. He had not,
he believed, committed any crime, and was merely hunting in a free
country; but having failed to think of any likely reason, he did not
further trouble himself about the matter. When the sun was so near the
horizon that the shadow of the trees made the forest through which they
walked nearly dark, the party halted. Some wood was quickly gathered, a
fire was lighted, and some elephant's flesh was broiled; Hans was given
his share of the food, and also supplied with water. He was carefully
tied to one of the men of the party, whose duty it was to watch him, and
thus all chance of escape was prevented. The party then set one man to
act as sentry, and, forming a ring round Hans, laid themselves down to
sleep. Bound as he was, Hans could not for a long time sleep; but at
length, long exposure to danger having rendered him very much of a
philosopher, he slept as soundly as the remainder of the party.

The sun had scarcely risen on the following morning before Hans and his
capturers, having breakfasted, again travelled on to the eastward. The
march was continued till mid-day, when a halt was made, and one or two
shots were fired, apparently as signals. After a short interval these
shots were replied to by other shots, and soon after a second party of
very similar-looking men appeared from the south, and brought with them
three Zulus, bound in the same manner as Hans. An immense number of
questions and answers passed between the two parties of men, those who
last arrived evidently describing to their friends some adventure which
had happened to them, and which from the action Hans supposed to be a
fight of some kind, probably with a hunting-party of Zulus, some of the
members of which were taken prisoners.

Hans was quite sufficiently acquainted with the Zulu dialect to have
made inquiries from his fellow-prisoners as to the manner in which they
had been captured, but as this would have been merely through curiosity,
he thought it more prudent to keep silence, and not to let his captors
know that he could speak the language of his dark-coloured
fellow-prisoners; besides, he believed that he would soon be able to
overhear enough of their conversation to find out in what manner they
had been captured; and in this supposition he was correct, for he soon
gathered enough information to know that the Zulus had been out hunting,
and were surprised by their capturers, who shot several men who offered
resistance,