e hill Hloma Amabutu, and watch how the vultures fly. Do what
comes into your mind, and even if you seem to fail, fear nothing."_

I sat up on the old vrouw's bed, and felt that some mysterious change
had come over me. I was no longer the same man. My doubts and terrors
had gone; my hand was like a rock; my heart was light. I knew that I
should kill those three vultures. Of course the story seems absurd, and
easy to be explained by the state of my nerves under the strain which
was being put upon them, and for aught I know that may be its true
meaning. Yet I am not ashamed to confess that I have always held, and
still hold, otherwise. I believe that in my extremity some kindly Power
did speak to me in answer to my earnest prayers and to those of others,
giving me guidance and, what I needed still more, judgment and calmness.
At any rate, that this was my conviction at the moment may be seen from
the fact that I hastened to obey the teachings of that tiny, unnatural
voice.

Climbing out of the wagon, I went to Hans, who was seated near by in the
full glare of the hot sun, at which he seemed to stare with unblinking
eyes.

"Where's the rifle, Hans?" I said.

"Intombi is here, baas, where I have put her to keep her cool, so that
she may not go off before it is wanted," and he pointed to a little
grave-like heap of gathered grass at his side.

The natives, I should explain, named this particular gun "Intombi",
which means a young girl, because it was so much slimmer and more
graceful than other guns.

"Is it clean?" I asked.

"Never was she cleaner since she was born out of the fire, baas. Also,
the powder has been sifted and set to dry in the sun with the caps,
and the bullets have been trued to the barrel, so that there may be
no accidents when it comes to the shooting. If you miss the aasvogels,
baas, it will not be the fault of Intombi or of the powder and the
bullets; it will be your own fault."

"That's comforting," I answered. "Well, come on, I want to go to the
Death-hill yonder."

"Why, baas, before the time?" asked the Hottentot, shrinking back a
little. "It is no place to visit till one is obliged. These Zulus say
that ghosts sit there even in the daylight, haunting the rocks where
they were made ghosts."

"Vultures sit or fly there also, Hans; and I would see how they fly,
that I may know when and where to shoot at them."

"That is right, baas," said the clever Hottentot. "This is not like
firing a