n near the bodies, pitching forward in the natural
way and running a few paces, as the others had done that afternoon.
Evidently it was quite unhurt.

"Missed!" gasped Hans as he grasped the rifle to load it. "Oh! why did
you not throw a stone on to the first heap?"

I gave Hans a look that must have frightened him; at any rate, he spoke
no more. From the Boers went up a low groan. Then they began to pray
harder than ever, while the Zulus clustered round the king and whispered
to him. I learned afterwards that he was giving heavy odds against
me, ten to one in cattle, which they were obliged to take, unwillingly
enough.

Hans finished loading, capped and cocked the rifle, and handed it to me.
By now other vultures were appearing. Being desperately anxious to get
the thing over one way or another, at the proper moment I took the first
of them. Again I covered it dead and pressed. Again as the gun exploded
I saw that backward lurch of the bird, and heard the clap of the air
upon its wings. Then--oh horror!--this aasvogel turned quietly, and
began to mount the ladder of the sky in the same fashion as it had
descended. I had missed once more.

"The second heap of stones has done this, baas," said Hans faintly, and
this time I did not even look him. I only sat down and buried my face in
my hands. One more such miss, and then--

Hans began to whisper to me.

"Baas," he said, "those aasvogels see the flash of the gun, and shy at
it like a horse. Baas, you are shooting into their faces, for they all
hang with their beaks toward you before they drop. You must get behind
them, and fire into their tails, for even an aasvogel cannot see with
its tail."

I let fall my hands and stared at him. Surely the poor fellow had been
inspired from on high! I understood it all now. While their beaks were
towards me, I might fire at fifty vultures and never hit one, for each
time they would swerve from the flash, causing the bullet to miss them,
though but by a little.

"Come," I gasped, and began to walk quickly round the edge of the
depression to a rock, which I saw opposite about a hundred yards away.
My journey took me near the Zulus, who mocked me as I passed, asking
where my magic was, and if I wished to see the white people killed
presently. Dingaan was now offering odds of fifty cattle to one against
me, but no one would take the bet even with the king.

I made no answer; no, not even when they asked me "if I had thrown down