who was licking stones, and her
heart was wrung with pity. Going into the hut she fetched most of the
water in a gourd, and calling to the child, who staggered towards her,
for she could scarcely walk, she gave it to her, bidding her drink
slowly.

In a moment it was gone, every drop of it, and, behold! the dim eyes
brightened, and the shrunken limbs seemed to grow round again, while the
young voice, no longer high and cracked, praised and blessed her name.
Sihamba motioned t