he child away, then she went into the hut to weep,
only weep she could not, since her eyes were too dry for tears.

"Three more days," she thought to herself, "and they will all be
dead unless rain should fall. Yes, the cowards, and those whom their
cowardice has betrayed will all be dead together."

As she thought thus, Suzanne entered the hut, and there was tidings in
her eyes.

"What is it, sister," asked Sihamba, "and whence do you come?"

"I come from the high seat upon the edge of the cliff," she answered,
"where I have sat all day, for I can no longer bear these sights, and I
have this to tell, that the Zulus are marching across the plain, but not
towards Zululand, since they head for the Quathlamba Mountains."

CHAPTER XXX

SIHAMBA PREVAILS

Now a fire of hope shot up in Sihamba's eyes, but soon it died out
again.

"It is a trick, it must be a trick," she said, "for who ever heard of a
Zulu loosing the prey that was in his hand? Never dare he do it save
by the command of the king," and she left the hut to be met by others
running with the same tidings. Of these she sent some down the gorge
to bring her report of what had happened, and with them Zinti, for she
could not altogether trust the word of her own people.

Within an hour the messengers returned, and on their faces was a strange
look which, clever as she was, Sihamba did not understand.

"Is the path clear?" she asked.

"No, chieftainess," they replied, "it is still blocked, for though
the Zulus have gone we know not where by order received from Dingaan,
Bull-Head holds it with such of his own men as are left alive."

"Had you speech with the white man?" she asked.

"Yes, lady."

"Say on."

Now they looked about them like people who are ashamed, but at last the
oldest of them spoke.

"Chieftainess," he said, "Bull-Head made us this offer and in these
words: 'You people of the Umpondwana, you are dying of thirst and I know
it; yes, though the Zulus have gone and but few of us are left here, yet
you cannot force the narrow way against us, so that I have only to sit
here for a few days longer and you will be dead of thirst, everyone of
you, you and your cattle together. But I do not wish that you should
die, for with you I have no quarrel; also if you die one will perish
among you whom I desire to keep alive. Therefore I make you this offer.
Hand over to me your ruler, Sihamba Ngenyanga, and with her the white
woman named Swallow, an